History of JEFFERSON AIRPLANE part two |
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 เม.ย. 2023
- Part two of this Jefferson Airplane history picks up with the addition of Grace Slick to complete the classic band lineup. This video tracks the band's success from Surrealistic Pillow through Crown of Creation. Manager Bill Graham steers the band for a short period of time as the band dynamics take dramatic twist and turns.
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Jorma's guitar solo in DCBA-25 is one of the most sublime in rock history. Absolutely one of my favorites.
For my birthday in 1967 my mother asked a record store clerk for advice to steer me away from the Beatles "drug albums" she'd heard about. So for my birthday that year my mother gave me After Bathing at Baxter's with its innocent looking cover. I can only imagine if she had been able to see the inner sleeve and hear that music.... but I don't think she ever realized what she'd given me.
That's hilarious. The record store clerk 'punked' her.
Nice!
😅
Great story- I guess the clerk did not explain to your mom that the very title, After Bathing at Baxter’s, actual meaning was a veiled short hand for the experience of taking an acid trip…
@@johnd8776Hmmm... it must have slipped the clerk's mind. ;)
There was nothing better than seeing the Airplane in a free concert in Golden Gate Park on a Saturday afternoon !
Wow- you were there?? So lucky! It would be top 5 on my Time Machine list of places & times to go.
@Richieboy68 Most free concerts where only announced day of the show on KSAN or KMPX FM radio stations. Usually held at Speedway Meadows, which was a semi-hidden area. Big shows were held at the Polo Fields.
Today is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard
"For what it's worth," I like this format when talking the history of a band. It would be tough to sit through a 3-hour video in one sitting, but you'd never notice the length when broken up in 5 or 6 parts, genius. It also helps to have good subject matter. Thanks.
For sure, and it helps me organize the content. Sometimes there is so much, too hard to do all in one go.
@@popgoesthe60s52 Keep doing, what you're doin'😎
I agree; killer format!
Sgt Peppers, The Doors and Surrealistic Pillow were my big three albums in 67. all pretty flawless.
Totally. Those and Cream's Disraeli Gears.
@@vortexpilot5096 another classic.
Ten Years After - Their debut album in 67. They were Yet to be “Going Home” for a couple more years. But another band that gave us music 🎵 that became favourite of those who dig it.
@@robinhood480 A Space in Time is a great album.
@@haintedhouse2990 Yep 👍🏻
Thanks. That was first one we found. $2.99 cassette at K-mart.
Went back and got greatest hits after that.
That kicked off a summer of fun. Looking for old records at flea markets, yard sales.
Learning to play guitar.
Good times.
I loved After Bathing at Baxter's - I got it in early 68 - and Jack Casady's bass playing had a huge influence on me. I still listen to some of those tracks, like "Won't You Try / Saturday Afternoon". Maybe at 16, I was ripe for that "self-indulgence"?
Casady is a monster player. I don't know what that band would have sounded like without him.
I loved it too and purchased it when it was released. I bought the first 3 albums and loved all of them. Then I stopped buying them for awhile (have no idea why - I was 14 when I bought SP). Years later I bought many more of their albums. Such a great band!
Me too.
I discovered it when i was 23 in 2015 and it had a very strong effect 48 years after it came out i love the bass work. Wont you try is awesome. Also martha and wild tyme just amazing
I love After Bathing at Baxters most of all! One of the great records of the era. Wore out my share of copies. To my ears the Jack/Jorma/Spencer jam, Spare Chaynge is astonishing even to this day. Plus Saturday Afternoon/Won't you Try can't be topped. Also, the Airplane boasted one of the top rhythm sections in all of rock with Jack and Spencer. They were telepathic together. Check out some of their live performances of the era, especially the Pooneils and you will hear what I mean.
Funny. It is my least favorite of theirs.
My mother was in the SF Symphony and got a flat tire driving to a concert .Marty Balin pulled over to help her change the tire . He saw her cello and said” I am a musician too. Here is a copy of my band’s new album”. I still have JA “takes off”. I like volunteers a lot but I wore out “ takes off”
I agree. "Baxters" was my favorite of theirs, as well, even tho I wore out "Pillow" on my record player. But "Baxters" was in a world all its own.
I love Cassidy's bass on this album. It was thunderous. It not only held the bottom sonically, it drove the entire sound on the title cut and on House on Pooneil Corners with lots of rich harmonics.
I thought Jerry Garcia was everyone's spiritual advisor. Grace Slick sings the best count ups ever! *Happy 4-20!*
You should never allow a drug addict be your spiritual advisor .
I'm sure it's a bit tongue in cheek.
After Bathing at Baxters is without doubt my favourite Jefferson Airplane album.
I totally agree! I LOVED that album.
Mine too.
it's hard to imagine marty balin getting only one writing credit on any of their albums regardless of band politics. jorma's playing was remarkable, sublime, etc. and i agree with you about godard's interest in politics and rock bands having nothing to do with the beatles finding themselves on a rooftop two months later. great video i learned from.
The fewer Balin songs the better. They're pretty corny compared to the rest.
@@docsavage8640 he was a great songwriter just getting started on that record. corny, my.....
