Jefferson Airplane - The Worst of Jefferson Airplane
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Music CD Cover Artist: Jefferson Airplane Edition: Music CD Format: Original recording remastered CD Release Date: 2006-06-06 Music Label: RCA Soundtracks:
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Free Music Notes for The Worst of Jefferson Airplane Album
Free Music Review: Jefferson Airplane Loved You--'Cept Maybe Grace Who Would Just As Soon Kick Your Teeth In
Hit: 5 Stars
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.