Ranking the Studio Albums: Jefferson Airplane
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- čas přidán 2. 08. 2024
- Join host Pete Pardo as he ranks the studio catalog of the great San Francisco psychedelic act Jefferson Airplane. #jeffersonairplane
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Jack Casady IS one of the most underrated bass players these days. I think he could have been more recognized if he wasn't mixed down on the studio albums. It does take a while to understand what he is doing, but he manages to weave into Kaukonen's guitar lines but keep his own inventive chords and harmonic melodies on his instrument to astonish a listener.
Grace gets all the attention. But Marty Balin was there secret weapon. Marty had an amazing Voice.
Agree, Spaghetti Lee. I think Bark and Long John Silver suffer because of his absence.
Totally
A tip: watch series at flixzone. Me and my gf have been using it for watching loads of movies lately.
@Castiel Mekhi yea, I've been watching on flixzone for since november myself :)
@Castiel Mekhi yea, I have been watching on flixzone for since december myself =)
Pete, this is right in my wheelhouse. I grew up in the Bay Area and saw the Airplane live several times. Marty Balin had a great voice and wrote some amazing pop ballads. "Today" & "Comin Back To Me, & It's No Secret" " are timeless gems. Musically, Jorma , Paul, and Jack were as solid as could be. And then there's Grace...huge voice and all that attitude and drop dead gorgeous. Still have a crush on her. I agree with your rankings. For me, "Volunteers" was the band at the peak of their power, their most political album with a little help from a few friends like Jerry Garcia, Steven Stills, and the greatest session keyboard guy ever, Nicky Hopkins. "We Can Be Together" might be the quintessential '60's call to action. "Eskimo Blue Day", "Wooden Ships", "Volunteers"... there are no weak links on this record. That said, it's still hard to rank "Surrealistic Pillow" second. From "She Has Funny Cars" through "Plastic Fantastic Lover" there is no let down, it could be a Greatest Hits album all by itself. Have you done a Top 10 songs list for JA? I'd like to see that along with one for Hot Tuna. I enjoy your work, Pete, keep it up. :-)
“ Bless It’s Pointed Little Head” --Live Airplane at their peak.
I like that as well , I have my late brother's copy on vinyl LP . Somebody to Love is great .
Bought a copy of that album a couple of days ago and it arrived this morning, about to spin now actually.
Great renditions of some of the Airplane's biggest songs. Great live CD.
I was 14 in 1967 and loved the Airplane and Grace. Your ranking is spot on. Volunteers is their greatest album. You forgot to mention their version of Wooden Ships which I think is better than the CSN version. Also, Jorma's great song Good Shepherd.
As a huge Jack Casady's fan I will always put "Baxter's" and "Crown of Creation" on the top of my list. His sound here was in the front. He later got mixed a bit behind.
Casady/Jorma/Dryden were a great rythm section and Jorma was a master on guitar.
'Baxter's is my top Airplane album. It's not an easy listen initially, but it's a definite grower and I like the album artwork. And yes, Jack Cassidy is up there with the best bass players
30 Seconds Over Winterland....
Baxter's is an acid trip on vinyl...
Totally agree
in my opinion Jack Cassidy's best playing is on his session with Jimi Hendrix. He turned up the blues very loudly there.
I'm going to cheat a bit and include two live albums. They're just too good to leave off.
1. Volunteers
2. Surrealistic Pillow
3. Crown of Creation
4. Bless It's Pointed Little Head
5. After Bathing at Baxter's
6. Thirty Seconds Over Wonderland
7. Long John Silver
8. Take Off
9. Bark
10. Jefferson Airplane
3/5ths of a Mile in Ten Seconds is my all time favorite track of the Airplane. Why? Childhood memories, period. Great tune but when you are 5 and your Mom lets you put on the headphones for the first time I can remember? This track was playing and is glued into my mind I hope forever. Love the Guitar in it as well. Even before the Beatles, this is ingrained permanently.
Check out the version they did at Woodstock!
