Search - Jefferson Airplane :: Live at Monterey Festival

The songs are great, but the recording just doesn't do it...

Ashley Jacobson | somewhere in the great Mid-West, USA | 06/13/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I consider myself someone who appreciates fine music, especially bands that change the ideals of music for a generation. Jefferson Airplane has made an impact, and in the memories of the 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival, they still are great. The CD begins with the introduction of the band, set up as "a perfect example of what the world's coming to." Little did the public know that they would definitely live up to that statement, even 33 years after Monterey Pop. I ran out to buy this CD after watching (for the... well, to many times to count) Monterey Pop: the Movie. The whole festival is just surreal to see such great groups in their prime, and especially seeing Grace and the crew belt it out. Unfortunately, for as much as I loved the movie and seeing Jefferson Airplane perform live, the CD is a disappointment. The songs are Jefferson Airplane classics, but the sound quality is not that hot. Between the voices of the band fading in and out and the instruments drowning out the voices... it's just not a good recording. However- there are the songs: The songs that everyone knows, Somebody to Love and White Rabbit are done without anything extra- sounds just like the studio recordings. High Flying Bird and The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil really are a treat- but as said before, the recording is just so bad that you can't make out exactly what they are singing (or is it possibly the "experience" that the whole band was having on stage at the time- remember, this was California 1967). Today stands out as the albums best, but sadly, the recording doesn't do it justice. Overall, this is a good CD for a Jefferson Airplane fan who has it all (or whould like to add a live CD to their collection), but there are many more of their studio CDs I would recommend before the purchase of this live one."

Vintage Jefferson Airplane in full flight

Maria H. R. Souza | Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro Brazil | 07/16/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I strongly disagree with the two reviews already posted here. This superb record is 'bona fide'Jefferson Airplane in full flight, not only playing ferocious live versions of classic's like "Somebody to Love", "White Rabbit" and "She Has Funny Cars", but also delivering an electric storm of scorching, freakin' psychedelic mayhems: an overwhelming, madly fierce cover of Fred Neil's "Other Side of This Life" and, mainly, a thunderous, earth-shattering live rendition of "The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil",that is, for my money, simply the BEST single live track ever issued by the Airplane, full of feedback-drenched acid guitar assaults (Jorma Kaukonen), menacing bass explosions (Jack Casady), pounding drum beats (Spencer Dryden) and spaced-out, eerie howls by the Almighty Grace Slick!!!"

Recording typical of era, available technology

William L Koggenhop | Commerce TWP, MI | 04/05/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I partially agree with the first reviewer of this CD here that purchasing JA at Monterey would be lower on the priority list for the casual or new fan of JA and late 60's era San Francisco based music in general, but as a deeper fan this is certainly a worthy addition, something I wish I had a copy of back in 68. This recording was not readily available during that era, and release material only consisted of 5 albums and few singles (other than Somebody To Love). A new listener to JA would want to start with one of those first (especially Baxters and/or Bless It's pointed Little Head).What makes this recording important is 1) a maturing of Jorma's guitar stylings from Surrealistic Pillow, 2) the only other recorded version of "Young Girl Sunday Blues" (that I know of), which they pull off quite well, 3) great rhythm playing by Kantner (I think) on "Other Side" and elsewhere, showing that he was an integral part in the collective improvisation that took place, 4)the historical significance of this performance. There are places where one would wince (Grace's vocals on Rabbit, though she was never in tune on this one live anyway, I think), and JA live performances were not always error free, but overall, this CD fills an important gap in JA's history, between Pillow and Baxter's.As the other other reviewer pointed out, the recording is not the greatest, but this alone should not deter one from purchasing this CD. Given the technology of the day, this recording is not THAT bad. Certainly the recording compares with that of the recordings of Hendrix, Otis Redding, and whoever else has released recordings from Monterey (obviously all recorded on the same equipment). Generally, all that you need to hear is there, with decent balance and tone, and the performance comes thru; for a recording of that era this was pretty good. Actually it was console mix during the performance that was the problem in two places (Balin not heard in the first half of "Other Side", two seconds of monitor feedback somewhere else), but heck, stuff happens, plus I don't think the sound techs considered (or dreamed of..., well maybe they were) the high sonic demands that this recording would be judged against in the coming digital age 20+ years hence. In closing, the casual JA fan could pass on this one, otherwise this is good to have."