Jefferson Airplane by The Jefferson Airplane

There is an old saying that you can never go home again. While the Jefferson Airplane would give it a valiant try on their 1989 reunion album, it quickly became apparent that the psychedelic world of the late 1960’s was long gone.

The Jefferson Airplane had not issued a studio album in seventeen years and the members of the group had gone in different directions. Paul Kantner and Grace Slick had been involved with the Jefferson Starship. Grace had managed to release four solo albums as well. Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady were recording and touring as Hot Tuna. Marty Balin had joined the Starship for several years and then released a self titled solo album which had produced two hit singles, “Hearts” and “Atlanta Lady.” He even produced a rock opera called Rock Justice, which quickly disappeared into the musical abyss.

The seeds of the reunion were sown in 1986 when Kantner, Balin, and Casady had released an album under the name of the KBC Band. 1989 found all of them in the studio recording new material at the same time. Only Spencer Dryden was missing as Paul Kantner and he had fallen out. They even managed to tour in support of the album. That tour was a commercial and critical success which was mainly due to the fact that they played their older and superior material.

Their self titled reunion album, Jefferson Airplane, was released August 22, 1989. It turned out to be an uneven release with some very good and some very average songs. Looking back, the group could probably have never satisfied the expectations of their fans given their sixties legacy. Still the musicianship throughout the album is excellent, although there is not enough Jack Casady. The vocal harmonies of Slick, Balin, and Kantner are intact and give a glimpse of their stellar past

If all the tracks had been of the quality of Paul Kantner’s album opening blast it would have been memorable indeed. “Planes” roars out of the gate and rocks like the Airplane of old. It was a deservedly successful single. On the other hand his “The Wheel (For Nora and Nicaragua)” is extremely dated today and was a little so at the time of its release. This six minute song/poem was a vehicle for Kantner to push his political views. It is a difficult listen.

Jorma Kaukonen produces one excellent track and a couple of average ones. “Upfront Blues” and “Too Many Years” quickly fade into the background, but “Ice Age” is a superior performance and remains part of Hot Tuna’s stage act twenty years later.

“Freedom” is the best of the Grace Slick songs as she is still in good vocal form. But “Panda” is her self indulgent gift to that endangered animal. I guess I care about pandas, but I wanted to hear the tough Grace Slick who rocks here.

I wish Marty Balin had been more active. His vocals throughout are fine, but his major contribution, “Summer Of Love,” has the feel of a Jefferson Starship pop track.

Jefferson Airplane was an acceptable release at the time but has not held up well as there are so many better albums to explore in their catalog. In the final analysis it’s OK. It’s just not great.

Long John Silver by The Jefferson Airplane

Long John Silver was the last gasp from the Jefferson Airplane until their reunion album 17 years later. Marty Balin was now long gone, but the other members would soldier on. Grace and Paul had released the album Sunfighter and were transitioning toward what would become The Jefferson Starship. Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady were now committed to recording and touring as Hot Tuna.

Given all these distractions which would lead to the disintegration of the group, it is amazing that they could produce an album at all. While Long John Silver may not reach the creative level of their late sixties work, it was a more consistent effort than Bark.

This is not the psychedelic band of it roots. Long gone is the folk influence that played such an important part in the formation of their unique style. What is left is a hard rock band somewhat typical of the early seventies. The music is driven by the guitar riffing of Jorma Kaukonen and the pulsating bass of Jack Casady. The interesting component is the violin playing of Papa John Creach. His interactions with Kaukonen and Casady produced some unique and creative sounds.

It is not the music, but rather the songs themselves that keep the album in the average range. Many appear to be hurried affairs with simple lyrics. I can’t help but think that several were Hot Tuna throwaways as they feature the odd songwriting combinations of Grace and Jack or Grace and Jorma. She may have added the lyrics to these already formed instrumental tracks.

