Reviews (page 5 of 14)
I really enjoyed this album! Different from other ones that we have listened to. I liked the psychedelic sound, and the melodies and vocal harmonies were really pretty.
I wasn’t totally in the mood for it, but some great classic tunes (white rabbit in particular), enjoyed the vocal harmonies and sound
Some lovely surprising moments
There are a lot of late sixties psychedelic albums on here but this one is one of the best for sure.
Vocals like The Zombies with riffs like The Doors whats not to like?
Easy to see how this influenced many bands to come. But a lot of the influence seems to have been attitude and musical style rather than the actual quality of the songs. Many of them are good and a couple great, but other parts are simply pleasant but not memorable
Of course I've heard Jefferson Airplane before, and I always thought I liked them more for their influence. This was the record I should've listened to back when I got curious. It's simple, short, and gives a very clear view on what the band is about. This was the counterculture. Love, life, and drugs to enjoy them with. I don't know why I thought Somebody to Love was a Janice Joplin track. What an exquisite track for the setlist. Another song that pulled my attention was White Rabbit. I've loved Hiatus Kaiyote's version since it came out, and to feel the depth Grace Slick intended was a great way to help finish off the album. It's a fun short listen, so I gave it maybe a dozen spins, and it honestly keeps getting better with each listen. I can imagine all the young adults in the late '60s gathering around the record while they smoke their doobies, but this one is pretty spectacular for the modern day listen, too. It's a good vibe for relaxed driving, walking on a bright sunny day, or doing your household chores. Go ahead and play She Has Funny Cars and tell me it doesn't add to your current experience. I admit, their philosophy meshes with mine, so I'm sure there's some bias on the rating here. 4.5/5
It’s pretty good, kind of carried by the two big songs but whatever
Snazzy
Thank you Jefferson, very cool.
- os Beatles com uma garota, mto cunt - beatles + mamas and the papas - grandes expectativas she has funny cars ☆☆☆☆: gostoo somebody to love ☆☆☆☆☆: um hit eh um hit my best friend ☆☆☆: show today & coming back to me ☆☆☆: dar uma outra chance dps talvez 3/4 of a mile in 10 seconds ☆☆☆☆: toop do balaco baco d.c.b.a.-25 ☆☆☆: ok how do you feel ☆☆☆: ^ embryonic journey ☆☆☆: solo de banjinho gosto white rabbit ☆☆☆: alice no país das maravilhas mentioned!! plastic fantastic lover ☆☆☆ in the morning ☆☆☆☆: letss goo j.p.p. mc step b. blues ☆☆☆☆: gostosa de ouvir go to her ☆☆☆: uma proposta diferente das outras faixas come back baby ☆☆☆
Interesantes las guitarras pero siento que no lo disfrute tanto porque no soy una hippie drogada 🫰🏻
Listened to while on a walk with little one. Groovy baby yeah!
I love this. This is 60’s psychedelic rock at its finest. The musicianship on this album is great, the songs are well written and just the overall sound and vibe of the music is one that I just adore. In particular I just love Grace Slick’s singing and harmonies, Jack Casady’s bass lines and Paul Kanter’s, Jerry Garcia’s and Jorma Kaukonen’s guitar playing on this record, with Kaukonen especially being someone who I admire greatly. Every song on this album is great, and it just feels like a perfect encapsulation of its era musically. I don’t really know what else to say, other than that this album is wonderful. It’s of its own time in the best way possible. 5/5
Apparently, this is considered one of the more essential records of the psychedelic era. Musically, it's solid, with good guitar playing and an excellent female vocalist(the male one is alright, but doesn't hold a candle to the lady). However, the drums leave a bit to be desired. Lyrically, some tracks try for profundity and succeed somewhat, though others are more cookie-cutter. The songs are short and try for hookiness somewhat, with mixed results. Overall, I'm mostly indifferent towards this. It has some good tracks and some mediocre ones, but it lacks any truly great tracks.
Grace slings vocals are a 5, the rest of the album, while interesting enough, just a 3, 4 overall
Have heard clips from “somebody to love” on tiktok and it was fun to listen to the whole song! Good instruments. The female singer is so good! Don’t think I will listen again but still a good listen.
Liked this a lot more than I thought I would. It had a lot more depth that I had expected. I think looking at the cover and some of the well known songs I thought it would be more country focussed, but it was beautifully done. I didn’t, however, like all of the song choices. I didn’t enjoy 3/5 of a mile in 10 secs really, so a mixture really. Think 2 is too harsh but 3 feels too high, would give a 2.5 if possible.
This was nice, plenty of fun while retaining some edge. I would listen again, but not my favourite stuff. Clearly pioneering in psych rock and way ahead of its time.
The female singer is clearly better, and should be the lead on every song. Aside from that, I greatly enjoyed my time with this album. It's unique, and a great shame this band is often boiled down to just "White Rabbit". P.S. wish I got to hear some banjo, major false advertising in the album art
I only know two Jefferson Airplane songs, and as luck would have it, both of them happen to be on this album. Neato. Before I started this project, I thought I would enjoy a lot of the psychedelic rock from the sixties, but that hasn’t been the case at all, and I’ve found that a lot of these albums aren’t really my taste. However, Grace Slick is in a category of her own when it comes to rock vocalists, so maybe Jefferson Airplane will be on the bands who really strike a chord with me. Unfortunately, the losing streak for sixties psychedelic rock continues. While Grace Slick’s vocals were certainly fantastic, overall, I thought Surrealistic Pillow was pretty bland. I think one of the things that I don’t care for when it comes to albums like this, is that there’s a certain thin quality to the sound that I don’t care for. I don’t know if that was intentional on this album or not, but I just don’t care for it. There were a few songs that had some good guitar riffs, but I thought that most of this album was run-of-the-mill sixties rock, and I didn’t find anything particularly unique or noteworthy about Jefferson Airplane’s music, other than Grace Slick’s vocals. “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit” were the only two songs I knew prior to listening to this album, and I thought they were easily the best songs. I was really surprised that other than the vocals, I really liked the drumming on both of these songs, and how much those rhythms controlled the sound and mood of the songs. Other than those two songs, I really enjoyed “Embryonic Journey.” I thought it was the most beautiful song on the album, and I didn’t want it to end. What a bummer that it was the shortest song on the album! As influential as Jefferson Airplane might have been on the broader music scene, this album just wasn’t for me.
Some really good songs on this album, loved the vibe
na verdade, daria 3,5 estrelas. a maioria das músicas é ok. legais, mas nada de outro mundo. mas as músicas que eu mais gostei, gostei MUITO. realmente, muito muito boas. os instrumentais são muito bons. música fav: 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds.
Good sound! Really enjoyed it
didn't know this existed, but knew a lot of the songs. great find. Worth listening to again
very very different than anything i listen to but it was so refreshing! don’t know her name but the woman in this group is amazingggg any song that have her as main vocals were my fav :) favourite songs :somebody to love, how do you feel, white rabbit,
california dreamin' beach boys sort of vibe ! reminds me of daisy jones and the six and a little bit of fleetwood mac repping california fav was def comin' back to me sweet song
Started off pretty good, was surprised I don't listen to more. Got more skippable by the end. Not a bad album, not a must have either. Will keep listening to them.