My Best Friend is a great example of peace and love late 60s music.
I didn't know until just a few years ago that Grace had done the vocals on Sesame Street. To think that my first exposure to this most adult and psychedelic band was through a children's show!
Same here. It blew my mind when I discovered Grace was apart of my very early childhood.
most importantly it sounds really good and i remember seeing that number counting song decades ago.
@@popgoesthe60s52 Grace was sort of part of my childhood - my parents read me Alice in Wonderland
After Bathing… is one of my favorite albums of the sixties.
I hold Surrealistic Pillow in very high regard among ‘67 albums - such a fantastic year for albums. “DCBA25” is one of my favorite tracks, after the two Grace showcases and “Today.” “She Has Funny Cars” and “3/5 of a Mile” are also great. Just such a variety of styles.
Grace smoked drank lots of alcohol and had throat surgery and is still alive today at 83!Amazing!
And is a good plastic artist in her own right. She is a very good painter.
Apparently her nose collapsed because she took too much cocaine and had to have reconstructive surgery for that
She is alive. I'll leave it at that.
She is still very lucid though. That's a good thing!
The only reason shes alive is cause she quit drinking way back and spent her 40s on healthier and shes a smart cat
I remember that Levi's radio ad. I was about 12 or 13, and had only owned Beatles albums. I remember going into the record store over and over again, just staring at the front and back cover of Surrealistic Pillow. I wanted to buy it, but there was something about it that seemed scary, so I didn't. I was one of those white-bread kids who reacted to Sgt. Pepper by deciding to like the Monkees. But I named my cat Pooneil, even though I hadn't heard the associated songs. I just liked the name.
I was in 9th grade at Wilcox HS in Santa Clara 1968 and had an art teacher who showed us this album one day in class and she played a couple songs off of it. It opened my eyes.
I think Crown Of Creation is my favorite Jefferson Airplane album. It has a certain darkness that I enjoy in my psychedelic rock.
And that cover. My God, that cover.
I’m in total avreement.
Oh,you've posted part 2! i'm filled with joy on this lovely spring morning and i'm going to make myself a lovely cup of tea and enjoy the next thrilling installment of Jefferson Airplane. Maybe it's night time on your side of the planet so i can only wish you sweet dreams Dr. Pop!
Really interesting! Never been much of a fan but I love learning more about them. The 60s is my favorite decade of music and learning more about all these groups, regardless of genre, is so fun. Thanks Matt.
Thank you for watching, David!
I remember that Sesame Street 1 - 10 montages when I was a kid. That is one very awesome bit of info/trivia about Grace Slick! Wow!!
Simply excellent. I was allowed to buy music in 1969. One of my first 45s was White Rabbit. Grace's voice alone could lead me off a cliff. I'm glad I didn't know what she looked like or she would have owned me. If my memory serves me well, Somebody to Love was the B side. The best 99 cents ever spent 🍁
Another excellent video. The Jefferson Airplane series has been among your best in the band history category (and they are all great). Thanks, Matt.
I appreciate that, David - thank you!
Those Levi's advert's are hilarious stuff.
Wow. Until now, never realized that as a little kid in the early 70s I was listening to Grace Slick on Sesame Street.
Jefferson Airplane are one of a handful of 60s groups that have never clicked with me tbh, so I am enjoying your history of the band Matt.
Thank you, Barry. Some of these band have such interesting histories, in spite of the music. I appreciate the comment.
I am a JA fan from 1967, and I really am enjoying your videos on them. All the subjective evaluations of Bathing and Crown are of course matters for debate, so I would like to present my impressions (as someone who was there, and heard the albums in the context of the time - a critical component). Surrealistic Pillow did stand out from the contemporary music, but it still had a format of 3 minute songs many with nice hooks, etc. THEN THE GREAT CHANGE. Bathing starts with a searing feedback section that tells you - "this is going to be entirely different from what you have heard before". And it is. If you look at the sheet music, you see the band wandering around in different, some odd, time signatures. However, on listening it is seamless. Jorma and Jack produce in your face acid rock like no one had ever heard. This was more a departure from conventional pop/rock music than was Sgt. Pepper. Then there is the instrumental - Spare Chaynge.. To me this is the only listenable instrumental of the time. It GOES SOMEWHERE. It was not just musical doodling, like (pardon me Dead Fans) a lot of what the Dead was doing in concert. Crown was more along the conventional path, with again, 3-5 minute songs, but ...but.. there is the title track. SO different. Jack drives the whole thing with fury. The band is not afraid to investigate more odd song structures -- Crown of Creation - the song - is a perfect example. Have you ever heard a song end like this one? Before or since? nope. And they make it work.
So these two albums are exactly why I loved them. Departures from the norm, brilliant creativity. SO different from the others.
Thanks Matt, we'll done! Thank you for the "trip" back to the bizarre time '66, '67 & ' 68. I was very young, grade school, but remember it well. The music scene was amazing, the dress, the politics the argot of the time...."far out".
Garcia's playing on Today is simple, yet mind blowing.