Grace Slick, for better or worse, dominates and provides the edge for the album. Marty Balin had always exerted somewhat of a restraining influence upon her but now he was gone. She was a recognized crown jewel in the rock pantheon at the time and here she treads that fine line between control and lack thereof.

She provides a smooth and strong vocal on “Milk Train” but for the first time appears a bit strained on such tracks as “Long John Silver” and “Aerie (Gang Of Eagles).” Her anti-Christian lyrics on “Easter?” are a tad self-righteous. On the other hand, “Aerie” is a well constructed and lyrically fine song.

Paul Kantner’s contributions never rise above average. “Twilight Double Leader,” “Alexander The Medium,” and “The Son Of Jesus” are competent but just have no surprises in them. He would produce some very good music in the future, but here he just fades into the background.

Jorma Kaukonen’s “Trail By Fire” may be the strongest track on the album as it has the feel of some of their late sixties work.

The album concludes with “Eat Starch Mom.” This Kaukonen/Slick creation with lyrics about proper eating finds her ranting as she sends the Jefferson Airplane into retirement.

Long John Silver finds the Jefferson Airplane far removed from their San Francisco roots. It may not be an album that will bear repeated playing but still it is an interesting listen from one of the more superior groups in American rock history.

Bark by The Jefferson Airplane

The Jefferson Airplane returned to the studio after a two year absence and released the album Bark in September of 1971. Marty Balin and drummer Spencer Dryden had withdrawn from the group and Joey Covington and violinist Papa John Creach were now on board.

The Jefferson Airplane of the early 1970’s was not a focused group. The band’s main members were now traveling different musical paths. Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady were recording independently as Hot Tuna. Paul Kantner and Grace Slick were parents together and he had overseen the release of Blows Against The Empire. All this meant that Bark would be an average album. There was nothing terrible but neither did it have the brilliance of their sixties releases.

I’m sure that I purchased this album when it was released. I don’t know how many times I have actually listened to it but I am willing to bet it is under ten. I know that it has not left the shelf for as long as I can remember. Playing it earlier today was a re-introduction to its music.

Jorma Kaukonen filled much of the void left by Marty Balin’s exit. His “Feel So Good” has some nice guitar work and almost a funky feel to it. “Pretty As You Feel” has an odd vibe and travels in a bluesy direction that was representative of his work with Hot Tuna. “Third Week In The Chelsea” echoed the group’s chaotic situation of the time as it explored a band falling apart. “Wild Turkey,” however, would be one of his least creative contributions to an Airplane album.

Paul Kantner’s tracks just never take off. “When The Earth Moves Again,” “War Movie,” and the rocker “Rock and Roll Island” are competent but more was expected from him at this point in his career.

“Crazy Miranda” and “Law Man” find Grace Slick providing mature and mellow vocals to a couple of average tracks. At this point in her life she could literally sing the phone book and while these original songs are not that bad, she certainly rises above the material. Her third contribution, “Never Argue With A German If You’re Tired Or European Song” was hopefully meant to be amusing and it was, once.

Bark is mainly for the curious and while it will probably not offend anyone’s musical sensibilities, it pales next to their classic sixties output. If you are a Jefferson Airplane fan it is a filler album. As for me, it has been stuffed back in its bag and returned to the shelf.

The Worst Of The Jefferson Airplane by The Jefferson Airplane

The Worst Of Jefferson Airplane appeared under my Christmas tree, I am guessing in 1970. It was a present from my grandparents. As I had all their studio albums, it sat on the shelf for years. However, I remain impressed that my grandparents knew of the Jefferson Airplane and would actually go out and purchase one of their albums. It probably helped that the group was not pictured on the cover.

A great deal happened to the Airplane between the release of the studio albums Volunteers in 1969 and Bark in 1971. So gentle readers let me present to you, in as few words as possible, a historical review of those wacky psychedelic practitioners, the Jefferson Airplane, 1969-1971. Woodstock, Altamont, Marty unhappy, Paul lucky, Grace pregnant, no touring, Spencer gone, Joey C, Blows Against The Empire, Hot Tuna, Marty really unhappy, and the Vietnam War keeps rolling along.

