Reviews (page 9 of 13)
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.
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.
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
Surrealistic my ass. JK! First half was amazing but second half gives this a 3/5.
Nice
60s Psych Rock / Folk album. Nice but nothing too interesting. 6/10
Ok
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.
Grace Slick's songs 5/5. The rest was pretty underwhelming, but I've never been much of a psychedelic rock fan.
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.
Album as a whole didn’t draw me in. White rabbit and somebody to love slay.
They were high as shit recording this.
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.
Psychedelic rock, meh
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
Had an nice sonic feel
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
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.
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
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.
7/10
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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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"
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Good album
Couple bangers
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.
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 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'
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.
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
3.5/5
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.
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 !
The two hits are fantastic, but the rest feels underdeveloped
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.
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
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.
Pre: know shite rabbit / want somebody to love Post: I liked this , the female vocalist is amazing.
Didn't know that's where that sample came from
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.
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.
Ok
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.
white rabbit and somebody to love are peak. and that's all. 3.5/5
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 . . .
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.
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.
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
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)
The two songs that everybody knows are far and away the best songs on this album. But they’re absolutely amazing.
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
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
Great
I'm sure it's good if it's your kinda thing. Not for me
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
I dig your groovy tunes, man.
The hits hold up amazingly well but some filler on this. Good listen overall
There's a reason you've heard "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit" a gazillion times in every form of media at this point: Grace Slick's vocals are unique for a White female singer from her era, with a just-right combination of bluesy earthiness and pure tone. Frustratingly, the rest of the band doesn't seem to know what they have on their hands with her, veering instead into more standard, period-reflective folk and soul led by Marty Balin (that's Jerry Garcia playing lead on "Today"). Which doesn't make the latter stuff bad - it's actually generally quite good. But it ain't special the way Slick's voice is. Feels like the musical equivalent of making Bill Walton play on the JV team for a year at UCLA.
Two really really good songs, some other good, and maybe one or two that didn't excite me much.
Podoba sie dla mnie brzmienie albumu, są dwie piosenkie które mocno siadły "somebody to love" oraz "white rabbit". Reszta piosnek choc brzmi dobrze tak nie zapadły jakos w pamiec, ale sa na tyle dobre, że sie wróci do paru.
Would listen to an entire album of Embryonic Journey
these guys are really good musicians! I respect it, and there were even some parts I really enjoyed in the back half. Just not my thing. heard they were predecessors for the Grateful Dead
Visions of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard on here. I’m sure this did a number in the 60s for someone’s grandma and grandpa, and I respect that. Today was a vibe, and some guitar sections like the ones in DCBA25 are pretty good. It also appears this came out the same year as Sgt Peppers by The Beatles, so these guys were smoking the same stuff it seems.. Holy moley, these are the White Rabbit people. But this one had a lot more stuff that rolled over me then really hit home. Maybe cuz I’m not in the psychedelic, surf rock mood today.
couple fantastic songs. too long though with some definite filler
Decent rock album, better than I expected considering the year of release.
3.5
What I'm learning is oftentimes I have an idea of what one of these classic rock bands from the 60s/70s sounds like, but upon listening...they do not sound like what I thought they sounded like. "Somebody To Love" is a hit, and now I'll know it's Jefferson Airplane next time I hear it.
Blues rock~ish fine, but the hits are so good
6/10
Like somebody to love and white rabbit, but rest is meh
60's/70's vibes.
White Rabbit earned it an extra star
Great female vocalist and feels like the standard for psychedelic rock. It did feel mostly repetitive through the album but I did like the change of pace that In The Morning brought.
Liked it more than I expected to, given how I usually feel about hippie music. “Somebody to Love” is a hit for a reason…I enjoy Jorma Kaukonen and Paul Kantner’s guitar playing, good harmonies. Some songs have that goofy flowery singing or flute/fairy vibe that sounds dated, but overall the songs are good and I enjoyed it, wish I could do 3.5 stars. Crazy how much Marty Balin sounds like 1966 Paul Simon
Was decent - some bangers but probably wouldnt rush back
iha semi ok kuuntelin vaan pari ekaa kappaletta ja tunnistinki yhen joka oli aika yllättävää
White Rabbit is a great track. The rest are listenable, if not memorable.
