The Worst of Jefferson Airplane

The Worst of Jefferson Airplane
Compilation album by Jefferson Airplane
Released	November, 1970
Genre	Rock
Length	46:23
Label	RCA Records
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Rolling Stone (favorable) link
Jefferson Airplane chronology
Volunteers (1969) The Worst of Jefferson Airplane (1970) Bark (1971)

The Worst of Jefferson Airplane is the seventh album by the rock band Jefferson Airplane, released in November of 1970 on RCA Records, catalogue LSP 4459. It compiles previously released material, seven of the band's singles released in the 1960s, plus four b-sides and four album tracks. All of the singles had previously appeared on album. It peaked at #12 on the Billboard 200 and has since gone platinum.

Content

In 1970, the band underwent a period of inactivity due to internal personnel conflict and pursuit of individual projects. Drummer Spencer Dryden was ousted from the group, Marty Balin found his commitment to the band he had started becoming tenuous, Grace Slick was pregnant with her daughter for a good part of the year, Paul Kantner released his solo album Blows Against the Empire, and Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady busied themselves with their side project, Hot Tuna. With no group project in sight, RCA assembled this album centered upon the group's hit singles, with input from the band. "The Ballad of You & Me & Pooneil," "Crown of Creation," and "Volunteers" all made the lower reaches of the Billboard Hot 100. "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit" were the band's only Top 40 hits, reaching #5 and #8 respectively. To ensure a full picture of the group's musical interests, and possibly to ensure solidarity in the publishing income, the band included instrumentals by Dryden and Kaukonen, a country blues/gospel cover arranged by Kaukonen, and Balin's straightforward ballad "Today."

This would be the final album featuring what is considered the "classic" line-up of the band, after Slick and Dryden joined, and before Balin and Dryden left. Original pressings had a vintage Victor Talking Machine Company inner sleeve and bore vintage Victor record labels.

Reissues

On July 29, 1997, RCA reissued a remastered version the album for compact disc. On June 6, 2006, RCA reissued the album again, this time with two bonus tracks which had both been released as singles, "Watch Her Ride" and "Greasy Heart." Unlike standard reissues, the additional tracks were placed in between what would have been the break for the album sides.

Personnel

Jefferson Airplane

• Marty Balin - vocals, guitar
• Grace Slick - vocals, keyboards, recorder tracks 3 through 17
• Paul Kantner - vocals, guitar
• Jorma Kaukonen - guitar, vocals
• Jack Casady – bass
• Spencer Dryden - drums, percussion tracks 3 through 17
• Signe Anderson - vocals tracks 1 and 2
• Skip Spence - drums tracks 1 and 2

Guest musicians

• Jerry Garcia - guitar track 4
• Gary Blackman - nose solo track 13
• Gene Twombly - sound effects track 13
• Joey Covington - percussion track 15
• Nicky Hopkins - piano tracks 16 and 17

Track listing

Side One

1. "It's No Secret" (Balin) RCA single 47-8769 – 2:37
2. "Blues From an Airplane" (Balin, Spence) b-side RCA single 47-8848 – 2:10
3. "Somebody to Love" (Darby Slick) RCA single 47-9140 #5 – 2:54
4. "Today" (Balin, Kantner) from Surrealistic Pillow – 2:57
5. "White Rabbit" (G. Slick) RCA single 47-9248 #8 – 2:27
6. "Embryonic Journey" (Kaukonen) from Surrealistic Pillow – 1:51
7. "Martha" (Kantner) b-side RCA single 47-9389 – 3:21
8. "The Ballad of You & Me & Pooneil" (Kantner) RCA single 47-9297 #42 – 4:30

2006 compact disc bonus tracks

1. "Watch Her Ride" (Kantner) RCA single 47-9389 #61 – 3:16
2. "Greasy Heart" (G. Slick) RCA single 47-9496 #98 – 3:27

Side Two

1. "Crown of Creation" (Kantner) RCA single 47-9644 #64 – 2:53
2. "Chushingura" (Dryden) from Crown of Creation – 1:17
3. "Lather" (G. Slick) b-side RCA single 47-9644 – 2:55
4. "Plastic Fantastic Lover" (live) (Balin) RCA single 74-0150 – 3:39
5. "Good Shepherd" (traditional) from Volunteers – 4:22
6. "We Can Be Together" (Kantner) b-side RCA single 74-0245 – 5:50
7. "Volunteers" (Balin, Kantner) RCA single 74-0245 #65 – 2:03

Production and recording details

• Jefferson Airplane Takes Off released September 1966, recorded on 3-tracks
• Surrealistic Pillow released February 1967, recorded on 4-tracks
• After Bathing at Baxters released November 1967, recorded on 8-tracks
• Crown of Creation released September 1968, recorded on 8-tracks
• Bless Its Pointed Little Head released February 1969, recorded live on 8-tracks
• Volunteers released November 1969, recorded on 16-tracks
• Alton Kelley, Wes Wilson – album design
• Jefferson Airplane, Bill Thompson, Pat Ieraci (Maurice) – album compilation