Balin, Marty
Rock Justice
Rare & Collectible Vinyl Records

Sealed 1980 Gatefold Original. Clean Cut Out Hole. “The Brainchild Of Former Jefferson Airplane And Jefferson Starship Singer Marty Balin, Rock Justice Is, As Its Subtitle Reveals, "A Rock 'N Roll Musical," In Which "Late At Night A Rock Band Lays Down Two Tunes In A Studio And Takes A Break. The Lead Singer Falls Asleep And Dreams He's Put On Trial By His Own Band For Not Having A Hit. The Prosecuting Guitarist Calls A Record Exec., A Promoter, A Manager, And A D.J. As Witnesses Against Him...." So Reads The Explanation On The Back Of The LP That Presents 11 Songs From The Musical, Some Of Them Recorded Live At The Old Waldorf Club In San Francisco, Where The Musical Was Performed. Balin, Credited As Director, Does Not Perform On The Album, But He Co-Wrote Five Of The Songs. As The Summary Suggests, The Album Begins With The "Two Tunes" The Rock Band Is Laying Down In A Studio, "Hold Me Close" And "Rock 'N Roll Dreams," Both Accessible Rock Songs That Might Be Hits In An Alternate Universe, Sung By Jeff Pilson, Who Plays The Lead Singer. (This May Help Explain The Mixture Of Studio And Live Recordings, Since Jesse Bradman, Credited On The Album Only With Background Vocals, Took The Part Of The Lead Singer In The Stage Production.) The Songs, Set To Hard Rock And Post-Punk Arrangements And Sung With Conviction By The Talented Cast, Make The Case Not For The Lead Singer's Guilt, Of Course, But For The Ways In Which The Music Business Crushes And Abuses Talent. As Rock Musicals Go, Rock Justice Isn't Exactly Hair, Or Even Tommy, But It Clearly Has Been Constructed From The Inside By An Artist With Detailed Knowledge Of The Circumstances. (Reportedly, Balin Worked On It While Sitting In Court During A Lawsuit Involving Jefferson Airplane.) And There Are Some Good Tunes, Too.” AMG – William Ruhlmann