I liked it a lot
Lots here beyond 'somebody to love'. Especially dig some of the guitar work
I was only familiar with the hits on this one but overall a solid album. I think it’s perfectly paced with both slower and a bit faster songs.
Phenomenal. When I went to listen to this, I saw I’d already saved a few songs. Funny bc I don’t remember the album standing out to me so much. I think it goes to show how much music is a time and place sort of thing. An album that resonates one day may not on another.
26.11.2025 9/10
You know im not really that big a fan of this sort of type of like folk rock stuff. or older music in general tbh. Not that i dont like old music at all but its just not my vibe i think.
Olin kuullut Jefferson Airplanelta vain lukuisissa elokuvissa soineet Somebody to Loven ja White Rabbitin, niin yllätyin huomatessani ettei Grace Slick olekaan yhtyeen ainoa solisti. Noiden kahden hittibiisin lisäksi Surrealistic Pillowlta löytyy popahtavaa psykedeliaa ja folkkia.
Surrealistic my ass. JK! First half was amazing but second half gives this a 3/5.
At times rocking, at times dreamy. One of the best sounding albums ever made.
Nice
60s Psych Rock / Folk album. Nice but nothing too interesting. 6/10
Ok
Good, good instruments vocals pacing all of it great. Good album
Kandidater til en af de bedste cover versioner nogensinde. Ihvertfald en objektiv banger med Someone to Love. Kilde materialet fra The Great Society er dog virkelig solidt. Jeg havde en god oplevelse med albummet, måske fordi det var så kort og varieret.
Semi-syret 60er blues-rock
Pretty solid. Sounds like standard 1960s rock in a good way.
Good!
great listen, couple really good tracks in there.
Great album with Slick's vocals on fine form. Liked the band's shift to a more psychedelic rock sound on this record. Some great songs and best cover of Somebody To Love.
The first psychedelic album that I ever listened to. Banger from start to finish. Their second album but the first with Grace Slick. Produced by Jerry Garcia. In my opinion they never reached this level again.
Álbum muito legal de ouvir. Vocais e instrumentos muito bem gravados. Roseselsa Quietsea II.
Grace Slick's songs 5/5. The rest was pretty underwhelming, but I've never been much of a psychedelic rock fan.
this album had a bit of blues, a bit of folk, a bit of psychedelic, and it sounded unique and fantastic.
Kinda a wide variety of sounds on this one, but enjoyable none the less.
Strong Like
Hippy dippy
I always forget how much I love “somebody to love” and “white rabbit.” Not a regular in my rotation but solid for what it is.
Lots of classics on this album, it was a great listen
AMOOOOOO OS MAIORAIS
I quite like a bit of 60s/70s psychedelic pop/rock/blues a la mamas & papas, early Fleetwood Mac, new seekers etc. But this is a poor album with a couple of absolute gems (Somebody to love and White rabbit, obvs). Everything else is a bit filler-y for me,
When I was younger I thought once I do drugs I’ll understand why people like Jefferson Airplane. Now I’ve done drugs and think there’s not enough drugs in the world to get me to understand why people like Jefferson Airplane
Album as a whole didn’t draw me in. White rabbit and somebody to love slay.
They were high as shit recording this.
I dug it. Sort of a psychedelic / folk mashup. Probably freaked out the normies back in the day. 3.5⭐️
Love the combination of psychedelia and singer/songwriter/folk stuff.
60s slop
Great start
Toto hudební období je mi velmi blízké. Poslech mě velmi bavil. V určitých kontextech a situacích si dokážu představit, že bych si album užila mnohem víc. Asi bych v tu chvíli přidala půl hvězdy navíc.
Gonna be honest I listened to like 2 songs and it’s not really my type of music - I will still try to listen to it all
Psychedelic rock, meh
Ive always liked this one quite a bit. Its good old 60s goodness. Summer of love type. As long as I can remember it was up there for some of my favorite of this era. I never really cared for starship but as long as they stayed in the stratosphere I was down. White rabbit might be one of my favorite songs of this kind. The female vocals are so damn good with that heavy reverb. And the male vocals too are great on other parts of the album. It gives the sung parts so much versatility to have both types of people who can sing. You can just do so much. Also just forgo either of them sometimes. It all works. The drums and bass kill it. The guitars too. Its just a nice comforting type album for me. And I love it dearly. Maybe I cant be too objective but I like. I like very very much. Is nice
pretty boring, but i do like somebody to love
i like my best friend and the songs when grace was singing
Psychedelic man
found some classics i didn’t know where from this band and my first time discovering the actually band itself even tho i knew a few songs
only recognized one song but loved the vibe and definitely would listen to the songs again. 6/10
Really enjoyed listening to this. Album sounded really good all the way through, no major lulls or skips. Enjoyed reading about the history of the album. Love that wikipedia links are readily available. It makes me try to imagine what it would be like listening to an album like this for the first time. I believe this is also the first album I have had recommended that has alternating lead singers. I saw some folks reviewing that the songs w/ Grace Slick are significantly better than those w/ Spencer Dryden, but I disagree. The jazzy sound of In The Morning is one of my favorite spots on the album. The peaks of the record certainly feature Slick, but Dryden holds up his end of the bargain. Making this a really enjoyable record!
Early psychedelia done right. With a unique style on bass, Jack Casady is the secret weapon of this band. Also considering that this was recorded in 1966, this album is quite forward thinking. Did Jerry Garcia receive any royalties for "musical and spiritual advisor" credit? "Remember what the dormouse said..."
Nä tack, men hitten är en hit
- I’m already quite familiar with the album and really like it. - She has funny cars is an incredible album opener. Harmonies between main singers i love always and this is no exception - 3/5 of a mile in 10 secs has a OPENING GROOOOOVE - I really like this album for nostalgic reasons, i’ve listened to it a lot with my dad. Some of the tracks I think are stronger than others, but that is the case with almost all albums - Will continue to listen Fav: changes often but it is Today
Jefferson Airplane I was not familiar with your game. What a beautiful record Favourite: Somebody to Love
I like them when i listen to anything that isn't white rabbit
Had an nice sonic feel
Esqueci de ouvir, agora já foi.
Smooth and spooky. Folksy ?
Maybe I'm just a hippie at heart, but this album made me want to eat a bucket of shrooms, protest the Vietnam war and join a commune. It’s honest, straightforward Summer of Love era folk-rock with a solid blues vibe and a psychedelic touch (although it’s actually not that psychedelic, the song structures are still very traditional by many aspects). The songs are a mixed bag, with some absolute bangers like Somebody To Love or White Rabbit, but also a few less interesting filler tracks. All in all, it's a short and unpretentious album that lets itself be enjoyed like a mellow, vintage weed. Although it didn’t exactly blow my mind, I’ll happily give the rest of their discography a shot. 6/10
A great album, at times blues, bluesy rock, with Beach boys harmonics... and Grace Slick whose voice made the two hits "White Rabbits" and "Somebody to love" so iconic for this era.
I only really like the songs sung by Grace Slick, maybe three or four on the whole album. That’s not much out of twelve tracks. The rest bores me, it sounds like weak Beatles leftovers. Two stars, just for Grace’s vibe, Go to Her, and the two singles.
