Wow . Volunteers bring back some treasured memories . Thanks for doing a History of the Airplane . What I always thought weird , was how Jefferson Airplane seemed to have a sort of integrity that Jefferson Starship could only dream of obtaining . Strange how that happens .
Always one of my favorite bands. They received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 at the Grammys but there was no tribute segment for them on the CBS broadcast. They honored Bowie and other artists that night with special tributes, but not the Airplane. I vowed then never to watch another Grammy broadcast.
God, Volunteers is so good. "Either go away or go all the way in..." Scintillating performance by Grace. Maybe her tour de force. And "Wooden Ships," God, just incredibly performed and arranged. Maybe my favorite Marty performance. God, they're just all in full form on this album. I used to have a tee shirt with the album cover in high school. God, I loved that shirt. Jesus, I really worshiped that band. After the Beatles they were probably my second love. Just something about them went all the way down for me. The apocalypticism, for sure was a big part of it, mixed with the psychedelia. They just took really took me places. And really made me feel. And Jack's contrapuntal playing. Just such rich, rich music.
"Blows Against the Empire" has been my favorite and most frequent psychedelic music experience over the past 53 years, and is now fused with my brain cells. I don't care what the critics say, I love that album!
Thanks again for another fascinating video brimming with facts not often heard like the song "Frozen Noses"😂 I remember there was a time when Crosby, Stills & Nash were jokingly referred to by that moniker😅 Volunteers has always been one of my favourite albums of all time. They were really flying and played a fantastic set at Woodstock with Nicky Hopkins🎉 The following single Mexico/Have you seen the saucers und the Kantner/Slick LPs with some of the best SF musicians "Blows against the Empire" and "Sunfighter" continued that beautiful vibe❤
Thank you so much Jeff. Several commenters have agreed on the great value of your work and many others are on their way to purchasing it! I appreciate you commenting.
@@jefftamarkin I have a question for you. I'm getting some grief on the pronunciation of Matthew Katz's last name. You wrote that he pronounced it "Cates" which is what I used in the video. Did everyone pronounce it that way or was this on of Katz's eccentricities? Isn't is amazing this guy is still causing trouble?
Jeff-as a 20th Anniversary special, would you be willing to dig out those unused pages for the fans ( like us at JEFFERSON AIRPLANE : COME UP THE YEARS)?
@@popgoesthe60s52 Well, he pronounced it Cates but I'm sure some people pronounced it Cats just to annoy the bastard. Yeah, he really needs to disappear now. He caused enough people grief.
Oh the Worst! Yes! But for me it was 1991. Actually I had Surrealistic Pillow vinyl before that. I got really into their free speech radical element and of course peace and love. Amazing band. My preference vox go Grace, Paul, Jorma, Marty.
I’m 53 and of everything I’ve seen on UA-cam, this is the most comprehensive, constructive, thorough and detailed review of anything I’ve seen. Thank you for this, it is sincerely appreciated. I’m attempting to learn as much as I can about this period and this is extremely well done and helpful - intellectually superb, and as complete as anyone could have produced - Thank you!
@@popgoesthe60s52 ~ I hitch-hiked across the country to San Francisco at the end of 1977 and made friends with Jack Casady's older brother "Chick" at a small nightclub Wavy Gravy started -[the first place I went to] - a year or two earlier on Haight street. He let me crash at his place until I found a girl who had been living there since 1967 who I moved in with. Skip Spence lived up the street close by and we became close friends as he introduced me to all his friends and my job was in a sense to keep him out of troubles [lol] !!! We could always pick up royalty checks at the Airplane House if we were too broke and I had a wild time for years with him. We could visit Jorma at his home - or get the VIP treatment from Bill Graham if he was at one of his venues and there was never a dull moment. I could go on and on - but the best was when I stayed with him at his place in Santa Cruz and Moby Grape's manager then - John Chesleigh - had a studio in his garage where he was helping form a new band with Steve Mariott from Humble Pie and jams happened all the time and Skip had a really beautiful 'girlfriend/groupie then even though everyone knows he had in effect lost a lot of his mind and would laugh and talk to himself often!!!lol. I could go on and tell about the times we went to "Dinosaurs" gigs and he sat in etc. - just tell me what you want to know... www.discogs.com/master/314967-Moby-Grape-Live-Grape ~ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinosaurs_(band) ~ Skip's death : www.theguardian.com/news/1999/apr/20/guardianobituaries1 ~ Last good recording with Jack : www.discogs.com/release/14466813-Various-More-Oar-A-Tribute-To-The-Skip-Spence-Album
if you want to complete these wonderful videos, get a copy of Jorma's book Been So Long which explains these years (and beyond) through his point of view.
