Jefferson Airplane Album: “Feed Your Head: Live 1967-1969”

This recording is a compilation of excerpts from Monterey Pop, Bless Its Pointed Little Head, Surrealistic Pillow, and Takes Off. Only the last cut has not been released on a mainstream recording. A more accurate subtitle might be "Mostly Live and Previously Released '66-'68".

Songs and their sources are listed below. Titles are listed as they appear on the jacket; actual titles should be obvious.

Other Side of Life, She Has Funny Cars, High Flyin' Bird, Today -- Monterey Pop

Somebody to Love, Plastic Fantastic Lover, 3/5 of a Mile in Ten Seconds, It's No Secret -- Bless Its Pointed Little Head

White Rabbit, My Best Friend -- Surrealistic Pillow

Don't Slip Away -- Jefferson Airplane Takes Off

This is My Life and I Like it -- I don't know the source of this. It's a clean recording of either a performance or rehearsal. I'd judge it to be late 1965/early 1966.

I'll sometimes post a positive review of a discount anthology, no matter how slapdash the compilation producers may have been in its organization. Unlike some purists, I see these volumes as a relatively inexpensive way to expose some newbies to some great music--for a bargain price. But this compilation is NOT at a bargain price. And since--as a previous reviewer has pointed out--all but one of the tracks are available elsewhere, it's difficult to see any justification for its existence at all.

You might consider it once some used copies start being listed, but even then, the chance are good that you can find the originals for about the same price. If being anthologized to death is the hallmark of a truly significant group, then the Airplane (one of my personal Top 3 of all time) have certainly made the grade. But caveat emptor, many of the products out there are just plain shoddy and will do little to enhance the group's reputation.

At least this one is all actual Airplane material (unlike some I've seen and reviewed here). And sometimes it can be interesting to hear material you know well grouped in new and different ways. But at these prices, I'd say, go with the original releases or more extensive "best of" volume. Playing any of those on "random select" will give you as much insight--and almost certainly more bang for your buck.

The liner notes are completely useless, and tell you absolutely nothing about the music on the disc, or the band itself. A true waste of paper and ink. How hard would it have been for them to find someone to write something even marginally interesting about the Jefferson Airplane?

The only real gripe I have with the audio content is the inclusion of a few studio tracks. It seems dishonest to sell it as a "live" CD when "Sorta Live", "Live-ish" or "Bogo-Live" would be more accurate. The misrepresentation is consistent with the moronic liner notes.

Hey - "Prism Leisure Records", whoever you are - maybe next time you'll consider just leaving the packaging blank.

Along with The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane were the leading lights in the San Fransico rock music scene from the mid 1960s.

This live album covers 1967 - 1969 with some very good songs, but the overall live playing and recording quality is very poor.

Somebody To Love is my favourite Airplane song, but defintely not on this showing, it's lacklustre and other preferred titles High Flying Bird and It's No Secret are no better.

Only White Rabbit survives intact.

With the best will in the world I suggest any other Airplane live album must be an improvement on this disappointing set.