Nuclear Furniture, like the other
Jefferson Starship albums of the early '80s, is a competent but rather forgettable collection of radio-friendly dual guitar/keyboard period pop tunes. It holds up better than previous efforts
Modern Times and
Winds of Change, though, due to improved songwriting and the temporarily revitalized presence of
Paul Kantner (who would acrimoniously leave the band, taking the "Jefferson" with him, after this album).
Kantner's three efforts -- "Connection," "Rose Goes to Yale," and "Champion" -- paint an intriguing and sometimes humorous picture of sifting through a post-apocalyptic Earth. "Champion," in fact, perfectly synthesizes his dual roles as unapologetic idealist hippie and aging storyteller/mythmaker. The remaining tracks are largely mid-tempo rockers, sounding much like
Foreigner filler. "No Way Out" became a Top 40 hit with its catchy keyboard riff, but on most of the other cuts, bandmembers
Craig Chaquico,
Pete Sears,
David Freiberg, and
Donny Baldwin are content to go through the motions. The usually thought-provoking
Grace Slick commits the almost unpardonable sin of applying cheesy synth drums to her composition "Magician," but acquits herself on the smart, intense "Showdown," one of her finest moments of the '80s, both lyrically and vocally. All told,
Nuclear Furniture is most notable in the
Jefferson lexicon as the album that made permanent the schism between
Paul Kantner's lingering political punditry and
Mickey Thomas's desire for disposable arena rock. The tension between the two angles makes for an intriguing if uneven album. ~ Joseph McCombs