When I was in high school, I remember watching part of a documentary about the counterculture and hippies in a sociology class, and I remember the imagery of a young hippie woman hugging a copy of Airplane's "Surrealistic Pillow" to her chest like a teddy bear. (For reference, I was in high school in the late '80s, about two decades after the album came out). As I started exploring classic rock later in high school, I remembered that clip and decided to give that album a try.
I found that I understood exactly how that young woman felt back then. A wonderful album.
Thank you for ranking the Studio albums of Jefferson Airplane!! 🎤🎸🎵🥁
her voice!! So powerful. Today she sounds just as great. Stevie Nicks, Ann Wilson stand on her shoulders. She and Kantner were apparently on the FBI's most dangerous list in the 60's. Now that is rock and roll! Grace made the decision to retire as she didnt think it appropriate to be prancing about in her 70's. Other artists please take note
Certainly is, but don't forget Marty, the two voices either separately or melding together are what made the Airplane stand out vocally.
Finally something we can agree on! :)
Love your presentation and rankings, not so much the album of the year, but still watching them all.
Good work Pete!
The first time I ingested a micro dot with my brother, we listened to Crown of Creation over and over while laughing at a green flicker light attached to a bud can. Ah, 1975 was a good year.
Thanks for that Pete...one of my alltime favourite bands..they were truly unique and incredible ..really great to see you do a ranking on them,and to my mind you can't go wrong with any of their albums barring the 89 one
Loving it when you do '60s psych, Pete! Keep it up, and do the Dead next...
Yes! I keep asking him to rank the studio albums of the Grateful Dead.
Steve Clark I’m sure he’s already done it.
60s psych and 70s prog are my absolute favourite genres.
Pete, do a Hot Tuna album ranking next, please!!!! Such an underrated band.
Don't know who they are :v
Ranking of Hot Tuna albums would be great!
Yeah Hot Tuna has great guitar works
You would have to include 3 live albums of theirs though; the first self titled Hot Tuna album, the second album also live called First Pull Up Then Pull Down and Double Dose. As a metal head, I would think you would really like the electric portion of Double Dose, Pete
Yellow Fever!
Great ranking video and information, thanks Pete
" Coming back To Me " - one of greatest songs ever , male emotions in a brink of tears .
Agree completely-ethereal and haunting like the fog caressing the cypress trees in Golden Gate Park.
There's a great video for "Coming Back To Me" - looks like something from the 30's, black n white film of an old farmhouse in a desolate setting. Very haunting.
Marty's best ballad played it at his memorial! Johnny simms
And my best friend as well
Crown of Creation is my favorite . Great songs and singing .
I also love Burgers by Hot Tuna . Great album .
Great band Pete, soooo under-rated these days. To these ears the best band to come from the San Francisco hippy era. Had the pleasure of meeting the legends Marty Balin (R.I.P), Paul Kantner (R.I.P) and David Freiberg back in November '07 when they played a great concert in my home city of Cardiff, Wales. A fantastic bunch of guys. Marty Balin is truly one of THE greats when it comes to writing a rock ballad. The bands songs 'Volunteers' and 'We Can be Together' are even more appropriate at this time and moment, than when the album they were on 'Volunteers', was released way back in '69. Yeah, have to agree 'Volunteers' is their best album. Now how about doing a Ranking the albums: Love? Forever Changes was one of the top 5 to come out of the 60s, yeah?
I love The Airplane to death but I would still go with The Grateful Dead in terms of total body of work. Bob Dylan has called The Dead "America's greatest rock and roll band."
Another band from that era that was underappreciated was "Country Joe and the Fish." One of my favorites back in the day.
@@AbbeyRoadkill1 I'm not a fan of the band to be honest, their songs just ramble on and on for too long for me. Guess that's my loss though for not getting the point of The Dead. I do understand why they are so loved and revered. I always wanted to see them live for the experience, but they hardly ever came to the UK to play, and never came to my part of the country, Wales. If memory serves me well the last time they came to the UK was in 1991, and they only played London then.
