Jefferson Airplane Albums Ranked: ONE of the WORST Albums EVER (Amity Tracks #98)

[@mordecaicarroll]

Nicely done with the JA ranking! I agree with most of the order, but I would rank Crown of Creation significantly higher. That album has grown on me quite a bit in recent years. "Share a Little Joke" is a great song, "If You Feel" is a great uptempo number with nice Jorma wah wah leads

[@bobnolin9155]

I used to have a copy of The Worst of JA, and it was a hinged album cover, and inside was a painting of the "Little Nipper" RCA dog mascot. He was retired with that album. That cover is possibly worth something now, but it's long gone... You're absolutely right, it's a good collection and was my introduction to the Airplane. I was surprised this was their bad stuff. I liked it!

[@davidgagen9856]

Spent my university days skipping lectures and listening to Blows Against The Empire ...by the end of it i had learnt all lyrics of side 2 off by heart. Failed quite a few exams.

[@pommelhorsepommelhorse8731]

how on earth could you not include Bless Its Pointed Little Head?

[@amitytracks]

In the ranking, I was only looking at studio albums. I mention that one near the end when I discuss live albums and compilations.

[@Peter-Burbank]

I agree BIPLH is an album release, with new material

[@aaronmarshall8557]

I remember hearing an interview Grace Slick did about “White Rabbit.” The Spanish March beat was inspired by the Miles Davis album “Sketches of Spain”

[@amitytracks]

I remember seeing that too somewhere. Love Sketches of Spain.

[@maninthebuff]

I was originally a Jefferson Starship fan starting with Red Octopus, then backed into the Airplane from there. I pretty much agree with your sentiments, but I just never got into Baxters. Too much wasted time with strange sounds. That stuff also creeped into Crown of Creation, but that album had some really good songs on it like you mentioned. I think "Today" is my favorite Airplane song. Surrealistic Pillow was stunning. Volunteers was solid. I too, liked Early Flight. Bark and Long John Silver were both messes (Grace was screeching by that time), but Thirty Seconds Over Winterland, which was live songs from those two albums somehow worked. Jorma and Jack really thunder through it, especially on "Twilight Double Leader". Overall, a good 27 minutes well spent watching this.

[@daledavidson8242]

In 1989 I got off the DC metro on my way to the National Mall, and I heard Jefferson Airplane Music pouring down the stairwell. What the heck? And, unbelievably, it’s the actual Jefferson Airplane, minus Spencer Dryden, playing live and free out on the grounds., Set up right close to the Capitol. (Back in the day, you never knew what you would run into there, but this took the cake.) I only remember them playing familiar material, sounding very fresh. A real highlight in my concert going experience, and a complete accident. I am a fan of their Woodstock show, and you can catch all 2hours + on film on KZbin if you look hard enough. (Everyone loved Surrealistic Pillow back when, but Crown of Creation was my favorite. Kantner’s In Time, Lather, the title track.)

[@amitytracks]

Wow! That is an awesome story.

[@daledavidson8242]

@@amitytracks Somehow they got attached to the annual Homeless Rally there. They did 5 songs.

[@jackwezesa1081]

If You Feel - Jorma’s guitar & Marty’s singing!

[@petejp1]

I personally would have put volunteers higher. The self titled album has some good songs on it, to call it the worst album ever is ridiculous. I can think of a bunch of albums that are much worse.

[@amitytracks]

I can't think of many.

[@lancewilson7038]

Great vid! I rank the albums pretty much as you did - although I go back and forth between Baxters and Volunteers for my second fave Airplane platter.

[@amitytracks]

Thanks!

[@DonatoDamiano-r2g]

I loved the way Grace Slick rearranged the furniture in this band. Her songs are what kept me coming back time after time, and never disappointed me. For me, it's rather difficult to pick a favorite album, as they all have something special and unique about them in their own way. A lot of folks really don't dig 'Long John Silver', but I'm rather partial to that one. On another level, I've always considered 'Baron Von Tollbooth & The Chrome Nun' the final Airplane release, before 'Dragon Fly' and the new name change. The 1989 lp never bothered me none, mainly because it IS a testiment of its era. Heck, it was 1989.....not 1969. Were they supposed to sound like they did on 'Volunteers'?....times had changed and they moved on accordingly. Well, I "thank you" for this post, as I always appreciate and enjoy anything concerning my favorite rock band of all time. Fly these guys....they'll get you there on time!

[@jesuschick8089]

I have always loved bark bought it when it first came out.jorma really shines. I always loved the sound that papa john brought to the band.

