Ok, this is not even a music video, but Jess recently had me listen to a CD of Grace Slick and her first band, The Great Society. The Great Society predated her turn at the helm of the Jefferson Airplane.
But, damn if the vocals Slick uses on the songs on this CD do not blow away her work with the Jefferson Airplane.
Listen to this version of the great hit Somebody To Love:
There is a rawness and animality to her vocalizations that transcend the mere art of singing. And she does it on many other of the 17 songs on the CD. It's like a rock/folk mix with Gregorian chanting and aboriginal music. And it's better than the more polished version she does with the Airplane. And I always thought that was a great song.
I know it's a long shot, but I think I'm gonna try to see if I can interview Ms. Slick next year. While she's not a great singer, per se, she has a great voice. She's sort of the opposite of Billie Holliday, who certainly did not have a great voice, but was arguably a great singer.
Viva Grace Slick!
