Paul Kantner, Grace Slick & David Freiberg
Baron Von Tolbooth & the Chrome Nun

Why talk about an album that's over 40 years old, almost forgotten by everyone?

Because it is one of my historical favorites, and because, despite my initial idea against writing reviews on this site, due to the little time available and my poor Italian-bureaucratese, when I encountered this album still to be reviewed, which could become interesting to discuss, I changed my mind and decided in that direction...

To start, in an ideal reawakening of the “musical world” from which this beautiful album originates, it is fitting to do so with “there were once, more than 50 years ago, the Jefferson Airplane…”, just to remind, for the few still unaware, how this Group was the emblem par excellence of the “Summer of Love”, pride of American rock, and of the Californian Sixties, and the driving force of the colorful Bay Area music scene of that time, even more than the contemporary Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Moby Grape, Janis Joplin, etc. etc.

In balance between folk, rock, acid-blues, and psychedelic pop, intrinsically linked to the student “movement” and the political activism of the time, those Jefferson were born in the summer of 1965, authoritatively embodying in the following decades a certain idea of youthful hippie counterculture, pacifist and non-violent, born of a season of creative expression and free and antagonistic society, utopia of a “Peace & Love!” world vanished with the beginning of the '70s along with the Group in question; abandoned by Kaukonen and Jack Casady, busy making rock-blues with Hot Tuna, those who remained continued that “musical journey” under the name of Jefferson Starship, assembling a more pop-oriented lineup towards the trends of the moment, heretically forgetful of the entire “dreamlike musical-poetic-conceptual repertoire” of before, replaced by polished and meticulously crafted radio-tv-friendly hits, loudly directed towards sounds often hard rock or easy listening, if not trivially catalogable as entertainment music.

We are in 1973, and the so-called “classic” lineup, protagonist of a “musical world” still pleasantly listenable today, had not existed for about 3-4 years; while shortly, differently from the glorious past, the new Jefferson, presumptuously gone from the original Airplane to that Starship fleeing from Earth, from '74 will dominate the sales charts of 45s and 33s, instrumentally perfect but unfortunately inconsistent, a few months earlier, after the lofty and inspired Sunfighter of '71, just in May of '73, comes from the “expanded” ensemble of the spouses Paul Kanter/Grace Slick, David Freiberg & C., like in a beautiful fresco rich in bright colors, this “Baron Von Tolbooth & the Chrome Nun”, later revealed as the last of the Airplane period still in west-coast style, to be considered today, with hindsight, as a good Album even though of little success, certainly not attributable to the most celebrated masterpieces of the early Jefferson.

Although subsequent to the lysergic epic, this “solo” Album, even though born in '73, confidently turns back towards the joyous and revolutionary “Flower Power” of the '60s, with soft and solemn sounds, and splendid dreamy ballads that flow pleasantly fast; titled under Paul K. and Grace S., according to the two nicknames attributed to them by David Crosby, in this little masterpiece is masterfully aggregated the best “Team” of the San Francisco music of the '60s, endorsed by Musicians of great caliber like Crosby, Garcia, Kaukonen, Casady, Freiberg, Creach, and Traylor, where G.Slick, splendid and seductive, thanks to her powerful and majestic voice, unsurpassedly dominates all the tracks with her almost infinite singing abilities.

Comforted by beautiful inserts of piano and guitar, and an “evocative” use of the mellotron (for the first time for the Jefferson), this Music Project encompasses many beautiful moments full of charm, flowing fast and pleasant in sequence, perfect in quality and coherence, magnificently built around the beautiful vocal forays and explorations of Grace Slick and her Friends; it seems difficult among the various tracks to make a ranking of appreciation, all enchanting in a brilliant slalom of instrumental fills and voids, delightful vocal constructions, highs and lows, in an infinity of nuances, tones, and musical colors; if we want to talk about preferences, leading in listening order, the initial “Ballad of the Chrome Nun”, the beautiful “Fat”, embellished by the Pointer Sisters' chorus, and following “Flowers of the Night”, “Your Mind Has Left Your Body”, “Across The Board”, “Fishman”, and the concluding and sweet “Sketches of China”, dedicated to the daughter of Grace and Paul.

Having said that, search for the album on Youtube, as there is both the "full album" and track by track, and listen to it because, I am sure, you will like it, and then, once appreciated, if you want to buy it in a store, because the audio quality improves and it deserves the purchase.

Thanks for the music, Mrs. Grace and Mr. Paul !!!