[@splifftachyon4420]

I agree with you for the most part on the 1989 reunion album, though I do like the song 'Planes (Experimental Aircraft)', but I am a bit of a sucker for Paul Kantner's songwriting, though this sounds more like a Jefferson Starship song that a Jefferson Airplane song. The rest of your list is pretty solid, though I guess I would be one of those hipsters that put 'After Bathing At Baxters' at number one...on a different day Surrealistic Pillow could take the top spot though.

[@collectrify]

After Bathing At Baxter's is brought down by the 1:34 of A Small Package Of Value. It's like to having to wade through Revolution 9 on the White Album or Voices Of Old People on Bookends, but worse.

[@marvinroos3520]

It was good once and ends with one of the great recorded laughs. Do agree that it did put a knock on a great album.

[@jackwezesa1081]

No man is an island !

[@marvinroos3520]

@@jackwezesa1081 He's a peninsula! Bwahaha!

[@jackwezesa1081]

@@marvinroos3520 Then it goes into my favorite Marty song Young Girl Sunday Blues ! Am I right? I’m pretty sure ! Good memories from back in the day !

[@roygoad2870]

You should of mentioned that Jerry Garcia plays lead guitar on Today from Surrealistic Pillow 😊

[@amitytracks]

Good call. His playing is gorgeous.

[@thomaspacker2626]

Also pedal steel on have you seen the stars tonight

[@jackwezesa1081]

Where’s the brown paper bag cover with the Bark album?

[@amitytracks]

I don't have it. I bought my copy used somewhere and it didn't have it.

[@BrianRoberson-k7g]

You have to be on psychedelics to really understand Baxters.

[@jameskneubuhl9115]

My own #2 would be the first live album Bless Its Pointed Little Head. The energy is great, they play with a unity that unfortunately didn't last, and every song choice sounds inspired. I get the impression the band were enjoying themselves. You get fine jams without much of the pretension that crept in after Surrealistic Pillow.

[@amitytracks]

Definitely. In the ranking I was only looking at studio albums. I mentioned that near the end when I discussed live albums and compilations.

[@jameskneubuhl9115]

@@amitytracks Yeah, as I was writing the comment, I heard you mention it as "blistering", which I certainly agree with. I'll rave about "Pointed Head" to anyone who'll listen. On it, it seems they're taking a Grateful Dead-type approach as far as taking the songs into a musical zone where they can breathe and fly. "Fat Angel" and "The Other Side Of This Life" are great jams, and "It's No Secret" just kicks ass in its own San Francisco fashion. Only thing is, "Pointed Head" gave me the wrong impression about what to expect from other Airplane live recordings, all of which, to me, have sounded hit-or-miss, chaotic or just plain mediocre by comparison. I know no band can play like Gods every night, but "Pointed Head" caught them when they were doing just that.

[@davidgagen9856]

Crown of Creation should be near top of list. Brilliant album.

[@johntyndall1373]

Jefferson Airplane Loves You is a great CD box set, the only way I know that you can get Marty's "Emergency".

[@victorbloom8286]

You dont have the Shopping Bag for Bark ?

[@amitytracks]

Nope. Picked mine up used and it didn't have it.

[@randallhoole4208]

The Plane! My biggest fans! 😜You miss the boat on Crown of Creation(MHO): all good stuff. some great. And is see arguably the pop edge of SP may swing one to that obvious choice, but you clearly see the greatness o Baxters'. But the studio albums SP thru Volunteers are all great and i guess you don't argue that point. Thanks for a fun listen. BTW should not underrate Spencer's contribution to Spare Change and every record he played on. He brought that hard-to-place jazz feel to it all, and Jorma and Jack saw in retro it was not the best choice to push him out (there were other reasons, too, i hear) Thanks again

[@gta_philadelphian4215]

I've never heard your channel before, but I agree with you 100%. Baxters is great and I gravitate towards it. Yet Surrealistic Pillow wins. You have an original release of Baxters, and Pillow . The 1989 reunion was an excellent show. Still that damn Panda bear song, grace sings while she is sober was so bad live. Watching them stubble through miracles was a comedy moment. I will say Bark has Pretty as you feel and wild turkey. Worth buying used. I have 5 copies of it and what is funny, one copy is signed by Marty. Marty wasn't on the album, and that makes it funny.

[@amitytracks]

Thanks for watching! That is funny that you got Marty to sign one of the albums he wasn't on.

[@gta_philadelphian4215]

@@amitytracks I got Marty to sign Pillow. I had an older friend that gave me his bark he had signed. I laughed too.