She has funny cars, Somebody to love, Comin' back to me, 3/5 of a mile in 10 seconds, In the morning, Go to her gros bangers ! Il faut que j'écoute plus de rock psychédélique :)
She has Funny Cars: Very whismy, i like the vocals, fun, gives me witchy vibes really like the guitar, and i think what it looks like a saxophone. Somebody to love: My favorite one. I love her vocals, stronger than the first song, she plays with her voice, she uses a deeper vocie, very whitchy, very catchy song, love the vibes. I LOVE the guitar in the last 20 seconds of the song. My Best Friend: Slower song than the last one, chiller and cuter vibes. You can listen more the voice of the men. Today: I really like the guitar in the beggining, from the lyrics in the beggining we can conclude that is a sexier and romantic song. Is a slow song, the main voice is a mens. He is probably talking about his partner. I really like the guitar fingerpicking. Comin Back To Me: Slow song, i like the flute. It takes some time for them to start singing, setting the start of the song with a beautiful instrumental. The lyrics are romantic. Just like the last one is sang by a men. Calm voice. 3/5 Mile in 10 Seconds: Dancy song, funnier, very different from the last one. Everyone sings. Love the guitar in 1:55. Love the bass. D.C.B.A.-25: Calmer than the first one but still dancy, you can listen more to the womens voice. It kinda reminds me of Dolores O'Riordan voice from the crainberries. How Do You Feel. A little calmer, you can really listen to the flute. Everyone sings in choir. Embryonic Journey: No vocals just the guita. Calm song. White Rabbit: Very whismy, the women is the main singer. Darker vibe. Strong vocals. Plastic Fantastic Lover: Calmer, catchy song, the mens voice is the main. In the Morning: Sexy song, the men is the main voice, i really like the harmonica, very country like. He plays with his vocals. I really like the harmonica and the guitar together. J.P.P. Mc Step B.Blues: Calmer song, chill, soft vocals. Go To Her: Second favorite song, Less calm, fun song, i love the mens and the womens voice and vocals and the quick tambourine and guitar. Gives me a bit of vibes of "Favorite Worst Nightmare" by the Arctic Monkeys. Come Back Baby: I adore the beggining guitar and bass. Playfull song,
Good listen, a couple of worldies
Give me Grace Slick or don’t even bother giving me anything at all. I’m not the first person to say that and I won’t be the last person to say it either for sure. If she was the lead vocalist on every song, I think this would be a 5 star album. It’s still a pretty solid album overall, but there are a ton of songs that I actively want to skip after the first listen just to get to the good stuff. The only song not sung by Grace that I really vibed with was “3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds”. Ok, so I’m being a bit harsh on Marty Balin, which I do sincerely apologize for, but he doesn’t hold a candle in the wind to Grace and her almost hypnotic voice. It’s no coincidence that the 2 best songs on the album also happen to be the hits, with her singing the lead vocals on both. That being said, picking a favorite between “White Rabbit” and “Somebody to Love” is a really tough challenge. I wish I could pick both. I hear them both so frequently, and admittedly didn’t realize they were by Jefferson Airplane. This is just one of those many bands along the way doing this project in which I was glad to connect with, because I wouldn’t have seeked them out on my own. Bonus, now I can say I’m familiar with them, and not just the hits. Expanding my musical scope and finding something new is, and will continue to be the most rewarding part of this entire project. That got off topic a bit. Whatever, anyway, this is a pretty long filler-laden album at 58 minutes long, and it frequently has me skipping songs to get back to Grace. For that reason, it’s a middle of the road 3 stars out of 5. Please tell me she’s got some solo stuff, or at the bare minimum something where she sings more. It’s such an infrequent tease on Surrealistic Pillow and I’m absolutely craving more Grace after listening to this. That’s my big positive takeaway from Jefferson Airplane. Goated female singer. Decent but not amazing male singers. Not to be confused with Jefferson Starship, which didn’t make the book’s shortlist, or Starship, which definitely, absolutely didn’t make the cut either. What was my favorite song on this one? I’m going to have to give it to “White Rabbit”, because every time it ends I’m consistently upset it didn’t go on longer. Thankful they gave us this album and not a lesser known one just for the sake of hearing something new, they do that entirely too often, and not getting to listen to this would have been a crime.
4/10 Top track: Somebody To Love
Great!
Quintessential psychedelic 60's rock. Varied genres and sounds, with clear blues, British and American rock, and others influencing this album's unique and timeless sound. The instrumental track "Embryonic Journey" was a hidden gem that showcases the talent and creativity of the musicians in this band and blends the varied sounds of dreamy, psychedelic guitar with that old folksy sound of 60's era rock. Grace Slick's tracks were clear standouts over the others, but all were enjoyable.
I did enjoy the album but I is not my taste of music. But I did like some of the songs. Especially the song today
Partly heard before Saved 4/11 Top track: White Rabbit
Ts was kinda fun. Some boring moments, and the production was abhorent (prob for todays standards, I'm guessing it sounded fine in the great '67). Cool to know where "Somebody to love" came from. I will return to, because I liked the rock 'n roll vibe. Between 3-4.
Lot of great hits on here. Thankfully they have the female lead singer
GOING IN: No strong feelings LISTENED WHILE: Making the dinner FAMILIARITY: Know a few songs SKIP RATE: Played it straight through REPLAY VALUE: Might come back to it DISCOVERY CURVE: Warmed up nicely ALBUM ARC: Pretty even, consistent VERDICT: Better than expected BODY'S VERDICT: Decent head wobble FAVOURITE TRACK: Embryonic Journey & White Rabbit My Rating: 4 Wish Grace Slick sang on all the songs.
There were so many great psyche albums made in 1967. This isn’t one. This sounds like a load of nepo babies bought some beads and made an album. It’s the kind of easy listening slop an AI programme would make if you asked for a psych song and were using the free version. Occasionally Grace Slick starts screaming like Stevie Nicks or a banshee with a septic ulcer. Shudder. You can really hear how this lot of charlatans made it big in the soundtracks of the 80’s. A terrible band that stuck around long enough to thrive in pop culture’s most terrible period.
3.5 realistically. Cool style
Bleh? Forgettable except for a few riffs. I mean decent. THR
AKA the one with White Rabbit on. A couple of tracks stand out but the rest is just pretty standard sixties jangly stuff. Lacks a bit of an edge.
Enjoyed it. I think it’s aged well and is still influential despite being of its time. It’s a strong start to the album but doesn’t quite maintain the quality throughout (might have benefitted from a few fewer tracks to keep it tighter). ‘White Rabbit’ obviously stands out primarily because it eschews some of the standard songwriting patterns we’ve since come to expect.
7/10
Good album
Very good album listened to it 2 times
🍄 Life is. 😜
Not really my sort of thing but fans of 60s rock and roll would love
Overall enjoyable. 2-3 songs stand out (I’d save those to my library) also because I think I’ve heard them before. White rabbit and somebody to love are the known ones. I enjoyed the mood from In the morning.
Amazing album
Overall Rating - 4.30/5 (8.60/10). Tight, entry-friendly psychadelic rock with some blues twists. Nothing bad, but some tracks I would classify as "filler."
