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Jefferson Airplane reissues


bertrand

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I've been thinking of picking up the new Baxter's, Pillow, Crown Of Creation and Takes Off reissues using the Borders' 20% coupon.

I have no previous reissues of these CDs. How is the sound quality? Some people are griping at amazon.com about the sound (especially Pillow), others seem happy.

I only trust the feedback from my friends at Organissimo.

Thanks in advance,

Bertrand.

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The sound of Surrealistic Pillow has never been great. I picked up the LP when it came out in 1966 and purchased the subsequent CD reissues, including the 20-bit K2 remastered Japanese CD and the latest RCA reissue. That one - the 2003 RCA remaster - is the best of the lot, with the Japanese CD a close second.

As far as After Bathing at Baxter's and Crown of Creation, the 2003 RCA remasters are wonderful. On my system (Mark Levinson-fed electrostatics) I'm hearing things I've never heard before, not even on the original LPs and the Japanese 20-bit K2 remastered reissues. Recommended!

Edit: I've just been listening to the Surrealistic Pillow remaster and it does sound pretty good, though the recording's only so-so.

By the way, I can't comment on Takes Off. I had the original LP, didn't like it very much and never got any of the CD reissues.

Edited by J.A.W.
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The 2003 Bob Irwin remasters are FREAKIN' INCREDIBLE!!! I've heard Baxter's & Crown so far from the library and I'm hearing things I've never heard before.

I've got that "Ignition" boxed set with the 1st four and these new ones blow them away! Highly recommended. I'm selling that box.

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I've had all the CD reissues and the latest bactch by Bob Irwin are easily the best. I don't think they're going to sound better in CD format. I kept older versions of Takes Off and Surrealistic Pillow for the addtional mono mixes, but in stereo there's no contest with the new versions.

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Any comments on these:

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I recall hearing them in the early 70s and like the line up.

I really love BLOWS AGAINST THE EMPIRE.

I have the original remaster and the recent upgrade. I like the sound of the upgrade better, but they must have used different masters. The lyrics on the track "Let's Go Together" are different. My guess is they are an earlier version.

I love the Airplane and I think BLOWS ranks up there with their best stuff. I've probably listened to it more than any Airplane album. SUNFIGHTER is okay to me, but not on the same level IMO. The remaster sounds good, though.

As for the other recent remasters, I have BAXTER'S and it sounds great. I haven't heard the new CROWN OF CREATION since I have the old Mobile Fidelty CD.

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I'm a little biased because this is one of my all-time favorite rock bands.

I got all of the new remasters except for "Takes Off". They all sound great and it's nice to have the extra tracks. The additional stuff is pretty much collector's quality music, though. The best of the bunch is an unlabeled piece at the end of "Baxters" - an instrumental version of "Young Girl Sunday Blues". It comes in at about 2:40 of track #15.

I was always a huge fan of "Blows", also. I didn't realize that there are remasters of that and "Sunfighter", too. I would definitely pick them up, if they are any good.

I'm not sure why "Volunteers" hasn't been remastered yet. Maybe that's an upcoming release.

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"Sunfighter" is mostly excellent, don't be (too) dissuaded. Tho' it doesn't hang together the way Kanter/Slick intended, it's BETTER than the tail end of JA, the great "Long John Silver" stash box excepted of course, hah.

Q: does the "Sunfighter" cd reproduce the booklet that came w/the original vinyl?

clem

I agree Clem, to me SUNFIGHTER is a lot better than later Airplane. I guess I always compare it BLOWS, which I love so it doesn't fare as well..

As for the booklet of the reissue, it has a few small photos and four pages of liner notes by Jeff Tamarkin.

BFrank, the Kantner/Slick CDs I have were remastered in '97, so you may already have them.

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AB - My "Blows" is a 1987 mastering - "ancient" in CD years. Don't have a CD of "Sunfighter".

While we're on it, "Baron Von Tollbooth" isn't all bad, either. Technically it's a Kantner/Slick/Freiberg album, not the Starship - but then again, neither is "Sunfighter" (Kantner/Slick).

