Jefferson Airplane – Surrealistic Pillow

I see a lot of album reviews but nothing on the quality of this pressing. Any comments on that? I know the stereo is a little funky and the mono is the one to get. But, any word on this one versus the Hollywood stereo where it was recorded? This one is more affordable. Any thoughts? I do have the Steve Hoffman stereo from the 90s which sounds decent to me but looking for a decent OG stereo at a reasonable price which is getting tough for this album now.

I found a variant 9 that is VG+ condition and was reasonably impressed. Yes, it is a bit compressed and has the funky psychedelic fuzzy sound and Jack Casady’s bass has been kidnapped but a lot better than what I anticipated. Yes, the mono is better, clearer and more low end and less futzed with but this is worth having if clean and at the right price. Perhaps this one is more the intended sound? Who knows.

Landmark album from the Airplane, and probably their best (although VOLUNTEERS rates highly as well) with a very democratic distribution of vocals amongst Balin, Slick, and Kantner. If there's a song that could be considered filler, I guess it'd be "D.C.B.A.-25", but there's really not a bad tune here. This pressing is nice, "Plastic Fantastic Lover" in particular sounds more dynamic and full-bodied than I from my old CD. I got this from a crate dig at a ridiculously cheap price, it's got light surface noise in a couple of spots, but no skips or scratches. Nice copy of a plastic fantastic record.

11.5/12

The first 15 seconds of the album is iconic to the 60s. It perfectly sets up a psychedelic 60s rock album.

“She Has Funny Cars” sets the stage, “Somebody to Love” and “My Best Friend” are notable psychedelic pop songs, and “Today” really establishes the mellow psychedelic vibe. This tone continues into “Comin’ Back to Me”, adding more of a folk element to it. “3/5 of a Me in 10 Seconds” returns to the upbeat psychedelic rock sound, but this time with a surf or beach element to it. The next two songs are optimistic psychedelic pop songs. “Embryonic Journey” is a nice instrumental bridge into the grand opus for the band. “White Rabbit” is a tremendous and iconic song in the psychedelic rock genre and is overall a masterpiece. I also love that it is about “Alice in Wonderland”, which ties the psychedelic and surreal elements back into the album, as well as earning brownie points, being a narrative song. “Plastic Fantastic Lover” circles back with the same iconic psychedelic 60s sound as the opening track. It really stamps the album as a product of its time and feels straight out of the Vietnam war.

Overall, this album was much better than I when I listened the first time. It varies between psychedelic rock and pop and really has a tremendous sound to it. Many of the songs are bangers as well. And having “White Rabbit” is a major plus.

Bangers: “White Rabbit”, “Somebody to Love”, “My Best Friend”, “Today”, “Comin’ Back to Me”, and “Plastic Fantastic Lover”

ALBUM ARTWORK:
8:12

The poster is solid. There’s a nice shot of the band and the purple colors fit well. I just wish there was more psychedelic elements to the cover.

my copy is a french pressing, similat to the french 1970's pressing, same front and back sleeve, rca victor 740.073, but it is 461.015, lsp 3766 as well, stereo, matrix is :A side tprs 4894 and B side tprs 4895..... a test pressing?

I'm looking forward to the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab 2 x LP, 45 RPM, Mono reissue/remaster. Should be a good one!

Absolute psychedelic brilliance!
Listen to this album, if only for the insane bass and vocals of White Rabbit.

I have just picked up a copy but can't find anything about it anywhere. It is a Simply Vinyl marked as SVLP0059 on the sleeve. The back is labelled with BMG and RCA. It has the barcode: 643346005911 Anyone any ideas on the validity of this?