RIP: PAUL KANTNER

[hawaii 5-0]

Man, it's been a tough month. First David Bowie. Then Glenn Frey. Now Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane/Starship fame.

http://www.sfgate.com/music/article/Jefferson-Airplane-s-Paul-Kantner-dies-at-74-6791483.php

This one hurts more than the other two. He was a Rock and Roll Hero of mine since the mid-60's. He had no problem sticking it to the Establishment/Government.

RLIMC will understand.

More later.


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[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Paul was apparently just another fool socialist musician, but he had a good voice, and wrote and was involved with some primo rock music. He also had one of the hottest women in music, although she was arguably goofier than him re politics. RIP Paul..anyway, one of my all-time favorite songs is this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL-H5gg58ms

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

OK OK, the Planet Earth Rock and Roll album is so good I have to link another of Paul's R&R masterpieces:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUtY7jPezik

and from the earlier days of the Airplane:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r8BaKwyNQ0

[hawaii 5-0]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/29/arts/music/paul-kantner-of-jefferson-airplane-dies-at-74.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=0

A little more background for those interested/ never heard of him.

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[hawaii 5-0]

Here's the origin of the 'Starship' idea. Kantner and Grace Slick wanted to hijack the first Earth interplanetary starship, fill it with hippies and others like-minded, and take off into space looking for a better life, transcended by drugs and music.

The title of the album was Blows Against the Empire but the whole quote is "It's a fresh wind that blows against the empire".

They were aided by some San Francisco musical all stars, including members of Grateful Dead, Quicksilver, Nicky Hopkins, and Crosby and Nash.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H57IyHNq-_8

The last song on the album......some tasty guitar work by Jerry Garcia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaHNAVgVkDY

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[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Hows about MILLION from the SUNFIGHTER album!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vE31fgxopyU

and WOW! When I Was a Boy I Watched the Wolves, also from SUNFIGHTER...DAYUM they were good!:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXOe_rbN-nI

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Any comments on the above links from the young whippersnappers here who don't know the music of Kantner, Slick and the gang? I'm thinking their only American rival for top pop music act is probably the Doors, from back in their heyday.

[hawaii 5-0]

Another of my favorites was his collaboration with David Crosby. "Wooden Ships" done by both Jefferson Airplane on the Volunteers album and the first Crosby Stills and Nash album.

"Very free and easy"

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[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Another of my favorites was his collaboration with David Crosby. "Wooden Ships" done by both Jefferson Airplane on the Volunteers album and the first Crosby Stills and Nash album.

"Very free and easy"

5-0Good song. Another couple of my favorites from the Jefferson Airplane days are VOLUNTEERS...and TRIAD.

[Tear Down This Wall]

Saw Starship in 1986...without Paul Kanter. Good show, even without him. Still played the old Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship stuff.

Never mattered because Kanter didn't write any of the hit songs for either Jefferson Airplane or Jefferson Starship. His stuff was more like filler on those albums...and, generally, crap.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Saw Starship in 1986...without Paul Kanter. Good show, even without him. Still played the old Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship stuff.

Never mattered because Kanter didn't write any of the hit songs for either Jefferson Airplane or Jefferson Starship. His stuff was more like filler on those albums...and, generally, crap.Not clear what songs you are referring to as hits, but IMO some of their BEST songs were written by him, wholly or in collaboration. Some of which are linked above. Was Grace Slick in the show you saw?

Here's one writer's opinion of the top 10 songs Paul wrote:

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/paul-kantner-songs/

Here's Lilith's song again, with comments by Pete Sears, who played piano on it, and I think the comments below are interesting:

https://es-la.facebook.com/186875811362911/videos/10151409807619164/

[hawaii 5-0]

Never mattered because Kanter didn't write any of the hit songs for either Jefferson Airplane or Jefferson Starship. His stuff was more like filler on those albums...and, generally, crap.



IMO, with Jefferson Airplane/Starship some of their best songs weren't 'hits'. Pretty much the same with a lot of music I listen to. '3rd Week in the Chelsea' off of Bark comes to mind immediately,

Rush's link to some of Kantner's songs is a good place to start. Many songs are missing from that list. One person's onion.

I could listen to 'Ride the Tiger' all day and not get tired.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBtIbaFAVTg

Here's 'Wooden Ships' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAm_C6sGWa0 Jorma soars on lead guitar.

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[hawaii 5-0]

Bonus points.........

"Tear down the Wall" Paul Kantner 1969 'We Could Be Together' off Volunteers album

"Tear down this Wall" Ron Reagan 1987 Speech in Berlin

Kantner beat Ronnie to it by 18 years.

