Search - Jefferson Airplane :: Crown of Creation

Maybe The Greatest Rock Album Ever

Josh H. | Toledo, Oh (USA) | 12/09/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"'Masterpiece' is a ubiquitous word, but it's the only one that properly describes this album. This is the definitive album from five extremely talented Californian hipsters known as Jefferson Airplane. Grace Slick, Marty Balin, Paul Kantner, Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady and Spencer Dryden all merged their creative strengths together to turn rock music into something revolutionary and monumental.
First of all, this re-mastered version is a real treat. Super sound quality, bonus songs and a detailed booklet full of rare photos and liner notes. The band had already set the world on fire with their first three albums, showing their remarkable, divine vocal harmonies, and CROWN OF CREATION proved their excellence even further.
They open the album with three of the most magnificent ballads ever written. "Lather", "In Time" and "Triad" are all unbelievably beautiful and soothing. Grace's "Lather" is based on drummer Spencer Dryden. Spencer was about to turn thirty at the time, hence the line "Lather was thirty years old today". It's also based on a little incident that occured with Jack Casady. Jack was given a pill by a drug guru named Owsley, but he made the pill much too strong, and Jack totally went berserk when he took it. He was arrested for running naked on the beach and drawing pictures in the sand, which is also referred to in the song. And as for the song itself, Grace sings it in a way that just sends shivers down your spine, amongst many strange sound effects and some peaceful acoustic guitar. The hauntingly graceful "In Time" is even better, and it's probably my favorite Airplane song ever. The choruses are pure bliss, with Kantner, Slick and Balin ALL singing in harmony, combining their voices in such a way that it sounds like the essence of beauty itself.
"Triad" was written by David Crosby, but it's hard picturing him singing it better than Grace does here. Her crystalline vocal cords have never sounded better, and she delivers an extremely emotional performance that really touches the depths of your heart. In particular, listen to the way she sings the line "We love each other, it's plain to see" and tell me that isn't the loveliest voice that you've ever heard in your life.
Kaukonen's "Star Track" features some of the most blistering wah-wah guitar licks ever put on record. They're fast, vicious and totally chaotic. Indeed Jorma was one of the most overlooked guitarists in the world. Balin's vocal on "Share A Little Joke" is rapturous, especially that middle section ("...Your eyes are never tired, your mind is on fire..."). Like Grace, he manages to practically give you goosebumps with his singing. That's enough proof that nobody could rival the Airplane when it comes to vocal harmonies (except the brilliant Simon And Garfunkel).
"Chushingura" is the only weak spot on the album, as it's just a bunch of weird sounds. "If You Feel" is an upbeat rocker with glorious vocals and a marvelous melody. Some have said that the title track was plagiarized from a novel called "The Chrysalids", but I couldn't care less because the song is so great. The tandem vocals of Jorma and Grace on "Ice Cream Phoenix" are yet another highlight, and Grace's battle cry of "Still not cry when it's time to go" is indeed very hypnotic. And speaking of Grace, her "Greasy Heart" is a moody tune that talks about how women try too hard to make themselves look good. A little known fact is that she's actually singing about HERSELF on this one. She was a model before she became a singer, so she understood about all that stuff. In the liner notes, she even says "It sounds like I'm pointing fingers in the song, but I'm actually living it".
So that leaves the gloomy, hypnotic "House At Pooneil Corners", an eerie number that tells about the end of the world. And I do mean EERIE. Everything about the song is very dark: the bass line, the organ, the sound effects and, above all, the intoxicating vocals. The lyrics are brilliant, too. This is a song that really makes you think: is the destiny of mankind doomed forever? Creepy stuff.

As for the bonus cuts, they're not all that great. They're basically just a bunch of weird sound effects, and it sounds like the band were just killing time in the studio. But the sound quality and the booklet are definitely worth having.So yes, I consider this to be in the top five greatest rock albums ever made. Listen to it and you'll see why."

Why buy this re-re-re-release

Thomas E. Shepard | Shaker Hts., Ohio USA | 08/25/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'll leave the critical reviews to those who made their opinions known under the prior release of this CD. Suffice to say this is a very good, underrated album in the JA/JS canon. The query here is "Why should I buy this CD"? Simply put, the remastered 24 bit sound is ASTOUNDING. The interplay between Casady/Kaukonen/Dryden is now revealed with a clarity that finally makes a definitive case for the trio being the premier musicians of the SF rock scene. The muddiness of the prior releases, even the problems with the mid 90's "remasters", is almost completly removed, with only the slightest tape hiss to distract you during some of the quieter sections. Thankfully, the vocals of Slick/Balin and Kantner are also revealed in all their glory, leaving no doubt as to the quality that needs to be re-discovered about JA. If you have a high-end stereo system this release is a must buy, and not a bad bargain those who don't."

Still holding up after all these years

Nick Fulton | Wellington, New Zealand | 11/16/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Recently I stumbled across an old vinyl copy of this album. Id heard 'Surrealistic Pillow' and loved it, but I'd read that this album was not up to that same standard. These reviews were so wrong, this album is brilliant! It captures Jefferson Airplane at their premium best, during the height of the San Francisco music revolution. The songs delve deep into the mystical psychedelic world of space and science fiction, creating sounds that are still undeniably unique today.



The album was especially important for Jack Casady, whose bass lines have been compared to The Who's John Entwistle. Around this time Casady also helped Jimi Hendrix with the recording of `Electric Ladyland'. On many of the tracks, Casady's bass sounds like a second lead instrument, accompanying Jorma Kaukonen on lead guitar. Grace slicks vocals play a bigger role than on `Surrealistic Pillow', which many fans will find rewarding. Her intimidating tone becomes something that we all know and love about the Airplane.



So if you are thinking about this album then go ahead and get it. It stands the test of time; along side so many great albums from this period. Even the old vinyl copy sounds great after thirty seven years.

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