I’ve always been a ‘Somebody to Love’ champ, and less in the ‘White Rabbit’ camp. But relistening to Surrealistic Pillow today, it really caught me how profound a song like White Rabbit would’ve been at the time. It’s the mid sixties, and you’ve got surf rock and innocence, then here comes this bold belter, like an Amazon battling complacent culture, shouting at the kids to take magic mushrooms, advertising drugs with Alice in Wonderland like the Camel cigarettes cartoon. I’m into it. The story about Grace Slick and Abbie Hoffman trying to dose Nixon is also an insane rabbit hole to go down. If someone tried that in this day of age, they’d be taken out by a sniper. It was a different time, and I get the sense America wasn’t ready for the late sixties. The rest of the tracks are ok. You get very strong Simon and G-Funk vibes. Some skippable blues. To me, this is a two track ordeal. Scroll through the reviews here if you don’t believe me. Even if people mention the tracks other than the obvious Slicks, they’re alongside longer, more glowing, mentions of Somebody to Live and White Rabbit. Casualties among classics.
The hits were great but the rest of the songs were generic psychedelia that blended into the background and didn't make a splash
Det här var svårbedömt. Spretar åt alla håll. Vi samlas ett gäng som inte känner varandra. Alla tar med sig ett par låtar så kör vi. Det är folk, traditionell 60-talspop, lite blues och så förstås flower power. Somebody to love och White rabbit är ju fina knarkardängor (säger en som aldrig knarkat). Tydligen tog Grace Slick, som var ny JA, med sig dem från sitt förra album. Hade nog blivit mer spännande om hon tagit med fler låtar. Står och vacklar mellan 2 och 3 men väljer att fria denna gång.
I actually liked this! Especially the slightly rawer songs, but overall the songwriting is very good. Yeah, nice surprise.
I think I vaguely recall hearing about Jefferson Airplane someplace, somehow, though I'm confident I've never heard a single song of theirs. I've no clue what to expect going off this album cover, though I have a good feeling I'm in for something folky. I can't imagine any other kind of musical act rocking up to the album cover with banjos and flutes of all things. Ah, psychedelic rock. This is quite good. I'm always down for a little psychedelic action, especially when it concerns 60s and 70s music. The songwriting is competent across the board, and I'm into the soft, varied instrumentals which adorn this album. It's nothing exceptional in my eyes, though after having just got through The Beatles' White Album I'm down for something which is just competent. "She Has Funny Cars" is a solid opener. The guitarwork is pretty good. It's heavy-hitting at times while also managing to be quite elegant in the middle of the song. Good vocal melody, too. "My Best Friend" is another good cut. Very reminiscent of the Beach Boys, vocal stylings and all. "Today" has a good ambience. I like the echoing sound. It pairs nicely with the prominent folk influence. "How Do You Feel" is a good later-album track. I like how the ocarina is matched with the acoustic guitar, and the relaxed atmosphere is much-appreciated, too. Book time. Had a successful single. The rest of the entry is about how stylistically diverse this album is. Wikipedia reveals that this album was a hit, received critical acclaim and was highly influential in the formation of psychedelic rock. Yeah. I was already on this album's side, but those tidbits put me over. This is a solid pick.
This was OK, maybe I would have loved it more if I had been at Woodstock as that's the vibes it gave.
I liked the harmonies with the melody. It was more of a San Francisco, 60s musical style which I enjoyed. "Somebody to Love" is excellent.
This is one of those albums where I see why it has such amazing reviews but it wasn’t for me An objectively great album that combines good vibes and good lyricism I also think it sounds great and holds up extremely well for an album that’s nearly 60 years old Favorites: None Honorable Mentions: Somebody to Love,
I prefer boarding the Starship compared to the Airplane, but this is an all-time classic for sure!
Better than Starship.
Ehhhhhhh this was fine. There are some high points for sure, but really it's mostly just fine.
I really don't care for the vocals here, but when an instrumental track came up it made me realize that this band has some really impressive instrumentation. Love the subtle, surf-y guitar playing throughout, as well as the not-so-subtle guitar solos in the blues tracks. Decent 60s joint! Standouts: My Best Friend • Today • Embryonic Journey • In The Morning
I like
Grace Slick's contributions shines out. Otherwise okay.
When I was 17 I heard Grace Slick and the Great Society and was spellbound by Grace's powerful performance. She has an eerie, cult-leader like voice and a talent for storytelling. The comparatively rough and ready live recordings of songs which end up on this record are an absolute delight. What I prefer to that live record is that the band let each idea ride out for long stretches before returning each time to the core of the song at play. Things on this studio Jefferson Airplane records are (to my ears) a little bit more straightforward, and the improved quality of the recordings does not enhance the overall production. I also just love Grace Slick's voice, and I'm not nearly as enamoured with the male singer who sings on the majority of these songs. Its objectively a great album but that early experience of being blown away by something similar, but substantially different has left a mark on me.
