Feels Like '67 Again

Performer: Jefferson Airplane
Distributor: City Hall

Notes: Recording information: 1966-1967. There was a time when albums like this were available on vinyl in blank white covers, kept under the counters or in a special bin in hip record stores. They were, of course, bootlegs, collections of surreptitiously recorded live performances or studio outtakes (in this case, the former) pressed up without the permission or even knowledge of the artists in question and purchased by people who already had all the legitimate albums but wanted something more. Now, this album is said to come from the Czech Republic, and it is nominally legal, even though unauthorized. These are live performances by Jefferson Airplane, made circa 1967, including many songs from the band's popular Surrealistic Pillow album. The sound quality is monophonic and mediocre, and the sound mix favors guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and co-lead singer Marty Balin. (The Balin bias is most noticeable during the choruses of the Grace Slick showpiece "Somebody to Love," when Balin's harmonies are louder than Slick's lead.) Kaukonen and Balin are also the most interesting elements in the performances, the guitarist jamming through tunes with names like "Jorma's Blues" and "Thing," while Balin improvises lyrics here and there, notably on the nine-minute "Don't Let Me Down." The album will be of interest to Jefferson Airplane fans willing to tolerate its obvious flaws. Unfortunately, it doesn't come in a white cover to warn others that it is not on a par with a regular album. ~ William Ruhlmann

One of the quintessential San Francisco psychedelic bands, the Jefferson Airplane brought together interests in acoustic blues, folk, and rock music. Add political topicality and modal improvisations, and you have an inspired, mind-bending sound that could have only sprung forth from the late '60s. In their initial, most beloved phase, they were powered by the powerful dual lead vocals of Grace Slick and Marty Balin and the serpentine guitar of Jorma Kaukonen. They went through a traumatic series of personnel and name changes over the decades (they ventured into commercial AOR in the late '70s and early '80s) but their early work retains its seminal power.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.25