The Worst Of Jefferson Airplane was released to fill space between albums given all that was going on with the group. This release is a compilation of their best known songs. I understand the idea behind the title but thought it was kind of dumb in 1970 and actually still do. As far as the music goes there are many essential tracks from the psychedelic era. At the time I felt that many of the songs were not as powerful as when released in their original studio album contexts. Their albums up until that point were consistently excellent and these songs were all parts of that creative wholeness.

This album has improved with age. As the songs are presented chronologically, it provides a good introduction to the Jefferson Airplane and the music of a bygone era. I now find that I play this album more than the studio releases.

The placement and selection of the songs was brilliant. Two of the most memorable psychedelic songs in music history, “Somebody To Love” and “White Rabbit” are separated by the beautiful ballad, “Today.” They really fit well together and the transitions from one to the other serve to highlight the strengths of each song. Likewise, “We Can Be Together” and “Volunteers” are presented back to back as the final tracks on the album. The group tended to perform them that way in concert and the power and anti-establishment sentiment of each make both more effective.

It was a generous album in its original vinyl context as it contained fifteen tracks. “It’s No Secret,” “Embryonic Journey,” “The Ballad Of You & Me & Pooneil,” “Crown Of Creation,” and “Chushingura” transport the listener back to a musical time long gone. “Lather” was a song Grace Slick wrote for Spencer Dryden who was turning thirty which was considered old in rock ‘n’ roll age. Today her daughter is approaching forty.

The Worst Of Jefferson Airplane has gone from a filler album to an important part of the group’s legacy. It contains a number of individual tracks for the soul and mind. And no I never did play it for my grandparents.

Volunteers by The Jefferson Airplane

Two things happened in 1969 that caught my attention. In November the Jefferson Airplane issued their strongest political statement at the height of the Vietnam War. Secondly and more important at the time was that in December my birthday was selected number three in the first draft lottery.

For any reader who is not familiar with the draft lottery of 1969, winning was not a good thing. It was amazing at how much my college grades improved from that date. While the draft lottery is now a relic of the past, Volunteers remains a powerful anti-war statement clocked in some of the best rock ‘n’ roll of the era.

Volunteers was different from many of the anti-war and protest albums of the sixties. There was no despair or condescension but rather it was an angry and scathing commentary about what was wrong with society and our nation. Listening to such songs as the title track and “We Can Be Together” forty years later may find them a little dated, but the passion of the lyrics and the power of the music remain.

The opening notes of the first track, “We Can Be Together,” announce a strong political statement featuring the harmonies of Slick, Balin and Kantner. It may be a tad idealistic today but as the sixties drew to a close it was a meaningful anthem. “Volunteers,” which closes the album, was a call to a generation. It was both anti-establishment and unifying, and served as a vehicle for the group to preach their political message. The music demands your attention.

I have always been attracted to the Airplane’s presentation of “Wooden Ships.” The popular version may remain that of Crosby Stills and Nash, but this rock interpretation of the apocalypse, cold war, and nuclear holocaust seems more true to the song’s lyrical intent. The Kaukonen guitar solo is brilliant.

There are certainly a number of other highlights. “Eskimo Blue Day” finds a tough Grace Slick fronting a song that would look ahead to Blows Against The Empire while “Hey Fredrick” features another of her great vocals. Jorma Kaukonen would continue his creative guitar explorations on the traditional “Good Shepherd” and his own composition, “Turn My Life Down” which would look ahead to his work with Jack Casady in Hot Tuna.

Two final comments seem in order. Marty Balin was only the co-writer of one song and his time with the Airplane as a regular member was coming to a close. He always had more pop sensibilities than the other members, and as a counterpoint he would be missed. On the other hand the great Nicky Hopkins contributed his virtuoso piano playing to four of the tracks which added an interesting sound to their usual mix.