I have such great memories of the Jefferson Airplane at the Fillmore just after I got back from Vietnam. It was the Summer of Love. I was assigned to the Presidio after my combat tour and the first thing I did was see this band at the Fillmore. Great memories. Curative. Seriously so.
Jeff Tamarkin's book is incredible. Just reread it. It's highly detailed, with humour and great respect and understanding of the group and its members. Highly recommended read.
I was very happy that Grace came back to Jefferson Airplane one last time before retiring because she very well could have had her swan song with the success she had without Kantner in Starship. I consider it a most generous act and it erased so much of the negative baggage she had accumulated throughout her career.
I've recorded in what used to be Wally Heider's studio in San Francisco. It is currently known as Hyde Street Studios and it is smack dab in the middle of the Tenderloin. I was somewhat fearful for my life going there back in 2015 and that neighborhood has gotten even worse since then. Really bad urban decay. San Francisco is becoming the next Detroit in real time.
Great series, Matt! The Airplane had an excellent run from Takes Off to Volunteers. Funny how it dropped off after that. I bought Bark when it was new. One of my first LPs to enter the.... trade pile.
Excellent series! Volunteers is one of my all time favorite 60's albums. Also includes one of my favorite gatefolds with the peanut butter and jam sandwich.
I really appreciate the way you relate to the audience. There's a certain level of intimacy, a kind of bond that's very clear. It's sort of like you're talking to your friends, and that's a surprising thing to be able to experience on the internet.
I appreciate the kind comment, Robin. I do try to make these videos conversational and personal. I'm glad I'm drawing viewers that notice! Much thanks.
Growing up in this era and just recently starting a tribute band to this era called "Hippie Vibes" I believe Grace was the shining star of Jefferson Airplane and Balin was the shining star of Jefferson Starship, I think Jefferson Airplane would have crashed had it not been for Grace. You do an excellent job with these videos and thanks for posting them. New Subscriber.
Thank you for this series, very well done! Just my .02 .... I remember seeing JA do Volunteers on Dick Cavett that famous night , no tape delay back then, MF'r and all. I also had no idea that night that a few months later, on Dec. 6, I'd be standing on turn 3 of the Altamont Raceway watching the band being surrounded by the HA on one of the most amazing days of my long, sordid life, lol. And as for the reunion tour, you can see from UA-cam that they hired Kenny Aronoff and, as always, he overplayed and basically ruined all those great songs. Thanks again for a splendid effort!
This is a "band", in one form or another, that was always in the backdrop of my musical life having been born in the early 70's. This was a great series Matt, I learned a ton from it!
Thank you for doing this series on Jefferson Airplane. I particularly liked part three because you covered so much I didn't know about the history of the band between Volunteers and the first Jefferson Starship album. I was 10 in 1970 when a friend came over with the Worst of album. He played We Can Be Together and we thought we were getting away with murder just listening to it. I ultimately got my own copy of this album. To this day I listen to this collection and strongly believe it holds up against so much that has been released since. I admire Jefferson Airplane's unique sound and strongly believe they are an underrated band. Thank you for shining a spotlight on them.
Blows Against the Empire was my favorite zone-out stoner album of that era. There's a very trippy rocket blastoff piece mid-album on the Hijack side, which was as good a sonic sci-fi effect as I've ever heard. Very War of the Worlds without the war.
"Very War of the Worlds without the war." To expand on your comment: they do sample audio from the movie ("lemme through!") - always loved that Starship album. For me, Volunteers is the best - I was 13 and it inspired a version of 'adulthood' in me, of course way different than what was expected at the time. The song "Laughing" from the Crosby album you mentioned is the greatest example of those particular musicians (especially Garcia & Cassidy) playing together, a beautiful song. Nice series, Matt!