Nice Matt! Bringing back a flood of memories. Grew up in San Francisco. Was only 10 years old at the time, and I was want to be hippie. My older cousins were real hippies, and I remember sitting in the rooms with their black light, posters, and cannabis smoke swirling around, listening to the airplane.
Sidenote: also remember an episode of get Smart when KAOS Spike the Washington DC water supply with LSD and the president (who would’ve been LBJ), fired the Air Force and replaced them with Jefferson airplane.
Looking forward to part three.
I'll have to find that episode of Get Smart! Thanks Bob.
@@popgoesthe60s52 season five episode 12… Titled is this trip necessary.? And I have to correct myself the hallucinogenic drug in the water supply was causing people to have bad dreams and the president only dreamed he fired the Air Force and replaced them with Jefferson Airplane. Nonetheless, they got their mention.
@@bobbest8627 Thank you, Sir!
This is fanastic.classic
Thanks for this fine series.There's a great wealth of creative talent in this band that unfortunately didn't last as long as long as we would have liked. The so called "Classic Rock" radio stations on commercial FM no longer play their music.After being fired by The Airplane Mathew Katz when on to manage Moby Grape and rip them off as well. Another interesting story.
Hi David, it is amazing how little of the Airplane's material gets airplay. I will be covering Moby Grape, which Katz really took advantage of. That story to come!
Matthew Katz also ruined another SF band, It's a Beautiful Day. Try finding their albums on CD or vinyl. Import only as Katz 'owned' the cover art among other things.@@popgoesthe60s52
I was only 13, but i was a big fan at the time! I bought Surrealistic pillow but didn't hear
Baxters until later. Great band! In the Uk it was John Peel who was playing all the big
American 'underground' bands.
I remember that crazy Sesame Street stuff. Creeped me out as a little kid. Way to go Slick! You made little children uncomfortable. What a hero! 🤣
D.C.B.A.‐25 is also my favorite track on the album too. It has has such a unique and tender feeling to it. The music is such a perfect fit to the lyrics. That song really makes me feel something undefinably good. Love it!
Yes! Nearly a perfect song.
Absolutely agreed that D.C.B.A.‐25 is the best track on this album. It is so emblematic of that time. Love it.
Don't know if it is the "best" but there is something magical about it.
That is also my favorite on the album. It has has such a unique and tender feeling to it. The music is such a perfect fit to the lyrics. That song really makes me feel something undefinably good. Love it!
agree. Paul and Grace's harmonies were so good, Jorma glistening in the background. perfect for the Summer of Love.
By accident, I was listening to "After Bathing At Baxters" in 1969 in a dark room with an old fashion three color strobe light. The LP cover was sitting on the floor nearby and I noticed that those dots coming out of the exhaust pipe actually looked like pills flowing casually in a stream. Yes indeed. They were pills. Tabs of Owsley's best flowing to the masses. What a great time to be alive.
Great memories from these days and Surrealistic Pillow was right there in the middle. Love all of your presentations and the research you put into them.
Thank you, Elmo - I'm working on part 3 now!
Omg! And that's Grace in Sesame Street! Amazing! God, the good old days.
I have to say, I'm proud to have been raised on this stuff.
Those Levi's ads are crazy!
"Self Indulgent" , maybe, but After Bathing at Baxters still remains in my all time top 5 favourite albums.
Great stuff as always Matt
I worked for a event promoter for the entire 1980's- to late 90's ! I had mild influence on buying events ! most shows I pushed for in the office made money ! when I saw the advance contract for Jefferson "UNPLUGGED" when I looked at the border paper work I absolutely SHIT ! this was the core of the original band missing Shmitt and JK with Sig Anderson the original voice of the Airplane ! everyone was completely blown away with R house production ! these people embarrassed the night doing what they love ! believe me I pumped with respect everyone with iconic questions and loved every second of that show !
Ha! I think the story was Grace worked her way through the whole band and MARTY BALIN was only one she didn’t have a sexual liaison with eventually.Paul KANTNER of course was her eventual long term partner of the era. I was pretty young at the time 14 in 1967 so what I remember is the initial two hit singles Somebody to Love and White Rabbit being my favorites and then I did not get back into them really till the VOLUNTEERS album. I just really loved the playing of JORMA and JACK . It did seem like Grace Slick by far was the focus to me at the time. Thanks, another great episode!
Jorma's guitar sound was unique and unmistakable. Grace's and Marty's voices and counterpoints as well. Not to mention 4 songwriters, Cassidy's bass, and Kantner's mesmerizing chant-singing. The band had its own, powerful style almost right out of the gate, virtually a supergroup while in its prime.
Marty never liked being upstaged and eclipsed by grace and withheld. I never found grace sexy or attractive. Her smart mouth made her less so. Give me Gayle McCormick of smith. Better singer and raving beauty. Graces strong suite her songwriting
Great series. This band fully embodied that Summer of Love spirit. My childhood was in the 60s and, outside of the war, it was the best decade to live in. I'd give anything to go back to that time.
And all the assassinations, race riots, Nixon getting elected, etc.
a lot of mine too would love to go back to when all my family was healthy and alive
I love that Matt is covering the Airplane, but I certainly would have discussed Saturday Afternoon, one of their best songs, in going over the Baxter’s songs.
