[3] That first session, on July 1, produced the Kantner rocker and opening track "Ride The Tiger", with lyrics co-written by Slick and Byong Yu, Grace and Paul's Tae Kwon Do teacher.

Other songs completed early in the sessions included "Come To Life", featuring words by Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, Chaquico's "That's For Sure", and the Papa John Creach number "Devil's Den", with lyrics by Slick, which showcased his electric violin work.

[2] The sci-fi closing number "Hyperdrive" originated with a series of lyrics Slick had penned several years prior, inspired by her reading the work of architect and futurist Buckminster Fuller.

[2] Similarly, while the lyrics often still retained a philosophical bent ("Ride The Tiger", "Hyperdrive"), the socio-political concerns of the Airplane were largely absent, and "Caroline" foreshadowed a move to more romantic material.

Released in October 1974, Dragon Fly charted at number 11 and received an RIAA gold certification within six months, becoming the biggest success any of them had since Jefferson Airplane's Bark in 1971.

[6] Bud Scoppa at Rolling Stone scoffed that Paul and Grace were "unknowing self-parodists" although he positively concluded that the album was "at worst listenable and at best surprisingly engaging".

[7] Cashbox enthused "this new Starship LP is well worth a listen as the aforementioned talented people collaborate in making a proactive record", marking "Hyperdrive" as a favorite.

[5] Retrospectively, William Ruhlmann at AllMusic thought that although the material was uneven, it sounded like the work of a seasoned band; he praised "All Fly Away", "Hyperdrive" and especially "Caroline", which he called "one of the best songs the Airplane/Starship ever did.