One of the things that makes these mini-documentaries/reviews some of the most enjoyable content of its kind, and arguably among the best of anything on UA-cam, is that you TALK to us, rather than reading at us as so many UA-camrs do. You know your material, and it shows. I have to take exception, however, to your dismissal of "Bark", especially the observation about Casady's bass playing being absent. You fail to mention at all the memorable track "War Movie" -- maybe because of its sci-fi theme? But it's a very strong track, and Casady's bass really does stand out in it. Likewise, and possibly for the same reasons, "When the Earth Moves Again", both strong Kantner songs, on which Grace Slick's voice shines even though in a backup role. Also, no mention of the a capella "Thunk", one of my favorite tracks, not least of all because of the way it segues into "War Movie".
Hello Gamina, thank you for the comment and kind words. I admit, I have never been high on Bark and I personally found it a tough transition from Volunteers. But I know many love this lp. Sorry I gave it short shrift.
I wondered at the time how they got away with the MF on Volunteers and I never would have guessed it had anything to do with Hair. The sci-fi parts of Blows Against the Empire had some of the most absurd lyrics of any rock album ever but the music was terrific. They were always right in the thick of it in the late 60s. I never did get into Bark, I had greater expectations of them. Hot Tuna was the best side project and I think the song Genesis from Quah , completely in a folk style - no blues at all - is something truly special by Jorma. I'm glad you take the time to do these bands in detail even if it takes a few segments.
The Reunited JA Were Great In 89'! I Was At A Show In Michigan & An Appearance In DC At A Homeless Benefit... Grace Was Trying To Save The Pandas... 💙💛 Great Series Matt!
Good Shepard, a Great song. I think that it has the best guitar parts of any of their music. love the music. A Great Album! Part #1=Excellent Part #2=Excellent Part #3= Excellent My wife and I were both born in Feb 1952. We're both left handed. I've been mostly a drummer (some guitar) since 1964. We met when we were 15 years old and next door neighbors. We saw Jefferson Airplane at Pirates World in Dania Florida in 1969 or 1970. Always loved them. Always Great. Thank You for these 3 wonderful posts. Best Regards from Tim & Sheila
Got a Revolution is indeed one of the very best band biographies, right up there with Lewisohn's Tune In and Rogan's books on the Byrds and Neil Young.
Really enjoyed this series, and I learned a lot! Thanks! I saw the Starship (minus Grace Slick) in 2009 at Golden Gate Park. It was the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock. I was told later on that I had a pretty good time... 🤘😵💫
Another very good analysis, thank you! The Jefferson Airplane was primarily a counterculture band and as with other bands such as, Quicksilver, Moby Grape, Country Joe & The Fish, etc., when the counterculture was over, their popularity and influence started to wane. It might be fair to assume that, aside from the Airplane and The Dead, most of today's young rock listeners have never heard of those bands. That's a shame because there's a lot of good music from those groups. But the zeitgeist today is different that in the 60's, and those songs just don't mean the same thing to contemporary listeners. I lost interest in the Airplane after Volunteers and had no interest in the Jefferson Starship. But I did see the group live in a Long Island theater sometime in the early 1970's and it was a very good show. Blows Against The Empire is one of my desert island albums, in 1971 it was the first rock album ever nominated for a Hugo Award. The album's insert had an advertisement which called for 7,000 people with various skills to join in an interstellar journey after a soon to be built starship was hijacked, a fantasy that some took seriously, LOL. I agree, the Airplane helped define the 60's, they were bannermen for the counterculture, they were as their introduction at the Monterrey Pop Festival indicated, "a perfect example of what the world was coming to". All of that makes Grace's negative comments so disappointing but she did have a cynical personality and her issues with alcohol didn't help. No single event ended the 60's but it wound down as the war ended, long hair, smoking pot and other things, which were once counter, became mainstream. White powder drugs helped ruin what started out as a search for higher consciousness and the expiration date for taking advantage of the privilege of youth had arrived. It was a special time though, with some great rock music, art, literature and fashion being born from the influences of the counterculture lifestyle. It's always good to be young but to have been young during the 1960's was very special! Thanks again for another great video!