18/1089 This is very standard 60s rock by today's standards. It was fresh in its time but became such a success that many who were inspired and followed JA made this sound passe'. I've heard white rabbit and somebody to love 100s of time, maybe more, growing up, so they are very familiar songa. Grace Slick's voice is unique and right for the music. This is a 3* album but I can only give 2* because of their We Built This City release 20-something years later. Hits....somebody to love, white rabbit
Jefferson Airplane really only mattered for one summer, in 1967. They remained big in California and had briefly flirted with the charts as Jefferson Starship in the 70s and 80s. But as a whole, they really only mattered to the wider world for a few months. But because their music peaked when it did, and because that Summer of Love now lives in notoriety, they're indelibly associated with that time. To this day, few songs are as evocative of Summer 1967 as White Rabbit and Somebody to Love. And while Grace Slick definitely had her problems, she was one of the first prominent women to front an electric rock band which I think counts for something. I like a lot of Surrealistic Pillow. The two classics off the album both stand the test of time. I've always loved Embryonic Journey and how its just a really nice instrumental break from all of the psychedelic cacophony. Some of the album's other tracks are pretty forgettable, especially the ones led by Marty Balin (sorry, Marty). Favorite Songs: Somebody to Love, Embryonic Journey, White Rabbit,
Not a moral judgment but this is *the* definitive smelly hippie album. This album's been well trawled & it feels so of its era that it can be a little pastiche in 2025. Even so, it's good & with real historical resonance. The Slicks' songs - Somebody to Love and White Rabbit - tower over the rest of the album. They're unimpeachable classics, hard rock heavy hitters that put the counter in counter-culture. For as peace, love, and understanding as the album is, these two songs hint at the alienation & darkness that lay at the foundation of the hippie movement. There was a reason these kids moved out of their parents' homes, dodged the draft, and stopped wearing belts & ties. The two tracks cut against the saccharine stuff like My Best Friend which, while a fun song in that sort of jangly pop way, are disposable. My favorite stuff here is the stuff is the psychier stuff, all listed below, which is almost totally modeled on Rubber Soul with some inflections from the surf rock world. Favorite Tracks: Somebody to Love, White Rabbit, Embryonic Journey, 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds
4-5 standout tracks and a bunch of 60s bs
pretty good album. the girl’s vocals are insane + mesmerising. this feels pretty adventurous for an album of this time??
Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair al gehad, fantastisch. Deze nu aan. Geen idee van de legendarische White rabbit track. Heel bijzonder. Verder niet helemaal mijn ding, maar staan wel paar mooie nummers op
Somebody to Love
alright album, you can hear the beatles influence but i like it 6.5/10
The order of this album is insane
This was fun.
Hippiescheiße.
lol Tip was right, this sounds like I'm in an empty warehouse being taunted by some jazzy clowns, Today was the most warehouse song I've ever heard, I swear they recorded the drums on the opposite side of an airplane hangar from the mic I was shocked to hear female vocals, I liked her presence in these songs the most. the whole album is a little too "wild west-y" for me, if that makes sense? but it had a nice vibe. I wish more of the songs were based in the Major realm overall, like I said about Steely Dan, this is good background coffee shop music (well, some of it. some of it is really violent, like if 3/5 of a Mile was playing I'd be a little unmoored) most of these songs kinda flew under the radar for me, but I liked them all more than the Morrissey and The Rolling Stones so I'll give it a higher score... I'm still trying to figure out my system for this guys I'm stressed. 3.5/5??
I liked the album when I listened to it, but I can hardly remember any track. I'll still want to replay it only to forget it every now and then. I do not 'not like' it, but for some reason it doesn't stick.
At a few points their sound didn’t seem super original, but still good.
a cage match but it's Jefferson Airplane against The Mamas and the Papas and they fight about who was more countercultural in the late 60s
I'm not too sure how I felt about this one. It was kinda a vibe throughout. I enjoyed Embryonic Journey and Plastic Fantastic Lover. Somebody to Love was good, but it's not the version I was used to, so it was a little odd to me. I liked it though. White Rabbit was another good one. I think I'm actually convincing myself that I liked this album. I'll go ahead and give it a 3, but solely that low since I don't think I'm really going to be searching for any of these songs in the future.
I’m not sure if it’s just my tastes or the technology of the time, but lots of these 60’s era albums sound like they’re recorded in an empty warehouse. It just doesn’t do it for me.
I'd never taken the time to listen to JA before besides "White Rabbit," and I wasn't too struck by anything here. I liked "3/5 of a Mile," but that was about all that grabbed me. Not offensive, at least. I would say that "White Rabbit" belongs on a list of songs to hear before you die, but I don't know about the rest of this album.
More of a Starship fella myself; name me a better song than “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”; you fuckin can’t. I found this forgettable. I fear the 2 songs on here that I already knew will continue to be the only 2 songs I know.
Like walking down a twinkling, vibrant hallway of beaded curtains with fluffy orange shag carpet beneath your toes. Lotta warmth, love, comfort, and emotion throughout. Somebody To Love still rips, Today and DCBA are new finds that I really enjoyed. This record is a clear influence on a lot of the hazy, surf-y modern psych rock that I like: Allah-Las, Sugar Candy Mountain, Levitation Room, La Luz.
Good album white rabbit the best
Very of its time.
Psychedelic Rock isn't a genre I'm terribly familiar with, most of my experience is with the Flaming Lips and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. That said, I can see how this album formed as a sort of primordial DNA for the genre. The version I ended up listening to is the stereo version, which with some light research I discovered is not the ideal. I could tell, as the stereo version.... did not sound great. That aside, I enjoyed listening to one of the early founders of a genre I have dabbled in. I very much love getting to the source of things and it was interesting to see how the genre started and then later evolved.
I'm learning I'm not the hugest fan of psychedelic rock but I liked this one. The mix for "Somebody to Love" is pretty fantastic. Highlight of the record.
heavily influenced by the beatles and fleetwood mac ig
67- im sorry. It’s an interesting album (in a good way). I’m not sure if I’d come back to it but we’ll see. My favorite song is probably White Rabbit
1.) White Rabbit 2.) In The Morning 3.) Somebody To Love 4.) Plastic Fantastic Lover 5.) Comin’ Back To Me
7/1089 This is very standard 60s rock by today's standards. It was fresh in its time but became such a success that many who were inspired and followed made this sound passe. I've heard white rabbit and somebody to love 100s of time, maybe more, growing up, so it's pretty a very familiar sounds. Grace Slick's voice is unique and right for the music. This is a 3* album but I can only give 2* because of the release of We Built This City 20-something years later. Hits....somebody to love, white rabbit
This was good, but got kinda old. "Somebody to Love" is iconic tho. The woman's voice was my favorite. Liked Songs: "She Has Funny Cars" , "Somebody to Love" , "My Best Friend" , "3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds" , "D. C. B. A.-25" , "Embryonic Journey" , "J. P. P. Mc Step B. Blues" , "Go To Her" , "White Rabbit - Mono"
I really only knew two songs from this album, I had no idea the entire album was this good. Somebody to Love and Today are the standouts for me.
Obviously some amazing songs at the start of a long career for most of the folks involved, but not totally my bag. Funny to rate this 3 after rating an Air Supply album a 3 as well...this album exploration project has been an interesting endeavor that way. Picked some random songs for my best of playlist ("She Has Funny Cars" and "Embryonic Journey"), the latter of which is instrumental. "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit" are of course classics.
