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Thread: Jefferson Airplane - A Bluffer's Guide

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    Jefferson Airplane - A Bluffer's Guide

    I wasn't sure whether to open the thread in this forum , or the off-topic one, as the Airplane fall kind of between psychedelic/prog and more mainstream rock.

    But here we go - a piece I put together, after trying out the band for the first time, and then spending several weeks immersing myself in the classic albums. They're not a band I hear mentioned much in my circles, so I thought it would be fun to pull together a relatively brief overview of my thoughts, for anyone wondering about trying out the band along the same lines as I di.

    Hope you find it fun:

    https://momentstransition.wordpress....luffers-guide/

  2. #2
    Nice- I grew up with this band, bought my first record by them when it was first released and love Jack Casady- he is why I play bass. In fact, I own a Baron Wolman print of a photograph of Jack. I saw the band live only once, at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, but they were incredible. The Live record is one the great live records, and both COC and BIDLH are superb discs.

    Both Jack and Jorma are still active as Hot Tuna and as solo players at Peace Ranch, teaching younger players how to amp up their playing. Jorma has a ton of free vids now on youtube, with Jack and others. Grace retired from singing long ago.
    Last edited by Dana5140; 08-31-2022 at 07:03 PM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Valen View Post
    I wasn't sure whether to open the thread in this forum , or the off-topic one, as the Airplane fall kind of between psychedelic/prog and more mainstream rock.

    But here we go - a piece I put together, after trying out the band for the first time, and then spending several weeks immersing myself in the classic albums. They're not a band I hear mentioned much in my circles, so I thought it would be fun to pull together a relatively brief overview of my thoughts, for anyone wondering about trying out the band along the same lines as I di.

    Hope you find it fun:

    https://momentstransition.wordpress....luffers-guide/
    Nice write up! I have most of the JA albums and pretty much agree with your assessments. I actually like some of the Jefferson Starship albums better, but the combined Airplane / Jefferson Starship / Starship combos put out some great music.

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    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    The Airplane was (and still is) my fave Frisco band (Santana & QMS coming right behind), partly on the trilogy of Pillow/Baxter/Creation, which as great as any other.

    Saw Jack & Jorma some 10/12 times, Paul five times, Marty twice, but unfortunately only once Grace (late 70's JS) and never Spencer.
    Paul's death hit me unexpectedly hard (and oddly Signe's the same day), and I was one of the rare that didn't forget it the next because of Bowie's.
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

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    When I was a kid, maybe like eight or ten years old, an older (like 10 years) a half-brother had Bless it's Pointed Little Head" and I just stared and stared at that cover - it was like some magical talisman or a portal into another realm yet to be explored. It remains an iconic cover for me, a shallow picture of decadence for some, but a profound statement on existence and society for me, as crazy as that seems. For me, "Fat Angel" remains for me one of the greatest stoner songs ever.

  6. #6
    The Airplane was a great studio band, but a very hit-or-miss live affair. Like the Dead, they had superb, magical shows and other shows, but where the Dead generally managed to deliver the goods even on the "other" shows, the Airplane generally came close to falling apart. There was a great deal of talent but a limited amount of discipline.

    Jorma Kaukonen is one of my alltime favorite guitarists.
    Cobra handling and cocaine use are a bad mix.

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    1969 at Tanglewood: The Who, Jefferson Airplane, BB King. $3. Magical! The Airplane were wonderful. Jack!!!!

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    All Things Must Pass spellbound's Avatar
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    I wasn't old enough to go see Jefferson Airplane, but I always loved them. I saw Jefferson Starship in 1975, 2014, and 2018. Hot Tuna in 1976 and 1977. New Riders of the Purple Sage (with Spencer Dryden) in 1974, 1975, and 1977.
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  9. #9
    The last 4 minutes or so of Bear Melt are among the greatest guitar-bass duos ever- Jack and Jorma are just killing it. From 8.00 on, that's some of the greatest music I've ever heard:



    Great build-up on Donovan's Fat Angel:



    And the greatest bass line ever. Imagine what Magma would sound like with a young Jack Casady!

    Last edited by Dana5140; 09-02-2022 at 11:38 AM.
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  10. #10
    Still my favorite American band. My sisters turned me on to them back in the late 60s. I rediscovered and became fully baptized in the mid 80s. Paul is a massive influence on my writing (Quarkspace's Where Galaxies Collide especially) and I had two cats in the late 80s named Jack and Jorma. Boom!
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    Jazzbo manqué Mister Triscuits's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheNefariousHED View Post
    I had two cats in the late 80s named Jack and Jorma. Boom!
    Did you feed them lots of tuna?
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  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Mister Triscuits View Post
    Did you feed them lots of tuna?
    Only if they were good!

    Seriously though, modern Pure Fancy Feast is pretty close to the same quality as "human" tuna. It costs about the same as well. Poor feline Jorma and Jack never had the chance to experience it.
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    Man of repute progmatist's Avatar
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    On the Blu-Ray version of the Woodstock film: on one of the bonus discs during the Airplane performance, Grace was just offstage chatting it up and laughing with Janis Joplin.
    "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama

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    The choice of material on BIPLH is pretty backward looking considering when it was recorded. Comparable with the Fabs at Candlestick Park. Kinda inexplicable and disappointing.

  15. #15
    Baxters is my personal favorite . The opening song is a great example of JA rocking out in their own unique way, then followed by the lovely Martha. I always feel altered when hearing these songs ;-) it must have been amazing hearing this album for the first time back in 1967.

  16. #16
    I had Surrealistic Pillow (like everyone else had) in high school then bought Worst of and never saw the need to own anything else by them. Read Grace's book years ago and Jorma's book not long ago.. If I was to pick a SF band it would have to be early Santana.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by lovecraft View Post
    The choice of material on BIPLH is pretty backward looking considering when it was recorded. Comparable with the Fabs at Candlestick Park. Kinda inexplicable and disappointing.
    and the 30" Over Winterland comes too late in the Airplane's flight (after the landing).
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

  18. #18
    I believe I heard them in 1968 . My sister was 7 years older and a hippie. She gave me an educational introduction to the music of those times.

    My favorite album by Jefferson Airplane is Crown Of Creation. It comes across to me as being more like European Space Rock than pure Psychedelic.

    Additionally the song "Lather" was very English to me and leaned toward the style of later Syd Barrett. On a personal level I could always hear Syd Barrett singing Lather in my mind instead of Grace Slick. I don't why , but it reminded me of the way he wrote on Madcap and Barrett.

    Later on when Jefferson Airplane released Bark and Long John Silver they sounded darker and with the addition of Papa John Creach and odd songs it was apparent that they were changing a number of things that were more strikingly evident in their old sound.

    Some people have stated that they believe Amon Duul II were influenced by Jefferson Airplane. I can certainly see that when I hear Crown Of Creation and the later albums.

  19. #19
    We lived in Connecticut for October to June of '69-70, in a rental place on Candlewood Lake. The place next to us went through several sets of inhabitants over the course of that time. One of them was, as we thought, another bunch of hippies; but when my mother helped them with a problem with their car, they thanked her with an autographed copy of their album...After Bathing at Baxter's.

    We didn't know what to make of it at the time. I wonder whatever happened to it...?
    Cobra handling and cocaine use are a bad mix.

  20. #20
    Baxter's is my pick from their albums as well. Some good stuff on Crown too (and probably the others, but I haven't listened as much).

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    Saw them in '67 or '68 in San Antonio; only things I remember are the two hits (Somebody to Love /White Rabbit) and the trippy oil & water light show. One of my first concerts.

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