Grace's finest moment

[starfire II]

I recently came across a vinyl copy of Grace's 1973 LP Manhole, and I've become slightly obsessd by the (kind of) title track.
I love Grace's singing on this. She sounds utterly majestic against that big, orchestrated backdrop. Her singing has a kind of Streisandesque grandeur to it, and the way she sings or phrases certain words just sends a shiver down my spine.
There are parts of this (the Spanish language stuff, the way she sings "if he feeeels like a good man...") that are just so damn sexy.
Overall, I think it's Grace's best ever performance on record. Anybody out there agree/disagree?
On a slightly different subject, I particularly enjoy Grace's Airplane-period songs too. There's often something deliciously, playfully weird about some (most) of her lyrics, and the way she sings them. Lather and Silver Spoon are particular favourites - any other nominations for Grace's finest (musical) moment?

[Susan Butcher]

Well, she sounds quite mad on "Fat", so I like that one. That's not quite the same thing as "finest", is it?

[usedtobebabson]

I've been liking "Hey Fredrick" from Volunteers lately. Grace is sounding sexy on the first line.

'Either go away or go all the way in'

And I keep wondering what these lyrics mean.

'How old will you have to be before you
Stop believing
That those eyes will look down on you
That way forever'

Then she gets sexy again with

'On wire wheels the four stroke man
Opens wide'

[redrabid]

To be honest, I didn't know what to do with this topic untill Susan's post showed me the way. The point is which Grace are we talking about: Grace the singer or Grace the composer or Grace the entertainer, the drunk, the provoker, the media manipulator. There are a lot of Graces and each of those persons has its "finest moments". As a composer I like "Rejoyce" and "White Rabbit" best, followed by "Eskimo Blue Day" and "As Often As I May". As a provoker: "Lawman", "Silverspoon" (how ironic that Grace herself became vegan in later life) and all those songs with very explicit sexual lyrics that no female singer/songwriter ever surpassed with the exception of Milly Jackson, like "Across The Board" and " The Dress Rap". As for the singer. I haven't made up my mind yet. I'll let you know.

[Susan Butcher]

I'd say that some of her lyrics are confusingly sexual! I think, oh that sounds a bit rude, but what exactly does she mean? "Milk Train" seems to be carrying a load of Bailey's Irish Cream as well as the usual Freudian baggage.

[graceslick]

I too ADORE Theme From the Movie Manhole. For a while I played it every day on my 15 minute bus ride to work...it fit perfectly into the journey. Love all the different, majestic, almost separate but always entwined and related, aspects of the song...

I don't find it especially ironic that Grace is a vegan now despite writing Silver Spoon...she wasn't actually saying that SHE agreed with canibalism or anything like that. She was just pissed off at the constant nagging and pushing in her face from hippy vegetarian nature-lovers all the time...and she most likely would still be today!

[SaturdayAfternoon]

Yeah, I agree with graceslick here.

Also, I have heard in an interview she called her record 'Manhole' to piss off the obsessed feminists!

Man, she could really stick it to them!

[plasticfantastic]

Yeah, I've heard that too. As an avid feminist though, I don't find her efforts particularly offensive. Only rather amusing.

I think her best vocals are on Sunfighter. The entire album, she just sounds so loose and free.

[oldblue]

I've been liking "Hey Fredrick" from Volunteers lately. Grace is sounding sexy on the first line.

'Either go away or go all the way in'

And I keep wondering what these lyrics mean.

'How old will you have to be before you
Stop believing
That those eyes will look down on you
That way forever'

Then she gets sexy again with

'On wire wheels the four stroke man
Opens wide'

the second lyrics are about a baby looking up at its mother

the third is about a motorcycle

[graceslick]

One of my absolute favourite Grace songs for vocals, feeling and lyrics, is Silver Spoon. LOVE. IT.

[EmbryonicRabbit68]

I agree, I love Silver Spoon! One of my favorite songs associated with the Airplane, one of her best I think. It's very unique, it's a perfect example of her type of songwriting. And of course, vocalizing too. And her piano playing... That song is amazing. Where are the bodies for dinner?

[graceslick]

Yes, the piano playing! I LOVE that style! I don't know what it's called, but I love it. And she always downplays her talents in terms of instruments...she could play the piano, bass guitar, electric guitar and recorder...AND that voice! IMPRESSIVE!

[EmbryonicRabbit68]

I'm not sure if that particular piano playing style has a name, but it could be called Nicky Hopkin-ing. It was very much influenced from Nicky Hopkin's playing, he played piano for the Airplane at Woodstock, and many hundreds upon thousands of musicians around that time, and Grace has stated that she did begin to develope that style after watching him play. But she just translates it so well into her own, in a way she is also one of my favorite pianists because the way her playing just flowed on the Airplane's music, and all the solo albums. Blows Against The Empire is a perfect example, it's like cool water with the music on some of those songs, much like her voice. Grace is the river.

[SuperSlick66]

I think Grace nails the song Seasons. It's so happy and just makes me want to dance plus her voice is FANTASTIC. I can't get enough of it.

Also, I don't know but Greasy Heart seems overlooked. Her singing is extra demanding in it so you just have to jam when that song comes on.

[CookOfTheHouse]

I started liking Grace because of her strong vibrato... she somehow stops using it after the Volunteers album (I think she had to have surgery or something like that and she started sounding different). I think Grace's finset moment are from 1965 to 1969, but that surgery sure did sonmething that changed her voice.