The Cavern
Rock & Words
JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
"When the truth is found to be lies
And all the joy within you dies
Don't you want somebody to love..."
“D+”
Main Decade: 60's
Main Eras:
Psychedelia (1966-1969)
Key Members:
Grace Slick, Vocalist
Marty Balin, Vocalist, Guitar
Jack Casady, Bass
Jorma Kaukonen, Guitar
Paul Kanter, Guitar
Spencer Dryden, Drums
Key Songs:
Somebody To Love, White Rabbit, Plastic Fantastic Lover, Today, It’s No Secret, And I Like It, The Last Wall of the Castle, Comin' Back To Me, Won’t You Try, Saturday Afternoon, Lather, The Ballad of You and Poonell, Crown Of Creation, And I Like It, Blues From The Airplane, Greasy Heart, Wooden Ships, The House at Poonell Corners
The true pioneers of the psychedelic era. The masters of Acid Rock. This band is criminally underrated, to the point that if it weren't for Jim Carrey, many wouldn't even know the masterful "Somebody To Love."
Jefferson Airplane had it all. A guitar virtuoso like Jorma Kaukonen, who perhaps wasn't a Hendrix, but was absolutely creative and exquisite in his blues-based riffs and arrangements; great vocals, especially from the sublime Grace Slick, who could go from a seductive whisper to a ferocious scream in an instant; or from Marty Ballin on "Plastic Fantastic Lover"; they also had one of the best (if not the best) bassists of their time, Jack Casady, whose level of play, at least in 1966-67, was impressive, and he's unfairly overlooked on lists of the best bassists. The vocal harmonies they achieved when all the voices converged and exploded, including Balin, Canter, Kaukonen, and of course Grace, were sonic kaleidoscopes that only the Beach Boys could rival.
The psychedelic explosion of 1966-1967 would have been impossible without Jefferson Airplane. From California, they spearheaded the resurgence of American bands, which at the beginning of the decade had been forced to retreat in the face of the British Invasion. They are accused of copying the Byrds and then the Doors, but frankly, they were always a step ahead. They were the ones who broadened the spectrum to a more psychedelic sound, moving away from folk, for the Byrds, and they paved the way for the Doors, since they championed Morrison and company and even let them open for them when the Doors were unknown. Jim Morrison would say that in his early performances he tried to recreate the energy of this band, and "Flying as high as Airplane!" was the goal of any West Coast band. They were THE role models.
If my memory serves me right, they were the only ones to perform at all four major festivals of the 60s: Monterey, Woodstock, Isle of Wight, and Altamont, headlining all four.
Unfortunately, they've become quite dated. Their sound definitely evokes the psychedelic era, as it was its purest and most powerful manifestation. But on the other hand, they're a band with a unique aura, capable of capturing countless emotions and events that were changing the world in those years. They had a wealth of ideas and dreams that they managed to transmit and inspire, not only their fans but also countless kids who picked up guitars and started playing and forming bands in the San Francisco Bay Area. They were the first to question the presence of their army in Vietnam and the reasons for the war. Until then, only Dylan had done so, but they were the ones who began to politicize rock and turn it into an incredibly powerful weapon.
Grace Slick deserves a separate mention. She was the female singer with the most powerful voice and stage presence of the entire 60s (Janis, of course, who, like Hendrix, is on another level above us mere mortals). Not only did she have an impressive voice, both sweet and wild, but she also possessed a unique beauty: she was the epitome of a hippie goddess, the kind all the other girls aspired to be, taking on the sex symbol role that Janis couldn't fill. And she was also a talented songwriter!
Unfortunately, Jefferson Airplane's influence was short-lived. They released *Takes Off* in 1966, featuring singer Signe Anderson and drummer Skip Spence, who left the group shortly after the debut's release. They were replaced by Grace Slick and Spencer Dryden, respectively, who brought more brilliance and personality to the band. In '67, they released their legendary *Surrealistic Pillow*, which propelled them to the forefront of the San Francisco scene and made them a must-play band for any self-respecting gig or festival on the West Coast. Surrealistic Pillow is one of the most accomplished and influential albums of the 1960s, perhaps second only to Sgt. Pepper's in terms of impact. Live at the Fillmore is an excellent example of their performances in San Francisco during that period, while Crown of Creation is another forgotten gem, although it already begins to show the band struggling with internal problems that would lead to their decline and breakup.
Their peak lasted barely two years, and by '68-'69, internal problems, a shift in sound, and the decline of the hippie movement had consigned Airplane to oblivion. Paul Kantner wrested creative control from Marty, and Jefferson Starship became his political vehicle. Marty Balin officially resigned in 1971 and continued his Hot Tuna project, which he had already begun alongside Airplane. After several albums that fell flat, the band released Blows Against the Empire, a concept album by Kantner about a group of people fleeing a dictatorship in a spaceship, which was credited to "Jefferson Starship." The group changed its name to simply Starship, but with virtually no original members and lacking any of the freshness and talent of the '67 Airplane.
Without a doubt, the Beatles completely owned the 60s, but it must be acknowledged that Jefferson Airplane were the pioneers of the counterculture in San Francisco, the first band to wield rock as a weapon, and the first to make people think.
By Corvan
Aug/3/2011