Groovy rock man.
Embryonic journey forever ingrained because of the Friends finale Nice 60s album, good instrumentation. Just doesn't crack outstanding album for me, maybe because too many 60s/70s on here. 3*
72/1001 Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ Somebody To Love and White Rabbit are the outstanding songs on this record. On the whole, this is a pretty enjoyable listen. I will say, the songs with Grace Slick as the main vocalist tend to be a lot better and the slower tunes stop any momentum the album had.
Lots of great songs I recognized but not really my vibe
This was one of those albums where I know (and enjoy) their hit songs very, very well, but wasn't really sure what the rest would sound like. I was pleasantly surprised by some of it, but not so much for the parts that skewed folk/country.
Ok with a couple of their memorable tunes, a bit Meh for me though
I’m sure good for the style just not my thing
Hell yeah.
Some songs were peak but a lot were kind of lame
So we all know Somebody To Love and White Rabbit, not only some of the greatest songs of the 60s, but easily of all time. Classic songs still played on classic rock radio, songs featured on every classic rock playlist. But what about the other 9 songs? Well, they're okay I guess. I'm sure like with many albums on this list this album is more influential than anything, and it most certainly is in many ways, but were the two songs were or was the whole album? Not to say the album is bad, it wasn't, but there's a reason why those two songs specifically will stand the rest of time.
Definitive 70s classic rock. Legendary songs like White Rabbit and Somebody to Love endure to this day. The rest of the album is filled with bluesy rock that was a hallmark of their time. Can’t find a real fault or dislike about any of it
Old school 60’s folk pop. Lush reverbs, acoustic guitar, flute, and harmonies make it sound similar to a lot of bands from the period.
Coming into this, I only know White Rabbit. And I love that song. Excited to hear rest of the album. She has funny cars: Marty Balin's vocals remind me of Somewhere they cant find me by Simon & Garfunkel. Hearing Grace Slick come in on a song other than White Rabbit was very cool. Excited for rest of album. OK yes I know Somebody to Love. No clue why I didn't recognize that. White Rabbit is still my favorite though. Big fan of In The Morning. The middle of the album sounded like a mix of S&G and the Beatles. Going for listen 2 now
I don’t know. White Rabbit and Somebody To Love are great songs but everything just kind of sounds the same. Not bad, but not as fun as I had hoped.
Classic. Essential album but in my opinion it’s only for a few key songs. I like a couple deep tracks but i would skip more than half the songs on the album. The good songs carry the whole album.
Nice mellow album
Album is decent overall though it's one of those albums where I hear songs and think "oh fuck that's who sang that song?". Favorite tracks: Somebody to Love, White Rabbit
I really liked somebody to love, white rabbit, and in the morning. Interesting vocals all around.
Finally found the Similac Child sample (Today).
Really good sound!
OK for insect oriented prison folk, I guess
Тут є пісня від якої тошно (Somebody to love), бо юзали її тупо всюди, але в цілому - дуже непоганий альбом тієї епохи. Але щось я не можу слухати загалом подібну музику 60х без якогось враження ніби дивлюсь фільм про ті часи. Не виходить бути об'єктивним, бо вся ця музика для мене звучить як саме референс до епохи, а не щось окреме.
I wish we had more songs with the woman singing and less songs with the Bob Dylan/Paul Simon man.
I enjoyed the musicality of it. Some of the songs were okay. It just wasn't my vibe.
3,1/5
Not their best but some decent tunes.
Voilà un avion qui me passe très très haut au-dessus d'la tête.
Cool, foundational psychedelic rock. I love Grace Slick's voice. Some of the songs do it for me, and others don't. Somebody to Love is a stone cold classic.
Rock and roll, nie znam sie, dla mnie brzmi jak Beatelsi. Ola mówi, że bardzo fajny (sobota, nakłada obiad)
Could have been a much stronger shorter album. Hindsight is 20/20, but it’s wild to not have Grace Slick on every single song
This type of music would normally tick all the boxes for me – 60s music? Yep / Psychedelic? Yep. But I was a bit ambivalent. I know two songs of theirs (I am not including We Built This City), Somebody to Love (heard on the film the Cable Guy) and White Rabbit (insert any Vietnam War film) and like the fact that both of these are used in films to indicate discord and confusion. While both of these songs are happily on this album it didn’t really do anything for me as a whole, with songs that are nice but not very interesting musically. I think its indicative of the fact that although I have heard of the group, I have never felt inclined to buy an album.
