Manhole (album)

Last updated
Manhole
Manhole Grace Slick.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 4, 1974
Recorded1973
Studio Wally Heider Studios, San Francisco
Olympic Studios, London
Genre Rock, psychedelic rock
Length37:56
Label Grunt/RCA Records
Producer Grace Slick
David Freiberg
Paul Kantner
Keith Grant (co-producer)
Steven Schuster (co-producer, score/arrangements)
Grace Slick chronology
Baron von Tollbooth & the Chrome Nun
(1973)
Manhole
(1974)
Dragon Fly
(1974)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Christgau's Record Guide C [2]

Manhole is the first solo album by Grace Slick, released in 1974 by Grunt/RCA Records.

Contents

Background

The album is credited solely to Slick (she had previously recorded Sunfighter with Paul Kantner and Baron von Tollbooth & the Chrome Nun with Kantner and David Freiberg, both of whom co-produced Manhole). It was recorded in 1973, when Jefferson Airplane had stopped touring, and Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady were making the Hot Tuna album, The Phosphorescent Rat . All the members who would form Jefferson Starship in 1974 performed on this album, except for Papa John Creach. The album was conceived as a soundtrack to a movie (noted by the title of the second track, "Theme from the Movie Manhole"), although there was no such movie made. Grace drew all of the artwork for the album, and wrote on the cover "Child Type Odd Art by Grace."

Recording

Bob Mathews, engineer in the studio, has said that since there were words Slick wanted to be in Spanish, she waited around to six in the morning until the Mexican janitor appeared and would then ask him to translate her words while he emptied garbage cans.

Bob Mathews observed that though in her career she had always been quite disciplined, known for her reliability, at this time, "she was very much self-abused. She drank too much, smoked too much. She also shared my desire for particular drugs that kept us awake longer and allowed us to do more." [3]

Reception

The album commercially underperformed, reaching No. 127 on the Billboard charts.

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Jay" Grace Slick Grace Slick2:43
2."Theme from the Movie Manhole"Grace SlickGrace Slick [n 1] 15:23
Side two
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."¿Come Again? Toucan"Grace Slick David Freiberg 4:40
2."It's Only Music" Robert Hunter David Freiberg4:32
3."Better Lying Down"Grace Slick Pete Sears 3:15
4."Epic No. 38" Paul Kantner, Grace Slick, Jack TraylorPaul Kantner7:23

Personnel

Production

Notes

  1. Left hand piano part by Ivan Wing (Grace Slick's father)

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References

  1. Viglione, Joe (2011). "Manhole - Grace Slick | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Archived from the original on June 19, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
  2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X. Archived from the original on April 13, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2019 via robertchristgau.com.
  3. Slick, Grace; Rowes, Barbara (January 1, 1980). Grace Slick: The Biography. Doubleday. pp. 193–198. ISBN   0385133901.