Hello Gene and thank you for the substantive comments. I agree, much of the 60s counter culture music is lost on younger generations but I am pleased to see at how well so much music from that time holds up. I'm sorry I forgot to mention the Hugo award... that does elevate that album considerable. I listen to that more than any other Airplane album. I used to envy those who experienced the 60s in real time but I'm quite content to view it and experience from the generation that followed. Much thanks for your continued support, Gene!
I thought Blows against the empire’s the song A Child is Coming was overlooked in this video. That was great balance of Grace Slick, Paul Kantner, harmonies of David Crosby and the outstanding bass line of Jack Cassidy to make one of my favorite songs of that album. Outstanding work!
I lived in the Haight / Ashbury. I was at Altamont. I was at the Kent State gig. I followed the Airplane. I have to say. You got a few things just plain wrong. I could tell you If I ever met you. But that's OK. This 3 part history was great, and brought back a lot of memories. Thanx!
I really didn't know about all those albums released after Volunteers. I'll have to check them. Certainly much better than all the crap being put out these days.
Great series on a great band ... enjoyed all three parts, and also would recommend the Jeff Tamarkin book. And as a newspaper guy, the liner notes of "Volunteers" are fantastic -- loaded with inside jokes and poking fun at things in newspapers of the late 60s (be sure to check out the batting leaders of the "Amerikan" League!)
Great journey through •THE• iconic SF band - unremarked as definitive influence on the not-often-sung New Pornographers. Was working at the Pierce Street Annex (originally Marty's The Matrix) during the KBC period (great album, made some waves, perhaps not popular enough for your mention?), doorman for the record/CD release of "2400 Fulton Street" (a killer compilation, though "The Worst" soars). Everyone showed except Grace, and Paul got ejected for... Well, that's a story for a different forum. Thanks for these three parts, Matt. Bravo.
Another awesome series detailing one of the best bands of the 60s. As usual, there’s a few things I’d like to point out. First, it wasn’t actual Hells Angels who roughed up Marty at Altamont. They were prospects, not patched members. Sonny Barger and the higher patched members didn’t show up til a little later, so things were a little out of order because their was a weird mix of several different chapters from throughout California. In the film, you can see them arrive and drove their bikes right through the crowd. That’s when the bikes were parked in front of the stage. You can see Sonny, Skip, Tiny, Terry, and others arrive on the scene. They were from the Oakland chapter, and they were the ones running the security scene. Also, it was the Angels who saved Mick Jagger from getting shot by Meredith Hunter. Yeah, the Angels kicked the shit out of a lot of people but that was because people were climbing on and over their bikes trying to get on the stage which was built way too low. That had nothing to do with them. They had a fucked up situation to deal with in the first place and they dealt with it the way an outlaw biker club deals with any fucked up situation. Violently. Their fists and the tips of their boots were the alternative to Wavy Gravy’s seltzer bottles and cream pies at Woodstock. People had this bullshit notion that the Hells Angels were part of the hippie scene because they were friends with Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead. It was quite evident that they weren’t part of the scene going back to ‘65 when they attacked the anti war demonstrators in Berkeley at the Vietnam Day march. Yeah, they hung cool at the Be-In and they were cool with the Diggers but they were never part of the hippie scene really. And most of the Angels who were kinda mellow were from the Frisco chapter, not the Oakland chapter. Big difference. The thing that becomes evident in this third part is that by ‘70 - ‘71, that bullshit hippie “flower child” fantasy had withered into a deep crisis of so many people strung out on heroin, cocaine, “speed” (which was a nicer word than crystal meth at the time), and a large variety of pills. It was an ugly scene really and the music was starting to reflect that profound change. There were a lot of casualties of the scene, and many of them were the musicians themselves. MK ULTRA was winding down and as it did, the entire scene was depleting. As soon as Vietnam was over, the hippie scene was completely over and done. 20+ years of great music and fun morphed into something completely different by 1975. Disco was the next big thing and unless you were at a Grateful Dead show, you didn’t really see any “hippies” anymore. It became passé. We now had bands like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin that still had a bit of that hippie edge but the days of true psychedelia were long gone. Jefferson Starship did pretty well as they reinvented themselves into something that fit the times better. It was a very strange era and if it wasn’t for the great music it would be looked at as one of the most sad eras in modern history. Instead, we tend to glamorize it with misinterpretation as something it wasn’t. In reality, it was a huge CIA hoax that used media propaganda to push LSD and other drugs on the youth and distract people from an illegal war for corporate profit. It was sad and a very dark chapter of American history. It’s a bummer to think about it in those terms but that’s the reality of it, whether we like it or not.
