I revisited Sunfighter in recent days and there is some good songs on that. Not the whole thing mind you.Originally Posted by progeezer
So I found this Airplane studio concert form 1970 with Joey Covington on drums and Marty Balin still in the band. It appears to be a part of a larger concert with QMS though you don't find that out until the end credits. Oddly enough Jerry Garcia is interviewed. Songs are mostly from Volunteers. Some good stuff here.
I played Sunfighter the other day too. I think it's a pretty good album, though not as good as Blows.
Oh this is good, really really GOOD really grimey, raw and organic.
Mickey Hart posted a nice tribute saying that The Airplane would blow the Dead off the stage many many times, that the Dead had to really bring their A game.
When they lost Jourma and Casady, they lost their best players.
And then we eventually got Mickey Thomas and Craig Chaquiso.
And then "Jane" "Find Your Way back" and all the rest .
Fuck, , Volunteers is balls to the wall good here.
Thanks for the find .
I like Sunfighter too, though indeed not as good ad Blows, but about equal to Baron/Nun, IMHO
There is a link between Blows & Fighter, though
The A Child Is Coming on Blows is about Paul & Grace's upcoming kid China, and the baby gracing the artwork of the latter is China.... Though some of Sunfighter had some sci-fi themes (including the album name), there picture doesn't relate to it... which is a bit of a missed target.
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
they actually have version of "Get Together", which I have to argue with folks that the Youngbloods did NOT do first...
"Alienated-so alien I go!"
True. Chet Powers' (aka. Dino Valente) own version wasn't all that good, but JA'z and H.P. Lovecraft's were, and AFAIK both preceded the Youngbloods' rendition. The magic of the latter was all about the specific arrangement and the atmosphere following Jesse Colin Young's voice, though.
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
^Wonder how many people know that the Carpenters did 'Get Together'? The Dave Clark Five also did it towards the end of their career.
The Youngbloods one is the best-known...the arrangement actually reminds of The Beatles' 'In My Life', particularly the drumming (in the same key too).
Indeed - or Andy Williams or Louis Armstrong?
I only wish Venom would have done one.
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
YUP!!
A friend told me several years ago that she was invited to a wedding by the groom's family, and though nothing was said beforehand to anyone, the "wedding band" announced at the reception that they were taking a break and that the bride's cousin was going to sing a few songs. J C Y comes up on stage and plays some Youngbloods tunes (just an acoustic) and slays the shocked reception (other than her family who must have known).
HP's version of "Get Together" (they changed it & added "Let's" before JA) when they recorded it, must have taken a lot of balls, since they practically re-wrote the song, retaining only the chord progressions, but drastically changing the tempo, parts of the melody, and the entire vibe of the song as written. And yeah, it sure as hell did work.
"My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician, and to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference"
President Harry S. Truman
I respectfully disagree. Listen to the lyrics of Sunfighter
"Got to learn to leave the planet be
No more room here to fuck around like we did before,
Just maybe one more chance to leave it be.
SUNFIGHTER - GUNFIGHTER -
MOUNT THE EARTH AND LEARN TO RIDE HER -
FEEL THE LAND MOVIN UNDER YOU"
They were fighting environmental issues even back then). Holding their child up to a rising sun as a "Sunfighter" and the lyrics suggests they were warning of global climate change and her generation's challenge.
You got a point there... I had thought about the symbolic child icon, but it seemed so not in touch with the general Sunfighter theme , which seemed to be more of a sci-fi theme than a listen to mother nature title. (didn't listen or read its lyrics)
Though that was maybe a little too soon total about global climate changes. I don't think the scientific world was even aware of any kind of global warming up during the 60's
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
Jefferson Starship
A Gathering to Celebrate the Life of Paul Kantner
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, NYC, NY
Sun, 03/20/16
http://www.bbkingblues.com/bio.php?id=6385
"Henry Cow always wanted to push itself, so sometimes we would write music that we couldn't actually play – I found that very encouraging." - Lindsay Cooper, 1998
"I have nothing to do with Endless River. Phew! This is not rocket science people, get a grip." - Roger Waters, 2014
"I'm a collector. And I've always just seemed to collect personalities." - David Bowie, 1973
Callendar identified it as a potential problem in the 1930's though admittedly he was a somewhat lone voice then. However, it was being seriously studied by the 60's and was mainstream science before the end of the 1970's. (Some people will tell you that the prevailing theory in the 70's was of an imminent ice age - in reality that was a minority view but it was the one that was picked up by the media so many people had a distorted view of the current state of the research at the time.)
For the heck of it I pulled out the 1989 Jefferson Airplane reunion album for a listen today. I always have had a soft spot for this one. The album is far from perfect, but I thought it was kind of a nice mix of styles between old Jefferson Airplane and more modern (at the time) Jefferson Starship. The single from the album "Planes" was vintage Kantner songwriting:
I'm glad I was able to see him once...very recently, actually, the last time they came through the Keswick with Quicksilver and Jazz Is Dead. Paul was clearly not 100%, and couldn't really stand without assistance, but he still sang/played extremely well. One of the all-time under-appreciated greats, for sure.
Here's an urban legend for you. Take a roach and place it between two matches. Light the end of the matches. They burn and fuse together creating a holder for the roach: a Jefferson Airplane. Legend tells this was the origin of the group's name. I suspect only Paul and Marty know for sure but its a great story.
Jorma Kaukonen was living in San Jose playing blues with a group of people. One his friends Steve Talbot, liked to handout nicknames and gave Jorma Blind Thomas Jefferson Airplane as a mock off of Blind Lemon Jefferson. He suggested it to the rest of the group and it stuck.
Not global warming no but environmental issues were becoming a hot topic in the late 60's and into 70's. Maybe I felt it more growing up in Southern California dealing with extreme air quality issues but it was there nationally as well. Pollution was a huge discussion and the problems with deforestation was starting to come to light.
I came across this video today from a 1988 show at the newly reopened Filmore Ballroom.To bad this wasn't cleaned up and resented for commercial release. A very special night indeed. There is a video of this 2.5 hour concert but the last hour has no audio which is really unfortunate. Still there are really great performances of classic Airplane, Tuna and KBC band songs. Grace's voice is really strong.
Wooden Ships
Full Concert
Marty did an interview that was posted on Youtube where he said it was the name of the friend's dog. I have a book of interviews from the early days of Guitar Player, one of which is with Jack, Paul, and Jorma, and on that occasion, it was said that Jorma and "a friend of his" liked to make up names for imaginary blues singers, and that's where the band name came from.
At one point, we got five Airplane crew together...(Grace returns for the last song too)
Who's the dude who joins them on harmonica during the silent part? We can't really see his face
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
I'm guessing it's Will Scarlett. He played on Hot Tuna albums. I met him at a benefit for pre school in Berkeley in the 90s. I had an Allman Bros. tribute band. I invited himAt one point, we got five Airplane crew together...
Who's the dude who joins them on harmonica during the silent part? We can't really see his face
to jam with us. He asked, "What about remuneration?" I said guests don't get paid. He did show up. When it was his turn to solo, he would not stop for a very long time.
He's a great harmonica player, but I never called him again.
Yes Will is credited in the video.
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