Marty could write and sing the rockers too, Volunteers, If you feel like China Breaking and Three fifths of a Mile in 10 Seconds are all his.
Gotta go with Volunteers,the right album for the right times. And The Essential Jefferson Airplane a really great compilation.
All the Airplane comps are pretty good, there's no real wrong one to get imo. Essential is well done. I like the first best of from '70, The Worst of Jefferson Airplane cause it's concise, it has a hilarious title and they made a good four channel surround mix edition for it. Flight Log is good cause it has a second half that samples the early solo material. 2400 Fulton St.'s CD edition has some well chosen album tracks mixed in with the usual hits, the vinyl edition has a shorter runtime but does have an amazing collage in the gatefold, some great packaging.
As a 14 year old freshman at Mission High in 1966 we lived at Capp and 24th in the Mission and l spent most of my time in the Haight. And as a snot nosed kid l use to hang out at both 710 Ashbury and 2100 Fulton in the Richmond. The Airplane should get extra credit for just being able to record because when you are as loaded as most of us were all the time just walking and chewing gum should get you extra credit. Volunteers was the first commercial record (RCA) that clearly used the uncensored word motherfucker and at a time when Lenny Bruce was arrested for saying that word in an adult only nightclub in North Beach just two years earlier. The Jefferson Airplane was also one of the first bands to sell out. Something that Steve Miller did as well when Boz Skaggs left the Steve Miller Blues Band.
The original LP of Bark had the plain cover with the logo as a brown paper grocery sack with the album inside, which had a cover showing a fish wrapped in butcher paper. Pretty elaborate!
Yep
@@ElrohirGuitar Could you imagine a song like Lawman today?
Got that album in the loft. Perfect condition.
I actually bought that album when it came out and it was in a brown paper bag! I think I still have it some where up in the attic.
It was based on an A&P grocery bag...
Jormas embryonic journey,,,on daily staple for me!! 🎶🎧
I really enjoyed your ranking of JA. I have been a big fan since the early 70s. I collect everything I can by Jefferson Airplane.
My favourite American band Ever.
Hey Pete, I'm a recent follower of your channel. I enjoy very much and keep it up. Love the rankings. Only JA albums I would swap is Pillow first, then Volunteers. The Airplane,,another gem of a band out of the Frisco,Haight and Asbury scene. Keep up the good work Pete! Peace
Great Video, Great band...Grace is one of those dream dinner guests of mine...Ive read her book, and watched alot of her interviews...love her sense of humor, and those stories she tells, she's a beautiful painter on top of it all, too.
hey pete..another great episode...love volunteers...but for a song itself...gotta be 'white rabbit'...brings me back every single time....and...as a fellow new york boy (just a few years younger than myself), i'm sure you remember the old 'a & p supermarket' logo...that's what the album cover of bark is...except they switched out the A and P for a J and an A.... so if you remember that, it's kinda cool....
My teenage years began in 1969 and Volunteers was the perfect Airplane album for me at that time and has held that place since then. There is something special in that album and some of the lyrics could even apply to all the craziness going on today, more than 50 years later. Timeless! Picking a second and third would be Crown of Creation and Surrealistic Pillow. Call is a mulligan and they are both in second place.
Haven't reviewed all the comments yet, Pete, but the Bark album looks so plain because the original cover was literally a plain brown paper bag with that JA emblem on it. For those of us who loved original covers and sometimes the paraphernalia that come with the album, CD packaging sometime misses the charms and quirks of those originals.
Another great show. Thanks, Pete.
It took me a long time to get into this band - longer than many of the other psych bands of the time. When it clicked, though, they became a go-to for me.