Some great classics on this record. And a lot of interesting psychedelic music. Definitely belongs on this list. Highlights are all the Grace Slick songs. Embryonic Journey also good. But the other songs aren’t quite as impactful. Strong record that could’ve been a lot better with more Grace Slick. I give the Grace songs a 4 or 5, the rest of the album a 3.
Sämre än va ja trodde
3/5 rating for me. I can see how important and exciting this album and its singles were in the summer of 1967. Its a great snapshot of how blues rock was co-opted by California hippies and mixed with psychedelic rock. Some of the more tender and quiet songs have beautiful singing parts and not just from Grace Slick. The two singles are absolute standouts but they sit great with this easy listening album.
7/10
This is good. A little too “mock psychedelic” for me, but it’s well produced. 6/10
really strong 3.5, def a good listen with some all time great songs
Good
not bad
Starting off with the positives: when the female vocalist takes lead holy hell she is an absolute powerhouse. It’s no question that the best tracks are Somebody to Love and White Rabbit. The rest of the album has a serious identity crisis. The male vocalist(s) are boring and generic even when they flop from psychedelic rock to blues. The track sequence dynamics are terrible. Why did they put the most sleep inducing ballad in the dead center of the album. I want to rank this album lower, yet I can’t because she’s so damn good.
The sort of extreme earnestness but also trying-so-hardism of this kind of 60s psychedelic folkiness just bugs me: the ridiculous lyrics, the meandering recorder, the breathy spacey singing, weak-ass drumming. However, Slick is amazing on the two big hits, and the acoustic guitar instrumental is gorgeous.
Glad to listen to this one all the way through. While there are some bangers "White Rabbit", there were also some surprises including the instrumental "Embryonic Journey" for instance. However, time has not been as kind to this album as it feel a bit dated.
Not a big fan of their sound, though how could you not appreciate Grace Slick’s voice, and of course the two big songs here deserve to be classics.
Its fine, its whatever, its 3/5.
Was fun, and some obvious classic songs. However, I was never fully enticed and it kinda was just a more boring beatles...
3.5 stars
Far too many 60s psychedelic rock albums on this list
Somebody to Love and White Rabbit are two of my most favorite songs of all time. The rest of the album is boring. Or I’m not on enough psychedelics.
No sabia que estos hitazos no eran de una solista. Igual, no es lo mío. Nota: 2.7
Good album, I know and enjoy one song off of it, the rest is somewhat similar but feels like it falls a bit flat for me.
Feels like a 4 but if 4 criteria is entire album listenability it cant be. Really cool album, good songs for the most part but some are stinkers.
Fun record and a surprising amount of calm songs. The singles elevate it's popularity and makes it fun to listen to. Will need to listen to it more times.
Jorma is a beast. The hits still pop. Most of the rest sounds pretty dated and forgettable to me.
Clasico, Somebody to Love es una cabilla
It was fine as background music, but nothing was a particular standout.
kind of forgettable, very average maybe slight above, well other than “somebody to love”
The "hits" are in fact the best thing on the album. Sometimes that's not the case, but the rest seem very dated. You have the one two punch of "Somebody To Love" and "White Rabbit," two songs that defined 60s music. The rest? Meh. A song like "My Best Friend" ... Queen did it better. The only two other songs that were any good was "Embryonic Journey" (I liked the guitar work on it, sue me) and "3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds". The rest didn't hit me, maybe because it was so much a 60s album, I dunno. But liking 4 of the songs is better than just the 2, so I would probably give it a 2.6, rounding up to a 3.
I always liked Somebody to Love and disliked White Rabbit. The lyrics on the latter are sublime but the sound was too psychedelic for me. The former is energetic and a fierce rocker; a true classic. But there's not enough of it on this album. To me, it's all too plodding. Except 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds (it's got some energy and bops to it) and Embryonic Journey (an incredibly beautiful and deft instrumental piece). Just not my scene.
Was good. I knew a couple songs on it already. Took me a long time to finish listening tho bc I got kinda bored or distracted a few times but ultimately I really enjoyed the second half a lot more.
The good is very good, and the filler is not hard to listen to either. I just found that I wanted to like it more than I actually liked it.
60s Rock albums - you know one, you know them all. 2.5/5
Some great classics in there.
It was good. Typical hippy album
Inoffensive psych-rock. Nothing more, nothing less. Some cool ideas, but something standout.