Thank you for the background on the prospects... I didn't know that. Yes, I'm rather jaded on the whole hippie experience and with the passage of time, it's easier to see the manipulation. I tend to not give too much credit to MK or the CIA: how hard is it to get the youth to buy into getting high and getting laid? They never had an easier job or more willing participants! I appreciate the comments, Natural.
@@popgoesthe60s52 Dont know Matt if you read the book Altamont by Joel Selvin, I HIGHLY recommend it!!! -one of those books that once you start reading it you cant put it down.
Wow! Thank you so much for this extended history of my favourite 1960's San Francisco bands. I went to Woodstock 1969 with my older cousins (I was 12 years old, and my cousins left me alone to hang out with other kids my age at the fest). Seeing Jefferson Airplane in the morning was such a delight for me, because they were who I was most excited to see, and they didn't let me down. I'm an east coast person (born and raised in NJ, and I'm still here at age 67), so the San Francisco sound was my favourite genre of Rock music. I also saw the Grateful Dead for the 1st time of 153 shows through my concert history. I never listened to the Dead before seeing them at Woodstock, and even though they said that their performance at Woodstock was their worst ever show, they still hooked me in. Getting back to seeing The Airplane, was one of the kids who was hanging out near the helicopters that transported the artists to and from the show, and Grace Slick came over to a bunch of us and told us she loved us. I thought she was a pretty classy and gorgeous to take the time to do that. Those times were so long ago and the world has changed many times since then, but I am still that hippy kid inside, and I still believe in the things I protested against back then. I also still love Jefferson Airplane's music.
Another epic presentation full of things I never knew, and inspiring me, a geezer, to play my guitars and listen to albums and songs :) Sincere thank you!
Hey man, thanks for finally turning on the lava lamp at 17:56, which must have been turned on at least a couple of minutes earlier to get going. I've appreciated Jefferson Airplane since the mid-sixties, and particularly over time the writing of Paul Kantner, Marty Balin's voice, such as i"Today", and Jorma's song "Turn My Life Down", and Jorma's guitar work all along. Jorma Kaukonen's album "Quah" is noteworthy in the later part of The Airplane and it's component parts. thanks for your documentary of a great band, Jefferson Airplane.
One of my favorite bands growing up in the 60s, in the state of Iowa. Always dreamed of living in SF and finally moved there in 1999. Thirty years too late. A marvelous video, as usual. The Jefferson Airplane was booked at the University of Iowa student union in 1969. They canceled and we got stuck with Led Zepplin. Oh well, now I know why.
Another fine, comprehensive overview. Never one of my favorite bands tho. And your comment about preferring to see them rather than The Who (?!) Why I oughta...😝 thanks anyway. Time well spent. ✌
Thank you for doing a great Part 3 of Jefferson Airplane. They are one of my favorite bands. The first album I got by Jefferson Airplane was Crown of Creation when I was 12...that was in 1968.
Thanks again Matt. To quote The Grateful Dead "What a Long Strange Trip it's Been" (or not long enough). Some people think there might not be enough interesting stories or music to sustain a channel devoted to the sixties. I hope you prove them wrong on that Matt! I'm a child of the sixties , but it's not just a nostalgia trip for me. It's a musicological Mystery Tour! I noticed on the Volunteers album Wikipedia page that the Ace of Cups sang backing vocals on the record. They got back together recently and they didn't even release any records in the sixties.Even they might have stories to tell. Great music was made by the big names and obscure ones.
Hello David. I have been doing this a little over 3 years and I have a 10-year plan. But I have 20 years worth of videos to produce so I am not worried about content. 🙂 There are plenty of groups like Ace of Cups to bring to the attention of 60s music fans, so stay tuned!
Interesting information. I’ve always been a huge fan of the Starship era. Red Octopus and the that part of the band are quite a force. Very cool. I always loved the Jane song as a guitar head it was a fun jam!
Why no mention of The Matrix movie, at least? The psychological relativities to the song White Rabbit is really deep. More to the picture than meets the eye. And thank you for being complimentary on your delivery and not overly done. Good stuff.