8) Long John Silver
7) Jefferson Airplane (I actually don't mind this record. Nostalgic for me)
6) Jefferson Airplane Takes Off (Not quite where they needed to be yet)
5) Bark
4) After Bathing at Baxter's (Love the first half, the second half drags a bit to me)
3) Crown of Creation (The title track is one of my favorites of theirs)
2) Volunteers
1) Surrealistic Pillow (A beginning-to-end classic)
I need to give a shout-out to the live album "Bless Its Pointed Little Head". This is the album that really got me into them and most of the songs aren't on any of the studio albums. And that cover! Love it! It would take the #2 spot for me if included. Thanks, Pete. Stay safe!
Blows Against The Empire is from this era (1970) even though credited to Paul Kantner & Jefferson Starship. I have always lumped it with the Airplane albums. Definitely worth checking out. Hippie sci fi counter-cultural rave. The vinyl album is quite hard to get these days and comes with great booklet of lyrics and drawings. We wd sit around the turntable and learn the entire Side 2 lyrics off by heart. We were young, idealistic, a bit naive, and thought this was the greatest album we had ever heard.
Hey Pete. *WILD REQUEST* with / or without some guest.
Ranking *top # songs / albums* from bands that was successful as this band. Morphed into this band & was successful. Then (if needed) morphed into another band & found success.
Example: Jefferson Airplane / Jefferson Starship / Starship.
Thanks Pete, really enjoyed that, though your number one selection surprised me, in a good way.
After Bathing at Baxters is my favourite. They made the album they wanted not what the record company wanted - and they did it with absolutely no consideration about whether it would sell or not.
This kind of commitment to one's art is practically extinct these days.
My favourite "Volunteers", "Crown of Creation" and "Bless its Pointed Little Head". The Woodstock Experience too.
After Bathing At Baxter’s is my number one
Jefferson Airplane creating the live experience in the studio.
Absolutely! An awesome, diverse, inspiring statement of rock freedom.
Baxters was their Anthem of the Sun, in that they took over the studio and made it their experiment (to go along with other things they were surely experimenting with).
Baxter’s is the most “Jefferson Airplane” sounding JA album imo. Most of the music I associate with them is on that album Surrealistic Pillow is great but it seems like they’re still building up from the more lovey dovey music from Takes Off.
Nice job of ranking. JA fan here from After Bathing At Baxter’s. First saw them live in late ‘70. And continued with early J Starship, Hot Tuna. One of the best bands to come out of San Francisco and USA! Still listen today.
Jefferson Airplane are still heroes of mine not just for good pioneering music but because they gave a damn about current issues and did something about them. I am always glad to see that trait in bands to this day.
I wasn't around when Jefferson Airplane was a thing, but I'm going to do My Top 8.
8. Jefferson Airplane
7. Jefferson Airplane Takes off
6. Bark
5. Long John Silver
4. After Bathing at Baxter's
3. Surrealistic Pillow
2. Volunteers
1. Crown of Creation
Totally agree with You about Volunteers, but I've always Loved Crown of Creation.
I need to get the top 4. For years I’ve gotten by with just the outstanding compilation Worst Of...... love the show Pete. I assume you are familiar with the superb Quah. Seen Jorma a handful of times.
They have a great live album called Thirty Seconds over Winterland.
rob biddlecombe - I have not, I will check it out on your recommendation. Thanks
Definitely a great live album
Great choice! Some great bands came out of the San Francisco scene.
Pete, Big Airplane fan here. My ranking:
1. Surrealistic Pillow
2. After Bathing at Baxter's
3. Volunteers
4. Crown of Creation
5. Takes Off
6. Bark
7. Long John Silver
8. Jefferson Airplane
In the late 70’s came out one hit called “Jane” by the Starship verse.
Great show and list! Ranking the studio albums I own...
1. Surrealistic Pillow
2. Volunteers
3. After Bathing at Baxter's
4. Crown of Creation
5. Takes Off
Keep checking out After Bathing at Baxter's. II think it's the most sophisticated, complex, well thought through rock album of them all. My understanding is that it took them several months of studio time to finish it, and when it came out it sold poorly; perhaps because it was way ahead of it's time. (Still is, actually.) When it was released, I couldn't make heads or tails of it. These days, I listen to it when I'm needing a transcendent experience.