[@jackwezesa1081]

I recall seeing Bark& Long John Silver in the cut-out bargain bins in the late 70’s ! I have a sealed copy of Bark with a saw cut on the left side bottom . Found it at Bradlees department store!

[@gta_philadelphian4215]

Great stuff @@jackwezesa1081

[@TooSkinnyKenny]

i seldom like greatest hits collections but the Airplane's "Worst Of" is probably my favorite hits collection of all time even though my vinyl copy has bad sound quality. The CD sounds good though.

[@anitarichmond8930]

To say that something was of its time is high praise in deed.🐇

[@jeffreycantor5569]

what about bless its pointed little head? id rank right behind Baxters,also crown of creation is as good or better than takes off and volenteers.

[@toddparke8535]

No mention of my favorite JA song Lather.

[@amitytracks]

I hereby officially mention "Lather." That is a great song.

[@TheAnarchitek]

Crown of Creation is a much better album than Volunteers,, and significantly better than Jefferson Airplane Takes Off. I'd rate the first five as 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, and only buy Bark for When the Earth Moves Again, andThree Weeks in the Chelsea. I'd skip Long John Silver, completely. I did, actually, in 1972. Did you skip Bless Its Pointed Little Head? I saw the Airplane, at Elysian Park, aka Dodger Stadium, with the Moody Blues, November 2, 1969. It was a free show, to make up for the Moodys not making the concert at the Forum two nights before. I was baked on an Orange Barrel 4-way.

[@juanryan6755]

LOL! I'd forgotten about the 1989 reunion album , it was a really foul effort. I thought the worst one would be Long John Silver.

[@bobg56]

Bark originally came with a brown paper shopping bag.

[@amitytracks]

My copy was bought used and didn't have the bag.

[@kevinpatrickmacnutt]

I remember when the self titled album came out and thought it was garbage.

[@fredlandes2279]

If You Feel, on Crown of Creation, is one of their best songs. It's a great album.

[@roystonmason9125]

the worst record you ever heard ! BS

[@amitytracks]

Well, one of 'em, anyway!

[@v1e1r1g1e1]

Some people... such as people who share Yoko Ono's taste, and regard her as a credible artist... believe that a fart and a screech set to a drum beat is music. These people know nothing about music. I have found that such people regard After Bathing At Baxter's as one of Jefferson Airplane's better... or even best... albums. They are wrong.

[@kingofallmediums2123]

Signe Anderson died the same day as Paul Kanter. 😳

[@amitytracks]

I remember that.

[@TooSkinnyKenny]

and the band admits they were high when they did "After Bathing At Baxters". The songs are long, unfocused and uninteresting to me.

[@davidoswell3079]

#8 was as much Starship as Airplane.

[@amitytracks]

Yeah, but it was that classic line-up (minus Spencer). But it sure did sound more like Starship.

[@Peter-Burbank]

IMHO .. Burgers and First Pull Up are Hot Tuna’s best albums .. and John Creach was the saving grace of Bark and LJS … I think you’re cutting a great artist short!

[@amitytracks]

Maybe you're right. It was at least a cool idea to add a new instrument to the mix at that point. I should check out some of the Hot Tuna material.

[@Peter-Burbank]

@@amitytracks those are the two Tuna albums John Creach plays on, and they really are their best albums, I’m a big PJC fan!

[@patrick2420]

The shelf!!!

[@amitytracks]

Yeah, we don't post the videos in necessarily the same order as we record them, so you will see the shelf before or after for a little while, depending on the video that gets posted!

[@patrick2420]

Great. Now I can stop worrying.

[@jimmyjambhere]

That 1989 album is horrible 😂😂😂

[@kingofallmediums2123]

Mazzy? 😬 😬 😬 😬 😊😊😊

[@amitytracks]

The great Norman Maslov.

[@kevinpatrickmacnutt]

Adding Papa John Greach made the Jefferson Airplane sound more like the band It's A Beautiful Day.

[@LarryGravesCanadianStudmuffin]

I heard that Jefferson Airplane reunion album about a year ago and the first song was so cringy and bad. One of my all time favorite albums is Volunteers, and I love all of their early albums. I was recently very impressed with the Paul Kantner Blows Against The Empire album also.

[@amitytracks]

That Jefferson Airplane reunion album really is one of the worst things I've ever heard. I appreciate you watching! I've been a fan of your channels for awhile, even before I started my own channel.

[@canadianstudmuffin]

@@amitytracks Thanks very much!