One critic after hearing '60s psychedelic rock icons Jefferson Airplane performing at the Monterey Jazz Festival (not the Monterey Pop Festival, where they also played) described their sound as that of a "mule kicking down a barn door." Or, as a band member puts it in this retrospective documentary featuring new interviews and full-length archival performances of 13 songs, they were "six musicians in search of an arrangement." Many baby boomers remember that the San Francisco-based group was fronted by photogenic (and hallucinogenic) lead singers Grace Slick and Marty Balin, and may well still own a weathered copy of Surrealistic Pillow, but even the band's "best-of" compilation is humorously titled The Worst of Jefferson Airplane, and most folks can only name the two unquestionable mega-hits from their oeuvre, "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love." And, before the hate e-mail campaign starts, let me add that "It's No Secret," "Crown of Creation," and "Volunteers" (all included here) are, of course, noteworthy tunes (although not necessarily for musical reasons). Featuring performances from the Monterey Pop Festival, Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (with Slick singing "Crown of Creation" in blackface), a Perry Como special (!), promo films, and the 1996 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, along with a caterwauling Manhattan rooftop rendition of "House at Pooneil Corners" unexceptionally filmed by New Wave French auteur Jean-Luc Godard, Fly Jefferson Airplane will certainly appeal to fans, but it's--much like the band itself--a scattershot effort. DVD extras include the option to play the musical cuts without the interview filler, and a half-hour's worth of bonus interview footage. Optional. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)
Fly Jefferson Airplane
(2004) 81 min. DVD: $19.98. Eagle Vision (avail. from most distributors). Color cover. Volume 20, Issue 1
Fly Jefferson Airplane
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