Modern Times (Jefferson Starship album) explained

Modern Times
Type:studio
Artist:Jefferson Starship
Cover:Modern_Times_(Jefferson_Starship).jpg
Released:April 2, 1981
Recorded:1980–1981 at the Record Plant, Los Angeles and Sausalito
Genre:Rock
Length:38:26
Label:Grunt
Producer:Ron Nevison
Prev Title:Freedom at Point Zero
Prev Year:1979
Next Title:Winds of Change
Next Year:1982

Modern Times is the sixth album by Jefferson Starship and was released in 1981. Grace Slick appeared on this album after a three-year absence. She returned near the end of the recording sessions, providing background vocals on some tracks as well as lead vocals on the single "Stranger" as a duet with lead singer Mickey Thomas. "Stranger" had previously been performed live by Jefferson Starship as early as December 1979, and the first studio version was made for Modern Times.[1] Although not appearing in the band picture on the gatefold cover, Slick is listed on the back cover of the LP with the credit "Introducing Grace Slick" and her picture is on the lyric sleeve with the note "Grace Slick courtesy of Grace Slick." She joined the band officially for the 1981 tour. This was the first Jefferson Starship album to have promotional music videos. It was also the first album to feature a charting single on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, which had premiered earlier in the year. The single "Find Your Way Back" reached No. 3 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

The song "Stairway to Cleveland" was inspired by a harsh review that Rolling Stone had given the album Freedom at Point Zero,[2] inspiring Paul Kantner to wrap lyrics around a phrase he had heard from Paul Warren: "Fuck you! We do what we want!"

Personnel

Production

Singles / Music Videos

Charts

Year-end charts

Notes and References

  1. Stranger (Live: X's San Francisco 31 Dec '79 (Early Set)) . Jefferson Starship . May 20, 2022 . YouTube . 0:05 .
  2. Book: Tamarakin, Jeff . 2003 . Got a Revolution: The Turbulent Flight of Jefferson Airplane . Simon and Schuster . 0-671-03403-0.
  3. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 154.
  4. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1981. Billboard. February 26, 2021. February 22, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200222070404/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1981/top-billboard-200-albums. live.