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[Tear Down This Wall]

Not clear what songs you are referring to as hits, but IMO some of their BEST songs were written by him, wholly or in collaboration. Some of which are linked above. Was Grace Slick in the show you saw?

Here's one writer's opinion of the top 10 songs Paul wrote:

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/paul-kantner-songs/

Here's Lilith's song again, with comments by Pete Sears, who played piano on it, and I think the comments below are interesting:

https://es-la.facebook.com/186875811362911/videos/10151409807619164/

You just proved what I wrote...he wrote none of Jefferson Airplane or Jefferson Starship's hits...and, his stuff sucked. He had a co-credit for music on exactly one hit song.

Jefferson Airplane:
Somebody To Love - Darby Slick (Grace Slick's brother-in-law)
White Rabbit - Grace Slick

Jefferson Starship:
Miracles - Marty Balin
With Your Love - Balin, Joey Covington, Vic Smith
Count On Me - Jesse Barish
Runaway - Nicholas Dewey
Jane - David Freiberg, Jim McPherson (lyrics), Freiberg, McPherson, Craig Chaquico, Paul Kanter (music)
Find Your Way Back - Craig Chaquico (lyrics), Chaquico, Tom Borsdorf (music)
Stranger - Jeannette Sears (lyrics), Pete Sears (music)
Be My Lady - Jeannette Sears (lyrics), Pete Sears (music)
Layin' It On The Line - Mickey Thomas, Craig Chaquico
No Way Out - Ina Wolf (lyrics), Peter Wolf (music)

So, when I saw them, there was no loss at Kanter being absent. Probably helped. He was pissed off that they were making money - from other band members' songs - when he left.

Typical liberal quack artist: makes money, but complains about how it is made. Drugs. If radio DJs and A&R guys had chosen his crappy songs to push, they'd have easily been left in the dust bin by the mid-70s.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Listen to the Sunfighter album and the Planet Earth Rock & Roll Orchestra album. If you don't like either one of them I'll be surprised and grant you a pardon for not respecting his music. He also wrote and co-wrote some of their other, and IMO best material such as Volunteers and Wooden Ships. Of the songs you mentioned, unfortunately I like none. From the early Airplane I like: You're Only Pretty as You Feel, Today, Triad and High Flyin' Bird. Starship stuff: Caroline, Ride the Tiger. Kantner wrote both of those Starship songs.

I didn't say I liked his politics, in fact he was a looney tune in that arena. About Grace, I loved her voice and her looks when she was young, but she too had/has mush for political sense.

I'll ask again. Was Grace in the band when you saw their show live.

[Tear Down This Wall]

Grace was in the band when I saw them. Funny thing: concert was at the Dallas Convention Center...where the Republican National Convention had been held two years prior in 1984! I went to a couple of night of the Convention and got to hear Reagan speak live. It was awesome!

Anyway, I've heard all of Jefferson Airplane/Starships' stuff because I was a DJ, then Music Director at a radio station while I was in college. It was fun. There were thousands of albums and records. I'd just sit in the office for hours and listen to stuff.

Was never impressed with any of the Jefferson material past the hits. I never heard an album of Jefferson that would really compare to a Zeppelin or Stones or Who album of the 70s where every cut - not just the singles - were good.

The problem with Jefferson seemed to be that sometimes they tried to hard. Like they were forcing stuff on you that they didn't completely think about before they recorded it. Some of that you can blame on some of the members' half-baked political ideas.

But, much of that has to be blamed on managers, engineers, and producers who should have had more of a backbone to stand up to the band and tell them, "Hey...that's sounds like sh*t. Change it this way or that way to make it better."

I think that's why Jeffersons Airplane and Starship were never a critically acclaimed at the Zeppelins, Stones, and The Who, etc. They either just didn't give enough of a sh*t beyond a single or two. Or, the people managing and producing them didn't give a sh*t about them.

Either way...RIP, Kantner. But, seeing the band without him really didn't take much away from the experience.

By way of comparison, I saw Jimmy Page on his 1988 Outrider tour. He mixed in some Zeppelin in the set list: http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/jimmy-page/1988/coca-cola-starplex-dallas-tx-63d92a2f.html. However, without Robert Plant on vocals...it just wasn't the same.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

IMO the Kantner Slick led Airplane, and to a lesser degree the Starship, but most especially the music produced in the name of Kantner, is probably the second best AMERICAN music of the rock era. The Doors were the best, I think. Other contenders are Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix.

The biggest stars of all were the Brits: Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Yes, the Who, and Jethro Tull and the Stones had a few killer songs.

[hawaii 5-0]

I had an ex-brother in law who was a DJ and program manager at a station in north Texas in the 60's.

