Paul Kantner - The Planet Earth R'n'R Orchestra

Thirteen years after his first solo album, Blows Against The Empire, Paul Kantner delivered this sequel, named after the loose affiliation of Bay Area musicians who had played on Blows and subtitled, The Empire Blows Back. Like the first album, this one was a science fiction concept album about a commune/rock band eventually fleeing into outer space to escape right-wing oppression. Though the participants this time were limited mostly to Kantner's family (his son, daughter, and ex-wife, Grace Slick, all sing) and his band, Jefferson Starship, and though it was a bit harder rocking than its predecessor, the album shared Blows's vague idealism and complicated arrangements. Read More