Jefferson Airplane: "After Bathing At Baxter´s" - Aborted version.

In this occasion, we take a leap back and return to the happy and glamorous 60s, specifically to 1967. Year that marked the highest point at which popular music could reach not only in that prodigious decade but possibly the century, due to the amount of revelation artists as The Doors, Jimi Hendrix Experience o The Elvis return. The Monterey International Pop Festival or the mythical albums like a: “Sgt.Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band”; or what could have been and was not: “Smile”.

Ok.., in short, we would not stop adding more and more things, but the space that I must submit to is limited, I don´t want to bore to you. Let me say one more thing: 1967 was called: the year that revolutionized music forever. let's go with the week's lp, cd or tape whatever you want to call it.

From October 1967, I rescued the third work of Jefferson Airplane, 2nd with the singer Grace Slick, "After Bathing At Baxter's", bit.ly/67JABAX "baxter" was the band's code for the psychedelic drug LSD or "acid",and the title as a whole translates to "After Tripping On Acid"; The recording sessions started on June until October at The Rca Victor Studios, Hollywood Ca. The album was released on November 27.1967, with Al  Schmitt as producer.

The first single was a song written by Paul Kantner called: ""The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil", recorded live on the Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, Ca, but was, edited and remixed with differents over-dubs added later; released on August, with "Two Heads" on B side. In principle this song was going to have two versions: one edit (4:30) and another of more than 12 minutes that would be located on the 2nd side, along with an unnamed coda, after known as::"A Small Package of Value Will Come to You, Shortly". The second single was: "Watch her ride / Martha". on  November.

From this album has been said it was not well structured, that the October version was superior and much better in terms of content, In a few words, they spoiled it by trying to make it too psychedelic; something that the group took into account when ordered their next work: "Crown of Creation".

It is inexplicable how tunes as good as "Things are better in the East" were eliminated, just because by some band´s members it was a too personal subject of Marty Balin; while other songs like a: "Spare Chaynge" was included,, when this instrumental did not really added nothing, very psychedelic but absolutely dispensable; this long jam appeared on the album, thanks to sacrifice the full length version of. "The Ballad of You & Me & Pooneil", by the single edit of 4:29. This Marty Balin´s song was meant to be a single with "Don't Let Me Down" on the opposite side. Another theme eliminated and sent to the trunk of the old tapes. Both songs recovered decades later in 1993 on the box set "Loves You". These are some of the reasons why this experimental album was significantly less successful than its predecessor from a commercial standpoint.

For the first time you will listen: "Won't You Try", without "Saturday Afternoon". Mix rejected and that was going to appear on the Japanese promotional Lp, but finally not used. From that foreign edition, I have taken the alternate original cover art made by Keiichi Tanaami. You will also find the original English cover made by Ron Cobb but, without the red and blue stripes and white stars,, so you can choose which of them you like the most. Here is the early and not very well-known version elaborated in October of 1967, which should have been published. Judge.

Side A: (19:18)

A: The War Is Over:
1.-Martha.(3:26)
2.-Wild Tyme (H).(3:06)

B: Hymn To An Older Generation:
3.-The Last Wall Of The Castle.(2:38)
4.-Rejoyce.(3:58)

C: Shizoforest Love Suite:
5.-Two Heads.(3:15) (*)
6.-Don´t Let Me Down.(2:52) (*)

Side B:(21:03)

D: How Suite It Is:
1.-Won´t You Try.(2:04) (*)
2.-Watch Her Ride.(3:10)

E: Streetmasse:
3.-The Ballad of You & Me & Pooneil.(12:29) (*)
4.-Things Are Better In The East.(3:18) (*)

(*) Rejected song or version on the final album mix.

It is clear that if they had respected this "setlist", the album would have won a lot and without a doubt would have been almost at the height of "Surrealistic Pillow".

Enjoy, see you soon, with more and better..