Freedom at Point Zero is the fifth album by American rock band Jefferson Starship, released in 1979. It was the first album for new lead singer Mickey Thomas, and the first after both Grace Slick and Marty Balin left the previous year (Slick rejoined the band for their next album Modern Times in 1981 and Balin joined the revived Jefferson Starship in 1993). Aynsley Dunbar plays drums on this album; he had left Journey the previous year. The album cover was shot on location in the San Francisco Bay on board the USCGC Midgett.
| Freedom at Point Zero | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 1979[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1979 | |||
| Studio | The Record Plant, Los Angeles and Sausalito | |||
| Genre | Rock, hard rock, arena rock | |||
| Length | 42:27 | |||
| Label | Grunt | |||
| Producer | Ron Nevison | |||
| Jefferson Starship chronology | ||||
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The album spawned the hit single "Jane", which peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 14 and spent three weeks at No. 6 on the Cash Box Top 100.[2] "Jane" was featured in the 2009 video game Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned, as well as the opening music to the film Wet Hot American Summer and its prequel series Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, while also being featured in the 2023 comedy thriller film Cocaine Bear. It is one of the few songs that was performed live by both the Paul Kantner-led Jefferson Starship TNG and the Mickey Thomas-led Starship. The song "Lightning Rose" predicts the concept of the Nuclear Furniture album, and in fact its character Lightning Rose would return on Nuclear Furniture as the key character in that album's concept.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C−[4] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [5] |
Record World called the single "Girl with the Hungry Eyes" a "ferocious rocker."[6] It said of "Rock Music" that "Mickey Thomas' frenetic vocals rip over roaring guitars."[7] The Globe and Mail wrote: "Starship has been making music for the eighties since about 1967. Now that the eighties are here, it's only logical that this band should remain at the forefront of the style it pioneered."[8]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Jane" | David Freiberg, Jim McPherson | Freiberg, McPherson, Paul Kantner, Craig Chaquico | 4:07 |
| 2. | "Lightning Rose (Carry the Fire)" | Kantner | Kantner | 4:36 |
| 3. | "Things to Come" | Kantner, China Wing Kantner | Kantner | 4:49 |
| 4. | "Awakening" | Jeannette Sears | Pete Sears | 7:59 |
| 5. | "Girl with the Hungry Eyes" | Kantner | Kantner | 3:28 |
| 6. | "Just the Same" | Chaquico, J. Sears | Chaquico, Eric Van Soest | 5:17 |
| 7. | "Rock Music" | Chaquico, J. Sears | Chaquico | 3:35 |
| 8. | "Fading Lady Light" | J. Sears | P. Sears, Mark Unobsky | 3:39 |
| 9. | "Freedom at Point Zero (Climbing Tiger Mountain through the Sky)" | Kantner | Kantner | 4:25 |
Personnel
Jefferson Starship
- Mickey Thomas – lead (1, 3-9) and backing vocals
- Paul Kantner – lead (2, 9) and backing vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards (3)
- Craig Chaquico – lead guitar, rhythm guitar
- David Freiberg – bass (1, 2, 4, 6, 8) synthesizer (3, 5, 7, 9), backing vocals
- Pete Sears – bass (3, 4 (intro), 5, 7, 9), piano (1, 2, 4), electric piano (6), organ (8), rhythm guitar (8), backing vocals
- Aynsley Dunbar – drums, percussion
Additional personnel
- Steven Schuster – saxophone (1-3, 6, 9)
- Tower of Power – horns (1)
Production
- Ron Nevison – producer for Gadget Productions, Inc., engineer
- Michael Clink – engineer
- Mike Reese – mastering
- Pat Ieraci (Maurice) – production coordinator
- Paul Dowell – amp consultant
- Ria Lewerke-Shapiro – art direction, design
- Gary Regester – photography
- Tyrone Q. Thompson – star scout
- Bill Thompson – manager
- Recorded and mixed at The Record Plant, Los Angeles - Sausalito
- Mastered at The Mastering Lab, Hollywood
Charts
| Chart (1979-1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian albums (Kent Music Report)[9] | 75 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[10] | 20 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[11] | 23 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[12] | 22 |
| US Billboard 200[13] | 10 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[14] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[15] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||