I love White Rabbit so much and the whole album is honestly great.
Easily understandable why it was so influential. Grace Slick's vocals were more interesting by far; my ears would perk up every time she started singing.
Some very nice tunes, but nothing completely crazy. Nice to listen to in the background but not a ton of songs I consider very strong playlist-material.
Hard to believe these motherfuckers can do this and also put out "We Built This City" Good god. From the penthouse to the shitter.
Since the Dead hadn't figured out how to make a great live album, I think this and the first Moby Grape records are the best examples of the San Francisco sound at the beginning of 67. Great songwriting, Jorma and Jack rip, Marty turns in some great stuff and then you have Grace with her Great Society exports. A really really good record
- álbum muito importante psicodélico - muitas muito bem elaboradas e perfomance muito boa
Some of my favorite songs are on here, but for all its interesting psychedelic and folky elements, I wouldn't consider the album as-a-whole as super strong. Probably much stronger when heard during its release, not so much when listened to in 2025.
good album of songs I knew but didnt connect to a band!
The standout songs on this album were already well known to me; ‘Somebody to Love’, ‘Embryonic Journey’, ‘White Rabbit’. I was moved by the sheer musicality of the guitar playing, the hypnotic vocals of Grace Slick and the beauty of ‘Comin’ Back to Me’. Finally listening to albums like this is why I re-started the project.
Believe it or not I've listened to the album already. Pretty good album I think I enjoyed it. Stand out songs Somebody to Love, How do you feel, Plastic Fantastic Lover
What a cute, sweet and little psychedelic rock/pop record. The three first songs got me moving along the catchy, happy and funny rhythms and melodies. But from there, excluding the songs "Comin' Back to Me" and 'White Rabbit' due to their serious tone, I don't think there was a song that matched that same uplifting spirit. They come to me as standard pop songs from that period that do not have much going on apart from having pleasant sounding instruments and singing. Speaking of which, I wish they let Grace Slick sing in more songs, as I think she has a strong voice. The tracks with her voice are the best ones, those clearly being 'Somebody To Love' and 'White Rabbit', so it is a shame she didn't have more time to show off her vocal skills. By the way, now that I mentioned 'White Rabbit', I saw a lot of praise around it, and regardless of me agreeing that it is one of the highlights, I don't think it is that spectacular. Sure, the build up to the climax with the tense melodies is very cool, but the reward is not that hard hitting. Maybe if it was a little longer, I would like it more. In the end, this is a nice album to have a bit of fun to, but there isn't anything here that I found truly remarkable for me.
Mid besides a few iconic songs.
8/10 very cute, had one song white rabbit that i was familiar with. very cute!
Classic, one of the defining albums of psychedelic rock. A great listen all the way through.
It just keeps getting better......4/5
found it boring! Did not finish
There’s something very mom and pop about this album, but I really couldn’t tell you what. It’s exactly what 60s pop should feel like, but it wears itself a little thin as you move through it. It ends really strong though, I will say that. Favorites: Somebody to Love, 3/5s Of a Mile In 10 Seconds, White Rabbit.
Very much enjoyed. Woodstock feel
If this album didn't have Grace Slick, it'd be a solid 2. If it had more, it'd be a solid 4.
One of the Albums where it's obvious why the hits are the hits. White Rabbit and Somebody to love are incredible songs, the rest is pleasent in forgettable.
Two gold-plated classics in Somebody To Love and White Rabbit, but the supporting cast is patchy and Grace Slick is an underused weapon.
white rabbit musicão demais!!!!!!
Spet nekaj kar površinsko poznam iz najstniških časov, časov piratiziranja glasbe, ko sm bla kr nekaj let prepričana, da je "Somebody to Love" od Janis Joplin in ne od Jefferson Airplane, ker je pač tko pisalo, ko sem zloudala komad. Kul prvi komad, sicer ("She Has Funny Cars"). Na splošno, po prvem pregledu, je en kup naslovov komadov slightly weird. I guess so to bli the psychedelic times za to. In prej omenjeni "Somebody to Love" - še kr fakin hud, pač vokali od Grace Slick so insane. Naslednji komad ("My Best Friend") kr mal ven seka, bl pop in akustičen. Všeč mi je, kako "Today" progressa, k je vse 'echo-i" v ozadju (waw, odličen opis, res - ta migrena včer mi je pustila posledice na izražanju, očitno.). In, I take it back, v bistvu do zdaj le "Somebody to Love" po stilu seka ven, ostalo je vse kinda chill, veliko akustične kitare in drugi vokalisti. V bistvu, glede na moje površinsko poznavanje banda od prej, je album do zdaj totalno drugačen, kot sem mislila, da bo. In evo, takoj potem k to napišem, se začne druga polovica albuma in spremenjen vajb z "3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds". "Embryonic Journey" je kul, instrumentalen in kratek. Potem pa slavni "White Rabbit". In zadnji, "Plastic Fantastic Lover", ki je očitno about a stereo system, obviously. V glavnem, prijetno presenečenje.
It changed a little more throughout than I think I would have liked a normal album too, but it also stayed fresh for me throughout. Not completely boring but not the most exciting ever either.
Excellent.
I knew Somebody to love. I like the female vocalist. I liked the In the morning guitar solo. I liked the bass on Come back baby.
Grace!
Good album
Couple bangers
Album 976 of 1089 Surrealistic Pillow - Jefferson Airplane (1967) Rating : 4 / 5 What a great one this is. Easily deserving of its place on the list. The psychedelic vibe hits right from the start and never really lets up - that warm, hazy ’60s sound that just wraps around you. The big classics are always a treat to hear again, and they still sound as fresh as ever. And honestly, the tracks with Grace Slick on lead remain the standouts for me. Her voice just elevates everything - powerful, haunting, and absolutely perfect for the style. Even the deeper cuts keep that dreamy, wandering atmosphere going, making the whole album a smooth and engaging listen from start to finish. A true classic of its era, and one that still holds up beautifully.
Makes me want to dose
Highlights - Somebody to love, Today, White Rabbit
Hard to be objective with the two hits - they're ingrained classics. The rest was new to me, and it was OK enough. As a whole, this is a solid 4.
Not for me. Somebody to Love slaps hard, and I will give it the respect it deserves just for that. It wasn’t enough for me to buy into the rest of the album.
Somebody to Love and White Rabbit are, of course, classic bangers, but nothing else really did it for me.
Some classic tracks here. Short but brilliant.
This album strikes an almost-perfect balance between truly essential Psychedelic Rock and run-of-the-mill hippie-dippy flower child sentiment.
The epitome of psychedelic music.
Better than Coldplay
Somebody to Love and White Rabbit are the best songs, the rest is ok but kinda forgettable
Couple of good ones solid 60s rock
An interesting album - hard to rate because each song was SO different. I felt like I was listening to a lot of individual ideas rather than a complete maritime, but I liked it. Some songs I wanted to spin around my room and dance to while others I wanted to have a drunk cigarette while sitting in a bathtub. I think this would be a great introduction to Psychedelic rock for those trying to find new music. It was interesting to hear the mix of folk and rock, quite the transition and perfect for the time period. A reminder of the past while paving way into a new artistic movement
I listened to the original release (11 tracks). It’s interesting that the two big hits off the album are songs by Grace Slick, who joined the band just before the album was recorded. Meanwhile, Marty Balin, the founder of the band, didn’t have a big hit until years later even though his tunes here are pretty good. Because of the historical significance of the album (maybe the first psychedelic rock record) this one gets a four star rating.
