Disco de Jefferson Airplane: “Takes Off [Remaster]”

More folky than they would ever be again and fronted by original lead singer Signe Andersen, this is the Airplane's 1966 debut album, released a year prior to the breakout "Surrealistic Pillow". Many good tracks (including a few bonus tracks on this great-sounding remastered edition), but definitely a work in progress.

As the author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" and a former radio disc-jockey, I am often asked to write and or discuss various recordings from the 60's and 70's.

There has never been a more appropriate day to review the debut Jefferson Airplane effort. The female vocalist at the time Signe Anderson is now battling cancer and monetary issues. Before we get to the music, please help her. If you go to the Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship message boards, you will see information on making donations directly to Signe. If you need further information, please contact me directly and put Signe Anderson in the subject line.

As often happens in the world of rock and roll even passionate fans of a band will miss the actual birth. Deep Purple for example is often associated with the start of their musical journey when Ian Gillian took over the vocals, but they had three studio albums under their belt. The progressive band "Yes" had two records released, yet many people think the third album is their first.

The Jefferson Airplane did have a flight before the classic line-up took hold. The fantastic first record is before Grace Slick and Spencer Dryden (Drums) would be part of the crew.

The perfect opening track for the recording is Marty Balin's "Blues From An Airplane." After the first verse, any ear can decipher the brilliance and passion in his voice.

"It's No Secret" (Another Balin composition) would become a staple of the band's early stage repertoire. Balin changes gears and shows his musical diversity with the upbeat rocker.

"Tobacco Road" is indeed the often-covered tune written by John Loudermilk. The majority of folks may think of the Nashville Teens hit version, but the Airplane rendition is as good as any.

"Let's Get Together" (Written by Dino Valente) yeas later would become an anthem for the Youngbloods under the name of "Get Together." Before the well-deserved accolades were handed to them, the Airplane had done a superlative arrangement.

Signe Anderson's voice can be heard miles away on the brilliant "Chauffeur Blues." She relayed a great story to me for the book that during a studio session of the song a mixing board ended up exploding because the engineers had her levels too high.

If you don't already know how tight the reigns were on suggestive lyrics back then the bonus tracks will introduce you to the songs that were originally censored and how ridiculous the reasons were! Even from day one, Paul Kantner was pushing the musical envelope.

The remarkable achievement of the initial J.A. recording is the consistency. While they took some blues from Jorma, folk from Paul, and Marty's love for rhythm and blues, they also initiated a sound for the ages. As great as they would become, even if this line-up remained and the style didn't take the more esoteric approach, they could have had their place in history as a tremendous rock and roll band.

You will notice the nice folks at Amazon give you numerous ways to purchase the CD. One version gives you the mono and stereo mixes (Excellent for the fanatic). It is not the optimum choice if you are purchasing only one copy. The remastered CD with the eight additional tracks is the version to procure. You'll be rewarded with the uncensored versions of "Let Me In" and "Run Around." Play it once and it won't ever be too far from your hands.

Enjoy the music and be well,

Craig Fenton

Author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent"

This album was my introduction to the powerful voice of Marty Balin, paired in this first recording with Signe Anderson. This was Marty's album - still close to the folk roots in rhythm and meter but adding the searing guitar of Jorma Kaukenan and strong melodic bass lines from Jack Casady. This album came in the period of innocence for the Airplane - before Grace Slick joined and before Skip Spence left for Moby Grape. While Surrealistic Pillow was the recording that made the Airplane famous, the Takes Off music defined them as the perfection of the San Francisco sound - soaring harmonies and dreams of a different world.

The message carried by the lyrics was absolutely in tune with the times - youthful love and lust, the vision of a new world order. Naïve, yes, but this was a time of change in the country and the Jefferson Airplane were one of our leading spokes bands for this change. When Marty Balin sang "It's No Secret", and "Come Up The Years", he was telling us all that it was alright to be young and in love and anything was possible.

I was 17 years old when this album was first released and I felt that the world was about to be made over in the image that my generation was creating. This was the moment in time when the magic was starting to happen - the Grateful Dead, Sons Of Champlin, The Youngbloods all had a message that spoke to us. The San Francisco Summer Of Love was happening - and this was the perfect album to mark that time.