Volunteers was the last great Jefferson Airplane release. Today the album stands the test of time well. Some of the lyrical nuances may be lost on the modern listener but it remains an essential statement four decades after its release. Historically, it is an important echo from an era, especially for people with a draft number of three.

Bless Its Little Pointed Head by The Jefferson Airplane

The Jefferson Airplane, like many of their west coast contemporaries, was a superb live band. They would make the experience as important as the music. The group would constantly experiment and change their sound in concert. As such they could range from not very good to creative and spectacular. Luckily, Bless Its Pointed Little Head finds the Airplane at close to their best and that is very good indeed.

I have heard a number of Jefferson Airplane concerts and have always found that they are a lot heavier and rocking when playing live and that is the case with this album. The triumvirate of drummer Spencer Dryden, bassist Jack Casady, and guitarist Jorma Kaukonen stand out as they lead a frenetic attack throughout the concert.

Despite all of the above, cracks were beginning to appear in the group’s solidarity. I have always thought it difficult to have two lead vocalists who did little else and here one can discern the competition between Grace Slick and Marty Balin. While they would push each other to some great performances, the tension between the two would continue to build. Slick would engage in relationships with Spencer Dryden and Paul Kantner and would gradually assume the dominant position.

“3/5 Of A Mile In 10 Seconds” and “Somebody To Love” is all out rock ‘n’ roll and as they are presented back to back, are close to eight minutes of pulsating bliss. The first is a far different interpretation than the song which appears on Surrealistic Pillow and “Somebody To Love” is a prime example of the Slick/Balin vocal interaction.

The Donovan song, “Fat Angel,” on the surface may seem like an odd choice for the Jefferson Airplane. However it turned out to be a live classic as they transform this quasi folk song into a rock ‘n’ roll tour de force. There is ample room for Kaukonen and Casady to experiment within the structure of the song.

“Rock Me Baby” is a blues outing for the Airplane. Kaukonen is as technically adept as just about any guitarist of the era and here he and Casady combine to give a glimpse of their future as it was a musical direction they would explore as Hot Tuna.

The Fred Neil tune, “The Other Side Of This Life,” was a concert staple for the group and finds Paul Kantner taking the lead. “Plastic Fantastic Lover” is Marty Balin at his vocal best.

The only song that loses my attention is the eleven minute “Bear Melt.” All the group members except Balin take writing credit and the song has an unfinished feel. While it has some positive points, it just goes on a little too long. It was not a great concert finisher.

Overall, Bless Its Pointed Little Head is a powerful document of the Jefferson Airplane in concert. It presents them at the height of their powers and as one of the best live practitioners of late sixties American rock ‘n’ roll.

Crown Of Creation by The Jefferson Starship

Surrealistic Pillow was a commercial masterpiece that fused folk/rock roots with a west coast psychedelic sound. After Bathing At Baxter’s was equally brilliant, but less commercially successful as it was experimental with a hard edged psychedelic feel to it.

Early 1968 found the Jefferson Airplane releasing their fourth studio album, Crown Of Creation. It was their third excellent album in a row and was a compromise of sorts between their last two releases. The album would feature individual tracks that reflected the different personalities of the group members. The music would be both elegant and complex and quickly returned the Airplane to the upper reaches of the American charts.

Crown Of Creation would be almost the perfect release for 1968 and remains a wonderful snapshot of the era. The writing and the musicianship, particularly the bass work of Jack Casady, was some of the best of the group’s career and the decade.

I was a high school senior when this album was released and for me at the time it all flowed through Grace Slick The power of her voice, the sexuality in her delivery, and the strength of her songwriting all combined to present an aura that would make her a memorable rock ‘n’ roll personality. While I have come to appreciate the other parts of this album, she still shines four decades later.

