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Worst of Jefferson Airplane

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THE WORST OF JEFFERSON AIRPLANE is that band's ironically titled Greatest Hits album. Dating from 1970, THE WORST reflects the best work put forth by the Airplane's "classic" lineup of Marty Balin, Grace Slick, Paul Kantner, Jorma Kaukonen, Spencer Dryden and Jack Casady (as well as two selections from JEFFERSON AIRPLANE TAKES OFF, featuring Signe Toly Anderson on vocals and Skip Spence on drums). This new re-release also features two songs not on the original disc, "Watch Her Ride" and "Greasy Heart," which are intelligently inserted in chronological order.

By chronologically arranging the songs we can see the Airplane evolve from a Mamas & Papas/Association folk vocal harmony group ("Blues From An Airplane"), to an unquestioned commercial success ("White Rabbit"), into an experimental Acid Rock band ("The Ballad of You & Me & Pooneil"), and then into a densely musical, overtly political entity ("Volunteers").

This evolution ultimately led to the band's demise. Shortly after the release of THE WORST Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady left to form Hot Tuna, a group focusing on the early Airplane's folk and blues roots, and Spencer Dryden was asked to leave the band. The departure of Kaukonen, Casady, and Dryden irrevocably changed Jefferson Airplane's sound and guaranteed their downfall from the most successful of the San Francisco psychedelic bands into an also-ran constantly shifting passel of musicians who copied but never captured the classic lineup's sound, and never quite defined their own. Jefferson Airplane limped on until 1972, and was succeeded by the much less daring Jefferson Starship in 1974. Although there were numerous albums and several tremendous hit songs created by the Airplane's various iterations after 1970, for true Airplane fans they've always had the feel of counterfeits.

To hear THE WORST OF JEFFERSON AIRPLANE is to experience the Airplane at their best: In the era they defined, at the peak of their powers, and at their crown of creation.

When Marty Balin began putting together the band that would become Jefferson Airplane in 1965, he called the music he intended to make "fojazz," a hybrid of folk and jazz. But what he and the band actually created was an even more far-ranging concoction, dubbed "psychedelic rock" because of its role as soundtrack for the hallucinogenic drug scene of the time.

The Worst of Jefferson Airplane was an essential part of every college student's record collection in the early `70s. Originally released in November, 1970, the 15-track LP neatly summed up the band's first five years, offering glimpses of the Airplane's many sides--Balin's pop-rockin' "It's No Secret," the romantically beautiful "Today," Grace Slick's strangely disturbing "Lather," Paul Kantner's anthemic call to revolution, "We Can Be Together," Jorma Kaukonen's acoustic interlude, "Embryonic Journey."

Kantner coined the Worst of moniker as a typically Jeffersonian dig at the record industry the band had often done battle with. In fact, the compilation was lovingly assembled by the bandmembers themselves, and included the group's only two actual hits, "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit," as well as samplings from their six albums up to that point.

This Legacy reissue includes two bonus tracks, Kantner's "Watch Her Ride" and Slick's menacing "Greasy Heart." Its chronological layout allows the listener to trace the sonic and lyrical development of the psychedelic era itself while following the trajectory of San Francisco's most successful band. It's a journey that is still worth taking. The only disappointment is that the CD's expanded capacity wasn't maximized to include the post-Worst sort-of-a-hit, "Pretty as You Feel," or the definitive "Wooden Ships" from Volunteers. --Jim Newsom

originally published in Port Folio Weekly, 6/13/06
copyright 2006 Port Folio Weekly. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.

There are so many re-packagings of Jefferson Airplane/Starship material out these days that any newcomer to their music must feel a little overwhelmed. If it helps, most of these compilations were way after the fact, "Worst of..." was the original "best of," released first on vinyl in the early 70s. I didn't buy it then because I had everything on it on other records (this being a bit before anybody thought to entice fans with "bonus tracks"). To me all the early Airplane albums were essential, and this package was at best, a good intro for the uninitiated.
But now since I haven't replaced every single vinyl LP with the CD version (have some, not all), this collection makes sense. In fact, it makes damn good sense. In terms of providing an overview of the Airplane's most creative period, this 15 track sampling is hard to beat. Two of the best tracks from the neo-folkie, pre-Grace "Jefferson Airplane Takes Off" open the album on a sweetly melancholic note, a little stiff and unformed yet. Then suddenly you're caught up in the aural whoosh of "Somebody to Love," that sharp almost genderless voice coming out of nowhere. Grace Slick makes a ferocious entry, into the song, into the band and into music history.

It scarcely lets up from there. I've often maintained that the great thing about the Airplane is that the sweetly sappy one was the guy (Marty Balin) and the edgy, neurotic one was the, uh, girl (and even in '67, "chick" scarcely applied to Grace Slick). "Worst of..." balances this odd yin and yang nicely. The shortest and most effective of Marty's "Surrealistic Pillow" ballads, "Today" is strategically placed between the two big Slick numbers (and of course, that would be "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit"). "Embryonic Journey," the celebrated acoustic instrumental from "Pillow" segues into Paul Kantner's lyrical "Martha," one of "After Bathing at Baxter's" gentler tracks.

