Infos
Comes in a special Mini-LP replica cardboard sleeve. This CD was issued with a matching obi-strip that is wrapped around the left side of the album cover.
Part of "The Legends of Rock" series.
Vinyl Replica Collection.
Collector's Edition Strictly Limited to 3000 Copies.
Audiophile Recording Remastered in High Definition 96kHz / 24-Bit
This was the sixth album recorded by the group and released as RCA Victor LSP-4238. It was also released in a Quadrophonic version in 1973 as RCA Quadradisc APD1-0320. This was the first to be wholly recorded in San Francisco, at Wally Heider's then state-of-the-art 16-track studio. Guests included Jerry Garcia on pedal steel guitar, veteran session pianist Nicky Hopkins, future Airplane drummer Joey Covington on percussion, David Crosby, and Stephen Stills. It was one of the earliest 16-track recordings. The back cover of the album shows a picture of the MM-1000 professional 16-track tape recorder built by Ampex which was used to record the album.
Volunteers embodied the revolutionary young people in 1969 with the album's strident opening and closing tracks, "We Can Be Together" and the title song. In contrast, "Good Shepherd" and "Wooden Ships" are moody and pristine. It was controversial at the time because of anti-war messages of certain songs and occasional use of profanity in the lyrics.
The album was marked with strong anti-war and pro-anarchism songs. The theme of nature, communities and ecology was also explored with the songs "The Farm" and "Eskimo Blue Day". The title track was inspired by a "Volunteers of America" garbage truck that awoke singer Marty Balin one morning. The original title of the album was intended to be Volunteers of Amerika, a corruption of Volunteers of America, an American version of the Salvation Army charity; the term being in vogue as an ironic expression of dissatisfaction with America; however the charity objected so the name was shortened to Volunteers.
The album provoked even more controversy with lyrics such as "Up against the wall, motherfucker" (from the song "We Can Be Together"). The offending word was mixed lower on the 45 RPM release of the track to partially 'obscure' it, but it was still audible. The word "motherfucker" was censored on the album lyric sheet as "fred", however. At the time, RCA Records was refusing to allow "fuck" on the album until they were confronted with the fact that they had already set precedent on the Cast Recording Soundtrack of "Hair". "Eskimo Blue Day" was also a point of contention with the chorus line of "doesn't mean shit to a tree" repeated throughout.
Musically, the album is characterized by lead guitarist Jorma Kaukonen's razor-sharp guitar work (the dueling solos on "Hey Frederick", plus "Good Shepherd" and "Wooden Ships") and the distinctive piano playing of Nicky Hopkins. It also featured that band dabbling in a country rock sound, particularly in "The Farm" and "Song For All Seasons".
Despite its controversies, the album was a commercial success becoming the band's fourth top twenty hit record and went gold within two months of its release.
This was to be both Jefferson Airplane's founder Marty Balin and drummer Spencer Dryden's last album with the group, signifying the end of the best-remembered "classic" lineup. It was to be the last all-new LP for two years.
Even though the album was released in late 1969, the cover photo dates back to 1967, and features the band wearing disguises, and was taken during the filming of a promotional film made for their single "Martha".
In 2003, the album was ranked number 370 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
The album was released again in 2009 along with the entirety of the Airplane's live performance at the Woodstock Festival in 1969 as Jefferson Airplane Woodstock Experience.
Grace Slick – vocals, piano on "The Farm", "Hey Frederick", "Eskimo Blue Day", and "Volunteers", organ on "Meadowlands", recorder on "Eskimo Blue Day"
Paul Kantner – vocals, rhythm guitar
Marty Balin – vocals, percussion
Jorma Kaukonen – lead guitar, vocals
Jack Casady – bass
Spencer Dryden – drums, percussion
Nicky Hopkins – piano on "We Can Be Together", "Hey Frederick", "Wooden Ships", "A Song for All Seasons", and "Volunteers"
Stephen Stills – hammond organ on "Turn My Life Down"
Jerry Garcia – pedal steel guitar on "The Farm"
Joey Covington – congas on "Turn My Life Down", chair on "Eskimo Blue Day"
David Crosby – sailboat on "Wooden Ships"
Ace of Cups – vocals on "The Farm" and "Turn My Life Down"
Bill Laudner – lead vocals on "A Song for All Seasons"