I forgot that one! I meant to have that in there... my bad.
@@popgoesthe60s52 Perhaps the deliberately “self-indulgent” Spare Chaynge soured you (despite its arguably worth the wait jazzy acid blues 2nd half which also closes by nicely setting up Two Heads) to forget its (and one of their) best/classic “non-commercial” track(s), a peerless, melodic psychedelic anthem of that era and a performance at their acid-driven peak.
In any case, Baxters’ self-indulgence was less obvious to listeners otherwise “altered” and accustomed to their live shows (let alone those of their “spiritual advisor”) 😊, the jazz-improvisation influences (which recur to an extent on the longer Volunteers tracks, eg Hey Frederick) appreciated rather than disdained.
"Watch Her Ride" also was a single that went unmentioned here..
Great seeing a part two on Jefferson Airplane - a really nice segment to watch. Hearing Grace Slick sing about Levi's is a bit "different," along the lines of hearing Jack Bruce sing about beer (Falstaff). Cool to hear that Fred Neil's "Other Side of this Life" was getting covered back at Monterrey. Always thought Crown of Creation was darker in theme.
Hey Michael - I do love that Falstaff commercial! I appreciate the comments.
"Other Side of This Life" was one of the Airplane's live staples and they often started their shows with that tune. They were playing that song when the Hell's Angels interrupted their set at Altamont, when Marty Balin got knocked out!
The JA box set features both of the Levi's commercials...it's really strange that the Airplane would do a commercial, especially so early in their career!
@@popgoesthe60s52 Me too! Jack singing at the top of his lungs and the three of them going at it full tilt on their instruments.
Interesting stuff ty. Grace has stated many times publicly the latter "starship" years ie we built this city was crap, and compared to what this band was all about early on, vs the later years shes spot on. The early years were incredible. Grace is a God. Marty a genius.
i think the years 1972 to 1976 were dragged down by too much dull, marty-led songs instead of powerhouse female rocker songs.
@@dampergoldenrod4156 my favorites during those years were Grace's songs - "Fast Buck Freddie" and "Love Too Good" kicked more butt than "Count On Me" and "With Your Love"
@@haintedhouse2990 grace singing the song "Fire" from the Earth album would have been stupendous rather than marty singing it. count on me one of the few songs i liked by marty balin. grace should have fronted most of the songs as there were no truly hard rock female singers back then. ronstadt and stevie nicks were not rock singers.
@@dampergoldenrod4156 i agree Count On Me is a good song, probably one of Marty's best. I just wish Love Too Good would've also been released as a single.
In Jefferson Starship - The Definitive Concert from Vancouver in 1983, during the intro to Jane, Kantner says, "From drug songs to love songs." Truth, Paul! 🤣🤣🤣
I really don't find Baxter's dark, on the contrary.
It's an album about joy, childlike behaviour of youngsters that have just discovered the effects of drugs :
- in Pooneil, Kantner talks about you and him hanging around in the city after having smoked, and the fact that you don't see things and people the usual way ; you feel kind of priviledged to be "under influence" - Musically speaking, it's joyful, if not foolish
- in Young girl sunday blues, Balin describes a girl who's always complaining about her life, because she's so down to earth, and invites her to come into his colourful life and let herself wander free and easy to forget all the sorrows - Musically speaking, it's positive, with mostly major chords
- in Martha, it's basically Kantner enjoying the fact that a young girl, although in quest of freedom, relies on him, waits for him to get back home (almost like a dog) - Musically speaking, it's rather melancholic, but it's so beautiful (Slick's recorder and Kaukonen's bluesy distorted licks) ; in fact it's my favourite Airplane song
- in Wild tyme, Kantner states that not only him, but most people around him are "under influence", and you can tell by the way they change faces and how things in general change - Musically speaking, there again it's rather positive, with mostly major chords
- in The last wall, it's Kaukonen talking about his difficult relationship with his wife (recurrent theme in his lyrics for many years), but musically it's not sad at all
- in Watch her ride, it's Kantner realizing that he's in love with a girl because her shadow in the morning sun becomes his fun - Musically speaking it's still full of energy
- in Won't you try it's Kantner inciting a girl to try something (LSD ? weed ? sex ?) new - there again, musically speaking, it's mostly major chords (D-A-E)
Slick's songs are actually more serious, more intellectual, musically it's pretty weird in 2 heads, and quite brilliant in Rejoyce (a blend of Slick's taste for avant-guarde and Dryden's taste for jazz, along with Casady's technical abilities on "lead bass").
On the whole, Baxter's is a praise of the feeling of freedom induced by the use of drugs, of the joy of being different yet belonging to a new, rising nation. It's an ode to the summer of love. I really don't find the lyrics, nor the music, dark.
The Crown LP is far darker, with such songs as "Lather", "In time", "Triad" (musically speaking) and of course "The house at Pooneil corners" (the dark version of "Ballad of you & me & Pooneil).