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Oh dear, looks like my third Airplane upgrade on CD awaits. I upgraded a couple of years back ( you know that series with Jeff Tamarkin liner notes, and no extra tracks) and I guess I was happy with them until now. Do you know the "extra" album that came out around the same time as the rest of these? Live at the Fillmore East. Very very good.

I also love the Blows album, while Sunfighter never really did it for me. I agree after Volunteers and Blows, it was sharply downhill, Bark has (a few) moments but I could no longer take Kantners lyrics seriously. Much more interesting was the Balin Bodacious recently reissued by the very exellent label Evangeline.

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I like "Bodacious DF", too. Nice, straight-ahead Marin-style rock.

I thought that 'Fillmore East' album was awful the first couple of times I heard it. The mix was bad and many of the vocals were REALLY off. The more I listened to it, though, the better it got. I think I was comparing it to the great "Bless It's Pointed Little Head", which is an incredible live album.

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I listened to SUNFIGHTER again tonight. I really do like some of the songs, especially the track "Sunfighter". I really love the whole trip Kantner was on at this time. I think I'll spend some time with this album this week.

BARON VON TOLLBOOTH is my least favorite of the three albums, but the track "Your Mind Has Left Your Body" is one of my favorite tracks from these three albums.

A couple years ago I downloaded a couple CDs from www.gdlive.com that consisted of outtakes from BLOWS plus David Crosby's IF I COULD ONLY REMEMBER MY NAME. These albums shared the same musicians and were recorded around the same time. It's called the Planet Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra (PERRO). They're worth checking out.

It's nice to talk about this music.

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It's the Crosby connection that has me interested.

I only have the 2 disc compilation of the Airplane's music plus the reissue of Baxters so don't know their music that well.

But I'm a huge fan of IF I COULD ONLY REMEMBER MY NAME. I'm hoping for just a little of the rambling gorgeousnouss of that disc.

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It's the Crosby connection that has me interested.

I only have the 2 disc compilation of the Airplane's music plus the reissue of Baxters so don't know their music that well.

But I'm a huge fan of IF I COULD ONLY REMEMBER MY NAME. I'm hoping for just a little of the rambling gorgeousnouss of that disc.

Then you want Paul Kantner - Blows Against the Empire (I think it's technically a Paul Kantner album, "with" the "Jefferson Starship"). I love it. I also want to put in a good word for Baron Von Tollbooth and the Chrome Nun. Not at the same level as Blows Against the Empire, but a really fine sequence nonetheless.

Edited by gdogus
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It's the Crosby connection that has me interested.

I only have the 2 disc compilation of the Airplane's music plus the reissue of Baxters so don't know their music that well.

But I'm a huge fan of IF I COULD ONLY REMEMBER MY NAME. I'm hoping for just a little of the rambling gorgeousnouss of that disc.

BLOWS has a different vibe than the Crosby album, it's hard to explain, it's sort of science fiction. It's a heavier and angrier record, but It's cool.

Crosby does appear on two tracks which are good. I'd say it's worth trying the album.

If you can get a copy of the PERRO sessions I mentioned (in a previous post) that would give you a good dose of Crosby and the gang.

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Besides the appearance of "Wooden Ships", Volunteers has some of the vibe of the Crosby album. Pretty much the last good Jefferson Airplane album.

Couldn't agree more.

Yup.

I just wish they'd remaster it.

So do I, though my 20-bit K2 remastered Japanese CD doesn't sound bad ^_^

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Thanks everyone. I'll give these a try sometime in the near future.

I know a few of these things from the compilation (like the version of Wooden Ships and Volunteers itself).

The JA get a universally bad press here in the UK. Critics can't seem to get past their superficial politics which conflicted with their wealthy lifestyle.

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Anyone have Grace Slick's "Manhole"?

... I didn't think so. B)

Same cast of characters. I guess it isn't very good, because I've had it since it came out and honestly don't remeber what any of the tunes sound like.

[update: After reading the AMG Review, I may have to revisit this thing.]

Edited by BFrank
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