Crown of Creation

Crown of Creation

by Jefferson Airplane
Crown of Creation

Crown of Creation

by Jefferson Airplane

Compact Disc

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Overview

Crown of Creation appeared ten months after their last album, After Bathing at Baxter's, and it doesn't take the same kind of leap forward that Baxter's did from Surrealistic Pillow. Indeed, in many ways, Crown of Creation is a more conservative album stylistically, opening with "Lather," a Grace Slick original that was one of the group's very last forays (and certainly their last prominent one) into a folk idiom. Much of what follows is a lot more based in electric rock, as well as steeped in elements of science fiction (specifically author John Wyndham's book The Chrysalids) in several places, but Crown of Creation was still deliberately more accessible musically than its predecessor, even as the playing became more bold and daring within more traditional song structures. Jack Casady by this time had developed one of the most prominent and distinctive bass sounds in American rock, as identifiable (if not quite as bracing) as John Entwistle's was with the Who, as demonstrated on "In Time," "Star Track," "Share a Little Joke," "If You Feel" (where he's practically a second lead instrument), and the title song, and Jorma Kaukonen's slashing, angular guitar attack was continually surprising as his snaking lead guitar parts wended their way through "Star Track" and "Share a Little Joke." The album also reflected the shifting landscape of West Coast music with its inclusion of "Triad," a David Crosby song that Crosby's own group, the Byrds, had refused to release -- its presence (the only extant version of the song for a number of years) was a forerunner of the sound that would later be heard on Crosby's own debut solo album, If I Could Only Remember My Name (on which Slick, Paul Kantner, and Casady would appear). The overall album captured the group's rapidly evolving, very heavy live sound within the confines of some fairly traditional song structures, and left ample room for Slick and Marty Balin to express themselves vocally, with Balin turning in one of his most heartfelt and moving performances on "If You Feel." "Ice Cream Phoenix" pulses with energy and "Greasy Heart" became a concert standard for the group -- the studio original of the latter is notable for Slick's most powerful vocal performance since "Somebody to Love." And the album's big finish, "The House at Pooneil Corners," seemed to fire on all cylinders, their amps cranked up to ten (maybe 11 for Casady), and Balin, Slick, and Kantner stretching out on the disjointed yet oddly compelling tune and lyrics. It didn't work 100 percent of the time, but it made for a shattering finish to the album. ~ Bruce Eder & Al Campbell

Product Details

Release Date: 08/19/2003
Label: Bmg / Bmg / Sony Music / Sony Music Entertainment
UPC: 0886977013324
Rank: 26544

Tracks

  1. Lather
  2. In Time
  3. Triad
  4. Star Track
  5. Share a Little Joke
  6. Chushingura
  7. If You Feel
  8. Crown of Creation
  9. Ice Cream Phoenix
  10. Greasy Heart
  11. The House at Pooneil Corners
  12. Ribumbabap Rubadubaoumoum
  13. Would You Like a Snack
  14. Share a Little Joke
  15. The Saga of Sydney Spacepig

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Jefferson Airplane   Primary Artist
David Crosby   Guest Artist,Guitar
Bill Goodwin   Talking Drum
Marty Balin   Vocals,Guitar (Rhythm)
Gene Twombly   Sound Effects
Dan Woody   Bongos
Maurice   Featured Artist
Gary Blackman   Nose Whistle
Spencer Dryden   Drums,Organ,Piano,Vocals,Chinese Health Balls
Paul Kantner   Vocals,Guitar (Rhythm)
Jack Casady   Bass
Grace Slick   Organ,Piano,Vocals
Charles Cockey   Guitar,Vocals
Jorma Kaukonen   Guitar,Vocals
Tim Davis   Congas

Technical Credits

Bill Thompson   Inspiration
Al Schmitt   Producer
Marty Balin   Composer
John Van Hamersveld   Design,Art Direction
Chick Casady   Project Support
Bill Laudner   Project Support
Gary Blackman   Composer
Hiro   Cover Photo
Hiroshima   Photography
Rick Scmitt   Engineer
Spencer Dryden   Composer
Paul Kantner   Composer
Frank Zappa   Composer
Garry Blackman   Composer
Grace Slick   Composer
Charles Cockey   Composer
Jorma Kaukonen   Composer,Electrician
David Crosby   Composer
Bill Goodwin   Composer
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