Jefferson Airplane - "Surrealistic Pillow" Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono, 1967 (RCA)

It's strange to me, but I have this compelling need to look back at the music that I ignored due to either hating the band or just didn't like the landscape where that band came from. In this case, I have a hard time getting into the San Francisco sound of the 1960s.   In my mind (and ears) it's Jefferson Airplane's "Surrealistic Pillow, and that's ground zero for everything I disliked about that city in that era.   It wasn't until the recent passing of Marty Balin that I decided to pick up a battered-up Mono version of this album.  In my head, I decided to question my tastes, and go onto an adventure, and this is one of the first of what I think many voyages I'll be making in the next few years. 

I always liked "White Rabbit," but never cared about the image of the Jefferson Airplane.  They seemed too self-important with respect to their hippie/folk/community thing they had going.  There appeared to be a 'one-for-me-one-for-all aspect of that scene that's a turn-off to me.  After Balin's passing I decided to leave my prejudices outside my listening room, and just get into the Mono edition of this album.

Without a doubt, and not putting down the talents of Grace Slick, I think Marty Balin was a remarkable vocalist.  The two songs, side-by-side on the first side, "Today" and "Comin Back To Me" is a phenomenal work of mood and angst.  Both sung by Balin and written or co-written by the singer as well.  Not only heartfelt but in a funny manner, it reminds me of a classic Johnnie Ray approach to the song.  A beautiful vocal and almost a spiritual aspect of romance that doesn't seem human, in the sense that is anchored on the ground.   These two cuts I keep going back again because I feel it's the heart of the album.  Then again, you have the upbeat "She Has Funny Cars" and "3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds."  All, of course, are wonderful.  "Fantastic Plastic Lover" and other songs remind me a bit of the Rolling Stones' "Aftermath," which were both engineered by the great Dave Hassinger, and recorded at the RCA studios on Sunset Boulevard (not far from Amoeba Music). 

So, yes, I have entered to the other side.   Where I go from here, is anyone's guess.  Nevertheless, "Surrealistic Pillow, beyond "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love" is a terrific trip.