The ultimate song?

[PrayForPlagues]

1) House at Pooneil Corners (Crown of Creation)
2) Other Side of this Life (at Altamont 1969)
3) Plastic Fantastic Lover (BIPLH)
4) Good Shepherd (Volunteers)

[EmbryonicRabbit68]

I cant go in any order.But this is what im currently making a compilation CD of.Its the "Best of the Best" in my opinion, and i have a hard time finding out which one cant go on it.Absolute favourites are bold.Its also in order in a musical fashion, not chronological or favourite.

1.Sunrise
2.Have You Seen The Saucers
3.In Time
4.Mexico
5.Pretty As You Feel
6.Ride The Tiger(best Jefferson Starship song)
7.The Last Wall Of The Castle
8.Lather
9.Trial By Fire
10.Eskimo Blue Day
11.Silver Spoon(Kantner and Slick)
12.Twilight Double Leader
13.Star Track
14.If You Feel
15.Eat Starch Mom
16.When The Earth Moves Again
17.Third Week in Chelsea
18.Ice Cream Pheonix
19.Law Man
20.Plastic Fantastic Lover
21.Today
22.Wooden Ships
23.The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil
24.The House At Pooneils Corner

[plasticfantastic]

Good choices. I'm glad to see Lawman is on there-- It's so good, but so obscure.

THANK YOU for not leaving out later albums! They always seem to get left off compilations...

[EmbryonicRabbit68]

Yeah, my first compilation(this is my fourth) just had Pretty As You Feel and Eat Starch Mom.I really actually started thinking about making this new one a 2-CD, one for Takes Off to Crown of Creation, then another for Volunteers to Long John Silver because i had over half of Bark and LJS in my original list for this CD.Im still pondering about if i will make it a 2 cd, because i have no JA cds aside from home-made compilations and bootlegs, just vinyl.And yeah ive really gotten into Lawman lately.It could have been a hit, but even if it was a single it problably wouldnt have because of the lyrics.Its also got a Guess Who feel to it.

[redrabid]

Lots of contenders for this prize.
It's No Secret, but I think this song was live played much better than on "JA Takes Off", certainly after Grace joined the band. She Has Funny Cars, Somebody to Love or White Rabbit. These three songs started my lifelong affair with JA. The House at Pooneil Corners, We Can Be Together, Volunteers, Good Shepherd, Eskimo Blue Day,Third Week in the Chelsea, all these songs might have made it to #1.
But two songs prevent that: Rejoyce and The Ballad of You & Me & Pooneil.
Rejoyce is one of the best songs Grace Slick has ever written, but it is surely the best produced of all her songs. That glorious vocal, that stunning jazzy arrangement (thanks to Spencer). But in the end I go for Ballad, because it is not only on record a fantastic experimental song ("atonal rock") with those characteristic vocals, Jack's bass and Jorma's unleashed guitarplaying, that showed for the first time what an excellent guitarplayer he would become, but also live it proved te be one of those songs that challenged the band to give their best. Listen to "Ballad" live at the Monterey Pop Festival or at Woodstock.
Chilling!

[EmbryonicRabbit68]

Yeah Ballad of is not only musically an absolute masterpiece, but it has that air and feeling about it that sparks universal questions, and live when it goes into House At Pooneils Corner, it becomes a battle between good and evil.I personally think all their songs are better live.They free themselves onstage, and it becomes a music heaven, an experience.I also strongly believe that Today is the best love song ever written, although i shouldnt judge on that because i havnt heard every love song ever written.A song ive fallen in love with lately is Comin' Back to Me.For some odd reason, it just past me by, but i was listening to it three days ago and all of the sudden it hit me, and its getting close to my top 10.Same with Third Week in Chelsea.That compilation i posted above is obsolete now, im making a two-CD.Im posting it on my new topic "Jefferson Airplane Compilations".

[plasticfantastic]

I love Coming Back to Me and Third Week at the Chelsea!

Jerry Garcia's guitar is stunning on Coming Back to Me-- so simple, and soooo pretty! Third Week-- don't even get me started. Very underrated, and extremely cool. I especially love the lyrics, and Jorma's vocal.

[babson]

If I had to name one song that rocked the hippie culture back then it would be White Rabbit.

No one talks about the Concentration Camp Experience. It was also the title of a book by Jean Paul Sartre back then. Basically it means that you would sell your friends to stay alive. He goes on to say that good does not conquer evil. Evil exists unto itself and must be dealt with.

Personally I like It's No Secret.

Wooden Ships broke the mold....

Jorma's Uncle Sam's Blues really moved me as I was drafted in '69.

[Apparatchik]

I would say the Woodstock version of "the House at Pooneil Corners"

[babson]

I would say the Woodstock version of "the House at Pooneil Corners"

Yes!Yes! I just listened to it. Must add it to my post.

And Somebody to love - seems to apply to some events in everyones life.

[starfire II]

It depends what you mean by the 'ultimate' song. If you're looking for one song that typifies JA, then there isn't one. Their music is too diffuse, too gloriously eclectic. Trying to capture their essence in one song is like trying to grab smoke.
Personally, I'd opt for two: The Ballad Of You And Me And Pooneil covers their weird, wired electric side; and Lather best represents the strange, slightly disturbing psychedelic folk aspect of their sound.
Of course, even this only just scratches the surface...

[oldblue]

dark star

[SuperSlick66]

White Rabbit. I heard it once to many but it's a timeless song.
Others that are "ultimates" too me from JA are:

High Flyin' Bird
Volunteers
She Has Funny Cars
The Ballad Of You and Me and Pooniel
Somebody To Love
Two Heads
Crown Of Creation
Rejoyce
Greasy Heart

[ericthompson13]

But I haven´t still listen to Bathing at Baxters, Volunteers (like wooden ships perhaps), Mexico?, Bark, Takes off.
Exciting what I will find there.

You have a bright future ahead of you!! I hope you will really enjoy those albums. Baxter's is the epitome of the Airplane for me .

Tis a sad day when you realize you've heard it all. no more new roads to turn down, only remnants of a fallen empire.

[psychy]

All JA songs are ULTIMATE songs man:):)!!!....Today is my fave:)