Surrealistic Pillow 1967 Album

Jefferson Airplane

Pretty much on the heels of the debut, the Airplane reconfigured itself and recorded what many call their masterpiece album. Not sure about that, but I will say it's a must-listen from a number of perspectives. It's not radically different than its predecessor and oddly enough, authentically feels like a bunch of hippies got together and randomly created a close-to-great pop record. Certainly, Grace Slick and her songs stand out the most, but just about every band member gets a big spotlight in this communal free-for-all. Balin's wonderful ballad "Today" and Jorma Kaukonen's meditative "Embryonic Journey" are my picks, while only the oddly conspiratorial "Plastic Fantastic Lover" left a bad taste in my mouth.