I think I considered getting this album a long time ago, because I really like the singles 'Somebody to Love' and 'White Rabbit', but then I learned the lead vocals weren't always Grace Slick and lost interest. I still like those songs, but the rest of the album feels fuzzy and old. Not bad, just not interesting to me. Also, what's up with (Jefferson) Starship? That's some confusing CSNY type stuff. Also, the one-two punch of 'Somebody to Love' - 'My Best Friend' is calling out for a double Queen mashup!! Highlights: 'Somebody to Love', 'How Do You Feel', 'White Rabbit'
Like probably everyone else here, I knew "Somebody to Love," "White Rabbit," and "Embryonic Journey" heading into this listen. Already, three completely unique and distinct hits that all deserve to be popular. Turns out the rest of the album is more of the same theme. I think the age kind of shows, and obviously psychedelic rock/true hippie music isn't going to be "in" forever. But, it's sure an iconic album, and overall it's musically super strong. Fave tracks: - She Has Funny Cars - Somebody to Love - My Best Friend - Today - 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds - How Do You Feel - Embryonic Journey - White Rabbit - In The Morning - J.P.P.Mc Step B. Blues - Go To Her
This made me come over all Austin Powers. I guess there’s a reason Somebody to Love and White Rabbit are remembered and we’ve forgotten the rest.
Interesting
Hmmm...
Two of the songs from this album are absolute hits, Somebody to Love and White Rabbit. The album overall wasn't bad, but man do those two songs stand above the rest of it.
Heavy, fuzzy psych rock with soaring vocals - drifts from pop bangers to dark and brooding ballads! Great folky jangles, even better bass. Favourite tracks: Somebody To Love, Comin' Back To Me, Embryonic Journey
Much better than I imagined! Not a fan of White Rabbit/ thought all of songs sounded like that. Nice harmonies/Melodies/More folky than psychedelic 8 out of 10
3.5/5
Not the worst sixties music, but not the best either.
If we’re talking about the re-release, I’d drop a point because of the lack of Grace Slick towards the end. Always loved White Rabbit and enjoyed the rest of the album.
Amazing early psych rock sound but a bit too long of an album for me. I wish it was super quick and hit a little harder
some good ones i agree its a little long
Somebody to love, heard that before. Listen to some of these after a rough day White Rabbit=peak Great after a sad loss or something Very symbolic Hits the soul
Few bangers, some iconic and some boring songs.
A classic. An impressive 60's release that still holds up as a whole, even if "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love" are obvious stand outs (they're just that great). Consistently good throughout.
Oohh that’s who did that song! They should have let Grace sing more often.
The Doors slightly hippier dreamier cousin. The vocals are lovely. A few of the tracks seem a bit unnecessary and it loses its way in the middle but overall enjoyed !
Allein wegen Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas... ui und White Rabbit. Nochmal anhören!
I liked it
Somebody to love and white rabbit are enough to score this one a 4.
From the instrumentals of "Embryonic Journey", to the ballad of "Comin Back to Me", to the Alice in Wonderland inspired “White Rabbit”, this album combines a variety of instruments and a variety of moods to set into a series of neatly arranged and easy to listen to tracks. At times, it is Byrds folk rock, The Mamas and the Papas vocal harmonies, and Beatles psychedelica. True, it may be argued that it thus suffers from a lack of signature sound, particularly in the saturated sonic folk rock scene of the 1960s. Yet where it lacks in "originality" in terms of sound and performance, it more than makes up for it through a series of catchy melodies and memorable songs. Easily a no-skip album, and well worth a listen to.
The two hits are fantastic, but the rest feels underdeveloped
4 - BAD
Abri o álbum e eu já tinha 4 músicas curtida… Somebody to Love sempre me transporta pra San Francisco em 1969… curto muito esse estilo hippie. A voz da mulher é muito foda, um vibrato quase o tempo todo, tendo o auge na White Rabbit, puta música foda. Sentimento muito massa, vai crescendo, quando chega no ápice dá vontade de ouvir mais, continuar. Gosto muito da banda, as melhorinhas tão aqui, mas o resto do álbum não chega muito alto. Então vou de 4 estrelas.
Gostosinho, algumas músicas parecem um mix de Fleetwood Mac com flautista boliviano da enseada. Outras já puxam pra um blues, essas eu curti mais. Acho um 3.5 bem sólido e honesto, é bão. Faltaram só mais algumas mais marcantes pra chegar no 4. Ah, destaque pra Somebody to Love, achei essa MUITO boa, minha favorita do álbum, de longe. E sinto que já conheço ela de algum lugar (não, não to confundindo o nome com a do Queen) mas não faço a menor ideia da onde.
Psychedelic G.O.A.T.
Psychedelic.
Groovy! But White Rabbit makes me laugh every time after an episode of Comedy Bang Bang.
This is another album that I think was so incredibly crucial to an entire genre of music... Psychedelic Rock! Very few hands sounded like this in 1966, and by 1967 (after this was released) the market and airwaves were saturated with this sound. They were quite ahead of their time. Somebody to Love and White Rabbit are two if the greatest psychedelic songs of all time. Grace Slick's voice is my favorite female rock voice of all time. Jorma Kaukonen's guitar is some of the best the 60s had to offer. So much talent. Jefferson Airplane is a love it or hate it band, and they were too experimental to have a solid album, but I love that about them.
Couple good ones, namely the ones you hear on the radio. 3/5 of a mile in 10 seconds was decent. Need some acid to improve the stars
I wasn’t totally impressed by this album. Probably a classic if you grew up during the psychedelic era. Two classic songs but that’s about it. I’d never buy or download this album. As far as I’m concerned, not worth listening to again and void of any diamonds in the rough.
Doesn't come close to the Beatles. 3/5
The standout tracks are amazing, some of the unknown tracks are good, but there’s still some filler on the album. All in all, worth a second listen.
I really enjoy this band. Such a unique and brilliant sound.
It is said "If you can remember the 60s you weren't really there." Judging by the lyrics on this album, Jefferson Airplane were "really there." But possibly not able to remember it Good counter culture album which does sound a bit dated now. Contains a couple of outstanding tracks Somebody to love and the classic White Rabbit
Some absolute belters of songs on tgis album. Hasn't heard some of the album tracks but damn, they good too.
Pre: know shite rabbit / want somebody to love Post: I liked this , the female vocalist is amazing.
Alright!
This is the closest I have come to giving my first 5 star record. So close. Still, this album is concise, masterful, and a pure joy to listen to. Not a bad song on it.
What has the world done to the world since 1967.
p120. 1967. 4 stars. Rather fabulous American 60s folk rock. The star of the show is Grace Slick - great voice, great songs. Point deducted for "My Best Friend" which is so saccharine it makes my teeth ache.
A fantastic album that holds up very well. It’s imaginative, creative, playful, and well played. Grace Slick’s voice is amazing, Jorma Kaukenen’s guitar & Marty Baliss bass playing are exceptional. Fun to listen to, after all these years. A 5.
