Jefferson Airplane - Jefferson Airplane Takes Off FLAC

While very good in it’s fashion, this is not the Jefferson Airplane we have come to know and love, but rather an incarnation that’s evolving into that band … but then, one could infer the same when it came to the group The Great Society.

The Differences: Signe Anderson is the lead singer here, and she in no way commands the power and attention that Grace Slick would, though she does do a wonderful job harmonizing with Marty Balin. The drummer here is the legendary Skip Spencer, a true psychedelic wanderer who would later be know as the drummer for Moby Grape, and a man who lysergicly stepped out of his head just about more than he was in it, and at the time had absolutely no drumming experience. As in the future, Marty Balin is the primary composer for the band’s material, and while not filled with the psychedelic emancipations that actually allowed The Jefferson Airplane to take flight, the album is filled with electrified folk rock that moved flawlessly into After Bather At Baxters and their crown of creation, Surrealistic Pillow, where the band perfected their craft with a sense of ease and enchantment.

The most lovely thing about this album is that it rose out of live playing, Takes Off was not a studio concoction, it was considered, revised, and when The Airplane did open the doors to the recording studio, they knew full well what to do and what direction they were headed. Takes Off was released in August of 1966, smack dab in the middle of the psychedelic 60’s, though for all intent, the psychedelic 60’s was made up primarily of 1966 and the summer of 1967, before tailing off at the end of the decade. Even coming to fruition during those heady days of freedom and wonder, several of the songs were deemed too sexually suggestive, with the lyrics of “Let Me In,” being changed from “I gotta get in, you know where …” to “You short your door, now it ain’t fair.” When it came to the number “Runnin’ ‘Round This World,” the word ‘trips’ was deleted in favor of guitar notes from the lines “The nights I’ve spent with you have been fantastic trips,” which of course referenced the use of LSD, where even so, the song was removed from the album all together despite the word and phrasing changes.

While Takes Off is certainly not Pet Sounds or Rubber Soul, it is filled with delightful three part harmonies that are both intrinsically and beautifully sung, an album that existed in that fragile moment in time, a time that may not come again for another several generations.

This was a deeply considered album at this stage in recording history, hands down, the mono version is absolutely the best, as the recording space was constructed and considered to capture the band’s sound in mono surroundings. As with The Beatles, stereo was a secondary consideration.

The Strange Facts: In a cosmic coincidence fitting for a psychedelic rock song, two of the founding members of Jefferson Airplane died on the same day, January 28th 2016. Signe Toly Anderson, the group's original lead singer, died at the age of 74. She sang on the band's 1966 debut album Jefferson Airplane Takes Off before leaving the group to be replaced by Grace Slick. Rhythm guitarist and singer Paul Kantner also died that day.

Review by Jenell Kesler

i just realized that "GET TOGETHER", written by Chet Powers, was first recorded and released by Jefferson Airplane in 66. It is always very intriguing that something reaches a differnet level and impact if it´s channeld through somebody else. Certainly the Youngloods version touches (almost) everybody with, wrapped with a greater intensity of unity illusion. Just like if the song was meant to be packed with more illusiveness of authenticity. Simply beautiful!

The release information should be edited.
It reads as if ALL TPRM-0171/2 copies are the 2nd version with uncensored lyrics.
This is untrue, as I have a mono copy with TPRM-0171/2 matrix #s and is CENSORED.