I used to look at the cover of Bless Its Pointed Little Head in the local record store and want to buy it as it appealed to me but I had not heard anything by the band here in the UK in 1969 and as I had to save up to buy an album I would not risk it. Then in 1970 I left school and started work and a guy I started with had albums by the band and kindly lent them to me. I did not want to give them back but eventually bought their catalogue over time except for Bark which my dad bought me for my birthday. It was one of the last things he bought me before he passed away far, far too young and far far too soon.
My top 5:
5) Crown of Creation
4) Volunteers
3) Bark
2) After Bathing at Baxters
1) Surrealistic Pillow
As a kid growing up in California (16 years old in 1967) hearing Somebody to Love, She Has Funny Cars, 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds , and of course, White Rabbit was a whole new ballgame after the pop music of 1964-1966. A very tight band and a vocalist who, for me, was powerful and scary at the same time. Also came to appreciate Marty more and more ("Today" is one of my all-time favorites). Give me the Airplane over the Dead any day of the week.
Yes Surrealistic Pillow. Played that one alot. Your listing is good, it justifies the band well. 👍 Pete! 🤟
I've always loved Jefferson Airplane since I was about 11 or 12. The first Jefferson Airplane album I bought was Crown of Creation. I loved it. Later on, I bought the rest of their catalog. I absolutely love Volunteers. Paul Kantner's solo album, Blows Against the Empire (1970) is really good. That one is worth checking out too. There is also an unreleased tracks album called Early Flight which is good. That has a few songs that were left off of their early albums plus the single "Have You Seen the Saucers" b/w "Mexico". "Mexico" is a really cool song.
Volunteers is my favorite also. You described it perfectly.
My favourite of the San Francisco acid rock scene. Surrealistic Pillow and After Bathing at Baxter's are my all time best JA records.
Thanks for doing this one Pete. I'm a huge JA/JS fan, having seen various incarnations more than 50 times over the past 50 years. I agree with your top 3, but I like a good portion of the comeback album and not a big fan of Bathing at Baxters. I would go Volunteers, Surrealistic Pillow, Crown of Creation, Takes Off, Jefferson Airplane (1989), Bark, Long John Silver, Baxters. Would love to see a JS ranking sometime. RIP Paul, Marty, Spencer, Papa John. Long Live Grace, Jorma and Jack. And if you've seen the current JS, Cathy Richardson rocks!
I saw Jefferson Starship in 2015. You're right. They rocked with Cathy Richardson.
Pete, please do a top compilation album list. I would certainly include Flight Log. It includes works from JA and its offshoots.
Pretty sweet? Back then I thought they were spectacular. And I still do. Legends. Timeless music.
Quite agree. Volunteers is my favourite Airplane album.
Great band !!
Grace Slick had the best Psychedelic voice ever. Fit that type of music so well
Awesome list!, is there possible chance there would be ranking the studio albums of Jefferson Starship?
1. Surrealistic Pillow
2. After Bathing At Baxters
3. Volunteers
4. Crown Of Creation
5. Takes Off
6. Bark
7. Long John Silver
8. Jefferson Airplane
Good job pete, I don't know if you have the 2 live albums but they are excellent, especially bless its little pointed head. Since they are so important in the bands catalog i am going to include them in my rankings.
1. Bless it's pointed little head
2. Volunteers
3. Surrealistic pillow
4. Crown of creation
5. After bathing at baxters
6. 30 seconds over winterland
7. Long john silver
8. Bark
9. Takes off
10. Jefferson airplane 89.
Bark and Long John. I believe Today is one of their greatest songs.
Grew up near Los Angeles and it was one great place to be a teenager in the '60's. Went to dozens of rock concerts in that era and would always look for the Airplane to be playing. They were and still are my " all time fave raves" to use a quote from back then. I didn't care if Grace sang a Betty Crocker cook book, I would have bought it. I was fortunate enough to have seen them twice back then. Damn it was a good time to be young.
