Customer Reviews

Take Me to a Circus Tent: The Jefferson Airplane Flight Manual

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Amazing, just amazing.

Take Me to a Circus Tent, The Jefferson Airplane Flight Manual is the ultimate resource guide to JA music. For this flight turn on the seat belt light, put your trays in the upright position and settle because is was a hell of a ride, turbulent and riotous. And Fenton has been able to document the ride in a way that is truly unique in the music retrospective field.

The first section of the book documents every possible show, every performance that was done by the Jefferson Airplanes, including Hot Tuna, Starship and other relatives of JA. It lists the sets, how long the songs were, who introduced the songs, any on stage chatter and any history of the song. It is a mind boggling tribute to the details and minutia that makes up the legend of these rock greats.

The second section of the book is interviews with a dizzying array of people associated with the JA in many ways. Here Fenton's knowledge of musical history soars. He knows the background of everyone and is able to use that to direct interviews in a way very few, if any, other person could do.

Interspersed between the pages are the 93 photos that give faces and glimpses into the people that made this band the timeless rock standard it has become.

I strongly advise that readers check out the author's web site or the discussion at the many sites that address this book. This book will be an excellent investment for any fans of either the Aiplanes and those of classic rock history. It is not an effort that can ever be equaled or duplicated.

This is a great book for Jefferson Airplane diehards (the ones who need details, not just gossip). Included are tourdates, setlists, studio trivia, etc. If you need information on Jefferson Airplane's live shows (plus more), this is the book you need. It is comparable to the Grateful Dead Taper's Compendium and the Deep Purple Live Cassette Analysis books.

Recommended.

I am a professional music journalist and have been writing about bands for over 30 years. I know a lot about music, a lot about the Jefferson Airplane. But I can't begin to match the depth of knowledge and passion Craig Fenton exhibits in his book. For those of you who loved the band, all the changes they went through, all the music they made, their place in the hierarchy of the San Francisco Sound, then you need to read this book.

There is no one who knows more about this band than Fenton. And no one loves them more than he does. His research and interviews and insights are priceless.

Anyone who thinks less is well, someone who doesn't recognize true passion.

Steven Rosen

Craig Fenton's Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" has finally put all things Jefferson in one well documented and easy to read flight manual.

The photos thanks to the magicians of the camera Herb Greene (Surrealistic Pillow cover) and Don Aters (40 years of rock and roll treasures) are the most impressive of any San Francisco publication; not to mention numerous. The pictures clock in with over 90 images.

Craig's documentation of the live Jefferson Airplane shows and the unreleased studio material have never been available on this scale.

There are over thirty interviews with Jefferson Airplane and Family members. Craig's ability to make each person feel at home, helped unleash the most interesting transcripts these artists have been a part of.

Get a ticket for the next flight "Take Me To A Circus Tent" is boarding the Amazon Deck now.

Eric Martin

This book is Dream Come True for JA fans! I always wondered why there were so few books on the Airplane compared to the other classic sixties bands. Finally, a few years ago we got Jeff Tamarkin's wonderful 'Got A Revolution' biography, fantastic! CIRCUS TENT is the perfect companion piece. This book is absolutely essential for Airplane fans and collectors. Here we get extensive documentation of there live performance history, television and film appearances, studio rarities and much more. That's just the start though! The dozens of interviews and photos justify a whole book unto themselves. Thanks to Mr. Fenton for digging up the Herb Greene photos! Beautiful! There's also plenty of info on outside projects and trivia galore. Airplane, Great Society, Hot Tuna, Starship . . . it's all here! Airplane Fans: DON'T MISS THIS BOOK!

Fantastic book: full of tape information, photos, setlists, great interviews. A must for JA fans.

Does for the Airplane what Deadbase did for the Dead. Great book.

I LOVE this book. The photos are LARGE and EXCELLENT!! Oh, how right the author was to include the large and uncropped Surrealistic Pillow cover. But not only is this a photo album, like some so-called "rock histories" I own: the wealth of information shines along with with the included pictures (though my comment on the photo spread pages is this: why type the credits and copyright information so darn large?). Interviews, live shows, memorable quotes (Grace Slick is arguably the most quotable woman on Earth), and boundless, detailed track information make this the source for the band that nobody can resist.

True, the grammar and punctuation need a boost. However, I love the fact that it is written in understandable & readable spoken English.

