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I would say name one but I'm afraid of the answer. Grace Slick and Mickey Thomas can pizz all over anything that came out after 1990. Anything. What did come out after 1990 anyway? A bunch of wrap crap and hippity hoppity ball bearing noise.
When Aynsley Dunbar came on board banging the drums and Mickey Thomas with his awesome set of lungs they were great.. Not the greatest band of the 70s and 80s but great.
To everyone: We built this city on rock and roll !!!!!!!!
Blows against the Empire could very well mean death to wrap. Who knows?
While I respect your opinion and right to love Jefferson Airplane, I must ask a different question. Are there many bands out there today that don't out do Jefferson Airplane? Because I hate to break it to the older crowd, but the musicians of today are so much more talented with their instruments than most any old school star. People always hollering out Hendrix, when there are 15 year old guitarists on YouTube that can outplay the guy. The old music was great for it's time, but almost none of them could compete with the musicians of today. And while I much prefer the content of the songs of old, I can't help but love the skill of today's guitarists, drummers, bassists, etc. There is no competition.
and who are these super talented people? a better bassist than jack casady? and there's only one guitarist who was better than jorma.
Last edited by oldblue125; 09-24-2009 at 06:26 PM..
I believe it was Donovan, in one of his songs from the 60's, that coined the phrase "Fly Jefferson Airplane, always gets you there on time".
For a long time RCA Records had the top rock star going under their guise, his name was Elvis Presley. But as music was slowly evolving and changing, one would be hard pressed to name the next top drawer rock star under contract to RCA, be it individual or band. As the Beatles and the Beach Boys were Capitols big two rock sellers, they were leaving RCA in the dust regarding rock and roll and the 60's. The Rolling Stones were under London Records and rose almost as quickly as the Beatles did.
So much of the other 60's bands were on a wide variety of smaller labels; Tower, Bang, Amy, Dynovoice, Liberty, and many, many, other labels.
As Motown was a new label on the rise with the great groups from that area, and Atco/Atlantic evolving from basically a jazz and pop music label and signing rock groups like the Buffalo Springfield, RCA Records was becoming outdated and out of touch.
The Jefferson Airplane was their vehicle. They didn't become a huge band overnight, but they had potential. Their first lp, "Takes Off" wasn't a big seller when it was released because it did not have a chart top 40 hit, although "It's No Secret' was released as a single. You had to have grown up in that era; better yet purchased their music and listened to music on the radio in general to appreciate how a band makes it. In 1966 there was virtually no fm music that was rock related, at least not in the area I grew up in. The first lp was more in line with folk than rock, but it was STILL good music. Then some personnel changes were made. Vocalist Signe Anderson left the band. Drummer Skip Spence left and joined up with Moby Grape. He was replaced by Spencer Dryden.
But the big move that turned the band around was bringing to the band Grace Slick. IMO she had the most powerful voice of any lady rock and roller I ever heard before (or for that matter since). Their second lp, Surrealistic Pillow is one of the great rock albums of its era, or for that matter any era.
I wish fm radio was as dominate then as now. When I hear that album, there could have been other songs that could have charted as well as "White Rabbit' and "Somebody To Love". That entire album had such great material on it I listen to it today and am just amazed at what I hear 42 years after I bought the album. If only they could promote albums back then. If only.
Great walk down memory lane. When music was music and music was great. Thanks for this post.
While I respect your opinion and right to love Jefferson Airplane, I must ask a different question. Are there many bands out there today that don't out do Jefferson Airplane? Because I hate to break it to the older crowd, but the musicians of today are so much more talented with their instruments than most any old school star. People always hollering out Hendrix, when there are 15 year old guitarists on YouTube that can outplay the guy. The old music was great for it's time, but almost none of them could compete with the musicians of today. And while I much prefer the content of the songs of old, I can't help but love the skill of today's guitarists, drummers, bassists, etc. There is no competition.
Today's bands have all the advantages of technology. Buy a box and you can sound like Hendrix or Clapton.
Most can not think the music. They learn to play music like they play a video game - just repeat the sequence over and over. but they can not think up a new sequence to the same song.
Most of the band members have the same limited musical knowledge and influences.
I'm sorry, but from Zappa to the Dead, the creative artists of the 60's will forever be miles above most of the current & future crop of rock musician.
added comments (that may or may not be related to the topic at hand):
One of the things you have to remember was that bands then usually had to come up with new material every 6 to 9 months, not 24 to 36 like todays bands do. Radio played twice as many songs then, by 4 times the number of artists.
Nobody was guaranteed a spot on the charts, just for showing up. You also had to conquer the world, one market at a time, one station at a time. If you lived in a big city you might see a copy of 'rolling stone'.
one last comment:
most of the groups of the past, each song, had little (maybe the key & time) in common with songs on the next album (i'd even say with songs on the same album). Now you get cookie cutter albums, even by the more progressive bands) that are pretty much a copy of their last 4 albums.
Interesting you would choose Jefferson Airplane? They weren't even the best band of their city, let alone generation.
And yes there are many bands today that are MUCH better than Jefferson Airplane
It's like most everything else. A matter of opinion. There are some decent bands out there today. Some even play real instruments. Some.
Give me a Kerry Livgren written guitar piece, or a Tony Banks keyboard lead, or a Bill Bruford led rhythm, or anything Tony Levin ever did over just about anything being produced today. I know that probably makes me a dinosaur, but a musically happy one.
You are so right. At least most of us know talent when we hear and see it.
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