Marty Balin: Live at the Boston Esplanade

Back in the '60s, Marty Balin was one of the pillars of the Jefferson Airplane, teaming with Grace Slick and Paul Kantner to form a vocal triumvirate fronting one of rock's more radical bands. In the '70s, Balin and some of his mates moved directly toward the middle of the road (and up the pop charts) with the Jefferson Starship. These days he's just another aging rocker trying to relive past glories with performances like this one, recorded at the Hatch Shell in Boston in June 2008. Age 65 at the time of this gig, Balin has lost some range, and his voice is sometimes pretty ragged as he trots out some of the best of the Airplane (including “Volunteers,” “3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds,” “White Rabbit,” and “Somebody to Love”—the latter two sung by Didi Stewart, who's unlikely to make anyone forget Slick); the Starship (“Miracles,” “Count on Me,” “Runaway”); and his solo days (“Hearts”), backed by a capable if undistinguished four-piece band. The technical quality of both the sound (which was remastered) and visuals is poor during the main concert, and the bonus tracks (mostly acoustic duets from various recent gigs with guitarist Mark “Slick” Aguilar) are even worse. Additional DVD extras include rehearsal footage and interviews with Balin and others, including Signe Anderson, the Airplane's first female singer. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, this is optional, at best. Aud: P. (S. Graham)