Correcto
A record with classics, like "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit", you'd imagine it to be a classic album... but not this one. Those are the only 2 songs that are the classics. The rest is just ok and/or bad '60s rock.
Had its moments (mainly the parts with emphasis on female vocals) but overall is kinda meh. I don’t really have strong feelings about this album. I didn’t hate it (and Somebody to Love is an absolute banger), but it went into one ear and out of the other. The songs meandered too much and had some parts where nothing really happened. It’s a fine album but somewhat uninspiring.
Hard to look past the legendary 60s hype of Grace Slick when listening to this. I knew White Rabbit but not much else. Not a sound I’d listen to again but probably influential.
The whiplash you get from two of the best opening tracks on this list to My Best Friend, a song that’s uhhhhh awful is pretty amazing. A real, guys let’s take it down a few notches, I want people to hear our sensitive side! And the sensitive side sucks ass, Jesus.
i actually really liked it
Pretty solid album overall, I love the vibe. I feel like I could put it on and listen to it all the way, of course the singles are amazing. I think this is probably a three out of five pretty close to a four. There’s a lot of albums to go through.
Me gusto hasta ahí
Ni bueno ni malo. Si lo escucho muchas veces me aburriria, pero una vez cada tanto viaja
It's very 60's. This is free love and drugs before it became cool.
I really likes the songs by the female lead singer and would have probably given the album a 4/5 if it was just her, reminded me of the cranberries.
[3.25/5] Final impressions: Grace Slick just has such a great voice. Unfortunately, she is kind of carrying this album. Generally good throughout, but the primary stand outs are the tracks Slick does vocals on. Listened to on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/album/6lPb7Eoon6QPbscWbMsk6a]. She Has Funny Cars - The vocals are just fantastic here. Aside from that, nothing too crazy. Somebody to Love - Stronger than the previous track, a fun listen. The standalone instrumentals are great as well. My Best Friend - Not my favorite track out of whats on here. Just okay. Gets somewhat better with the tempo shift. I liked the ending. Today - Good track, creates a tone masterfully. Comin' Back To Me - Amazing instrumentals paired with amazing vocals, absolutely nothing to complain about here. Really like this one. 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds - A fun ride. A joy to listen to. D. C. B. A.-25 - Great beat, great vocals. How Do You Feel - Good beat, but I don't love this one. A bit too syrupy. Embryonic Journey - Great instrumentals. It's good. *White Rabbit - Is, and has always been, one of my favorite songs of all time. Fantastic. Stays just as good as I remember. Plastic Fantastic Lover - Kind of fun. Not necessarily similar to the rest of this album, which isn't a bad thing. Overall notes: Just generally good throughout. Doesn't really have any low points.
Psychelesic rock. Bit disappointing, expected more from the two songs already known (Somebody to Love and White Rabbit). Nothing else standing out far. Best track - Go To Her or 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds 3 stars
I knew one song!
3.4
Enjoyed this album, would like to go back and give it a closer listen sometime. 3.5 stars.
I get why it's here, but I guess the 60's just ain't for me. Somebody to Love was the only one I really enjoyed. Quality sounded good, Grace was the better vocalist by far.
Pleasant psychedelic folk/rock but a bit tame and lackluster.
5 star rating system is so limiting
Never a big Airplane fan. Some great songs on this let down by the production as it sounds like it was recorded in a bathroom....
This felt like a bit of a musical education to something I didn't know existed. Enjoyed it, but unlikely to return
Summer of Love baby!
Strong start; not so great consistency towards the end. Joe Cox loved this album.
Songs featuring Grace Slick were the highlight of the album, the rest were a bit groovy
Some classics here, and always some I haven't heard when it's something this far back.
It was average
Cool album all around. Psych rock with some bluesy jams. Iconic singles and strong album tracks.
Am I at Ren Fair again? No, this is an epic band with great hits, the album to me is dabbling in a bit too much. Album rating does not reflect my respect for the band.
Uno de los álbumes más influyentes y significativos del rock psicodélico, que representa perfectamente la atmósfera hippie de los EE. UU. a finales de los 60. De los dos hits (Somebody to Love y White Rabbit) poco hay que decir, son de los temas más conocidos dentro de la contracultura sesentera, y por buen motivo. Composiciones innovadoras, un blues distorsionado y onírico que teletransporta al país de las maravillas. El resto del álbum, por otra parte, flojea un poco. Composiciones folk más típicas de su época, que, aunque no es que sean malas musicalmente, se hacen un poco cansinas. Me hubiera gustado que Grace Slick tuviera en general más protagonismo en el álbum. Un álbum que hay que escuchar antes de morir, aunque solo sea por los singles.
