Jefferson Airplane – Sweeping Up The Spotlight - Live At The Fillmore East 1969

Out of 10k Cds in a 5 year stint (at a CD store I worked at), this by far was my favorite of all time out of all the Cds I EVER PURCHASED especially for in-store play. How's that for a review?

While I saw at the show just a few days before at the old Electric Factory in Philadelphia, the gem was recorded on the 28th and 29th of November 1969, on the heels of their brilliant album Volunteers, where we find the band embracing more of the psychedelic revolutionary side of The Jefferson Airplane, though at this stage, it was still impossible for them not to preform “White Rabbit.”

The Airplane were never noted for delivering tight thoughtful shows, though this is the exception, featuring excellent sound taken directly from the soundboard at the Fillmore. The only issue, if one could suggest an issue, is that the voice of Grace Slick doesn’t really soar, sounding rather subdued or perhaps controlled … I’m deeply attempting to not use the expression laissez-fair, though good as Grace is, her absolute attention is missed. A dear friend maintains that Slick was right on the mark and that the aspect I taken as a lack of attention was Grace using her vocals as an instrument, and with consideration, that aspect does make sense. That being said, Jack Cassidy and Jorma Kaukonen make up for any short comings, challenging each other with playing that is sonically searing, laced with a sincere bit of psychedelic improvisation that nearly sets fire to the stage, especially on the tracks “Ballad Of You & Me,” the new Marty Balin number “You Where Your Dresses Too Short,” along with a ten minute cover of “The Other Side of This Life,” by Fred Neil.

What perhaps makes this album so notable is that The Airplane were splintering at this juncture, with Hot Tuna rising in their shadow, so much of the more rewarding aspects feature the Hot Tuna sound that was waiting in the wings, emphasizing how delicate the band’s structure and direction were at this point in time.

All of The Jefferson Airplane live albums are, shall I say ‘lacking,’ at some juncture during any given show, with perhaps Bless Its Pointed Little Head being the most consistent, I’ve always wondered why they hadn’t taken a page from The Grateful Dead’s book and come out with a retrospective collection that embraced all of their best and most resounding material gathered together from a variety of their recorded live shows, where fans could get a great dose of the high flying Airplane at their very best … because while it isn’t important to hear The Airplane at a particular event, other than as a vanity recording, hearing the group work smoothly together on a series of songs is a most enticing adventure, one I would dearly love to participate in.

Review by Jenell Kesler