As regards the Pillow LP, it's quite pretty, but it's the Airplane sounding like a Los Angeles pop band (such as the Mamas and the Papas for instance). At this time (1966) and place (LA studios), reverb was THE sound, and there's too much echo in Kaukonen's solos (particularly obvious in DCBA, as well as Garcia's gentle riffs on Today). Even in Plastic fantastic lover, there's too much reverb on Kaukonen's lead guitar, as if his amp was placed far behind the band.
I'd say that Pillow was folk-rock, when Takes off was rather folk-blues.
Baxter's is definitely my favourite Airplane LP, a symbol of freedom and the joy of feeling free, the pride of fooling around 🤪
Excellent and very thorough recap. You're going to put me out of a job! Martha is one of my faves of theirs as well. I find the music dark, more so than the lyrics but then again, I'm a music over lyrics guy.
@@popgoesthe60s52 Thanks for your answer, Matt. I'm a music over lyrics man too.
To tell you the truth, I discovered the Airplane through "Somebody to love", and sure enough I fell in love with the sound and the beat, expecting the band to sound like that on any song of theirs.
But I was young and couldn't afford a record, then, and my dad happened to posess one of their lp, which he gave me. It was Baxter's.
In the beginning, I was clearly disapointed, because it didn't sound like Somebody to love, and it was mostly Kantner on lead vocals.
But it was the only Airplane record I had, so I listened to it again and again, and in time I got to appreciate the overall atmosphere.
Pooneil's swinging beat and surprising chords, Watch her ride's funky rythm guitar, the powerful beat on Wild tyme, the irony in Young girl sunday blues's chords, it eventually became my cup of tea.
Of course, I kept on finding Two heads too weird for my taste, and I still don't like The last wall of the castle.
But I fell in love with Martha almost at once, and as regards Rejoyce, musically it's a trip. It's psychedelic without dealing with drugs.
Had they replaced A small package and Spare chaynge by Balin's Don't let me down and Things are better in the East (both of them on the "Loves you" box set), I'm sure Baxter's would have been considered as their best Lp (equal to Surrealistic Pillow, at least).
So, when I finally bought Pillow, of course I was glad and in awe of such gems as Today and Comin' back to me (and I do love DCBA and Plastic fantastic lover).
But compared to Baxter's, I find it superficial, too much pop-oriented in terms of lyrics.
As I got to learn about the Airplane history (and that of that particular era), I discovered that Baxter's had been recorded throughout 1967, when Pillow was recorded in a few weeks in late 1966.
Though Pillow and its 2 major singles (Somebody to love and White rabbit) were on the air in 1967, it's Baxter's that's really dealing with the famous Summer of love and the flower children.
That it's self-indulgent might be the truth, since no one told them to do this instead of that (not even Jerry Garcia, as far as I know), and since they were really satisfied with the result. For most of them, it's their favourite.
I'm sure if you give it a try, by listening to it again and again, you'll fall under its charm. Let yourself wander free and easy, Matt (please) ! 😂
@@leperelamisere1368 My buddy Paul loves Baxters so we always talk about its merit. I must admit when I put this video together and listened to it all, I felt a greater appreciation for it.
I also bought Surrealistic Pillow in the 80's. What an album, not one band track, easily on a Par with Forever Changes, Younger Than Yesterday and Buffalo Springfield. "as surrealistic as a pillow is soft" said Jerry Garcia. Great part 2 Matt.
55 years later I learn what After Bathing at Baxter's means...
Right? Me too!!
I bought a copy of Crown of Creation when it came out, got it home and played it on my little Singer suitcase stereo (!), and discovered that the A side was pressed on both sides of the record. When you think about it, it seems like that would be a very unlikely error to have been possible to have happened! Being young, dumb, poor, and no doubt stoned, I took it back to the record store and exchanged it instead of saving it as a collector’s piece and just buying another one. $2.99-stereo was a buck more-was a lot of money in those days. In all my years since then, I’ve never heard of another copy like that A/A pressing. I’ve never heard of ANY album with double A or double B sides. I wish I still had it, it was a really odd oddity.
"Lather" -- one of my favorite JA tracks!
Let us all thank Carole King for all the 'up on the roof' performances by the Airplane, the Dead, and the Beatles.
Carole King, up on the roof, reminds of The Drifters, another great 'band' i love till now just as Jefferson Airplane
Excellent! You turned me on to some tracks I didn't know about.
It's fitting that Jack is on the cover of Bless because he drives the band on that album.
Your Airplane Part II is music to my ears, as was the original Surrealistic Pillow album that I cherished and played to death during the summer of '67.
I actually played Baxter's over and over as well, loving the psychedelic murk. Crown of Creation was a brilliant, satisfying collection. Volunteers also totally fulfilled and moved the band forward again. Airplane was one of my top 10 bands of the 60s.
Working on part 3 tonight, so stay tuned!
Hi Matt.
Nice Part 2
Of Jefferson Airplane
Basically I Agree with your assessment of the 3 LPs you showcased in the Video- Surrealistic Pillow, After Bathing at Baxters and Crown of Creation
As a Huge Fan I thought i knew a lot of the Groups History BUT you pointed out 3 items I didn't know/recall- Grace potential signing with Elektra Records, her Vocal Cord Surgery and the Levi Ads.