Didn't know that's where that sample came from
Better psych rock than the Grateful Dead, and would be even better if the female vocalist was on more tracks. Other than the standout tracks this album was just alright. 2/5.
I love about half of this album, intensely and truly. The other half is complete garbage. Does that mean I rank what I love, or drag it down due to what I hate? Splitting the difference here, much like the band did between psych rock jams and awful folk music.
Now here is some proper hippie music. Jefferson Airplane was one of the pioneers of psychedelic rock and this album has a wide range of sounds from folk to blues to rock to trippy psychedelia. The songs with Grace Slick front and center are by far the best. She is a powerhouse. There are a couple of fillers songs that aren’t the best, but overall a really solid album.
With a name like Surrealistic Pillow, I should have seen the sleepiness of this album coming. With the exception of Someone to Love and White Rabbit, it starts out a bit on the drab side for me. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the solid classic rock music that pops up with lively guitar, background tambourine, and bluesy harmonica on the back half of the album. Footnote: I can’t listen to Someone to Love without picturing Jim Carrey in The Cable Guy doing his karaoke rendition. So good.
This feels more psychedelic than rock for most of the tracks. Seems they put way too much patchouli in the peace pipe on this one. The two singles (aka the Grace Slick songs) still slap and stand out as anomalies on an otherwise rather dated album.
Great album with hits that have stood the test of time. Grace Slicks voice is the highlight, soulful and powerful, her songs are on another level. The album is a few songs too long, but nothing terribly out of place. Overall a good listen, I enjoyed experiencing the full album.
I love this album but there are a few duds. Grace Slick might have my favorite voice of the era.
Ok
In the late 60s, this was probably a great album and it's still good, but it's very dated. Were it not for two timeless classics in Somebody to Love and White Rabbit, this would've been a 3/5 album, but in actuality, for me it's closer to 4.
Grew up knowing this band but never really listening to them beyond the big hits on the radio. There’s a lot to like about this album. Need to give them a deeper dive. High 3+.
I'm digging this a lot more than I thought I would tbh! Didn't expect to enjoy it like I am. Listened to it while on a walk so don't have as many coherent thoughts. Don't think I could have told you that Somebody To Love was by Jefferson Airplane before today. Good song. 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds - This song feels cool to me plus I love the title lol Embryonic Journey is beautiful and unexpected - feels like American Primitive guitar stuff (Ackerman) White Rabbit - over rated and definitely why I expected not to like the rest of the album... Not a fan of this type of psychedelia generally. Don't like the melodies or vocal performance, drums parts remind me of Bolero which sucks.. Also wasn't fully expecting the slow/heavy blues jam/harmonica riffing on In The Morning, but it makes a certain amount of sense in retrospect.
Another one where the singles I had heard previously are actually my least fav on the record. Cool songwriting. Beautiful harmonies. Wall-of-sound esque but I guess not so lush and relentless. A lot of the guitar parts are v unique. Fav tracks: Today, Embryonic Journey, JPP MC. Step B Blues.
Fairport Convention vibes (though this came out before Liege and Lief) Lovely harmonies Some classic songs I didn’t realize were them (Somebody to Love, White Rabbit) Today is very boring Comin’ Back to Me = Bob Dylan + flute White Rabbit is a really strange song relative to the rest of this record. It feels like it begs to be accompanied by some more psychedelia. Closing track feels very much of its time. This record didn’t convert me by any means but it did make me respect their versatility and some of the interesting directions they went in.
Very fun, but the recording and mixing definitely sounds of its time. I also couldn't stop thinking about "We Built This City" and how crazy it is that (some of) these guys made that.
Brilliant album for the most part
Cool psychedelic rock with nice vocals. 4 stars
3,7 - Mal atmosphärisch, mal energisch, aber immer hörenswert. Und wenn man denkt, dem Album geht die Luft aus, kommt mit White Rabbit ein absoluter Knaller. Highlights: Someone to Love, White Rabbit
I literally could not believe that the voice driving “Don’t you want somebody to love?” and caterwauling “feed you head!” is the same one that rhymes “corporation games” and “corporation games” in “We built this city…”. Even less could I believe my own ears as I used Jefferson Airplane’s seminal “Surrealistic Pillow” to add weight to why “We built this city…” is such a great song. (Cuff me, I’m an incurable Starship fan). “Surrealistic Pillow” is, for me, a perfect place to start the countercultural 60s. It’s so thoroughly excellent a record that hearing it somehow elevates its contemporaries; a kind of key to the kingdom of psychedelic folk rock pagan weirdo pop genius. Everyone’s putting a shift in, of course but Grace Slick is utterly devastating throughout. That teasing line under Balin’s protests in the chorus of “She has funny cars”, the aforementioned “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit” – both in the conversation of most iconic vocal performances in rock music history – the resolve and attack of “Go to her” that sounds so thrillingly urgent. If, like me, you’ve taken a less conventional route to Jefferson Airplane, then please consider this your sign. Surrealistic Pillow, put it on and do whatever you want to it, just don’t sleep on it.
Baustelle, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Sehr feines Album.
white rabbit and somebody to love are peak. and that's all. 3.5/5
The album really picked up after White Rabbit. Like the bluesy and guitary heavy sound.
Late 60s psych rock. Just don’t like this genre. Some excellent tracks. Heavier on the rock.
She Has Funny Cars 3.5 Somebody to Love 4.1 My Best Friend 3.4 Today 3.2 Comin' Back to Me 3.2 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds 3.5 D.C.B.A.-25 3.4 How Do You Feel 3.3 Embryonic Journey 3 White Rabbit 4.3 Plastic Fantastic Lover 3.6 Score: 3.5
Somebody To Love and White Rabbit are the stand-out songs from this collection, showcasing what an important contribution is made by Grace Slick That album cover though . . .
What a great surprise this album was - this is an example of where the 1001 list comes into it’s own, showing you amazing music that you wouldn’t have otherwise listened to. Going into the album I didn’t really have any preconceptions or knowledge of Jefferson Airplane, or at least I didn’t know the hits were actually their songs. This made the listen even better. The 60s/70s psychedelic rock sound comes through so well, with strong instrumentals, interesting vocals and solid songwriting. Has to be a 4.5/5, let down slightly by the tail off towards the end of the album.
Generic rock album with better variety than many have. Going from a melancholic song to a more jovial one multiple times, it kept me engaged. The music wasn't anything too crazy, but the album was put together well.
This album felt very nostalgic despite me never hearing most of the songs before. That is with the exception of Embryonic Journey which ends my favorite show of all time, Friends. Other than that beauty, every song is good at least. It felt like I was in my grandparents car listening to 60s on 6, which is a station I'll need to check out again after finishing this list to see how many songs I recognize. This album may not be my preferred style of music, but it's always great when you listen to something you aren't used to and absolutely love every second of it. Jefferson Airplane is definitely a band I now intend on listening to more of. Thanks 1001 Albums for this gem.
As bags go, this is an astoundingly mixed one. Stellar tracks right alongside eg a blues improvisation that makes you wonder what made them put it to tape and then actually include it on the album.
