AFTER BATHING AT BAXTER'S

On November 27, 1968, RCA Victor released JEFFERSON AIRPLANE's third album, After Bathing at Baxter's. This was their second studio album release in the same year, the follow-up to their hugely popular platinum selling album, Surrealistic Pillow and its monster hits, "Somebody to Love," and "White Rabbit." This was fully intended to be a very experimental album: the band was consciously trying to break the mold of their previous albums--purposely trying to push their sound and songwriting beyond the proscribed formula of the album serving as hit-generators surrounded by fluff or fill. Each song, even the flow of the album, is finely crafted, with not one but five multi-song themed suites-- all at a level of consistency as to make the entire listening experience engaging and immersive--like Sgt. Pepper's Loney Hearts Club Band, providing the listener with a rewarding and theatric sight-seeing journey. I gladly call this album one of the first true examples of progressive rock music: the album as a whole being transcendently more important than just serving as provider of hits and AM radio attention.