It was an okay album. Obviously "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love" were great songs, that's why they get tons of airplay on classic rock radio. The other songs were good, but not great. I didn't hate them, but I didn't love them.
Cool.
I love the female lead singers voice. My favorite tracks are, “White Rabbit”, “In the Morning”, “Go to Her” and “ somebody to love” (I’ve heard this one before)
I thought I'd really enjoy this album but it weirdly made me angry. The best known songs ("Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit") are still great, but otherwise the album just feels like a product of its time, a decent enough piece of 1960s psychedelic rock but as a whole album it doesn't feel greater than the stand-out classic singles
Ta bien un poco de todo flow rock pop punk y eso
It’s alright. 2.75
It's the 60s. It's jangly guitars. It's top vocals and harmonies. It's a hippyish vibe. It's all good.
I want to like this album more than I do. I see the influence and there are good songs on here, but I don't see myself coming back to it often. 6/10
Don't love, my wife does
I really liked this album both musically and lyrically. Won't go on my regular rotation, but I am glad I listened to it and am aware of the artist!
Pure Psycheldelic blues-based drip. Pleasing to the ear, but very "of an era". White Rabbit is peak Jefferson Airplane. Embryonic Journey is a legendary Jorma jam. The rest is okay but a little too dated. They were "it" for a time and this album is their signature and it's debatable how fame and the 60s, hippie, San Fran scene affected them going forward.
Solidly ‘Meh’
Very good album with a few all-time classic songs sprinkled in.
3.5
My favourites were She Has Funny Cars, 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds, D.C.B.A-25 and Embryonic Journey. I think the rest is alright. White Rabbit has a cool rhythm.
LET THE GIRL SING! If not for White Rabbit and Somebody to Love this album would be forgotten by almost everyone. It’s a mediocre blues/folk/rock album save for a couple of songs. The other singer/singers, I’m not gonna look it up but it sounds like there might be two male singers, are not that good and their songs are boring. How a band that mostly plays stale blues rock came up with white rabbit is a mystery. That song has no chorus, and hardly any song structure, it just builds and builds till it explodes, but it works so well. And Somebody to Love has a sound of its own, wholly unique to the rest of the album. Everything else on here is forgettable, I did like the instrumental track though.
Enjoyable rock album. Somebody to Love and White Rabbit resonated with me the most and had me grooving along to them.
I really liked some of the songs
This is a time capsule that transports you to a singular cultural moment. This was the first major record out of the Haight-Ashbury movement that opened the door for all the SF bands. Amazing how dated it sounds to me today versus when I first listened to this in the late 80’s. I don’t think I ever played it from top to bottom. There are some high points, mostly the Grace Slick tunes, and How Do You Feel -> Embryonic Journey -> White Rabbit is a sweet progression to close out the B side.
Pshychadelia before the knob twisting lead them into a ditch. The songs are actually written. I see the craft and the talent is on display. I just don't like it very much. I can't connect with it. The flavor is just not my cup a tea - save "Embryonic Journey". Jorma K is bringing the heat on that one and all vocalists are sitting that one out. Perhaps I've just solved this mystery.
- Son très fin des années 60, très léger, très plaisant à écouter. - Je ne connaissais pas le groupe, sauf de nom, et une rapide lecture de leur page Wikipédia me fait comprendre que l’histoire du groupe est très complexe et comporte plusieurs changements de nom (Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, Starship et plein d’autres side-projects) et de line-ups (et des revival tours des différents line-ups des différents bands, ouf). - Mais la musique de ce disque est très joyeuse, entrainante, bubbly, diraient les jeunes. - Il y a quelques fois un son qui fait penser aux Beatles (c’est l’époque, ne l’oublions pas), comme sur My Best Friend.
Felt this one was quite mid to be honest, a lot of it comes down to generic 1967 summer of love songs with a kind of weird sound to this album that I wasn’t a massive fan of, although I did think it worked for some of the songs. Wasn’t bad though mostly because of the hits which really lift this such as somebody to love and white rabbit. Other songs I liked the most were also the more popular ones like embryonic journey which was a really cool interlude and plastic fantastic lover. Overall 6/10.
Good vibes. First time listening to this front to back.
I was between 3 and 4 for this one. I had only recognized Somebody to Love, but most of the other tracks were good. Part of me feels like I want to give it a 4 since I just went through a dreadful stretch of albums, but I feel like I'd be undermining other 4s I've given. So 3 it is.
