Jefferson Starship-Red Octopus (1975)

Jefferson Starship's second album, "Red Octopus", will forever be remembered for one of the most iconic songs in American rock: "Miracles", This hit propelled the album to multiple platinum records and became the biggest commercial success of any of the Airplane incarnations (Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, and Hot Tuna). "Red Octopus" was the second release from this new incarnation of the band, following "Dragon Fly" (1974). This album moved somewhat away from the psychedelic sounds of the original band, focusing more on mainstream rock. On this second release, Airplane's founding guitarist, Marty Balin, officially became a member of Starship and composed the brilliant ballad "Miracles", in addition to co-writing five of the album's ten songs. At that time, Jefferson Starship consisted of eight members in total, including Grace Slick (vocals), David Freiberg (keyboards), and Paul Kantner (guitar), all of whom shared vocal duties, plus contributions from guitarist Craig Chaquico, violinist Papa John Creach, bassist Pete Sears, and drummer John Barbata. However, this superb second LP didn't just rely on the excellence of the aforementioned "Miracles". It featured everything from reinterpretations of the classic Airplane sound with a funky flavor, such as "Git Fiddler", to accessible pop-rock tracks like "Sandalphon" and "Play On Love", as well as excellent melodic rock compositions like "Fast Buck Freddie" and "Tumblin' ",  and energetic songs like the rock anthems "Sweeter Than Honey" and "I Want To See Another World".

Jefferson Starship-Spitfire (1976)

“Spitfire” was Jefferson Starship’s third album and the tenth in the Jefferson saga, not counting the work of Hot Tuna, the other side project of the dynasty comprised of Jack Cassidy and Jorma Kaukonen. On this third release, guitarist Craig Chaquico takes center stage, composing four of the album’s nine tracks and contributing his unmistakable guitar work to the final product. However, the band’s style gradually shifted towards catchier, more commercial sounds, without abandoning the characteristic complexity that Paul Katner used to infuse into Starship’s sound. Even so, the album features standout tracks such as the psychedelic “Cruisin’ ”, the dark, gospel-tinged “Hot Water” with Grace Slick’s sensitive vocals, the complex “St. Charles”, the progressive “Song To The Sun / Ozymandies / Don’t Let It Rain”, and the melodic “With Your Love” and “Switchblade”. To close out the album, they tackled the country-rock tracks "Big City" and the energetic "Love Lovely Love", creating an eclectic yet cohesive and homogeneous record. "Spitfire" didn't achieve the same sales or success as its predecessor, "Red Octopus", but it did reach platinum status and number three on the US Billboard charts.

Jefferson Starship-Freedom At Point Zero (1979)

Jefferson Starship's fifth album, "Freedom At Point Zero", was released with numerous changes compared to its predecessor, "Earth". Singers Grace Slick and Marty Balin had left the band, the former temporarily, along with drummer John Barbata, and were replaced by singer Mickey Thomas and former Journey drummer Aynsley Dunbar. Furthermore, the band entrusted studio production to an outside producer, foregoing their usual collaborator Larry Cox and hiring the prestigious Ron Nevison, who had already worked with major artists such as Kiss, Thin Lizzy, Meat Loaf, Grand Funk, and Led Zeppelin, among many others. All these changes were clearly reflected in this new album. To begin with, their sound shifted towards a blatantly AOR style, where Thomas's prodigious vocals and Paul Kantner's addictive vocals were reinforced by doubling the backing vocals, resulting in an outstanding album. In addition, the prominence of guitarists Kantner and Chaquico becomes much more relevant, as demonstrated in exuberant songs such as the opening track "Jane", the epic and spectacular "Awakening", the AOR "Things To Come", or the powerful "Girl With The Hungry Eyes", while the irresistible "Rock Music" and "Freedom At Point Zero", or the delicate and superb "Fading Lady Light", showed that the band could continue to produce great albums apart from its mainstays, Slick and Balin.

Jefferson Starship-Dragon Fly (1974)

In the mid-70s, Jefferson Airplane adapted to the changing times and changed their name to Jefferson Starship. This represented a significant shift in every sense, and with this "modification" from "airplane" to "starship", it was as if they wanted to emphasize the group's evolution and continuous changes. Moving away from the psychedelic hippie sound of their late-sixties albums under the Airplane name, they now opened themselves up to the demands of a new audience, modernizing their music with a more accessible, powerful, and, to a certain extent, sanitized rock sound. "Dragon Fly", released in 1974, would be the starting point. By this time, much of the original lineup that recorded the legendary "Takes Off" (1966), "Surrealistic Pillow" (1967), and "Volunteers" (1969) was still present: Grace Slick, Marty Balin, and Paul Kantner. Along with new additions like Craig Chaquico, Papa John Creach, and David Freiberg, they brought a fresh stylistic approach, incorporating more accessible AOR sounds that were nonetheless high-quality. Chaquico's versatile guitar work and Papa John Creach's violin sounds lend the album depth and eclecticism. "Ride The Tiger" showcases the melodic and incredibly addictive side of their compositions, "That's for Sure" is a throwback to their experimental years with an updated sound, "Caroline" is the album's hit, written by Balin, which gives the album the necessary commercial consistency, however, it is the rhythmic "Devils Den" or the epic and wonderful "Hyperdrive" that are the best of "Dragon Fly", which marked the resurgence of one of the most important bands of the sixties who brilliantly resurrected themselves in the seventies, signing superb works like this one or the following "Red Octopus" (1975) or "Spitfire" (1976).