The format is sometimes scattered, but overall The Circus Tent is lovingly written by someone who DEFINITELY knows what they are talking about when it comes to the Airplane. I really, truly could not find any errors here. No one could ever amass the information contained in this book without owning it, and every true Jefferson Airplane fan should.

Jefferson Airplane was one of the premiere San Francisco,California rock music bands who came to prominence during the mid to late 1960's and who have cemented their reputations as a 1st rate live act through thousands of performances given over a 42-year period [albeit with various line-ups taking to the stage].

Craig Fenton's new book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" chronicles this stellar musical group's odyssey by focusing primarily on their highly underrated concert sets. Here we have a collector's dream package: every show from 1965 through the present day is meticulously documented [what was played, how one version of a particular song varied from venue to venue in a given tour, who played what instrument, etc].
There are also the interviews one would expect--but not all the same, trite question/answers we have read many, many times over. This book's author dared ask "if [drummer] Spencer Dryden was proficient enough in the 1960's to be a Jefferson Airplane drummer, whjat made him deficient in the 1970's?" The answer is thoughtful and real.
Another point on the interviews: many of the Jefferson Airplane's supporting musicians were interviewed for this book and their thoughts and recollections add a dimension that is worth the price of admission.
The most gratifying part of discovering this book is when I am speaking with other music fans who 'like' Jefferson Airplane [I LOVE the band], yet were/are totally absorbed by the scope and breadth of the material contained in this HUGE work [over 540 pages].

Bill Picha
Keizer, Oregon

The greatest compliment I can give an author is where the book ends up upon its conclusion. If it is filed away the second the last words have been comprehended, it hadn't made a significant enough impression.

Mr. Fenton's Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" isn't ever going to far from my arms reach. I was pleasantly surprised with the tremendous effort he put forward. The first inclination to the books brilliance was a photo before the meat and potatoes. My eyes were fixated on a picture of the pre-Grace and Spencer period of the band. Seeing both Skip Spence and Signe Anderson represented together was an obvious clue Mr. Fenton would give us the history lesson from the roots to the last time on stage.

As the story is being told the interspersing of over ninety photos may very well be unparalleled. The sheer amount will engage any fan in wanting a copy of the book. It isn't only the quantity but the percentage that have not been previously available. Herb Greene who provided the cover to the Airplane's second album "Surrealistic Pillow" provides his magical photography on a great many of the shots. These include not only the Airplane but some outstanding pictures from Grace Slick with the Great Society.

It is one thing for a fan to be passionate about Mr. Fenton's book but is evident the respect it commanded from those that were there for the ride. Marty Balin has a quote on the back cover "Craig Fenton knows so much about the Jefferson Airplane and Family, I was asking him the questions." The original bass-player Bob Harvey supplied Mr. Fenton with a rare photo of his bluegrass group way back when (Slippery Rock String Band) he took of Marty and a picture of Marty he took at the Airplane Mansion.

Besides a look at 120 live performances and roughly 60 studio songs that were alternate versions, rehearsals, or demos, Mr. Fenton's main course may be the interview section. There are over thirty transcribed interviews from the Airplane and family. Here is where Mr. Fenton's passion for the band is evident. No matter how knowledgeable you are about the Airplane if you keep track of every piece of information that surfaces during the conversations his knowledge will astonish you.

"Take Me To A Circus Tent" is a tribute to one of the finest bands to ever record and hit the stage. Mr. Fenton makes you feel as if you were there all along.

A most excellent book!

For those of us who got to Fly Jefferson Airplane, this book is a must have! For those of you who were too late at the gate, if you've read this far, the book is a must have! Forget about the minor quibbles that previous reviewers have noted, there is so much information within its' covers, the book is a must have! Do you want to know my major complaint? Well, it is that my first Jefferson Airplane show at the Hunter College auditorium in NYC is not reviewed because of a lack of documentation. So let me just write this as an addendum to the book; You should have been there! Even my daughter is sad that she was born too late. She complains that I got to go to hundreds of incredible shows while she sits home having refused to go see Mighty Mouse (who?) with her friends. Now, here is my suggestion, as you read the book (yes you must first buy a copy, you can't borrow mine), play the Airplane albums and/or field recordings at high volume. This is as close to being at a Jefferson Airplane concert that we can now accomplish. Just be grateful that the band was as well documented as it was. And be grateful that the author spent countless hours researching and sharing with the rest of us fans. He deserves our gratitude and support. By the way, did I mention that this book is MUST HAVE?