And then we're off into the era of Kantner's ascendency. Kantner, who was in many ways the glue that held the Airplane/Starship together, was also the object of increasing critical abuse as the 60s wore into the 70s. Truth to tell, he did write a few clunkers in his day, but what's represented here is Kantner at his visionary best. The joyous "Pooneil" is childlike without being mawkish, and "Crown of Creation" made just the right political statement for late '68 (more mournful than didactic, actually, which may be why it holds up today--[other] concerns aside). Then Grace does a brooding slow tempo number ("Lather"), and Marty demonstrates his ability to rock out with the bouncy live version of "Plastic Fantastic Lover." Every band member gets his or her chance to shine, including guitarist Jorma Kaukonen's stately "Good Shepherd," which is lovely, a bit rootsy and prefigures his Hot Tuna and solo work nicely.

And it ends with "We Can Be Together" AND "Volunteers"--two songs that were meant to be played back to back (and often were in concert). If that doesn't close the record on a high note, and if you're not spazz-dancing in the aisles or in your living room by that point, well, I'll eat my bandana.

I remember seeing this album in 1970. I was puzzled as to what was meant by a collection of "worst of," not understanding the intentional and unintentional irony of the title. Overcoming the title, this collection was nominally the best of the first six Jefferson Airplane albums. I say nominally because there are many who feel that this album short-changes the group's scope.

Jefferson Airplane's first album was released September, 1966. Grace Slick had yet to add her considerable vocal talents. The group had yet to achieve the cutting-edge heights they would soon reach. Fortunately, Jefferson Airplane was in the right place at the right time. Music and society were undergoing a revolution and the artists, musical and otherwise, located in Haight-Ashbury were at the forefront of that revolution. Consistent with artists that have great talent but maintain perspective, some members of the group have always taken their fame and the adulation conferred upon them with a good deal of tongue-in-cheek humor. Jefferson Airplane has all the hallmarks of a great group, and this collection is a perfect introduction to the group.

The album kicks off with the peppy and, at that time, hard rock song "It's no Secret." You can hear folk elements in this short song, which is understandable given that folk music was still quite popular when these songs were recorded in 1966. The second song, "Blues from an Airplane," is also folk influenced rock. Both songs have a different style from the subsequent songs, excluding "Martha," which retains a folk influence.

The third song is one of the iconic songs from the 60s. "Somebody to Love" has been used numerous times, along with "White Rabbit," to indicate the psychedelic 60s. The song sandwiched between these two songs is "Today," a gorgeous love song using all the technical tricks known in the mid-60s. The song is highly contrasted by the much faster songs on either side of it. "White Rabbit" is probably the most famous song relating to the psychedelic era. The highly evocative lyrics, the music and powerful vocal style of Grace Slick combined to make this song an instant classic.

Proving that Jefferson Airplane had breadth is "Embryonic Journey." Purposefully or otherwise this solo guitar instrumental fits into the other songs related to psychedelia. This guitar solo presages the later efforts of Yes, who would create similar works.

"The Ballad of You & Me & Pooneil" is fully psychedelic. The lingering folk influences are gone and the music contains more free-form elements. Even with my eclectic musical tastes I find this song difficult to like. However, the construction of this song pushed the limits of what rock music could be and may have been a formative part of progressive rock. Another bizarre track is "Cushingura." This relatively short, experimental track makes me think of some of the early works of King Crimson, especially "Moonchild" from the 1969 release "In the Court of the Crimson King."

This remastered CD includes two songs not in the previous versions: "Watch Her Ride" and "Greasy Heart." Both songs are nice additions, but there are a couple of minor complaints I have. The first complaint is why did they monkey with the order of the songs? If they were going to change the order, then (second complaint) why not add even more songs to fully use the 80 minutes available on a CD? Then they could have re-titled the CD indicate the expanded nature of the CD.

The rock album "Crown of Creation" released in September 1968 was supposed to be counter-culture. However, the song "Crown of Creation" is more accessible than Jefferson Airplane's psychedelic music. The structure of the music is somewhat dated, and yet the songs complexity is mirrored in some music created today.

"Lather" is a beautiful song that is too short. The song asks the question "when someone is too old?" The magical age in the 60s seemed to be 30. After that age it was generally considered that you could no longer be free spirited; you were caught up in the system, never to be released. This song is quiet and mellow, with Grace Slick's vocals well highlighted as the music remains largely acoustic and in the background, along with abundant sound effects.

