Volunteers | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | November 1969 | |||
Recorded | March 28–June 12, 1969[1] | |||
Studio | Wally Heider (San Francisco) | |||
Genre | Psychedelic rock[2] | |||
Length | 44:19 69:36 (2004 reissue) | |||
Label | RCA Victor | |||
Producer | Al Schmitt | |||
Jefferson Airplane chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
Robert Christgau | B[4] |
The Daily Vault | A[7] |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [8] |
Rolling Stone | (favorable)[5] |
The Rolling Stone Record Guide[6] |
Volunteers is the fifth studio album by American psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane, released in 1969 on RCA Records. The album was controversial because of its revolutionary and anti-war lyrics, along with the use of profanity. The original album title was Volunteers of Amerika, but it was shortened after objections from Volunteers of America, a religious charity.
This was the last album with the group for both Jefferson Airplane founder Marty Balin and drummer Spencer Dryden (although they did both appear on the "Mexico" single released in 1970 and its B-side "Have You Seen the Saucers?"). The album signifies the end of their "classic" lineup of musicians. It turned out to be the group's last all-new LP for two years. Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen devoted more of their energy to their embryonic blues group Hot Tuna, while Paul Kantner and Grace Slick released Blows Against the Empire and Sunfighter with various guest musicians and celebrated the birth of their daughter China in 1971.
Recording dates for each track are given in liner notes of CD release--see 14th image.