Wow what a coincidence! I just got done listening to most of their records yesterday. Great band and I was super pleasantly surprised by how consistently good their albums are.
Nothing came close to Bathing at Baxter’s for me though, great forward thinking San fran psych rock.
Dude, no way Bark should be down there. "Pretty as You Feel" and "Feel so Good" are wonderful, among other tracks.. The guitar on the latter is superb...Props to Jorma. Bark is a good Airplane record.
Hey pete Johnny simms here Marty's drummer and best friend from 1992 till he passed, I get you with reunion record if the started the record with Marty's song summer of love the record and tour would have been very successful, some way kantner controlled that record and put his song planes with him singing lead as the first single after 18 years of waiting they choose the background vocalist to start the record insanity! Thanks Johnny
And this guy does´nt know the cover being a real bag with a fish album sleeve inside. with the vynil record Very original. Not plain at all.
Pretty as you feel is great
Agree. Bark is a descent album.
If you listen to BARK, you arrive at War Movie which calls for all out revolution in 1975 and suddenly you are transported back to the Nixon corruption, FBI war on the Panthers and the Weather Underground. It’s not reasonable to listen to BARK and then comment on it like it was just another LP. Never Argue with a German when you are Tired and Thunk? The new grunt label, the surreal packaging, BARK is in its own field.
Thoughtful ranking! I'd def put SP at the top and Volunteers at #4, but hey, that's how these things work. But this band surely has stood the test of time.
Another great segment, Pete, and may I plead with you to do a Jefferson Starship show? That would be more problematic because how do you draw the line between Jefferson Starship, Starship, and the various Paul Kantner projects that wandered into Jefferson Starship territory? Jefferson Starship itself was a Paul Kantner project.
I could never understand the disinterest in the 1989 reunion album because I think it’s solid, though their earlier albums were much more focused and captured their era perfectly. The CD reissues of the early catalog have excellent bonus tracks and liner notes, as well as much better sound than the original issues. There are many live releases of varying quality worth checking out, some of questionable origin.
Though Airplane often gets lumped into the psychedelic genre, which they were, they were equally folk and blues rock, with touches of jazz, pop and soul. That’s what makes their catalog so appealing: There’s something for everyone, no matter your taste. And if you have varied tastes: They are a jackpot!
Volunteers-- absolutely, without a doubt... the best Airplane album ever... I’ve listened to this album over the past 48 years about 3 or 4 thousand times. Strong melodic construction, virtuoso performances by Jack and Jorma... knockout vocals by Marty and Grace... and incredible compositions by Paul Kantner... Wooden Ships is absolutely brilliant... after this album, unfortunately, the band never attained the heights it did in the 1960s.
Hey Pete, could you do a Top 10 Songs of The Byrds?
1. Volunteers 2. After Bathing At Baxters .3. Surrealistic Pillow 4. Crown Of Creation. Loved the 1st three Jefferson Starship albums and the solo albums in between and the electric Hot Tuna
Great video. If possible, could you do a ranking the albums of Canned Heat if possible? I see someone already requested Hot Tuna. Thanks.
Don't own anything by Canned Heat, sorry.
@@seaoftranquilityprog You should consider checking them out. Good boogie blues band. Also, some good collaboration with John Lee Hooker.
The Hooker'n'Heat album is essential. It's sooo good!
Surrealistic Pillow is the sound of San Francisco.Epic undertaking...
Love Jefferson airplane same order but switch volunteers with surrealist pillow and you got it there live at Woodstock along with Hendrix and ccr set are amazing check em out bud 👍🏼🏴🤟
1. Volunteers
2. Crown of Creation
3. Surrealistic Pillow
4. After Bathing at Baxter's
5. Long John Silver
6. Bark
7. Jefferson Airplane Takes Off
8. Jefferson Airplane (1989)
I listened to these albums at top volume at a friend's house. We were 10 years old in 1966. I laugh about it now. No wonder I have tinnitus now. Hahaha.