It's a decent and varied psychedelic work, the songs just don't particularly grab me They keep it interesting, at least, it's not a bad listen and it's a respectable album. It just isn't enough for something higher
Great Sixties Stuff with 2 absolute classics on it!
Enjoyable. Quite a variety of style but blended well. Would not listen to on repeat except for the top two songs "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love".
I went into this album only knowing "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit." I was disappointed. This is pretty generic psychedelica.
음., 그렇게 끌리지않음
vibey, reminds me of my dad (again) also, drugs ! i'd say like 3.5, nice to have on in the back and some cool or pretty or funky or bluesy stuff
I really like some of the songs, and the others are just okay.
I knew Somebody to Love and White Rabbit, but they are the outliers here - some of the other tracks felt more folky than psychedelic.
Really like the song White Rabbit. The rest of the album was just okay for me.
This record has its ups and downs for me. I didn't know what to expect, so I planned to see a bunch of folk tracks. I was glad that there was a diverse set of songs here. Highlights for me in this record were the surprise blues in "In The Morning" and the instrumental performances in "Embryonic Journey". A lowlight for me was the vocals. The vocals felt underpowered compared to the instrumentals, and overall, I didn't like the vocal tones found here. Favourite Track(s): In the Morning, Embryonic Journey, White Rabbit, Somebody to Love Least Favourite Track(s): Comin' Back to Me, Today
Some good tracks mixed with some pretty forgettable ones.
Would really like it playing in a bar or a café. Embryonic Journey <3 Final episode of Friends. White Rabbit <3 Stranger Things and Handmaid's Tale. Somebody to Love
A couple good songs a lot of mid
I didn’t realize many of these songs were theirs. Psychedelic rock songs from the 60’s / 70’s.
Nice album but quite dated now and “of it’s time”. Enjoyed Grace Slick’s vocals.
The two songs are anthemic and iconic. The rest was a drag.
“Somebody to Love” is an obvious standout. “Today” and “Coming back to me” are the standout tracks for someone new to the album. 1st album on my journey. I had hoped for more from the album but it was hit and miss.
Stellar tracks like White Rabbit, Somebody To Love really standout among some groovy but kind of samey offerings here on this Surrealistic Pillow. Pretty much anything Grace Slick isn’t singing lead in is a bit of a bore.
I liked the folksy parts of this album, but I also enjoyed the rock tracks. Grace Slick's voice is mesmerizing, and the songs without her on lead vocals suffered in my opinion, knowing that they could've featured her instead. Other than "White Rabbit" and "Somebody To Love," which I'd of course heard before, I thought "Go To Her" was a standout on this album. "Come Back Baby" was one of the non-Slick songs I really enjoyed.
Sorti en février 1967, "Surrealistic Pillow" le deuxième albums du groupe Jefferson Airplane est rapidement devenu la bande-son de la contre-culture naissante, propulsant le rock psychédélique sur le devant de la scène internationale et laissant une empreinte indélébile dans l'histoire de la musique populaire. L'enregistrement de Surrealistic Pillow s'est déroulé à l'automne 1966 dans les studios RCA Victor à Hollywood. Sous la houlette du producteur Rick Jarrard, le groupe allait cristalliser une alchimie unique. Et l'arrivée récente de la chanteuse Grace Slick, transfuge du groupe The Great Society, fut un catalyseur majeur. Avec elle, Jefferson Airplane n'a pas seulement gagné une voix féminine puissante et charismatique, capable de rivaliser avec les ténors masculins du rock de l'époque, mais aussi deux des chansons les plus emblématiques de l'album et de la décennie : "Somebody to Love" et "White Rabbit". Ces deux titres, originellement interprétés par The Great Society, furent métamorphosés par Jefferson Airplane. "Somebody to Love", est un hymne vibrant à l'amour libre et à la connexion humaine. "White Rabbit" est une pièce maîtresse du psychédélisme. S'inspirant du Boléro de Maurice Ravel pour sa progression crescendo et des aventures d'Alice au Pays des Merveilles de Lewis Carroll pour ses paroles allusives aux drogues et à l'altération de la perception, la chanson est une invitation hypnotique à explorer les "terriers du lapin" de la conscience. Sa diffusion sur les ondes radio, malgré ses références audacieuses, témoigne de l'audace d'une époque en pleine mutation. Au-delà de ces deux succès retentissants, qui se hissèrent respectivement à la cinquième et huitième place du Billboard Hot 100, "Surrealistic