The Essential Jefferson Airplane [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Jefferson Airplane

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 26, 2005)
• Original Release Date: April 26, 2005
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B0007YP17G
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,630 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Filling the double-disc void left by the excellent but sonically inferior and out-of-print 2400 Fulton Street: An Anthology, The Essential Jefferson Airplane digs deeper into the San Francisco band’s catalog than the many single disc collections available. Less expansive, but with better sound than the three disc box set, Jefferson Airplane Loves You, this 32 track compilation covers the band’s seven albums and two live offerings, giving nearly equal time to all. Not held in as high esteem as their Bay Area compatriots the Grateful Dead, the Airplane successfully combined Marty Balin’s expressive voice on such lovely folk-tinged love songs as "Comin' Back to Me," the apocalyptic visions of "Wooden Ships" (co-written by the Airplane’s Paul Kantner with David Crosby and Stephen Stills), the edgy, psychedelia of "The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil" and the politically charged rallying cry of "Volunteers." Singer Grace Slick provided a photogenic focal point and dynamic interplay that meshed perfectly with the band’s three male vocalists.

Disc one clocks in at a relatively anemic 50 minutes, leaving nearly an unused half hour that could have included such influential album tracks as the band’s version of Donovan’s "The Fat Angel," "Won’t You Try/Saturday Afternoon," "Triad," and "Wild Thyme." Regardless, this is a well-chosen selection (with first-rate liner notes from J.A. historian Jeff Tamarkin) that highlights the Airplane’s diverse influences as it echoed and exemplified the turbulent end of the '60s/beginning of the '70s. --Hal Horowitz

Recommended Jefferson Airplane Discography

Surrealistic Pillow	After Bathing at Baxter's	Crown of Creation
Volunteers	Live at the Fillmore East	Jefferson Airplane Takes Off

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some non-album tracks, November 23, 2005

By	Laurence Upton (Wilts, UK) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This may be the most inexpensive way to acquire their non-album single Have You Seen The Saucers?/Mexico, released during a transitional period between Volunteers and Bark. The mono single mixes of Martha and Share A Little Joke are also included, though these are also to be found as bonus tracks on their parent albums, After Bathing At Baxter's and Crown Of Creation. Unfortunately for collectors the opportunity to include the mono single version of The Ballad Of You And Me And Pooneil has again been passed over.
The rest of the two discs is taken up with a fairly sensibly chosen selection from their albums Jefferson Airplane Takes Off, Surrealistic Pillow, After Bathing At Baxter's, Crown Of Creation, Bless It's Pointed Little Head, Volunteers, Bark, Long John Silver, and finally two live tracks from 1972 that appeared on 30 Seconds Over Winterland, including the eleven minute Jorma Kaukonen epic Feel So Good. Tracks that were also A-sides or B-sides have been favoured and We Can Be Together, from Volunteers, is the edited B-side version.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars How come "Today" is not included?, July 20, 2008

By	Alejandro "new_fad" (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews

This would be the definite compilation if tracks so vital like "Today" (from Surrealistic Pillow) or "Won't you try / Saturday afternoon" (from After Bathing at Baxter's) were included. In general, it contains the milestones of the JA career plus a few hard to find songs, the sound quality is very good, and for new Airplane fans is maybe the best budget package available.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars How big an Airplane fan are you?, September 7, 2008

By	AnObservation (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

Jefferson Airplane was one of the great groups of the era. They recorded 6-10 all time great songs. Those songs appear on several albums. If you already have them, you probably dont want this album unless you are a big Airplane fan, in which case you do not need my review and probably already own this album. I was not a big fan of the remix versions. In my opinion the further Airplane got away from the sound of Grace Slick and the Great Society the more lost their edge. This album suffers from what went wrong with the group. But it includes those great songs that made the group so if you have no Airplane albums this is not a bad one to own. But do yourself a favor if you like the sound buy the Grace Slick and the Great Society album instead or in addition to.