What utter dipshits do you have to be to have GRACE SLICK in your band and not give her ALL THE LEAD PARTS? Especially when your production sounds kinda sludgy and her voice cuts through that like a buzzsaw and Marty Whatsisface's does NOT. UTTER. DIPSHITS. A couple of the ones she didn't sing lead on were fine, but mostly they were completely mediocre hippie shit. It's still a 3 because of White Rabbit and Somebody to Love, which are magnificent, set-your-hair-on-fire rock songs. A 45 with just those two songs would rate 10 out of five.
Finally, another album that actually deserves to be on the list.
better than i expected
Probably some of the best music of its type from it's era. White Rabbit, Somebody to Love, absolute bangers that would resonate for a long time into other music genres.
The highs are high!
Bel disco, bel sound. Poteva durare un po' di più che non mi sarebbe dispiaciuto per nulla.
This 1967 album sports two terrific rock numbers, the punchy "Somebody To Love" and the spacey "White Rabbit", both sung with aplomb by Grace Slick. The rest of this record is fairly undistinguished folk rock with wimpy vocals by the other group members (sorry guys).
I liked this. Not the best but I liked it.
Feed your head. Haight-Ashbury, 1967, the Summer of Love, paisley, and LSD. "Surrealistic Pillow" is a landmark album that captures that whole scene perfectly. But it isn't trapped there - it still plays fresh in 2025, almost 60 years later. From the opening track "She Has Funny Cars", with its spiraling vocal lines, and switching melodies, you're kept on your toes. Then "Somebody to Love" kicks in with that fuzz guitar tone that's become the familiar Jefferson Airplane trademark sound, with Grace's warbling vocals adding a dimension of folky texture to the bluesy instrumentation. Then time slows down. The softer, acoustic tunes are understated masterpieces. The dual guitar riffs of "Today" blend with the tambourine-driven beat, creating something that sounds like a looping sample, before Slick's voice takes over. It's hypnotic. As is the very simple "Comin' Back to Me": the repetition of the chorus, "I saw you, I saw you", with a long gap before the next lyric "comin' back to me", is almost trance-like. The (apparently controversial) use of layered reverb in the production adds a spacey vibe to the recordings. It makes it sound as if the music is being beamed in from another dimension. Then there's the big finale. "Embryonic Journey" is one of the most gorgeous pieces of music ever created. Simple, pure brilliance. And that leads into "White Rabbit". Hands-down the best build-up in any song in the history of music. Amazingly clever lyrics too, aligning the psychedelic drug-taking experience with C.S. Lewis literature. The bass line and Grace's vocals building in intensity, march us towards an absolute crescendo of a finish. Consider my head fully fed.
Many would rate this Airplane’s best album as it contains their most famous songs. I am partial to Volunteer myself
Only the one super popular single really jumped out at me, most of the rest of the album was more of the same sounding Beatles or beach rock kind of vibes from the 60's. Although there was that blues single on the album I liked, this was mostly bland IMO
Don’t love Neil Young’s voice. After listening to other albums, this one felt the most basic and least entertaining. Wouldn’t do it again.
Side was pretty good
I like the Garage-y songs and Somebody to Love and White Rabbit are amazing mostly due to the strength of Grace Slick's voice. Both of those songs come from Grace Slick's previous band I believe. I am a sucker for this era of music production, and I think the sounds on this are good. Not every songs however is that interesting but they are pretty brief. Not a bad listen but I probably am not going to reach for this again and again. The Skip Spence song is pretty sick. (My Best Friend)
4.5
I often see Surrealistic Pillow discussed as being one of the greatest albums of the whole '60s psychedelic counter culture scene, and I honestly think I see it. This is really a record that is more than the sum of its parts, and that I think really works best as a single work. The brightness of psychedelia meets the breeziness of folk music here, and a lot of these songs reflect this. The songs on here are largely brisk, occasionally even vignette-like, and it does really cool things for the pacing here, and helps the album maintain its kind of surreal, psychedelic tone. And speaking of this album's tone, it has something really unique going on. Little streaks of darkness manifest here, minor passages, oddly textured moments, and unusual lyrical ideas here help counter-balance the aforementioned brightness here, resulting in a more complex, mature sounding work. I honestly consider a lot of these songs to be among my favorites: She Has Funny Cars, Somebody To Love, Today, Comin' Back To Me, and D.C.B.A.-25. And let's not forget the ending here. White Rabbit is an iconic piece of Alice In Wonderland inspired psychedelia, and Plastic Fantastic Lover has some of the most interesting lyrical and textural work on the whole album. I will say, I'm not as into My Best Friend or 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds, but they don't really get in the way of my enjoyment of this album. I can absolutely see why this is considered the cream of the crop of the San Fransisco psych scene. This album is fascinating, well written, and it's aged well to boot.
Better than I was expecting. I mean, I knew Somebody to Love and White Rabbit were both fantastic, just wasn’t expecting such a cohesive album. Groovy!
It is elevator music to me
The two songs that everybody knows are far and away the best songs on this album. But they’re absolutely amazing.
Boring as fuck
"Somebody to Love" & "White Rabbit" are the Jefferson Airplane songs. "My Best Friend" is a good one too.
Never really go into Jefferson Airplane, and never liked "White Rabbit", but this album has some good songs. Highlights: "Somebody to Love" and "Embryonic Journey"
I bought a 'Best of Jefferson Airplane' album once and it was basically 80% of this album with like three or four other songs stuck in. I think that kind of sums up how I feel about them too. This is a good album, the highs are really high - Somebody to Love and White Rabbit are two of the best songs from the 60s. At least for this kind of music. The lows of this album are pretty low but still listenable. It definitely deserves a spot on this list though being one of the seminal records of psychedelic rock and really of the 60s in general. For me, I like a few of the songs a lot but could take or leave the rest. 3/5
This is quintessential 60s psychedelic rock. Somebody to Love and White Rabbit alone, would net this album a 5-star rating. 4.8 just because it would have benefited from more Grace singing, rounded up to 5.
Hippies
mmm io mi aspettavo un disco più lisergico... mi è parso più lungo di quello che è davvero... peccato
Groovy, psychedelic rock. Very 60s/70s
As far as 60's psychedelic rock albums go, this was good. That being said, it's one of my least favorite genres.
Somebody to Love is a very good song. The rest is not that compelling to me.
Needs more Grace Slick.
A little disappointing. I was hoping to discover more than the two hits, but I wasn't into much else. Grace Slick shines when she's featured. Liked Songs Added: Somebody To Love White Rabbit
Surprisingly great album. Downloaded it
Pretty cool little album, enjoyed it a lot. I always thought white rabbit led into somebody to love like they do on the radio.
Great
I'm sure it's good if it's your kinda thing. Not for me
i really enjoyed this!! wasn’t sure i had heard anything but i def knew ”somebody to love”. i feel this one can grow on me to a 5 but for now it’s a high 4. 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I have always enjoyed this album. It's fun, I enjoyed the weirdness that they went for with it. Fun studio tricks and because it seems everyone wrote a song or two it varies from track to track. Solid album and a great album to listen to if you like psychedelic rock.
I still love Grace Slick’s voice, but, the acid has worn off, the songs sound dated
there were some enjoyable moments
A couple of bangers, but the rest feels like quite dull meandering tunes
Some good, some boring. The two big hits are great along with some of the bluesy tracks towards the end. The rest was not too exciting.
Nice mix of classic rock
Some real bangers but also a few misses. But still a great album