Pillow" est un écrin de pépites musicales. L'album s'ouvre sur "She Has Funny Cars" une critique subtile du matérialisme américain enveloppée dans un rock énergique aux guitares carillonnantes. La ballade folk-rock "Today" offre un moment de pure poésie et de mélancolie rêveuse. Le son de l'album est d'une richesse impressionnante, fusionnant les racines folk du groupe avec des explorations psychédéliques audacieuses, des touches de blues et des harmonies vocales complexes qui deviendront l'une de leurs marques de fabrique. La section rythmique ancre solidement les envolées psychédéliques. Le jeu, mélodique et inventif, est particulièrement remarquable, tandis que la batterie, apporte une dynamique et une finesse inhabituelles pour le rock de l'époque. Les guitares, tantôt incisives et bluesy, tantôt planantes et réverbérées, dessinent des paysages sonores fascinants, comme en témoigne le solo emblématique et déformé de "Somebody to Love" ou la délicate pièce instrumentale acoustique "Embryonic Journey", une composition épurée qui clôt l'album original sur une note d'introspection et de beauté intemporelle. Les contributions vocales de Marty Balin, fondateur du groupe, restent centrales. Sa voix de ténor offre un contrepoint parfait à la puissance affirmée de Grace Slick, créant une dynamique vocale. À sa sortie, "Surrealistic Pillow" connut un succès commercial considérable, atteignant la troisième place du classement des albums Billboard. Il fut certifié disque d'or par la RIAA peu après sa sortie, puis platine, témoignant de son impact massif sur le public. Plus important encore, l'album est considéré comme l'un des manifestes du "San Francisco Sound" et une œuvre fondatrice du rock psychédélique. Il a ouvert la voie à une nouvelle forme d'expression musicale, plus libre, plus poétique et plus aventureuse. Il s'en sort avec un 3 sur 5 et cinquante-sept ans après sa sortie, "Surrealistic Pillow" reste un album essentiel. C'est un témoignage vibrant d'une période d'effervescence créative, une capsule temporelle qui nous transporte au cœur du psychédélisme californien, mais aussi une œuvre intemporelle dont la beauté étrange et la puissance évocatrice continuent de fasciner.
This album shines brightest when Grace Slick takes the mic. Her tracks are the real gems, especially "Somebody to Love". A classic that makes you feel like you’re floating on a cloud of good vibes. The rest of the album? Just forgettable fillers that don’t quite measure up!
Good album, very much of their era. You can feel the vibe of the scene in which it was created. Not my cup of tea songwise, but a good record indeed.
Je m'attendais à une inquiétante fébrilité comme dans White Rabbit, mais j'ai plutôt eu du rock communautaire comme dans Somebody to Love. C'était quand même sympathique, et la chanteuse a vraiment une puissance et un timbre admirables
Some good moments - particularly fun recognising how much it clearly influenced Phineas and Ferb - but too swampy wet overall.
GOOD VIBES
Not necessarily my thing. But I always thought of Jefferson Airplane as classic rock (which they are) but I didn’t realize how hippie they actually were, which is a good thing. I prefer the female vocals. They are a different band with her singing. I need to look her up. I don’t know her name. Their name alone is worth a star before you even listen to the music. Surrealistic Pillow. Amazing title.
One of the classic rock band. Good tunes, my favorites of course is Somebody to Love and White Rabbit. Good album.
It's solid. Somebody to Love really stuck out for me, but other than that, I found myself bored for most of the rest of the album.
Another one of the situations I'd like to have a 10 scale for. 6/10.
This one's pretty good. I like a couple of the well known tracks alot. I would go 7/10, so 3/5.
I don’t remember much but it feels like there are some classics on here
I had never heard of this band and I was pleasantly surprised. Bluesy, countercultured, with some rock n roll and great guitar.
3.5 if that was possible.
Some great songs, arrangements, and psychedelic folk fun but seriously dated and cringey on some songs. Love Grace Slick vocals on "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love"
3- Stars (7/15)
A classic psych rock album from the 60s. Some great druggy imagery depicted in the lyrics. I do think this album does lack a bit of cohesion in the middle but for the most part it's pretty good. 7/10 Favourite: Somebody to Love Least Favourite: My Best Friend
We are not super big fans of this 60s style music. Wanted to give it a 2.5, but we can't do "half stars"... better than In Utero, worse than Aladdin Sane (#1 and #4 in our listening and this was #5).