“Lather” was a song about aging written for her then boyfriend Spencer Dryden who was turning thirty. “Greasy Heart” proved that she could rock with the best of the boys. It was both sexual and a commentary plus featured one of the great Jack Casady bass performances. And speaking of sexuality, there was also the David Crosby song, “Triad,” that the Byrds rejected as being too erotic. This song of a threesome would find a home with Grace Slick and company.

Marty Balin, who was reduced to authoring one song on their last release, is credited with four here. “In Time” and “Share A Little Joke” cover familiar ground and feature his clear tenor voice. His best song, “If You Feel” stays with you and remains a lost gem in the Airplane catalog.

Spencer Dryden contributed “Chushingura” which is a trip to another world with the emphasis on trip. “Star Track,” penned by Jorma Kaukonen, features some creative wah-wah guitar.

Paul Kantner would continue to develop as a songwriter. The title song was apocalyptic in nature and would hint at his still to come work with the Jefferson Starship. The Kantner, Slick, and Balin harmonies show how well their voices could come together. The final track, “The House At Pooneil Corners,” which was written with Marty Balin, ends the album in style.

Crown Of Creation finds the Jefferson Airplane at their best. It remains a powerful and lasting document of just how good American rock ‘n’ roll can be. It was and is an essential listening experience.

After Bathing At Baxter’s by The Jefferson Airplane

The Jefferson Airplane’s second release, Surrealistic Pillow was a huge commercial success and catapulted the group to superstar status. So what do you do for an encore? The answer is you take a creative chance and move in a different direction. The folk/rock leanings were left behind, as the group put the guitars out front and embraced a harder edged psychedelic sound.

After Bathing At Baxter’s is immediately noticeable for the fact that Marty Balin, who wrote the majority of the songs on the group’s first two releases is only credited with being the co-author of one track. Paul Kantner with six tracks, and Grace Slick with two, would move to the forefront in determining the Airplane’s musical vision and destiny.

The creative approach was unique as the album was divided into five suites of two and three songs each. The music was deeply textured, and lead guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady would step forward and become recognized as one of the best combinations of the 1960’s.

“The Ballad Of You & Me & Pooneil” was unlike most everything that was being produced in the late sixties. I’m not even sure what the song was about, but that seemed fine at the time. Paul Kantner had a vision that only he and possibly the other members of the group could see. I was amazed that they released this track as a single. That Kantner could write this song and the beautiful “Martha” on one album is remarkable. Wonderful poetry is enhanced by the voices of the group. Grace Slick’s vocal, in a back-up role, is one of the best of her career.

Grace Slick would write two tracks for which she provided the lead vocals. “Two Heads” finds her cracking up her powerful vocal instrument but it is “rejoice” (with a small r in the title), that is one of the best creations of her career. Based on James Joyce’s Ulysses, it would feature some fuzz guitar by Casady. Just play this track and “White Rabbit” from Surrealistic Pillow back to back and you have a working definition of psychedelic music.

Marty Balin’s “Young Girl Sunday Blues” is the only close to normal song on the album. His superb tenor voice carries the song along and would increasingly make one wish that he would have been more active in the studio.

The group attacks to the very end. “Won’t You Try/Saturday Afternoon” combines an early use of guitar feedback and harmonies by the group. Slick, Balin, and Kantner have always been underrated in their ability to weave their voices together into an intricate sound.

After Bathing At Baxter’s is a unique album as it will take you on a trip of the ear and mind. No matter what state of mind you may be in or out of; it still remains an interesting listen over four decades later.

Surrealistic Pillow by The Jefferson Aiplane

Vocalist Signe Anderson left the Jefferson Airplane in October of 1966. She was quickly replaced by Grace Slick of the Great Society who had been an opening act for the Airplane, and would solidify the group’s line-up. Slick also possessed one of the great female voices in the history of sixties and seventies rock ‘n’ roll.

Possibly more important was the fact that she was a larger than life character who would be a dominant figure both onstage and off. Another added bonus was that she would bring two of her songs from her former band with her. “Somebody To Love,” written by her brother in law and “White Rabbit,” which was her own composition, would be quickly recorded by the group and become their only two single releases to crack the American top ten. Rolling Stone Magazine would include both in their list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.