Growing up in Bay Area, radio played It's No Secret off first album
This this great❤❤❤❤
So, it sounds like you need to do a Ranking the Grateful Dead next...would love that.
For those not in the know, the JA logo on the cover of 'Bark' is a play on the A&P supermarket logo.
That was the best review of Long John Silver
Graduated from H.S. in 68 and Crown of Creation was the first JA album I ever bought, so it will always be high on my list. Volunteers is a more mature album and also could be #1. Finally, Baxters joins the trio of greatest. l don’t know what comes with the CD copies but I can tell you about the LP packaging for Bark and LJS. As best as I can remember, Bark came in an extra sleeve of paper similar to a grocery bag. The JA graphic is a copy of the logo for the A & P grocery chain. The album jacket for LJSilver could be taken apart and reassembled into a 3D box about a half inch deep. The graphics on the outside made it look like the wood of an old time cigar box with its labels . When you opened the lid, the graphics presented a picture of some fine looking ganja filling the box.
I got started with the worst of Jefferson Airplane in the ninth grade. Ended up buying most of the catalog years later but I really really love this band.I lean towards crown of creation as my number one but volunteers and surrealistic pillow close behind.
Good list! Although for me, it's Volunteers at 2, with the mighty After Bathing At Baxters at 1. Always found Crown Of Creation a little bit of a let-down after that one.....but they certainly knocked it out of the park with Volunteers.
Would love to hear a Moby Grape ranking :)
Agree with you on "Volunteers," with the inimitable Nicky Hopkins on piano on five of the album's tracks. As for me, however, I would place "After Bathing At Baxter's" second on the list. Cheers.
Jefferson Airplane one my fav's. Kantner is so under rated love his vocals. Volunteers is the best !!
4:56...9:41...two of the best albums then and for any era!!
1. Surrealistic Pillow
2. Takes Off
3. After Bathing at Baxter’s
4. Crown of Creation
5. Volunteers
6. Self Titled
7. Bark
8. Long John Silver
Surrealistic Pillow was not simply a product of its era; the era was partly a product of the album. I was a college student during the time and I have a different perspective than my younger friends like you who liked these albums, but didn't live through them. When you walked through a head shop, looking at psychedelic posters and listened to White Rabbit, you realized you were in a different world than those who didn't. It was a trip all itself. Also, people in that time shared their music with others and a very important thing was to look at your friend's albums when you dropped by. Bark would have been my third favorite, with Lawman as a song you would appreciate more at the time.
Surrealistic Pillow. The arrival of change.
Two more things about the Airplane. The original female singer was Signe Tole Anderson who left the band when she became pregnant. She died a day before Paul Kantner. The legend is that Grace dropped acid and then listened to Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain for 24 hours straight after which she wrote the song White Rabbit.
Great assessment of the Airplane catalog. I rank Volunteers on top followed by CCreation/Baxters/Pillow. I saw the Airplane in the fall of 69 about a month before Volunteers was released. I had been a fan of them since SurPillow was released. Here's what set the Airplane (circa Fall 1969) apart: They had FOUR great singers and used them all. The tune "Crown of Creation" is a good example of what set the Airplane apart from other SF bands vocally. As I'm sure other people have noted, GSlick gets the "press" but both Balin and Kantnor had great rock voices. Kaukonen's singing was good enough to lead any other SF band at the time and he was the "fourth best" voice in the band. AND...the sad thing about the Airplane was that the studio recordings could never capture Casady/Kaukonen's live sound. The 60's term "heavy" was invented for Casady in the Airplane. Hearing them live, at no point would you be tempted to think just "oh, this band has some good singers". You were always wrapped in a bass sound that was both thunderous but perfectly clear. I saw the GDead at the same time, from about 20 feet away. They were great, but the single biggest difference to me was Casady's bass. Casady played a lot of notes (stretching and bending the strings!) without letting it get muddy. Finally, I was unprepared for the sound of Kaukonen's guitar live. The guitar sounds good on the recordings (especially Volunteers) but the difference between the records and the sound of Kaukonen's Gibson live is the reason you go to live shows. What is somewhat "thin" guitar on the records is wall of sound live.
