Jefferson Airplane - Jefferson Airplane Takes Off
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CD Details
Artist: Jefferson AirplaneEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2003-08-19
Music Label: RCA
Soundtracks:
- Blues Form An Airplane
- Let Me In
- Bringing Me Down
- It's No Secret
- Tobacco Road
- Come Up The Years
- Run Around
- Let's Get Together
- Don't Slip Away
- Chauffeur Blues
- And I Like It
- Bonus Tracks: Runnin' 'Round This World
- Bonus Tracks: High Flying Bird
- Bonus Tracks: It's Alright
- Bonus Tracks: Go To Her (Early Version)
- Bonus Tracks: Let Me In (Original Uncensored Version)
- Bonus Tracks: Run Around (Original Uncensored Version)
- Bonus Tracks: Chauffeur Blues (Alternate Version - Previously Unissued)
- Bonus Tracks: And I Like It (Alternate Version - Previously Unissued)
Music reviews of Jefferson Airplane Takes Off
Music Review: a '60s landmark, and one of the best records ever
Rating: 5 Stars
I picked up this CD on something of a lark, and what a mind-blower it's turned out to be. "Jefferson Airplane Takes Off", originally released in September of 1966, is an astonishing debut album.
The liner notes of this particular CD edition point out that this is basically a 'live in the studio' album, without much overdubbing or "studio experimentation", but that just makes the Airplane's accomplishment here all the more impressive--clearly these guys knew exactly what they were doing. The playing on this album is sensational. A ton of credit has to go to Marty Balin--not only is he one of the best, most expressive vocalists in all of '60s rock, but he seemed to have some kind of sixth sense in terms of assembling the original band lineup, and apart from 3 covers, he wrote or co-wrote the remaining 8 songs on the original album.
You CERTAINLY shouldn't get it in your head that this can't be as good as later albums due to the absence of Grace Slick. Yes, Grace is great, of course, and incredibly distinctive. But Signe Anderson, in her only album ever with the band, absolutely soars on her vocal spotlight "Chauffeur Blues", and although she's not involved in any of the songwriting, she plays a vital role in the group's frequent, rich harmony arrangements.
Also, don't let people who tag this as a 'folk-rock' record give you the wrong idea--it's actually an extremely versatile album. The album opener "Blues From An Airplane" (co-written by Skip Spence) is a superb, ominous acid rocker that captivates you immediately with its droning guitars and Jack Casady's thunderous bass. Paul Kantner steps up to the mic for a devastating lead vocal turn on the mind-blowingly awesome "Let Me In", a ferocious, cathartic, cleverly-timed garage rocker stuffed with blistering riffs and a smoking Jorma Kaukonen solo. The deviously laidback shuffle "Bringing Me Down" has sort of a Byrds-y jangle to it, matched with a quasi-bluesy pattern, melodic bass, and a great descending riff sequence. Marty Balin's one solo composition "It's No Secret" is a brilliant love song--Balin's exuberant, from the gut vocals on it are intoxicating, and the song's surprising bridge section elevates it to a whole other level of genius. The cover of "Tobacco Road" is superly done, with its moody opening guitar passage setting the stage perfectly. The 6/8 ballad "Come Up The Years" is an achingly lovely and bittersweet love song with an appropriately shimmering glockenspiel part. "Run Around" has a manic, arpegiatted guitar part that just knocks your socks off. Kaukonen brings on a full-blown slow blues vibe for "And I Like It", a defiant, yet deeply emotional epic with a wrenching solo vocal from Balin--it was a brilliant way to end the original album.
You can hardly even pick out favorite songs on here, and album plays out like a truly unified, ingeniously-conceived, timeless work of art.
A big thumbs up to RCA for the inclusion of 9 bonus tracks, including a 'hidden' instrumental version of "Blues From An Airplane" at the end. We get the 'original uncensored version' of "Let Me In" which 'accidentally' appeared on a very limited number of early pressings of the original vinyl album--RCA had issues with some of the lyrics and the band re-recorded it from scratch, which proved to be a blessing because the subsequent 'regular' version of the song is more forcefully performed, although the 'uncensored' version is still terrific and fascinating from a historical standpoint. "High Flying Bird" wasn't included on the original album, perhaps because they felt they already had one gloomy cover song with "Tobacco Road", and "...Bird" does have a similar feel, but it's wisely appended here. The 'early version' of the rocker "Go To Her" and an 8+ minute take of "And I Like It" are just a couple more goodies that round out what appears to be THE definitive version of this beyond-classic album (although some fans may also want the version that presents the whole album in mono & stereo versions). An absolute must-have.
Description of Jefferson Airplane Takes Off
Originally released in 1966, this RCA/BMG Heritage remastered reissue adds 8 bonus tracks, 'Runnin' 'Round This World', 'High Flyin' Bird', 'It's Alright', 'Go To Her' (early version), 'Let Me In' (original uncensored version), 'Run Around' (original uncensored version), 'Chauffer Blues' (alternate version-previously unissued) & 'And I Like It' (alternate version-previously unissued). Includes 12-page booklet with extensive liner notes, detailed track listing & rare photos. 2003.Classic Rock CDs
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