Star Fleet

Alternate Versions

Album Version
Featuring some excellent guitar and a good vocal from Brian, even if a few words are a little unclear. Each of the musicians gets a chance to show off, with plenty of instrumental breaks. Perhaps a touch too long for repeated listens, but there is some very inventive guitar and the instrumental sections are never boring. As with some of Brian's other projects, e.g. "Cyborg" and "Il Colosso", it does help to know the context of the song though (especially the lyrics). However, this is still a highly recommended track for Brian fans. Time 8:05

Single Version
A edited single was released to promote the album, with a specially re-recorded intro by Brian. In fact this "special intro" is little more than a few chords of keyboards, but it's still different. This edit includes all the sections of the song with lyrics, and a very nice solo from Brian. The actual 7" is now quite hard to find, especially the Spanish version which is in a full colour picture sleeve (all other sleeves are black and white). A US promo 12" also exists, with both the LP and 7" versions on it. Time 4:12

US Edit
For the US, even the edited 4:12 mix was too long. So Brian's guitar solo was cut even further, to produce an even shorter edit. This arguably spoiled the song slightly, as the instrumentals are the best bits! Available only on an AA-sided Capitol Records promo 7". Time 3:07

Video Version
The video for the song features a number of extra sound effects dubbed over the single mix. This is to accompany the scenes in the video (taken from the TV series), and there are a lot of explosions and laser blasts etc. Quite different, though it sounds a little odd without the visuals. Interesting though, if you can find it - its only available as a promo, and its pretty rare. Of course, bootlegs exist as well, but these are almost as hard to get hold of anyway.

Album Version
An old song of Brian's, this is a bit of a mini-epic. A gentle blues song, heavier than "Lost Opportunity" but not as heavy as "See What A Fool I've Been". Brian has also played this live on occasion - usually at his more informal appearances, including once with The Cross (see below). The guitar is very good as always, but quite bluesy. Brian's laid back vocal is well-suited to the song, and Eddie Van Halen gives him a run for his money too. Time 7:15

Live With "The Cross" Version, Astoria 1990
A one-off performance, and quite different in sound to the LP version. Brian joined The Cross on stage at the Astoria concert, and this was the surprise encore. Brian provides the vocals, and Mike Moran assists admirably on piano. Each member of the band is introduced in turn before starting their respective solos, and its a good piece of music. Quite different to the original though, as you would expect from different musicians. Recommended, definitely.

Album Version
Purely instrumental, and in a similar vein to "Let Me Out", but with heavier blues. Opinion is generally quite divided about this track - people either love it or hate it. If you like blues guitar and piano you'll probably love it, otherwise approach with caution. At nearly thirteen minutes its not for the casual listener either, but perseverence does bring rewards. Time 12:51

B-sides & Bonus Tracks etc.

Original B-side
The B-side on the standard "Star Fleet" 7". As the name might suggest, this is basically composed of the bits of "Star Fleet" that were edited out of the single mix. The result is a very listenable instrumental, possibly more so than the A-side. Time 4:35.