There's an AI-assisted version of Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit" on YouTube. It wasn't what I was looking for but it certainly does the trick. I had been wondering if there's a much longer recording of the song out there, perhaps in demo form or maybe from a chaotic, acid-soaked gig. I imagined something that was at least eight minutes long and even half-expected to come across some unlistenable shit which clocks in at nearly half-an-hour. But a five minute "White Rabbit" will certainly do even if it isn't as extreme as I'd been picturing.
By the sounds of it, this AI extended version of "White Rabbit" is more or less the same as the original two-and-a-half-minute release until Grace Slick's cries of "feed your head" die down and a heretofore unheard buzz-saw guitar solo comes in. This goes on for long enough to lure the listener (or this listener at any rate) into assuming that it will continue for the remainder of its playing time. But then at the three minute, thirty-eight second mark Slick returns with some all new verses. It's all pretty convincing until a minute later when the singer goes back to the key lines of "feed your head" and she hits a note that she likely wasn't capable of — and whatsmore, it's one that goes on for several seconds. Realistic or not, I will admit that it's a satisfying way of bringing this five minute version to a conclusion. (The presumably AI-generated lyrics rely far too much on references to Alice in Wonderland: the Mad Hatter isn't missed in the original and it only feels like he's present here in order to pad out the verses)
AI Slick's (that's Artificial Intelligence Slick, not Al Slick!) note brings to mind Liz Phair or PJ Harvey or Courtney Love — in fact, it doesn't quite sound like any of the indie rock babes of the nineties in particular but all of them in general. It might as well be the first Riot Grrl anthem. The only problem is, under the conditions imposed by CD length glut, music industry trends and band indulgence, an alt.rock "White Rabbit" would have been at least five minutes in length, packed with unnecessary guitar solos and extra verses that only end up hammering the point home. In other words, a mere facsimile of the Jefferson Airplane original and, in its own way, every bit as contrived as the AI version.
Despite what I wrote above about 'CD length glut', album running time has long been an issue. By 1967, more and more LPs were getting longer. Both Bob Dylan and the Mothers of Invention had put out double albums a year earlier while The Rolling Stones' Aftermath clocked in at around fifty-three minutes. On the other hand, The Beatles, Beach Boys and Byrds were still in the habit of being economical with time. (The latter's superlative '67 release Younger Than Yesterday has a running time of under thirty minutes) On the underground scene, the big album of the time had been The Velvet Underground & Nico with a pushing it but still manageable forty-eight minutes. Wisely, the Jefferson Airplane chose to err on the side of brevity.
The good thing about keeping things relatively concise is that flab gets trimmed as much as possible. Poor songs like "Plastic Fantastic Lover" are still present but at least they don't drag while the highlights are unable to wear out their welcome. A five minute "White Rabbit" might still be effective enough to impress but cut in half and you're just left wanting more — even if you're ultimately grateful that they kept it short all along. At just two-and-a-half minutes, it only has time to build itself up. It begins in a murky atmosphere of a lonely bass, bluesy guitar and military percussion. Then Slick comes in and it's clear she is in complete control. Every line she sings is done with precision and authority. Though short, the song takes its sweet old time getting to a climax that, to the shock of precisely no one, also doesn't stick around for very long.
At a time when silly and trivial bubblegum pop songs were clogging up the number one spot on the RPM chart, Jefferson Airplane getting to number one with this utterly mesmerizing single makes for a refreshing change of pace, all the while ushering in a purple patch of stellar chart toppers as the supposed golden summer of '67 began to fade, giving way to autumn. Yet, even most of the finest pop-rock of the era couldn't hope to compete with this. Jefferson Airplane would remain a very hit-and-miss act (a trend that would carry over into spinoff band Jefferson Starship; quality control would dip when they eventually evolved into Starship) but they would have been worth discussing had they never done anything beyond this one hundred and fifty second masterpiece. That extended AI "White Rabbit" is all well and good but I have no need for it any longer.
Postscript: Turns out, there is a lengthier recording of "White Rabbit" by Slick's previous band The Great Society. It opens with a free form exploration complete with a wild, Coltrane-esque sax solo courtesy of one Peter van Gelder. The tune is more upbeat, almost resembling jangle pop, which goes well with Slick's more rushed, less assured performance. The only real stand out is the strong drumming of Jerry Slick (Grace's then husband). It sounds very much like the work-in-progress it was. The extended opening may have worked in a live setting but there was clearly no need for it as a studio creation. Simplifying the arrangement, a more languid pace and a commanding vocal would be all that they would need to alter it from 'we may have something' to 'Jesus Christ, what the hell is this?'
Score: 10
No comments:
Post a Comment