The Essential Jefferson Airplane [Original recording remastered]

Tracks:

Blues From An Airplane
It's No Secret
Come Up The Years
She Has Funny Cars
Somebody To Love
Comin' Back to Me
Embryonic Journey
White Rabbit
Ballad Of You And Me And Pooneil, The
Martha - (single version)
Last Wall Of The Castle, The
Watch Her Ride
Lather
Crown Of Creation
Greasy Heart
Share A Little Joke - (single version)

Tracks:

3/5 Of A Mile In Ten Seconds
Plastic Fantastic Lover
We Can Be Together
Good Shepherd
Wooden Ships
Eskimo Bllue Day
Volunteers
Have You Seen The Saucers - (single version)
Mexico - (single version)
When The Earth Moves Again
Pretty As You Feel
Third Week In Chelsea
Long John Silver
Twilight Double Leader
Feel So Good
Milk Train

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:

Totally Phycadelic and Totally Groovy!!!.......2006-08-10

I bought this album and Alice answered. Don't you want sombody to love? Yes, and it's this album! If you want to go back in time, Go Ask Alice!!! Bravo to Jefforson Airplane!

Some non-album tracks.......2005-11-23

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.

Music Review:

Music Review

Music Review

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