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Everyone knows who the Jefferson Airplain are. Oh, it's spelled Airplane?
As I was saying, everyone knows the Jefferson Airplane. As far as I'm concerned, when I first started listening to their records, they left me rather indifferent. "Is that all?" I said to myself, "Wow, they've aged pretty poorly," "Is this supposed to be psychedelia? It's more like folk/blues played while on acid," I rambled.
Fortunately, I blindly trust everything written on the internet; and on the internet, people speak highly of these Jefferson Airplain (get it right, Airplane!). So I continued listening to their music, and with each listen, as if by magic, my love for this band kept growing.
As it grew, I got to the point where I took the liberty of reviewing this album of theirs, which many consider a minor episode, to argue that it's not such a minor episode after all.
The golden era of Jefferson, everyone agrees, ended with Volunteers (1969, just in time for Woodstock); and after that? The diaspora? Early retirement? No. The various members of the group went their separate ways, each following their own path; these paths, however, often flow into and out of one another, intersecting, continuing the journey without ever losing sight. The group of artists (or rather, friends) that was at the heart of the summer of love doesn't disperse, and appearances on each other's albums are common: in short, the journey continues even if away from the spotlight.
And so we arrive at 1971, and it seems centuries have passed. The Jefferson Airplane reform (certainly not for the last time) and give birth to this Bark: of the historical lineup, Marty Balin and Spencer Dryden are missing, and a violin is added, in the person of Papa John Creach.
The album opens and closes with two choral anthems in full Jefferson Airplane style (Kantner) "When the Earth Moves Again" and "War Movie": these are two very inspired songs with beautiful vocal blends and lyrics that haven't completely abandoned the hippie dream.
With "Feel So Good", you can feel the Hot Tuna vibe; indeed, Kaukonen sings and plays here, and I would say he does it well since the final result is very pleasant. The atmosphere is relaxed but sparkling at the same time: personally, I really appreciate the correct kitsch sprinkled in the finale. Kaukonen confirms himself as a good songwriter further into the listen: "Third Week in the Chelsea" is also his, a quiet and simple folk song.
"Crazy Miranda": it's Grace's turn. Altered and sarcastic as usual, in this album (both here and in her other song "Law Man"), she seems a bit underwhelming compared to her past glories, in my opinion. It remains, however, a great listen.
One of the best moments of the album is represented by the diptych "Pretty as You Feel"/"Wild Turkey". The first has an atmosphere similar to David Crosby, with Santana's erotic guitar, while the second (instrumental) brings a nice burst of energy. It might be because of the violin, but it reminds me a bit of Zappa's Hot Rats.
Before the end, there's also a burst of experimentation: in "Never Argue With a German if You're Tired of European Song", it feels as if Nico is singing, while "Thunk" is the neo-hired drummer's fun experiment (just to continue the tradition and not make us miss Dryden's sketches).
After all this review, what to say? Bark is a great album, it has great songs, and it has the right atmosphere too. There's that touch of novelty that can intrigue without completely overturning the JA sound. It's somewhat overlooked because it was released late compared to the golden age of the classics: but can you really blame them for that? Listen to it!
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
06 Law Man (02:45)
Law man--I'm afraid you just walked in here at the wrong time
my old man's gun has never been fired
but there's a first time & this could be
this could be the first time
Law man
you know you look to be a lot younger than me and
I'd hate to shoot a baby
you've got a long way to go before you're old & slow
and it could be
it could be a good time if you change your mind
well I'm tired and sweet from making love
and it's just too late
you'll have to wait
bring your business around here in the morning
well I've heard your line
& you've heard mine
& I'm just too tired to take a side
bring your business around here in the morning
Don't you want to be easy look there
let some of the things you see go on by or
you can burn them into your brain go on home
Don't you see the children, they're just like you
they want everything to be fine but they let it slide
and the laughing lets you know that smiling breaks the rules
Law breaker you know it could be me
& if you had your way we'd all be down
under the face of a clock that's just too old to be wound
& you can see now the old hands won't move around
one way or the other,
fool card brother this could be,
this could be, the first time.
08 Third Week in the Chelsea (04:37)
Sometimes I feel like i am leaving life behind
My hands are moving faster than the movement of my mind
Thoughts and generations of my dreams are yet unborn
I hope that I will find them 'fore my moving gets too worn
If only I could live to see the dawning of the dawn
So we go on moving trying to make this image real
Straining every nerve not knowing what we really feel
Straining every nerve ending and everybody sees
That what they read in the Rolling Stone has really come to be
And trying to avoid a taste of that reality
On an early New York mornin' a mirror in the hall
Showed to me a face I didn't know at all
Lines were drawn around a pair of eyes that opened wide
When I looked into the mouth there was nothing left inside
So I walked into the little room and whistled like a sigh
As dawn light closed around me my head was still in gear
Thinking thoughts of playing more and singing loud and clear
Trying to reach a friend somewhere and make that person smile
Maybe pull myself away from that old lonesome mile
That often comes to haunt me in the morning
All my friends keep telling me that it would be a shame
To break up such a grand success and tear apart a name
But all I know is what I feel whenever I'm not playin'
Emptiness ain't where it's at and neither's feeling pain
Well now what is going to happen now is anybody's guess
If I can't spend my time with love I guess I need a rest
Time is getting late now and the sun is getting low
My body's getting tired of carryin' another's load
And sunshine's waiting for me a little further down the road
10 Thunk (03:01)
sittin' around thinkin'
thinkin' and a thinkin'
and it ain't doin' me no good
well I thunk and I thunk
couldn't think of anything better
I tried and I tried
tryin' ain't doin' me no good
I write choo everyday, what could be
my very last letter
come what may I say
thinkin' ain't doin' me no good
thinkin' ain't doin' me no good people
thinkin' ain't doin' me no good, no good
I want to know, if everything that's sung
will remain
within the structure of a person
whose mind I wish to claim
please don't say that wantin' you
won't do me no good
please oh please don't say
wantin' you won't
wantin' you won't do me no good
wantin' you won't do me no good woman
wantin' you won't do me no good, no good
well I thunk thunk thunk thunk
a lot about it
realized my thunk is nuthin'
but a lot of funk
bunk down on in my place
only a dream (hum)
only a dream (hum)
only a dream (hum)
thinkin' ain't doin' me no good no
thinkin' ain't doin' me no good no people
thinkin' ain't doin' me no good no good
11 War Movie (04:41)
In nineteen hundred and seventy-five all the
people rose from the countryside to move against
you government man d'you understand locked
together hand in hand all thru this unsteady land--
gonna roll roll roll the rock around roll roll roll the rock
around lift the rock out of the ground
at the Battle of Forever Plains all my people hand
in hand in hand in the rain the laser way won the day
without one single living soul going down the government
troops were circled in the sun gun found themselves on the
run... from our nation the rock is raised no need to hide from
the other side now... transformation
call high to the constellation headquarters call high to the
most high directors send out the transporting systems and
send out the sun finders
thirteen battalion of mind raiders three hundred master
computer killers from great platforms in the mountains
twenty mile lasers & great giant trackers... twenty miles
south now in 1975 all my people rose from the countryside until we
meet again and touch our hands together in another land
until we meet again & see each others minds we
three have met again and touched our hands talking of
Napoleon in the garden we will muffle the drums tomorrow
mornin gonna roll roll roll the rock around gonna roll roll
roll the rock around lift the rock out of the ground
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