Favorite Airplane Album?

[Surrealistic~Pillow]

My favourtie is Surrealistic pillow, most of my favourite songs are on here - she has funny cars, d.c.b.a, 3 fiths of a mile, white rabbit, today, and plastic fantastic lover. its the album that got me into Jefferson Airplane !!
My second favourites would be bathing at baxter's and volunteers.

[Apparatchik]

Studio-wise - its an even contest between After Bathing at Baxters, Crown of Creation and Volunteers.

Live-wise - The Woodstock Experience

God bless and peace

[fairlane500]

I'm with you plasticfantastic on "...Baxters". 2nd favorite for me would be toss up between crown of creation and volunteers. BUT THEY'RE ALL SO GOOD!!!!! Jack n' Jorma Rule!!

[plasticfantastic]

It seems like the Baxter's album never really gets enough credit, in my opinion anyway. A lot of people really don't like it... on the contrary, it was my first Airplane album, and still my favorite.

It's just a psychedelic masterpiece.

[usedtobebabson]

I can't put down Worst Of. I have the Woodstock release, but found I REALLY enjoy, Worst Of better.

[SuperSlick66]

hmm..I love Bathing at Baxter's, Surrealistic Pillow, and Volunteer's a lot. But it's hard to say which is my favorite. It changes a lot.

[redrabid]

I am going to try to revive this topic.
Untill now I have given my views on these albums that didn't make it to my personal #1 spot:
"Takes Off"
"SurrealisticPillow"
"Crown of CReation"
"Volunteers"
The reviews of the first two albums were erroneously erased as spam. My review of "Surrealistic Pillow" has a shadowy live in the posts of Okeedoe and Plasticfantastic. To sum up "Takes Off": A very good debut album; still very folk inspired, Marty Balin full in control, reminiscent of the Lovin' Spoonful and to a lesser degree the Byrds. But it lacks that urge for experimentation that Grace Slick would bring with her to JA from her former band the Great Society after this album was recorded.
I also wrote that I wouldn't consider three albums:
"Bark". Marty was missing in action. JA was completely directionless. The members of JA used their best compositions for the Airplane-related solo/Tuna albums. Sacking Spencer Dryden proved to be a big mistake. Hard hitting as Joey Covington may have been, he couldn't drive the band on as Spencer did, resulting in pedestrian rhythms. Only "Lawman", "Chelsea" of course and the Tuna recording "Feel So Good" (Fenton p.469) are up to standard. "Never Argue" was interesting.
In "Long John Silver" the band found a new unity, dominated by a hard, insensitive, Kaukonen-dominated muzak.There is not one good song on this album, ridiculous lyrics, hysterical vocals by Grace, living up to her caricature, that are lousely recorded. At times though the playing still shows signs of excellence, as in the otherwise dreadful "Alexander".
So there are still 2 albums to go.
Maybe tomorrow.

[redrabid]

Of course the third album I was referring to in my last post is "30 Seconds Over Winterland".
When you listen to the bootlegs of the concerts this "live-album" is said to represent, you can hardly believe that these are recordings of the same shows. A lot of overdubbing most have been done in the studio.
"30 Seconds" has its moments (far too few though), for me the much tighter version of "Saucers" (compared to the one released as a single) is a real treat. Casady is Earth Shaker.
Bringing in David Freiberg as a replacement for Marty Balin is an insult to Marty and us.

[lyle]

My favorite Airplane album is Volunteers.There's so many incrediable songs on the album such as Wooden Ships, We Can Be
Together , Hey Fredrick, ,Eskimo Blue Days . I would place Crown Of Creation And Surrealistic Pillow tied at second.

[lyle]

My favorite Airplane album is Volunteers.There's so many incrediable songs on the album such as Wooden Ships, We Can Be
Together , Hey Fredrick, ,Eskimo Blue Days . I would place Crown Of Creation And Surrealistic Pillow tied at second.

[psychy]

[brumus]

So glad to see some life back in this forum.

Like so many here, Baxters was a defining JA album for me. It's the one that turned me from a more casual fan to hardcore. Got it for Xmas in 67 and coincided with my using headphones for the first time. That made it personal. It was like submerging into a dark pool of the subconsciousness; very strange, haunting but with breathtaking exhilaration at times. It also clearly defined each member, especially Kantner, and how they each contributed to the overall collective sound, more than any other recording. JA diversity, one of their strongest attributes as a music group.

It's actually not my favorite. They all are. But it holds a special place for me.

[MilkTrain]

Hey! no one has nominated the reunion (89) album!

For me it is Baxters alllll the way, then probably Crown, Long john,Winterland (for the killer live Milktrain), Pillow, Volunteers, then Head, Bark, Takes Off and last of all the '89JA

Have to say that if i was allowed i would slip, Blows, sunfighter, BVTB&TCN and Manhole in there just before Long John.

One of the first Airplane records i bought was Flight Log, a little of everything and a good representation of the best band ever.

This is a great thread, i have really enjoyed everyones opinion but i was shocked to see the negative comments about "How Do You Feel" which i think is perfect on Pillow and also "Ice Cream Phoenix" i always like that one as well,

[psychy]

Hey! no one has nominated the reunion (89) album!

True

[MilkTrain]

It wasnt such a bad album, a couple of the songs were ok, as long as Grace sings it i will listen, with maybe a couple of exceptions