Goodies from GFreedom's Music Collection #1

                       JEFFERSON AIRPLANE: Long John Silver (1972)

  Jefferson Airplane used to be one of the greatest names of the psychedelic movement of the '60's in USA. But with the coming of the '70's many things changed. And they did as well. The changes in the band started when many of their members quit the band before the release of their previous album "Bark" in 1971. The things were not going well between the members of the band, and here they did one last effort to keep the band alive. So for this last (as it proved) album, the whole band gathered up. Paul Kantner, Grace Slick, Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady, Joey Covington, and Papa John Creach all returned. The sessions lasted for about three months, but the tension between the members was there. The result of that was that in many occasions the members of the band were recording their own parts separately from the others. Finally this record was released on July of 1972, but not before the record company forced them to erase a phrase from the song "The Son of Jesus" electronically.
   The original vinyl LP release (1972) featured an album cover that folded up into a replica of a cigar box. The record sleeve bore an image of cigars; this image was later used as cover art on CD releases. The inside bottom of the box was covered with a photograph of marijuana.

   "Long John Silver" was released from their record company "Grunt Records" and it reached up to #20 on the Billboard album charts.
   The album contains 9 songs in total, all of them rather different from Jefferson Airplane's usual music style. They are more complicated, more technical, and if I can use these terms, more "progressive and mature" in general. The production is bad though, and the sound of the album seems like the band was playing inside a closet while they were recording... And that's really pity, cause here you can find some of their finest moments. (After their psychedelic period of course).
   Although it might seem a little weird, Long John Silver is one of my most beloved records from Jefferson Airplane. Maybe there isn't any song here that can reach the standards of "White Rabbit" "Volunteers" etc, but as a whole record it it very good one.
   My most beloved songs here are: Aerie, Easter?, Eat Starch Mom, Milk Train, The Son of Jesus.
And here is the whole tracklist of the record:
Side A: Long John Silver, Aerie, Twilight Double Dealer, Milk Train, The Son of Jesus.
Side B: Easter?, Trial by Fire, Alexander the Medium, Eat Starch Mom.
                                             My Rating: 4* out of 5*
   
In the following videos you can listen to the songs Easter?, Eat Starch Mom and Aerie...
Enjoy! :)