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“…It’s A New
Dawn…”
This
is a clever reissue - pairing the sixth and much-loved "Volunteers"
album by JEFFERSON AIRPLANE with their barnstorming and highly politicized live
set at the legendary Woodstock Festival. And boasting top-notch BOB IRWIN audio
mastering - it's beautifully presented too. Here are the peace, love and music
details...
Released
July 2009 - "Volunteers/The Woodstock Experience" by JEFFERSON AIRPLANE on RCA/Legacy 88697 48240 2
(Barcode 886974824022) is a 2CD set celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the
legendary Sixties festival (see list of other releases below). Inside a
textured-feel outer card slipcase are two oversized 5" hard card replica
sleeves - each with sepia-feel inner bags (separate liner notes too).
Disc
1 (75:26 minutes):
1.
We Can Be Together
2.
Good Shepherd
3.
The Farm
4.
Hey Frederick
5.
Turn My Life Down [Side 2]
6.
Wooden Ships
7.
Eskimo Blue Day
8.
A Song For All Seasons
9.
Meadowlands
10.
Volunteers
Disc
1 is the 10-track "Volunteers" album released on vinyl in the USA in
November 1969 on RCA Victor LSP 4238 and February 1970 in the UK on RCA Victor
SF 8164.
BONUS
TRACKS:
11.
Introduction
12.
The Other Side Of This Life
13.
Somebody To Love
14.
3/5 Of A Mile In 10 Seconds
15.
Won't You Try/Saturday Afternoon
16.
Eskimo Blue Day
Tracks
11 to 16 are "Recorded Live At The Woodstock Music & Art Fair, Sunday,
August 17, 1969 - Part One".
Disc
2 (68:48 minutes):
1.
Plastic Fantastic Lover
2.
Wooden Ships
3.
Uncle Sam Blues
4.
Volunteers
5.
The Ballad Of You & Me & Pooneil
6.
Come Back Baby
7.
White Rabbit
8.
The House At Pooneil Corners
The
2nd CD is "Part Two" of the Woodstock concert and of the total live
set - tracks 11, 12 and 14 on Disc 1 with 2, 5, 6 and 8 on Disc 2 are all
PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED (the others have turned up on various compilations across
the decades).
Quite
apart from the aesthetically pleasing look of the outer card slipcase - both
oversized card repro sleeves for the albums are gorgeous to look at and the
recording details/liner notes impressively comprehensive. As with the other 4
releases in this series - the large foldout poster has a colour shot of the
Woodstock crowd on one side (with the festival logo at the top) and a black and
white quality photograph of JEFFERSON AIRPLANE by Amalie R. Rothschild on the
flip. As fans will know some copies of the US gatefold original LP came with an
insert - lyrics and the mock "Paz Progress" newspaper clippings -
unfortunately it’s not included. There are liner notes on the
"Volunteers" inner sleeve (doesn't say who wrote them) that includes
comments from Reissue Producer/Mastering Engineer Bob Irwin about the
recordings and Kaukonen's emergence as a lead guitar player in the band (he
wrote "Turn My Life Down"). The colour shot of Grace on the rear of
the card sleeve is also gorgeous...
The
bloody and divisive debacle of the Vietnam War loomed heavily over both the
record and their impassioned live set. But more than the politics and the
fearless lyrics - rehearing the album now what hits you most is a triple whammy
- the classiness of the songs, Jorma Kaukonen's superb guitar playing and the
soulful trio of Grace Slick's voice with Paul Kantner and Marty Balin (Jack
Cassidy on Bass and Spencer Dryden on Drums provide the rhythm section). Throw
in superb audio quality (Produced by Al Schmitt onto to a then state-of-the-art
16-track system) and all it combines to pack a serious punch - even if the
Sixties ideals may seem far-fetched in the appalling 2014 political landscape
we find ourselves in more than 45 years later (when we really should have
learned lessons by now).
It
opens with the superb people-anthem "We Can Be Together" - but check
out the traditional air "Good Shepherd" that follows - turned into
the most stunning Rock song by clever funked-up arrangements. And their version
of "Wooden Ships" co-written by Paul Kantner with David Crosby and
Stephen Stills - famously predates the 1969 Crosby, Stills & Nash debut
album version by months. It's just fantastic and to my ears actually better
(Stills plays Organ on the song). "Volunteers" was gamely released by
RCA as a 45 in October 1969 with its call-to-arms lyrics and frantic pace -
"this generation got Soul...start a revolution..." The Grateful
Dead's Jerry Garcia plays Pedal Steel and the distinctive piano runs of Nicky
Hopkins add a lot too. Such a great album and one that still stands up...
The
live set has the band (with Nicky Hopkins on piano) and opens with Grace
greeting the crowd (title above) and then proceeds to rock into a completely
wild cover version of Fred Neil's "The Other Side Of This Life". The
audio as you can imagine flits between good and great - but even when they let
rip on "3/5 Of A Mile In 10 Seconds" (ace drumming from Skip Spence)
to my ears Bob Ludwig has completely captured the loose and explosive nature of
the band. And die-hard nuts will die for the near sixteen minutes of the
Previously Unreleased "The Ballad Of You & Me & Pooneil" on
Disc 2 - all wild guitars and wailing. "Come Back Baby" is an old
Blues tune rearranged by Kaukonen into an 8-minute Jefferson Airplane boogie
romp.
I've
loved this whole series of CD reissues (see reviews) but this is a jewel never
mind a crown of creation. Recommended big time...
The 5 titles "The Woodstock Experience" Series from July 2009 are:
1. Jefferson Airplane - uses the "Volunteers" album and has an 8-track live album recorded 17 Aug 1969 Catalogue No: RCA/Legacy 88697 48240 2 (Barcode 886974824022)
2. Janis Joplin - uses the "I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!" debut album and has a 10-track live album recorded 17 Aug 1969. Catalogue No: Columbia/Legacy 88697 48243 2 (Barcode 886974824329)
3. Santana - uses the "Santana" debut album and has an 8-track live album recorded Saturday 16 Aug 1969. Catalogue No: Columbia/Legacy 88697 48242 2 (Barcode 886974824220)
4. Sly & The Family Stone - uses the "Stand!" album and has a 9-track live disc recorded 17 Aug 1969. Catalogue No: Epic/Legacy 88697 48241 2 (Barcode 886974824121)
5. Johnny Winter - uses the "Johnny Winter" album and has an 8-track live disc recorded 17 Aug 1969. Catalogue No: Columbia/Legacy 88697 48244 2 (Barcode 886974824428)
