Happy Music Monday! I've actually been really busy of late, and I wasn't even at a computer when I heard Paul Kantner died, back on January 28th. That's really for the best because can you imagine how depressing it would have been to have three consecutive Music Mondays about dead rock stars? Even still, Paul Kantner was pretty cool, so now that I'm back at my desk, he gets a well-deserved send off.
Jefferson Airplane - Chauffeur Blues
So before anyone was building a city or asking Alice, the Jefferson Airplane was a bunch of young people playin' the blues. At that time, Grace Slick wasn't singing, that's Signe Toly Anderson you hear. Why is that notable? Because Ms. Anderson also died on January 28th, same date as Paul Kantner did. So this particular song serves as a double tribute. Kind of the month the music died.
Four more coming up as we say goodbye to Paul Kantner together.
Jefferson Airplane - Somebody To Love
This, of course, is the Jefferson Airplane lineup that anyone who ever owned a radio will remember. There's not a whole bunch to say about this song that hasn't already been said, except to note that Paul Kantner was busy falling in love with Grace Slick, who was already involved with the band's drummer. When those two broke up, Kantner and Slick gave it a shot, which led to...
Paul Kantner & Jefferson Starship - A Child Is Coming
Okay, bear with me. The band for this record was credited as Jefferson Starship, but it wasn't the ACTUAL Jefferson Starship, which only formed AFTER this album was released. You might think this makes no sense, and I agree! But it did in the 1970s. And when I say did, I mean this was one of those records that never spawned a single hit but was artistically appreciated. This particular song involves the work of Robert Heinlein and is sort of about Kantner and Slick's impending daughter. Just nod your head and move on.
Jefferson Starship - No Way Out
By 1984 a lot of the dreams of the '60s were completely smashed. The hippies all voted for Reagan and the Jefferson Starship was just about to split apart. Well, to be fair, it already HAD split apart once, but there was some drama happening behind the scenes with those few who had remained. Although "No Way Out" would become a number one hit, the story goes that Kantner was so upset with the album that he stole the masters and wouldn't return them until things went his way. Knowing that, it shouldn't be a surprise that he and the Starship parted right after this record. The Starship went on to record the worst song ever and Jefferson Kantner went his own way. Oh, yeah, and Grace Slick left him for a roadie. Rough time, the 1980s.
Jefferson Starship - Surprise, Surprise
You've probably noticed by now that the Jefferson Flying-Vehicle story is just STUFFED with drama through all the incarnations. Over the next decade Kantner went to Hot Tuna, invited Grace Slick to leave Starship and play with Hot Tuna, and then get everybody back together for one final Jefferson Airplane album which somehow morphed into Jefferson Starship again. This also glosses over the albums that Slick and Kantner did together, both before and after their breakup, a couple of lawsuits, and all the little side projects here and there. Even if like 90% of what he did never floated to the top, Paul Kantner was a freakin' workhorse, and he also made some really nice music. As recent as 2011, he was making art-rock as the Paul Kantner Windowpane Collective. It was really just sold online, and it doesn't even seem to be on YouTube at all, so I can't close with it as I had hoped. Instead I've chosen the hidden track from the last Jefferson Starship record, because it forms a kind of unexpected reunion of the most popular Jefferson Airplane lineup. Because even when they weren't really together, they still kinda were, you know? And now, sadly, they won't ever be again.
Let us just remind you: some images come from the corresponding Wikipedia page and are here under fair use. RIP, Paul Kantner. See the rest of you next week.