Jefferson Starship: Spitfire Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

Jefferson Starship: Spitfire Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 26, 2025

Rhino's Quadio line of quadraphonic releases has already offered Jefferson Starship: Red Octopus in 2023 and Jefferson Starship: Dragon Fly in 2024, and if those two releases are a bit reversed in hi res audio (i.e., Dragon Fly was the first Jefferson Starship album), things are appropriately put back ordinally with this third Quadio Jefferson Starship release, which was indeed the third album put out by the band. Much like Red Octopus, the album was met with considerable acclaim and purchases, and while it didn't quite reach the upper echelons of the singles chart like "Miracles" from Red Octopus did, "With Your Love" from this album was a Top 10 hit in Canada and got to number 12 here in the United States. Somewhat interestingly, this album did considerably better in Canada than Red Octopus did, and both "up north" and here the album got to Number 3.

The album's track list can be seen in the screenshots of the (static) disc menu I've uploaded to accompany this review.

Jefferson Starship: Spitfire Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

As mentioned above, while there is video content here, like most of Rhino's Quadio line of audio Blu-rays, it's simply a static menu. Longtime readers of my reviews know one of the bugaboos that tends to bother me is inconsistent authoring of these discs in terms of toggling between audio codecs, but in this particular instance, you can use the color buttons on your remote to choose which audio codec (red for DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0, yellow for DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0), you really don't even have to have your display on to enjoy this release. Commendably switching codecs does not start the song over. Screenshot 10 shows how the color of the font changes if you scroll to a subsequent tune while playing another.

Jefferson Starship: Spitfire Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Jefferson Starship: Spitfire offers DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 options. This is another really appealingly immersive quadraphonic mix, one that can at various times but literally surround the listener with simultaneous emanations from all four speakers of the same content, or alternatively offer clear discrete channelization for various instruments. A lot of the vocals tend to be placed forward as is often the case with the quad mixes, but that said, there are some of the backups in particular that are placed toward the rear of the soundstage. The fact that so many of the lead vocals are understandably placed forward can only only draw attention to sudden eruptions from the rear channels, as in the blistering guitar solo that emanates from the rear in Crusin'. The album's biggest single is another great example of directional placement, with the opening electric piano front left, followed by the first entrance of the really creamy electric guitar in the rear. This is another album that I for one think took a few orchestration examples from Dave Grusin's fantastic work with Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, and some of the shimmering string accompaniments also tend to float toward the rear. Many of the percussion effects, notably "minor" items like shakers, can also be clearly heard in the rear speakers repeatedly.

Jefferson Starship: Spitfire Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

As usual with Rhino's Quadio line, there are no on disc supplements. The insert booklet reproduces cover images and also includes credits and the typical verbiage on "bass management" along with the traditional photos of master tape boxes.

Jefferson Starship: Spitfire Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Spitfire is another agreeable listen from Jefferson Starship, but that very affability may offer a subtle clue that this is not the rabble rousing agent provocateur material of Jefferson Airplane. This has a really glossy production ethos that is offer sumptuously in the quadraphonic mix, and the quad mix provides really consistent surround activity. Recommended.