If I have one consistent regret about the Airplane it's that their records were flawed technically. There was NO very deep bass. This didn't stop them from being great albums, but it's still a shame. This was a common problem with American groups at the time (i.e. The Dead). English bands of the late 60s and 70s (Procol Harum specifically) had better engineered recordings where deep bass was present and clear.
I saw the the Airplane again about a year later in late 1970. Papa J. Creach had joined the band and while they were good, the peak had passed. I don't know what possessed them to add a screechy (not very good technically) violin player to the mix, but it ruined the band for me.
Became a Jefferson Airplane fanatic in 1987 and to this day, I'd consider them my all time favorite with the Doors as a somewhat close 2nd.
My #1 is Crown Of Creation
#2. After Bathing At Baxters
#3. Surrealistic Pillow
#4. Volunteers
#5. Bless Its Pointed Little Head
#6. Woodstock Experience
#7. Jefferson Airplane
#8 . Takes Off
I like Jefferson Airplane a lot. Even their first female singer was great on their first album. Once we get into the mid 70’s not so much lol
MY top 3 JA picks#1 long John silver 2 bark 3 volunteers. My favorite live album 30 seconds over winterland
Totally agree with Volunteers #1 and Surrealistic Pillow #2. SP is loaded with good or great songs. Folk rock, harmonies, beautiful ballads, happy songs too. White Rabbit. However, Volunteers has very intense music, captures the world scene, the music scene of San Francisco personified with Eskimo blowing me away. Wooden Ships too. And yes I have Crown of Creation as #3. A real stoner album. Also a shout out to "Have You Seen the Saucers" from 30 Seconds Over Winterland live album. Perhaps the greatest American band of that era, and that is saying a lot!
Agree about the Woodstock era. They were very redolent of the 'Aquarian' age. Looking back, Woodstock was a last hurrah for the idealistic, 'Further' counterculture. Perhaps the 70s were more hard-edged and realistic. Music, however, had truly come of age by then.
I don't have them all but I'll rank what I do have. First off, agree 100% on Volunteers. It's brilliant.
Here's how they fall for me after that:
(Jefferson Starship's Blows Against The Empire)
2. Surrealistic Pillow
3. After Bathing At Baxter's
4. Takes Off
(Paul Kantner, Grace Slick, & David Freiburg's Baron Von Tollbooth & The Chrome Nun)
(Bless Its Pointed Little Head)
5. Crown Of Creation
(Paul Kantner & Grace Slick's Sunfighter)
...all the early Hot Tuna stuff is fantastic.
This was a band with a lot of range, lots of strong instrumentalists who could all write, and a fierce stage presence. A little heavier than most of the SF bands. Check out Godard's film of them playing live atop a skyscraper... it's great.
Just some comments from someone who grew up with this band. After Bathing At Baxters is an LP that is just drenched in Lysergic Acid. But it also is "hopeful" in terms of "we can be together." Vietnam and Nixon pretty much crushed that and they released Crown of Creation. It is only recently that I understand and appreciate that LP more. They are angry and hopeless and the music reflects it. Then they got angrier and more political and the result: Volunteers. But I will stand by what I have always felt: Nicky Hopkins makes that LP. His contribution is absolutely brilliant as was his making Shady Grove by Quicksilver Messenger Service equally so. That band was devested by the "temporary" loss of Gary Duncan and somehow pulled this masterpiece out of their hat. My father was a very conservative Doctor/Republican who basically hated me and my generation. But he played piano and thought "Edward the Mad Shirt Grinder" was one of the most amazing pieces of music he had ever heard.
That CD collection!
8 jefferson airplane
7 after bathing at baxter's
6 volunteers
5 takes off
4 bark
3 long john silver
2 crown of creation
1 surrealistic pillow
I fell in love with the on listening to pillow for the first time. It has always been number one.