After Bathing at Baxter's
Encyclopedia
After Bathing at Baxter's was released in 1967 and is the third album by the San Francisco rock band Jefferson Airplane
.
Unlike Surrealistic Pillow
, released earlier the same year, After Bathing at Baxter's is classified as psychedelic rock
because it eschews the more commercial type pop songs, such as "Somebody to Love
," that appeared on the earlier LP. As such, it was a watershed album; Jefferson Airplane was now a much heavier rock group. Jorma Kaukonen
's electric guitar was especially more to the forefront in both volume and tone.
Divided into "suites," this musical shift is typified by longer and more experimental compositions such as the nine-minute instrumental "Spare Chaynge" and Grace Slick
's mammoth and unusual "rejoyce," an homage to James Joyce
's novel Ulysses
, with its quirky arrangement and Jack Casady
's stentorian bass line. Many of the album tracks reflect the band's heavy use of the drug LSD. The cover art is by artist Ron Cobb
.
The album peaked at no. 17. The first single, "The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil," barely missed the top 40 mark, charting at #42 while the second release, "Watch Her Ride," charted at #61 on Billboard. Both singles made it to the top 40 in the Cash Box Top 100. The band would continue its major commercial success the next year with Crown of Creation
.
Single
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
.
Unlike Surrealistic Pillow
Surrealistic Pillow
Surrealistic Pillow is the second album by American psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane, released in February 1967.Original drummer Alexander 'Skip' Spence had left the band in mid-1966, replaced by a jazz drummer from Los Angeles, Spencer Dryden, a nephew of Charlie Chaplin. New lead vocalist...
, released earlier the same year, After Bathing at Baxter's is classified as psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
because it eschews the more commercial type pop songs, such as "Somebody to Love
Somebody to Love (Jefferson Airplane song)
"Somebody to Love" is a rock song that was written by Darby Slick and originally recorded by 1960s folk rock band The Great Society and later by the psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane...
," that appeared on the earlier LP. As such, it was a watershed album; Jefferson Airplane was now a much heavier rock group. Jorma Kaukonen
Jorma Kaukonen
Jorma Ludwik Kaukonen Jr. is an American blues, folk, and rock guitarist, best known for his work with Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna.-Biography:...
's electric guitar was especially more to the forefront in both volume and tone.
Divided into "suites," this musical shift is typified by longer and more experimental compositions such as the nine-minute instrumental "Spare Chaynge" and Grace Slick
Grace Slick
Grace Slick is an American singer and songwriter, who was one of the lead singers of the rock groups The Great Society, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, and Starship, and was a solo artist, for nearly three decades, from the mid-1960s to the mid-1990s...
's mammoth and unusual "rejoyce," an homage to James Joyce
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
's novel Ulysses
Ulysses (novel)
Ulysses is a novel by the Irish author James Joyce. It was first serialised in parts in the American journal The Little Review from March 1918 to December 1920, and then published in its entirety by Sylvia Beach on 2 February 1922, in Paris. One of the most important works of Modernist literature,...
, with its quirky arrangement and Jack Casady
Jack Casady
Jack Casady , is an American musician considered one of the foremost bass guitarists of the rock music era and best known as a member of Jefferson Airplane. First playing as a lead guitarist with the Washington D.C...
's stentorian bass line. Many of the album tracks reflect the band's heavy use of the drug LSD. The cover art is by artist Ron Cobb
Ron Cobb
Ron Cobb is an American cartoonist, artist, writer, film designer, and film director.By the age of 18, with no formal training in graphic illustration, Cobb was working as an animation "inbetweener" artist for Disney Studios in Burbank, California. He progressed to becoming a breakdown artist on...
.
The album peaked at no. 17. The first single, "The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil," barely missed the top 40 mark, charting at #42 while the second release, "Watch Her Ride," charted at #61 on Billboard. Both singles made it to the top 40 in the Cash Box Top 100. The band would continue its major commercial success the next year with Crown of Creation
Crown of Creation
-Personnel:*Marty Balin – vocals, rhythm guitar*Grace Slick – vocals, piano, organ*Paul Kantner – rhythm guitar, vocals*Jorma Kaukonen – lead guitar, electric chicken, vocals*Spencer Dryden – drums, piano, organ, steel balls, vocals...
.
Track listing
Personnel
- Grace SlickGrace SlickGrace Slick is an American singer and songwriter, who was one of the lead singers of the rock groups The Great Society, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, and Starship, and was a solo artist, for nearly three decades, from the mid-1960s to the mid-1990s...
– piano, organ, recorder, vocals - Paul KantnerPaul KantnerPaul Lorin Kantner is an American rock musician, known for co-founding the psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane and its spin-off band Jefferson Starship.- Overview :...
– rhythm guitar, vocals - Jorma KaukonenJorma KaukonenJorma Ludwik Kaukonen Jr. is an American blues, folk, and rock guitarist, best known for his work with Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna.-Biography:...
– lead guitar, sitar, vocals - Jack CasadyJack CasadyJack Casady , is an American musician considered one of the foremost bass guitarists of the rock music era and best known as a member of Jefferson Airplane. First playing as a lead guitarist with the Washington D.C...
– bass - Spencer DrydenSpencer DrydenSpencer Dryden was an American musician best known as the longest-serving drummer for Jefferson Airplane. He also played with New Riders of the Purple Sage, The Dinosaurs, and The Peanut Butter Conspiracy.-Early life:...
– drums, percussion, horn arrangement - Marty BalinMarty BalinMarty Balin is an American musician. He is best known as the founder and one of the lead singers of the psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane.-Early life:Martyn Buchwald was born in Cincinnati, Ohio...
– rhythm guitar, vocals
Production
- Jefferson Airplane – design, notes, song arrangement
- Al SchmittAl SchmittAl Schmitt is a recording engineer and record producer.-Early career:Schmitt grew up in New York City. After serving in the U.S. Navy he began working at Apex Recording Studios at the age of 19. In the late 1950's Schmitt moved to Los Angeles and became a staff engineer at Radio Recorders on Santa...
– producer - Richie Schmitt – engineer
- Ron CobbRon CobbRon Cobb is an American cartoonist, artist, writer, film designer, and film director.By the age of 18, with no formal training in graphic illustration, Cobb was working as an animation "inbetweener" artist for Disney Studios in Burbank, California. He progressed to becoming a breakdown artist on...
– album cover - The Walking Owls – album title
- Alan Pappe – photography
- Recorded at RCA, Hollywood
Charts
Album| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Pop Albums |
17 |
Single
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | "The Ballad of You & Me & Pooneil" | Cash Box Top 100 | 24 |
| 1967 | "Watch Her Ride" | Cash Box Top 100 | 37 |
| 1967 | "The Ballad of You & Me & Pooneil" | Billboard Pop Singles | 42 |
| 1967 | "Two Heads" | Billboard Pop Singles | 124 |
| 1967 | "Watch Her Ride" | Billboard Pop Singles | 61 |