Album Covers: After Bathing at Baxter's

Last time I posted a cover by Jefferson Airplane founder Paul Kantner. This time it's a cover by the band itself...Jefferson Airplane. 1967's After Bathing at Baxter's was the follow up to their breakthrough record "Surrealistic Pillow".

After having chart the topping hits "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love" the band took a step away from the mainstream and decided to to make an album the way they wanted, and were given full artistic freedom on the record. The result is a album that is fun to listen to as it sprawls all over the place, and captures the experimentalness, and newness of the times. The record executives must have literaly crapped themselves when they heard some of this album like the psychedelic mash-up "A Small Package Of Value Will Come To You Shortly", the piece inspired by Joyce's "Ulysses" titled "ReJoyce" (a track which really showcases the incredible bass playing of Jack Cassady) and the nearly 10 minute instrumental "Spare Chaynge". The album itself is divided up into 'suites', each containing 2 or 3 tracks.
The cover, which depicts the house at Foulton St. where the Jefferson Airplane lived, was done by cartoonist Ron Cobb. He made the house into a most insane flying machine, and from the first time I saw this cover when I was 12, I knew it was something I had to hear. As a result it has been one of my favorite albums, one I have enjoyed for 20 years now, and it still sounds just as exciting to me as it did the first time I heard the feedback intro to "The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil".

Here's a few tracks from the album to enjoy:
Wild Thyme(H)- Jefferson Airplane

Rejoyce- Jefferson Airplane

Also in my Box widget on the side of my blog is the tune "Young Girl Sunday Blues" also from this album.