Can't Wait for Part 3 and starting off with your analysis and the LP itself of Volunteers- which I consider to be one of their Greatest LPs.
Take Care & Stay Safe/Healthy
Thank you, Richard!
Great job Matt. I forgot how great of an album that was. Lots of styles on there. Embryonic journey was always one of my faves.
Surrealistic
24:50 I didn't know that strident counting voice on Sesame St was Grace Slick, that's great. Gotta respect a decade where the counterculture can surface on the street so much that it makes a kids program edgy. From White Rabbit to Big Bird. Did the counterculture counting numbers start with the pop culture count-in to 'Taxman' and The Beatles counting #9? Psychedelic chemical engineering fused Apollo countdowns with numerology when magical thinking was 'in'. Soul and funk had a stake in Sesame St too. Did Gil Scott-Heron do a show along the Street among the ashcans? if not, he should have.
And even before that, Clint Eastwood had trouble with his counting in 2 Spaghetti Westerns in a row: In 1964 he miscounted the coffins required. In 1965 with the showdown stiffs stacked on the wagon, he had some trouble toting up the re-ward. Yes and even 50 years before all that, loose numbers figured as much as lettering in Cubist collages in the 19-teens - - so Revolution#9 isn't so much avant garde as retrospective, like most of Yoko Ono's work.
Even 'One After 909' was 10 years old when it finally got recorded. I'm tripping on numbers.
I do not accept the existence of any clunkers on Crown of Creation! It's a fantastic album, and Grace's vocal performance on Triad is easily her best ever, and one of the finest in the history of rock music.
DCBA-25 will always remain my favorite Airplane song, though. You might say it was the world to me for a while.
Agreed. I was thinking the same thing. I was like, "Clunkers?!" Where??
You having The Magic Garden in the background by The 5th Dimension is such a bonus!
I do plan a 5th Dimension video history at some point so stay tuned!
Baxters fulfilled JA loves you - in that unique moment a visitation along the path. Around then while walking in Central Park I saw JA entertaining a few hundred people at the bandshell- free life.
Always enjoy your measured approach, Matt. Can't wait for Part Three. Cheers, bro! :) MU
Part 3 will be up in a few days, so stay tuned!
@@popgoesthe60s52 Cool! Thnx, man!
Those times were very creative and good vibes was anywhere
I had no idea JA did a rooftop concert before The Beatles. Fascinating! I don't think The Beatles stole the idea but rathet they literally had no options left and the rooftop was such an easy solution.
I wonder if Jefferson Airplane performed their song, "Don't Let Me Down" on the rooftop, just to provide us with further evidence of the Beatles ripping them off.
I think they both got the idea from the Drifters.
@@389383 They did the opposite. They played under a boardwalk.
@@nathananthony7517 They did both! Should have done "Working In A Coalmine"!
I would love to go back to this time..... please take me back , I will behave , I promise.
God, how I wish J.P.P McStep B. blues had made it on--one of my all time fave songs ever! 💜💜💜
had so many intense peaks with 3/5 of a mile in 10 seconds carrying me
I think Crown of Creation is their true masterpiece. It's got the balance between "wild" and disciplined and allows each member--and songwriter--to showcase his/her talent. Some absolutely gorgeous songs here, like Lather and Share a Little Joke, Marty's beautiful enigmatic tune. Thanks for this!
My pleasure. Thank you for watching.
After hearing snippets of the two Marty Balin tracks left off of Bathing At Baxters, I can understand why he would have been a bit angry as there were at least two tracks on that album inferior to his discarded tracks.
names of the songs?
@@kevinjoseph517 - Covered at 14:26 of the video
Agreed. Marty was best known for ballads, but he could rock with the best.
Nah, his 2 songs would not have fit at all on Baxters. They’re both pretty weak.
@@markbrooks7157 These are the first snippets I've heard of these songs, so you may be right. On the other hand, Marty wrote "Plastic Fantastic Lover" and "Miracles." When he was on top of his game, he could write a killer song.
Surrealistic Pillow is an awesome album. I have zero idea why I passed them up when I was "discovering" '60s bands in high school (the '80s for me). I'm really glad I saw this. Thank you for this!!!
My pleasure, Jon. I'll have part three out soon, so stay tuned!
@@popgoesthe60s52 I will. Part 3 sounds like a huge transitional period for them after Volunteers.
in 1970 i went to fordham Uni to hear JA--grace was a no show so hot tuna played to a small crowd.
Matt, I just love your videos. You really do some great research. I never knew (or I long since forgot) that the Jefferson Airplane did Levi commercials. And that Sesame Street song, wow! That takes me back a bit. I remember that from when I was about 8 or 9 years old, but I never knew that it was Grace Slick on vocals. Great stuff.
Have you read Jorma Kaukonen's book "Been So Long"? Great read. It's worth reading if you haven't already.
I've not read that book yet. I will ad it to my list.
I remember seeing an article in Rolling Stone about the on the roof concert at the time, I lived in London England and Rolling Stone was required reading, pretty sure someone around the Beatles would of seen the story! Also Paul McCartney was in San Francisco in April 1967 and had connections with the band!
