Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, Starship - Hits

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Although no greatest hits compilation will have EVERY song you might want on it, this one comes close, including several I didn't even realize WERE by this amazing group of artists. Even though it does have a song I must regretfully admit to loathing ("We Built This City"), I give this item the HIGHEST marks! July 19, 2006

Satisfying, but a boxed set would be great!

It's a little hard to believe that the trippy Jefferson Airplane became the rocking Jefferson Starship only to disintegrate into the sappy Starship, but the transformation is right here on these two CDs. The songs you'd expect to find on a hits collection of these three bands are here -- Somebody to Love, White Rabbit, Miracles, Caroline, Jane and We Built This City, to name a few. For me, this compilation is worth having for the full version of Miracles, which was edited for radio play back in the 70s but is more passionate and amazing at its full length! While this set is satisfying, I'd like to see a boxed set someday...
October 31, 2004

Lives up to its title perfectly

I've been reading the reviews on this collection, and quite frankly, the name of this package is HITS...not what some people regard as their favorites maybe, but all the hits are there from all three incarnations of this band between 1967 and 1990. I've always been of the train of thought that band members come and go for reasons, and they chose the ones they thought would serve them the best. I don't see any of the changes this band made as any kind of sellout at all...hey, no one held a gun to their heads and said "You will make THIS type of music..." they wrote and performed the songs that were on these albums, and the ones they didn't write were ones they liked enough to record. Grace Slick and Marty Balin sounded great together...and when I had the chance to see the band in 1985, she sounded great together with Mickey Thomas...and in 2002 when I caught Mickey Thomas's Starship on tour with Eddie Money, he still sounded great doing all the Starship tunes associated with him. Every song is someone's favorite, and a lot of mine are on this collection. If you don't want to spend tons of money to get all their hits in one place, buy this collection. If, on the other hand, you prefer one period of this band's varied history over another...then go buy the best of collection from that period, or collect the albums they put out during that period. Hits collections seem to take it on the chin for not including one person's favorites or inevitably another person has to ask "how could they NOT include...?" (like the track "Winds of Change", but I already have that on another CD, it's not like I can't listen to it). All in all, great collection, comprehensive...
and affordable. September 5, 2004

An Exhaustive Collection of Jefferson�s multiple transitions

Jefferson Airplane - "Hits" (Rock & Roll, Hard Rock, Psychedelic, Folk-Rock, Arena Rock) : Firstly it should be mentioned that this extensive compilation compiles the vast majority of the best / Most popular tracks from the 3 incarnations of Jefferson Airplane.....so that includes the bands transitions from "Jefferson Airplane" to "Jefferson Starship" through to just "Starship" (Which contained none of the founder members, and thus explains the radically different sound in the bands transitions).

Seeing as this is a "Hits" album, the vast majority of their most popular & critically applauded songs throughout the various transitions of the band are complied here. From the Jefferson Airplane side, the 60's rock and psychedelic rock & Folk-rock that they made their name on, is faithfully represented here, with the excellent inclusions of "Somebody to Love / White Rabbit / Plastic Fantastic Lover".....which (for me) are amongst some of the strongest tracks featured here on this 35 track double album. Jefferson Starship gradual shift away from 60's/Psychedelic rock, to a more Area based rock, and Album oriented rock, lists their best achievements in "Caroline / Miracles / Count on me / With your love", and yet again prove themselves to be fantastic songs in their own right. The transition of their sound was complete with the move to "Starship", which had a completely different line-up of musicians and saw them embrace 80's rock/ Soft rock (not to dissimilar to 'Fleetwood Mac'), and Pop/Rock crossover....with "Sara / Nothings gonna stop us now / It not over (Til it's over)", and the anthemic "We Built this City".

Seeing as the band went through three personality changes since it's inception, its not hard to audibly hear the transition of sound, where the band change direction musically. And herein lies the problem.....if you only like one or indeed two, of the bands incarnations, then you're going to have difficulty sitting through the tracks of the period of the band that you don't like.......and because it's one of the only albums to give a complete overview of the band, this is really only aimed at people that liked all three incarnations (irrespective of the wildly different sound), so if you are one of those people, than you'd be far better served, picking up a individual collection album of the period of the band that you like.

For those of us, that do appreciate Jefferson's multiple musical & line-up changes, this is as exhaustive & thorough a compilation as you could possibly hope for, and serves to be an illuminating overview of the band, and a balanced portrayal of their wildly varying music. And if you can handle listening to '60's Folk-rock', through to 'Arena / Album oriented rock'....culminating in 80's soft rock (although undeniably catchy), this is the finest catalogue of a band with over 20 years of hits......and highly recommended. June 14, 2004

Comprehensive collection of the band in all its incarnations

I was somewhat amused by another reviewers description of this collection as being "bizarre". I would concur that this is an apt description as this is one group that changed personnel and musical directions so frequently that it would make your head spin. But in the final analysis, this outfit left us with a pretty impressive body of work. This two CD set released in 1998 is no doubt the best collection that has ever been offered. RCA/BMG has included a generous 35 tracks beginning with the best work of Jefferson Airplane from the late 60's. Aside from the obligatory "Somebody To Love" and "White Rabbit", selections include "Ballad of You & Me & Pooneil" as well as the title cuts from two of their popular albums of the day "Crown of Creation" and "Volunteers".
For me, the group did it finest work in the mid to late 70's when they were known as Jefferson Starship. All of the hit singles are here including "Miracles", "With Your Love", Count On Me" and one of my personal favorites "Runaway" from 1978. Another terrific tune, 1984's "No Way Out" is also included.
The group had another metamorphisis in 1985 when they emerged as simply Starship. And much to my amazement, the group scored with several of its biggest hits ever including "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now", "Sara" and of course "We Built This City". All three of those tunes reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
While I enjoyed the music, Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship/Starship was never among my very favorite bands. There are really more tracks here that I required. But as a practical matter this package remains the best collection available. The remastering job is excellent and the 12 page booklet that is included is OK. All in all, a pretty good deal. April 20, 2004

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