He refused to play any Beatles.

What a dork.

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[Tear Down This Wall]

IMO the Kantner Slick led Airplane, and to a lesser degree the Starship, but most especially the music produced in the name of Kantner, is probably the second best AMERICAN music of the rock era. The Doors were the best, I think. Other contenders are Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix.

The biggest stars of all were the Brits: Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Yes, the Who, and Jethro Tull and the Stones had a few killer songs.

Very true. Most of the American stuff didn't take off until the mid-70s or just after, mainly with ZZ Top, Kansas, Styx, Boston, Van Halen, and Aerosmith. Early 70s American rock scene was to clunky stuff you got out of Jefferson and, then, bands like Grand Funk Railroad. Real hit-and-miss type of stuff.

Tons of incredibly sh*tty Ted Nugent albums back then as well - a "hit" here and there; the rest sounding like a horny 14-year old wrote the lyrics. Just crap, overall. Although, we're talking bands, I know, not individual acts. I'd argue Eric Clapton overshadowed anything on an individual level than any American individual rock act.

Your time table is about correct, though, with bands:
-Mid 60s to Mid 70s, definitely dominated by the British
-Mid 70s to Early 80s, American bands
-Early 80s to Late 80s, British New Wave, rise of Post-Modern (U2, REM) which was also mainly British

To me, the late 80s/early 90s is when the rock scene ate itself by oversigning really crappy hair metal bands that could be sold on MTV.

American musicians have been more dominant in the "adult contemporary"-type genres than the British, to be sure.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

The late 60's and early 70's was the best music in popular music history, as far as I'm concerned. the one act I didn't mention before that I should have was the Moody Blues when they were at their peak, with Days of Future Past, and the next 3 or 4 albums. Stuff just after that period that was pretty good was Kansas, Rush, Styx, Steely Dan, Heart, Blondie, the Pretenders, ELO, Bowie, Elton John.

I get it you didn't appreciate Kantner for quality, Obvious disagreement there. Eric Clapton is quite overrated, although Cream had some good songs, and I always liked "Layla".

[Tear Down This Wall]

The late 60's and early 70's was the best music in popular music history, as far as I'm concerned. the one act I didn't mention before that I should have was the Moody Blues when they were at their peak, with Days of Future Past, and the next 3 or 4 albums. Stuff just after that period that was pretty good was Kansas, Rush, Styx, Steely Dan, Heart, Blondie, the Pretenders, ELO, Bowie, Elton John.

I get it you didn't appreciate Kantner for quality, Obvious disagreement there. Eric Clapton is quite overrated, although Cream had some good songs, and I always liked "Layla".

I'm not sure how Clapton could be put in the category of "overrated." He succeed with groups - Yardbirds and Creem, one-offs like Derek and the Dominoes, and on his own.

How many other artists, American or British, have done that in rock? Robert Plant, perhaps, for a little bit. Rod Stewart. Certainly, Phil Collins. I can't really think of an American musicians who did well for decades after being successful with a group.

And, has any guitarist been as successful for as long as Clapton? I can't think of a guitarist who has outsold Clapton on either continent.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

I'm just not as impressed with Clapton as I am with some others, although I did like Layla and Sunshine of Your Love, White Room Tales of Brave Ulysses, but then it was jack Bruce the lead singer for Cream. Paul Rodgers of Bad Company, Foreigner, Queen, Bowie etc. all better than Clapton for my taste. Face it, music is VERY subjective.

[hawaii 5-0]

Rush, I'm glad you mentioned Fagen and Becker.

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[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Rush, I'm glad you mentioned Fagen and Becker.

5-0I saw them live here in PHX maybe 5 years ago, and it was one of the best concerts I've ever seen. There were 13 people in the band, including 3 horns and a 3 girl chorus. They advertised that they would play the entire AJA album. Right off they did that, then proceeded to play every other song I wanted to hear from them. It was a MAHVELOUS show, and all of us in the audience went nuts.

[Jacie]

I missed seeing Jeffeson Starship in OKC, 1974 when my dad catered back stage (real hickory smoked barbecue ribs). That was at the Civic Center.

I was there for the 1976 tour when they came to Lloyd Noble. So good!

[hawaii 5-0]

I missed seeing Jeffeson Starship in OKC, 1974 when my dad catered back stage (real hickory smoked barbecue ribs). That was at the Civic Center.

I was there for the 1976 tour when they came to Lloyd Noble. So good!


I was at the '74 show at the Civic Center. Papa John Creach was there. Jorma's brother Peter played lead guitar.

Wished I coulda had some of your Dad's ribs.

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