I've been unable to find that article. Do you have any other information? Issue date, who was on the cover? I'd like to find it.
@@popgoesthe60s52 another excellent group spotlight Matt as always.I’m sure you have an absolute ton of band requests to go through but here’s 4 for you-the Seeds,Arthur Lee and “Love”,the Velvet Underground,and Eric Burdon and the Animals-thanks for a great TH-cam channel Matt.
@@popgoesthe60s52 Rolling Stone issues No 22 dated November 23 1968 or issue 23 dated 7th December 1968 I’am guessing! Also Grateful Dead played on the roof of the Chelsea Hotel on August 10th 1967, that date is listed on the Grateful Dead’s website, even has a set list, but no other info unfortunately!
@@roygoad2870 Good stuff, Roy - thank you so much!
@@cardinalsfan8182 Yes, those are all on my list. My choice would be to do Love first but I don't have them on my schedule at the moment. I will get to them so stay tuned!
Fabulous stuff as usual! One of my all-time favorite recordings, live or studio, is "The Other Side of This Life" from the Bless Its Pointed Little Head album. Jack Cassidy pulled off one of the most sublime bass "solos" of all time during the opening sequence by applying the classical music-inspired "variations on a theme" to the opening line. It's a little deceptive because the mix fades in, so the first few notes or phrases aren't on the recording. After the fade-in, he repeated the line once, then immediately started altering the notes, timing, and phrasing, but stayed fairly close to the original line (theme) until just before the vocals began. In my estimation, doing something that complex must have required Cassidy to spend quite a bit of rehearsal time to work that out - to get the idea of what he wanted to do, and then be able to pull it off accurately. That's freaking brilliant and about as badass as a rock bassist has ever been on record. In MHO that puts him in the upper echelon of bassists along with Jack Bruce, John Entwistle, Mel Schacher, Geddy Lee, Dave Pegg, Tim Bogert, and Andy West.
I've listened to that song hundreds of times and it still blows me away; not bad for a guy who was most likely on acid at the time - to play with that much subtlety and finesse, while having such an aggressive style. I like bass players who have stretched and re-defined the role of the electric bass in rock music. Jack has certainly been one of those guys.
Yes, Casady is easily one of my top bassists of the 60s and of all of rock.
I second that! Jack Casady is was one of my all-time favorite bass players - I even own one of his signature basses-signed by the man himself after a hot tuna show!👍☮️❤️🎸
really enjoyed this video. saw hot tuna last sunday in the chicago area. they were great, played almost all of the first album. the show was non electric with just Jorma and Jack. they played over 2 hours and told some great stories. can't wait for part three.
Very cool, thanks for sharing.
Also of note was their homage to one of their folksinger mentors, Fred Neil - Pooneil
Those Levis commercials were awesome!
I thought it was so cool when I learned that Grace Slick did the first counting song for Sesame Street. The Pointer Sisters were famous for one they did in the 70's and during that same period The Pointer Sisters sang backup on a Grace Slick track called Fat from Barron Von Tollbooth and the Chrome Nun which was a sort of transition album as Jefferson Airplane was ending and the proper band version of Jefferson Starship was in it's early stages. Something else I loved discovering was the mono mix of Surrealistic Pillow, imo it's a lot better with the dryer mono mix, the drums come through a lot better
Yes, I remember when I discovered Grace did the Jazzy Spies - quite a revelation! I will have to try the mono mix.
I have surrealistic pillow on CD, which includes both the stereo and mono versions… I’ll have to give that mono version another try👍
Nice job. Bless its Pointed Little Head was my first JA purchase, in 1968!I think, and I would say it’s still my fav of theirs.
Jack rules on that album.
Great video. 👍 just discovered this channel in the past week and really enjoying the "histories." Especially enjoyable for acts like the Rascals about which I didn't know much beyond the hit singles.
This is an EXCELLENT survey. He REALLY knows what he is talking about. There's a lot here I knew (from being of that generation) and all of it is right on target- and a lot that is new to me. His selection of excerpts from songs is perfect each time. (I love Baxter's...SP and that are my faves...Saturday Afternoon, acid incense and balloons...) Saw them live 3 times....and Hot Tuna once...
Thank you for commenting, LopezB!
Matt...Awesome series!!!Definitely, White Rabbit, Grace nailed it! Don't You Want Somebody to Love a classic ballad. They were a Super Group. Every album which came out was packed from cover to cover, gatefold sleeves, side 1 and side 2. Even after Jefferson Starship came to fruition their hits continued! They were a tour de force no doubt. As for Starship, well they diversed to tune the young generation of the 80s.
Omg! They did spots! I had no idea!
Those are hands down the trippiest commercials I have ever heard!
So they're doing that and The Who is off doing The Who Sell Out. And of course Warhol, though I don't know exactly when he began with the advertising bit. And then later X Ray Spex doing their own twist on consumerism.
I don't know, I just find it so fascinating that the counter-culture is at once embracing commercials. I definitely would not have guessed the Airplane would be in on that.
