"You're only pretty as you feel inside..."

JEFFERSON AIRPLANE: "BARK"
Original Released as LP GRUNT FTR-1001, (UK, 1971/09)

Brown paper bag. Fold out sized lyric sheet. Fish wrap pic on the inner cover, and the thinnest, floppiest vinyl record I have ever held between my index fingers. Every thing about the packaging was spectacular with the first batch of BARK as it hit the shops some 36 years ago.
It is hard to believe that upon its release in 1971, BARK was poorly reviewed. In retrospect, its musical closeness to Jefferson Airplane's earlier work, especially 1969's Volunteers, is striking. "When the Earth Moves Again" is a collective, anthemic song in the same mould and of the same quality as "We Can Be Together," and "Crazy Miranda" is clearly by the author of "rejoyce." What makes BARK special is the move of Slick and the astonishingly under-valued Jorma Kaukonen to the foreground and the new casual, almost frayed approach to performing and recording. Also new is a shift away from the already-qualified counter-culture sentiments of Volunteers towards a more resigned, knowing worldview: "Third Week in the Chelsea" is painful in its directness, but gorgeous in its craftsmanship and execution; Slick's "Law Man" projects a tired, slightly annoyed, spirit that Slick could tap into so well. New to the band was the funky and sensual punch of tunes like "Feel So Good" and "Pretty As You Feel," which project a randy-to-sultry adult sexuality absent from their more whimsical "love" songs of the '60s. Confirms that the early '70s were the high water mark for the extended Airplane family.

This new Rato's sharing (ripped at 256 kb) was digitalized from the mint (sealed) original vinyl album (I've wasted a little fortune on it, but what the hell!) because it's very difficult to find the whole album in a fairly priced CD (I've only heard of an expensive japanese collector's limited edition, surely out of the market by now). I don't know the reason why, 'cause all of the others Airplane's albums are normally available on CD. Except THIS ONE! But you don't need to waste your money or expect for a decent CD release anymore. Just download this rare jewel and you'll be amazed by its Super Sound Quality. Enjoy BARK as you never did it before!