Surrealistic Pillow, released in February of 1967, was a brilliant fusion of folk/rock with a psychedelic sound. As such, it was one of the most creative album releases of the 1960’s. It was embraced by the buying public and became the group’s highest charting American album. The Jefferson Airplane would quickly become one of the superstars of sixties rock music.

Marty Balin would author or co-author five tracks. Two of his rock songs would bookend the album. “She Has Funny Cars,” which has some great, if odd, bass playing by Jack Casady, and “Plastic Fantastic Lover,” are classic examples of sixties psychedelic music. “Today” and “Comin’ Back To Me” are two of the best performances of his career. They are songs of lost love both from a losing and leaving perspective. Each song features his clear, tenor voice and here it soars away. Of added historical interest is the lead guitar work of Jerry Garcia on both tracks.

The instrumental track, “Embryonic Journey,” by Jorma Kaukonen was his guitar coming out party. It contains some of the finest acoustic guitar playing of the era and he continues to perform it live down to this day.

This all brings us back to Grace Slick. “Somebody To Love” is just under three minutes of relentless rock ‘n’ roll. Slick’s voice explodes from the speakers and quickly made their debut album, Jefferson Airplane Takes Off, obsolete. If you want a definition of psychedelic music, just put on your head phones and give “White Rabbit” a listen. Taken from the imagery of Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland, it is one of the ultimate hallucinatory rock ‘n’ roll experiences. Her vocal presents the lyrics perfectly and takes the listener on a journey unique in American music.

Surrealistic Pillow is an excellent chronicle of an era forty years ago. The music remains powerful and is an important link in the history of American rock music.

Jefferson Airplane Takes Off by The Jefferson Airplane

Marty Balin met Paul Kantner in 1965 and their resultant musical relationship would lead to the creation of the Jefferson Airplane. This influential and successful American rock ‘n’ roll band would eventually be elected to the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. While there would be several personnel changes during the group’s early existence, by the time of their first album release, lead guitarist Jorma Kaukonen, bassist Jack Casady, drummer Skip Spence, and co-lead singer Signe Anderson had all joined the band.

Jefferson Airplane Takes Off, released in 1966, is an album that often slides under the radar. It failed to crack the Billboard top 100 and is many times ignored given the brilliance of the releases that would follow. This is unfortunate as it is an album that can stand on its own merits.

The group’s early sound has been classified as folk-rock, but it also contains the beginnings of American psychedelic music. They would take the sound of such early psychedelic practitioners as The Holy Modal Rounders and the 13th Floor Elevators and refine and expand it until the experience was just as important as the music. This was especially true live, as the Airplane quickly became an innovative and popular concert draw.

Signe Anderson may have only recorded this one album with the group, but in some ways she was a good fit for Marty Balin. They tended to support one another rather than challenge each other, as would happen when Grace Slick joined the band following Anderson’s departure. “Bringing Me Down” is a good example of this supportive style. Her best moments come as the lead vocalist on “Chauffeur Blues” where her powerful voice just soars.

This was really a Marty Balin album. The Paul Kantner-Grace Slick axis did not exist as yet, and the other group members had not begun to assert themselves. As such, Balin wrote or co-wrote eight of the eleven songs. His “Blues From An Airplane” is the first track on the album and was a great way to kick off a recording career. His performances on “It’s No Secret” and the cover song, “Let’s Get Together,” show his versatility and the purity of his voice. He and the band even manage to pull off an interesting version of the often-recorded “Tobacco Road.” It would be his track, “Come Up The Years,” written with Paul Kantner, that would point the way to the group’s future.

Jefferson Airplane Takes Off remains a formidable debut album from a group that would form an important part of the American rock heritage from 1965-1974. It is an excellent and interesting listen 40- plus years after its initial release.