Thanks for digging that up, Matt, that kind of blew my mind a little bit. :)
Looking at your copy of Surrealistic Pillow, I think it worth mentioning that the band was always dissatisfied with the job Rick Jarrard did on Surrealistic pillow. Rick apparently thought drenching everything in echo was more psychedelic. Because the effect is less on the mono version, that is generally the preferred version of the album. However, because mono was phased out in 1968, originals command a premium. Fortunately, there have been reissues. BMG even put out a gold cd with both the mono and stereo versions in 1995.
My fave band Lucky to be in SF back then
I love all of those albums. The live album has them covering Donovan's song 'Fat Angel' which referenced Jefferson Airplane. You're right about "Baxter's" being self-indulgent, they'd have had more success dropping the sound collages and using Marty's songs. He said later that the power in the band depended on who Grace was sleeping with at the time.
Songwriting-wise I was never too impressed with Grace, her solo career bears this out. I think Kantner is underrated as both a writer and singer.
Worth remembering that when Donovan recorded Fat Angel early 1966 for his Sunshine Superman LP the band wasn't exactly that well known, certainly not outside SF
Baxter's shows a lot of creative daring, probably not to the liking of lovers of more commercial product. The only cuts which could be considered self-indulgent are A Small Package of Values, which is experimental, not a bad thing especially when we're talking about the late sixties. Spare Change is an extended jam, also in keeping with the zeitgeist. Therefore I don't get the criticism of the record.
@@reneaceves8820 I agree. I'm glad they recorded something a bit more experimental, freer... I've actually been listening to it lately and I enjoy it even more than the first time I heard it many years ago. It's one of those that when you're in the mood it just sounds great, but hey, I love the Airplane! 😉
her 1 st solo album " DREAMS " was nominated for a grammy !
Two points regarding the rooftop performance. Firstly, I spoke with Let It Be's director Michael Lindsay-Hogg in December 2022 about when he first found out about the Airplane's rooftop concert and he said he found out about it several years after filming Let It Be, although he did state that when he was a director on the British music program Ready Steady Go he was vastly influenced by Godard's cinematic style during Godard's French New Wave period. He also stated that it was he alone who came up with the idea to film The Beatles on the roof of the Apple building. Secondly, there are photographs of Paul McCartney with members of Jefferson Airplane in San Francisco in the late 1960s, so The Beatles were certainly aware of the group. Anyway, thank you for these great, informative videos, I personally cannot rank any of the Airplane's 1960s albums as I consider them all to be masterpieces (although I would say that Volunteers is not quite as good as the others).
Thanks for the Lindsay-Hogg quote, I didn't know that. McCartney visited with 2 members briefly in May of 1967 I believe.
I just sadly discovered that a more affordable lp version of pillow is only coming out in September in germany.
On the other hand that gives me a good reason to call it a day earlier today and going to my favorite record shop to try my luck
Great presentation of the backdrop to culture-changing music.
SOMEBODY TO LOVE by REZ BAND a great version also, REZ BAND is also called THE RESURRECTION BAND
This is getting better and better (although I disagree on Spare Chaynge; I think it's an essential part of Baxters). Very thorough; at last somebody has properly tied in events chronologically (such as Jack moonlighting with the Fish and Grace recording the Jazzy Spies material). About to binge watch episode 3 immediately!
Enjoy, Rob! Thanks for the feedback too. 🙂
OMG: I remember the levis ads. This is the first time I've heard anyone talk about them.
I love chameleon-like bands that delve into different styles and moods. I believe the Beatles started that and the Airplane is one of those. Some of their members started out as folkies as so many of those bands were (The Byrds, The Mamas and the Papas, Grateful Dead, CSNY, etc). Jorma went back to his folk music roots and is at it to this day.
Re Grace Slick; how can you fault the filming crew for focusing on an ex model with a KILER voice and stage presence? She was a goddess! 🥰😉
Matt...Thank you for doing videos on Jefferson Airplane. They are one of my favorite bands. I watched Part One and Part Two and enjoyed both videos. I can't wait to see what you have in store for Part Three and beyond.
I'll have it up early next week, thanks for watching Steve!
I remember the radio stations KHJ and KRLA played both sides of the single “The Ballad of You & Me & Pooneil”/“Two Heads”.
No man, is an island!
No man, is an island!
(God I love that album so much. Even "A Small Package...")
In my heart I have a feeling
Don't know what I'm gonna do. (The arrangements on these songs.)
Excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed this. Can’t wait for part three. I see that the Blows Against the Empire album lies below Volunteers. Those three Kantner/Slick albums are my favorites. I hope your series continues through the Jefferson Starship and Hot Tuna albums too.
Hi Al, thanks for the comments. I won't spend too much time on Tuna or Starship... it's hard to keep the focus on the Airplane as they began to splinter!
I think those three Kantner/Slick albums would be worthy of a single episode, at least. And perhaps a single episode to cover hot tuna, as well! I’d watch those👍
Great history on a great band & touched on some great highlights. Jorma & Jack are still playing together to this day & are doing their last electric Hot Tuna tour this year & only doing acoustic tours in the future. Once again thank you for your great work & I'm looking forward to checking out your other Pop Goes The 60's videos.
Welcome Ray! Thank you for commenting.