FLIGHT LOG

"One generation got old,

One generation got soul,

This generation got no destination to hold"

1. Come Up The Years: Compilation opener is a acoustic ballad featuring quirky lyrics and glockenspiel solo. Lovely.

2. White Rabbit Probably one of their best known songs (along with "Somebody To Love"), this marching-rhythm tune is some fusion of flamenco and psychedelia, but not in a way that THE DOORS used to mix those two genres. Song became sort of hippie anthem, despite of the darkish mood. Brilliant.

3. Comin' Back To Me One of the most beautiful ballads ever written. Gorgeous acoustic guitar tapestry and breathtaking flute/recorder melodies.

4. Won't You Try/Saturday Afternoon The mother of all psychedelia. Vision of tribes dancing on the streets, vivid LSD-style colours and banners melting the sky. The most fuzzzzzzzzzzzzzed guitar sound ever. Story told with incredible dynamics and dramatic changes. A gem.

5. Greasy Heart Mainstream rock really, but nice tune with nice lyrics.

6. If You Feel Same here, with nice multilayered vocals.

7. Somebody To Love (Live) We all know this one. Used to be nice rock song, but I've heard it sooo many times that it became annoying.

8. Wooden Ships Again: nice lyrics, nice vocals and atmosphere.

9. Volunteers See quotation on the top of the review.

10. Hesitation Blues Traditional. Magnificently played.

11. Have You Seen The Stars Tonite Another contemplative tune. Sheer joy.

12. Silver Spoon Perhaps the best vocal performance done by Ms. Slick.

13. Feel So Good Ordinary rocker. Not bad, bat not so good neither.

14. Pretty As You Feel Another lovely tune, very catchy, with nice vocals.

15. Milk Train Milk Train? Use your imagination. And whatta good riff on a fiddle!

16. Ja Da (Keep On Truckin') Now, this is the only one that annoys me. But that just shows their diversity of styles.

17. ¿Come Again? Toucan Sounded a bit boring in the beginning, but soon started growing on me, actually now I consider it enjoyable tune.

18. Sketches Of China Stand back, everyone. This one is sends shivers down the spine. Sounds like a finest moments from PINK FLOYD. Oh, plus Mellotron.

19. Genesis Sounds like G...no, just kidding. Nice glam rock.

20. Ride The Tiger I was a little bit bored with this proto-hard-rock. Nice lyrics about cultural differences, though.

21. Please Come Back (Unreleased Live 1976) Annoying, repetitive.

Final conclusion: this is a the masterpiece. Smart songs, skillful technicians (although not outstanding), lovely vocals and breathtaking lyrics. They pushed the boundaries of music far before many "greater" bands did so. It's a pity that their talent is not world renowned. I wont mention commercial trap they fell in forthcoming years. I wont delve deep into analysis why some better Airplane's songs are not included here - this compilation is great, who cares! I've been listening the "Flight Log" for years, and every time I discover something fresh. They are founders of the genre on the other side of Atlantic, in a same way as THE NICE or CREAM or THE MOODY BLUES are in the UK. And in a way, even better.

I was more than a bit surprised when I saw JA added here under the tag "proto prog", because I always considered them as a prime representatives of the Californian psychedelic/acid rock scene. Nevertheless, they had their fair share in expanding the sounds and experimenting with different musical forms so as to be regarded "progressive" in their time.

This compilation was my first JA experience. I purchased it on two cassette tapes, the first represented AIRPLANE career (blue) while the second focused more on STARSHIP and solo projects (yellow). The blue was indespensible part of my travel luggage when I spent my summer holidays as teenboy hipster and I probably had spinned it a hundred times. This was a wonderful, albeit condensed represantation of JEFFERSON AIRPLANE magic and art.

"Flight Log" is very comprehensive, in-depth overview of this wonderful band, showing their progress from the early folk rock ballads, to prime acid-tinged psychedelia, to blues and jazz leanings, and finally to a fully established adult-oriented rock (AOR) of the 1970s. Although some key songs are missing (their most experimental album "After Bathing at Baxters" is shamefully under-represented!), this collection is still highly recommended to all explorers of American West Coast scene, which is usually neglected by prog rock fans.

During those Airplaneless times, it might have been appropriate to release a compilation of this great American band. This one might be complementary to "Worst Of" but I'm not really sure.

When you see the track list you will notice that there are a lot of second choice numbers here. Of course some of their anthems are there like "White Rabbit", the dual "Won't You Try/Saturday Afternoon" and "Volunteers". But lots are missing as well (even if a live version of "Somebody To Love" is featured here as well.

What we get as well several numbers from some Slick, Kaukonen etc. work : not essential really. I guess that this compilation was maybe intended to some Airplane fans that were not acquainted with the solo career of some members and therefore the rather hectic track listing.

This is not a bad release, but the commercial aspect behind it leaves me rather perplex. I recommend you to stick with "Worst Of" should you decide to get one album only from the Airplane. You'll get the essence of the band (you can maybe get a live album as well, "Live at the Monterey Festival" being then a good choice or "Live At The Golden Gate" recorded in May 69 just a few months before their fantastic Woodstock appearence and released in 2006 but not available yet for review).

Two stars.