"Plastic Fantastic Lover" is a live version of a heavier rock track from the ground-breaking album "Surrealistic Pillow." The music is heavy and sounds similar to some of Jimi Hendrix's music from the same era. This track is early acid rock exploiting the fun of electric guitars. Jefferson Airplane was no slave to style. "Good Shepherd" contains folk, blues and gospel elements, but the rock guitar is an element used also in "Plastic Fantastic Lover." This song is wonderful to reminisce about the flower children era.

"We Can Be Together" is the longest song on the CD at nearly six minutes. As the 60s moved on there was a movement toward understanding and love, and this song targets those philosophies directly. Music like this was a result of a combination of events, including the Viet Nam War and the continued social upheaval in the United States. This song could have been the coda for the 60s.

The last song in this collection is "Volunteers." This song was the grass roots appeal to everyone to be a force for change. Power to the people was the word of the day and the words to this song exemplify that desire. Yet another of the songs from Jefferson Airplane, along with "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love" that are used to indicate the 60s.

The 60s yielded a variety of unusual musical combinations. Jefferson Airplane was one of the most influential groups of its era, experimenting with styles that would help steer the course of music even until today, while singing music that was then a social indicator and now a historical artifact.

Enjoy!

Easily one of the best greatest hits recordings ever compiled. If you are a fan of the "Airplane", you can't go wrong with this one.

Re-mastered and expanded, 'The Worst Of Jefferson Airplane' has been re-released to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Jefferson Airplane's first album release. To the original 15 tracks (allegedly selected by the band themselves in 1970) Bob Irwin has added "Watch Her Ride" and "Greasy Heart", chronologically half way through the record. With various 'Best Of' and 'Essential' JA collections out now I just wonder why they chose to mess with the original format - and having decided to do so, why they didn't add more tracks to make best use of the CD running time. For a longer review check out 'HOLDING TOGETHER' (my Airplane/Starship fanzine). The addition of "Let's Get Together", "Share A Little Joke", "Hey Fredrick" etc could have made this even 'worse' and the quite definitive single CD set!

This album is a 'best of' album, so naturally it's called The Worst Of Jefferson Airplane. Makes sense, right? Seriously, this is a collection of the BEST material from the days of Jefferson Airplane - their early years with their original classic lineup of musicians and before they changed their name to Jefferson Starship and later Starship.

This album was released in 1970 and I'm glad it is still available in its original form, with the exception of the fact that it's remastered, which can only help. I bought this album back in 1991, so I have the original version. This album is loaded with Airplane classics such as It's No Secret, Blues From An Airplane, Somebody To Love, Today, White Rabbit, Crown Of Creation, Lather, Good Shepherd, Volunteers, and a live version of Plastic Fantastic Lover.

Jefferson Airplane is a psychedelic rock band from the sixties. They are linked to that era of rock 'n roll, Woodstock, etc. A classic band and a classic album. Get it.

The Worst of Jefferson Airplane is really a greatest hits collection that is very well-balanced, and truly reflects their best work. This album was released in 1970, with 15 tracks. A few years ago, RCA added two more essential tracks (WATCH HER RIDE, and GREASY HEART) which really cap off an already great compilation disc. All of the great tunes are on this one, such as the classic SOMEBODY TO LOVE, WHITE RABBIT, VOLUNTEERS, IT'S NO SECRET,BLUES FROM AN AIRPLANE,THE BALLAD OF YOU & ME & POONEIL, and TODAY. A live version of PLASTIC FANTASTIC LOVER is welcomed, as it's one of their best live recordings. Yes, there was a folk rock thing going on in the mid to late sixties, and some of the songs sound similar to Buffalo Springfield, such as WATCH HER RIDE and GOOD SHEPHERD. Of course, we could also say that Buffalo Springfield sounds like Jefferson Airplane. Whatever the case, this band is one of the greatest of all time. Not to be underestimated is their first singer, Toly Anderson, whose voice is stellar. I like her voice just as much as Grace's. This album is a must-have for those who love nostalgic 60's rock. 10/10

While a reflection of its time and consequently dated in parts, this is a must have record for anyone interested in the music of the time with its classic hits delivered with a crisp remastered sound. The psychodelic White Rabbit remains my personal favorite with its clever take on the story of Alice and her own experience of mushrooms. While not as divise as the Vietnam War, recent events in Irak and Afghanistan make songs such as Volunteers have new relevance. Finally, Jefferson Airplane's anthemic love songs Somebody to Love and We Can Be Together, as well as It's No Secret stand out amongst songs of this period from the West Coast and beyond.

This is a "keeper"!! Especially if your interested in one of the most popular groups of the 60's!! ( And it's a "hard to find" CD, too ) Actually - it the BEST OF JEFFERSON AIRPLANE!! Remastered & with 2 Bonus Tracks!! Some of Grace Slick's best work!! & Paul Kantner, Marty Balin on lead vocals.... & 17 memoriable HITS!! GREAT CD!! Another KEEPER to add to your 60's collection!! Includes: White Rabbit, Somebody to Love, and Volunteers. Along with: Embryonic Journey & (of course) Plastic Fantastic Lover!!