You're just finishing the series. Nice job, a thoughtful and committed history of an interesting, if not somewhat oddball band. I appreciate your taking the time to do three parts, each about thirty minutes, to cover everything. Your series on the Byrds was the same way, whereas other would do one piece, and cover as much as they could in thirty, maybe forty-five minutes. You really take the time, and aren't concerned with those who want something quick, that their digitally altered attention spans can handle. Thank you.
@@popgoesthe60s52 I appreciate your time and effort. And care. So many either try to fill it with 'on location' and little information, or the cram it all into thirty minutes. I was delighted to see so many three (or more) parts to these series. Looking forward to the history of the Beach Boys, as soon as I finish Moby Grape. Liked and Subscribed.
I've seen Airplane several times. I have "Bodacious" (M Balin), Fandango (J Covington), and "Black Kangaroo" (P Kaukonen) which I bought right when they came out and are somewhat hard to find. Not many know about these. But here's a trivia question for anyone: Can you tell me what one album featured Craig Chaquico on ferocious guitar before joining Jefferson Starship? After J Starship, he later went on to release several solo albums on the Higher Octave label. (P.s...Excellent job putting together this highly informative video). Thank you!
After listening to their cd's several times, I came across 'Eskimo blue day' on UA-cam, live at Woodstock (unfortunately without moving image). Impressive and I came to the conclusion that Jefferson Airplane was the best band ever. And fortunately there is a Woodstock recording on cd with this song as well. Wonderful what the band has achieved with a leading role for a fabulously good Grace Slick. This will never come again, but the cd is there! As well as the special lyrics of this prophetic masterpiece.
A great series, Matt, thank you very much for your excellent work! Also, been meaning to mention that I love the lava lamp! I still have one that my girlfriend gave to me as a present in 1973, but, the wire is frayed and I need to replace it! 🙂
Enjoyed all three parts of this series. Early on in my life. The first album that I owned was "Flight Log". It was much later in life as I grew older that I appreciated Jefferson Airplane's music more and more. Take care.
Well done, as always. I absolutely loved Surrealistic Pillow when it came out. So much so that I hunted down their debut LP and bought it, too. But I soon realized the importance of Slick's vocal because it didn't measure up to Surrealistic Pillow. When Bathing at Baxter's was released, I purchased it immediately but, try as I did, I just couldn't warm up to it. In fact, I was so disappointed that I never bought another of their releases. (The same thing happened to me with the Grateful Dead. Their sophomore album was too far "out there" for my taste.) It may have been that I didn't start indulging in pot till '73 so perhaps I just couldn't understand what those bands were doing and it soured me on them. IMHO, the mesmerizing Surrealistic Pillow was their apex.
Very well done series. I understand that time was limited, even with three parts,, but was surprised there was no mention of Marty's Bodacious D.F. album, Jack's punk trio SVT, or the '80s reunion of Paul, Marty and Jack with KBC. These projects weren't commercially successful but show their unique versatility and dedication..
I had toyed with a 4th part, to include more of the solo and off shoot projects, but the 3rd part I did was difficult to keep a flow going.and I didn't think I could pull a 4th part off.
thanks for this excellent series about JA. With volunteers, Blows against the empire, and "Baron van Toolboth and the chrome nun" they had 3 very good albums in a row, even if not that commercially sucessful in my opinione
Slick's quote at 20:13 is ironic. In the 1990's, I met her at a vegan food convention in Los Angeles. (I'm not vegan, but at the time was considering becoming so and went to the event.)
Fantastic Series! I've only recently started listening to the Airplane last fall ( I had surrealistic pillow on repeat for months ) and I really enjoyed learning about their history! Cannot wait for the next one :)
Well, I figured Jefferson Airplane was one group I knew about all there was to know about. But I also figured I'd enjoy this series, just not learn anything. I learned things. Thank you Matt!
I love Bark. Law Man, Crazy Miranda, When the Earth Moves Again and War Movie are fantastic. Kaukonen's songs are solid. I also learned not to argue with a German if I'm tired.
I love Chrome Nun to death. Fantastic album! It intrigues me hearing artists like this at the frayed ends of their creativity, fighting to get that one last rep in.
