At the Family Dog Ballroom

---

---

Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-04-10 rating:
Good soundboard recording.
This is certainly excellent value, with an Airplane who are definitely on song. But although it doesn't come between the listener and the music too much, the sound quality is a little variable; Jorma and Jack sometimes sound as though they're playing in an adjoining venue.
Like another reviewer, I presume that this has been taken off a soundboard tape, and given that limitation it's very good indeed. But if you want better sound quality in a live performance from the same era, go for 'Sweeping Up The Spotlight', which comes close to matching 'Bless It's Pointed Little Head'.

---

review by: date: 2008-02-08 rating:
Brilliant psychedelia
This show from 6/9/69 is a marvelous release for all fans of Jefferson Airplane, one of the all-time greatest psychedelic bands, and for all fans of freeflowing, spontaneous 60s music. And deep, visionary music in general.

The band is certainly on fire this evening, driven by the thunderous bass of the masterful Jack Cassidy, playing a handful a songs from the then upcoming "Volunteers" album, as well as old classics like "Somebody To Love", starting with a long, trippy "You and Me and Pooneil", which also includes a snippet of "Starship" and ending with a great jam where Jerry Garcia spreads his unique guitar-magic. Great songs, the obligatory Jorma blues and all in all the Airplane heading for the stratosphere. There is also a percussionist added at the final jam, could it be Mickey Hart?

Considering the time the soundquality must be characterized as absolutely excellent, A- at least, though the vocals are a bit too upfront. But as both Marty Balin and Grace Slick, two of the greatest rockvocalists ever, are in topform, it doesn't matter at all.

Won't you try?


review by: 13th Floor date: 2008-01-18 rating:
Come the Revolution
Charley have done a grand job in releasing this recently discovered tape of the Classic Airplane lineup from the Family Dog in September 1969 in the immediate aftermath of The Woodstock Festival.

I wasn`t expecting the sound quality to be as good as it is. It appears to be straight off the Soundboard with the vocals very high in the mix. This means that the combined talents of Marty Balin, Grace Slick & Paul Kantner are very much to the fore. The concert was recorded at a time of transition for the band and most notably features no less than 5 songs from the "Volunteers" Album. The last studio set to include this line up.

The Band was moving towards a more overtly political stance and this is reflected in much of the lyrical content of these songs. They were also on the verge of fragmenting with the various factions looking to further their own interests since, as Marty opined at the time, it was almost impossible to get together to discuss joint musical direction.

The concert kicks off in majestic style with an over 15 minute version of "The Ballad of you and me and Pooneil." Paul even manages to integrate sections from "Blows against the Empire" into this workout. Needless to say the instrumental break features Jack Casidy in fine form on Bass. This leads into "Good shepherd" from Volunteers and surprisingly " We can be together" from "Empire" well before it's release. Grace then takes centre stage for a slightly different arrangement of "Somebody to Love" the only early song on the set. She is in fine vocal form.

"Farm", again from Volunteers, precedes a splendid version of "Crown of Creation" before The Hot Tuna partnership of Casidy and Jorma Kaukonen lead the way with their storming blues rendition of "Come back Baby". What follows is a truly sublime version of "Wooden Ships" before The Airplane set ends with a belting "Volunteers".

In true San Franciscan tradition the closing Jam session of no less than 26 minutes duration features a guest appearence from The legendary Jerry Garcia joining the Band minus Grace for an instrumental excursion into uncharted territory. Jerry's guitar is very much to the fore and this is a better jam than the DVD from the Family Dog one year later.

Clocking in at over 78 minutes in length this really is outstanding value and a great set to savour from The Bay Area's Premier act at their height. Thoroughly recommended to any Airplane admirers.

---

Similar products

Sweeping Up the Spotlight: Live at the Fillmore East 1969
"Night At The Family Dog, A (Various Artists) (DVD) (Various Artists)" [1970]
Last Flight
Feels Like '67 Again
Pacific Ocean Blue/Bambu (The Caribou Sessions): Legacy Edition

---

Similar categories

Music . Styles . Pop . General AAS
Music . Styles . Rock . Classic Rock . Bestsellers
Music . Styles . Rock . Classic Rock . Psychedelic Rock
Music . Styles . Rock . General AAS
Music . Styles . World & Folk . General AAS
Music . Refinements . Format (binding_browse-bin) . CD . CD Album

---