I like all of your work on Pop Goes the 60s but this is your tour de force as far as I'm concerned. There is so much here that is interesting and illuminating. I've always been a fan of Jefferson Airplane's music and your series on their history brought them to life for me. Btw, as a waiter at a restaurant in Larkspur, CA in 1977 I waited on Grace, Paul and China. I recognized them immediately although they presented as an otherwise anonymous, polite, young family out for dinner.
Great series on Jefferson Airplane - congratulations. i agree Airplane was not your typical peaceful hippie band - Grace Slick said "I made a lousy hippie, i liked fast cars, preferred liquor over pot, the idea of communal living horrified me..."
Thank you SO much for this 3 part series. The JA will be a discovery for me. Looking forward to going through these early albums. (Miracles, especially, and With Your Love remind me of patchouli scents, shag carpeting, wicker chairs, beads in your doorway, and women with hair like Cher and Rita Coolidge)
Such an essential band of the late 60s. Thanks for this terrific three part series, Matt. Great job. You are capturing the essence of a very important period of time in music history!!
This is when I wish you hadn't confined yourself to the 60's. I'd love to see you research and present Jefferson Starship. But, I can appreciate being focused.
Hi Matt - great set of videos, thanks. Here in the UK I was aware of them in the late 60s and knew some people who had their albums, but they were never really successful here and I always struggled with them personally. Something about their sound never engaged me, and believe me, I’ve tried over the years! Anyway, great storyelling as always!!
Thank you Matt for a great J.A. series. I always felt that Jorma was under-appreciated as a writer. To me , he has some of the best songs, next to Balin. For some reason I never got into Kantner's writing. I always thought he was trying to hard to be poetic and thought provocating. On the 1989 release of the reformed band, Jorma still had the best song over Planes, and Summer of Love. I will step down off my soap box! Take care.
Wow . Volunteers bring back some treasured memories . Thanks for doing a History of the Airplane . What I always thought weird , was how Jefferson Airplane seemed to have a sort of integrity that Jefferson Starship could only dream of obtaining . Strange how that happens .
Starship had some excellence, but they also seemed compromised with pop, & commercial.
Always one of my favorite bands. They received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 at the Grammys but there was no tribute segment for them on the CBS broadcast. They honored Bowie and other artists that night with special tributes, but not the Airplane. I vowed then never to watch another Grammy broadcast.
I haven't watched the Grammys for decades. Top 40 slop.
God, Volunteers is so good. "Either go away or go all the way in..." Scintillating performance by Grace. Maybe her tour de force. And "Wooden Ships," God, just incredibly performed and arranged. Maybe my favorite Marty performance.
God, they're just all in full form on this album.
I used to have a tee shirt with the album cover in high school. God, I loved that shirt. Jesus, I really worshiped that band. After the Beatles they were probably my second love. Just something about them went all the way down for me. The apocalypticism, for sure was a big part of it, mixed with the psychedelia. They just took really took me places. And really made me feel. And Jack's contrapuntal playing. Just such rich, rich music.
Drugs are a hell of a drug 😆
"Blows Against the Empire" has been my favorite and most frequent psychedelic music experience over the past 53 years, and is now fused with my brain cells. I don't care what the critics say, I love that album!
i remember critics dumping on "Blows Against the Empire" in 1971 and now everybody crows about it. i loved it then, i love it now.
To me it was the culmination of all that had preceded it, a masterpiece of sound and spirit.
lets go thoghter is the greatest thing ever and all of side 2
so according to Matt, a full album could be compiled of loose 1970 tracks...
Thanks again for another fascinating video brimming with facts not often heard like the song "Frozen Noses"😂 I remember there was a time when Crosby, Stills & Nash were jokingly referred to by that moniker😅
Volunteers has always been one of my favourite albums of all time. They were really flying and played a fantastic set at Woodstock with Nicky Hopkins🎉 The following single Mexico/Have you seen the saucers und the Kantner/Slick LPs with some of the best SF musicians "Blows against the Empire" and "Sunfighter" continued that beautiful vibe❤
Thanks so much for your kind words about my Airplane bio! It was truly a labor of love. Enjoyed your history of the band--great job!
Thank you so much Jeff. Several commenters have agreed on the great value of your work and many others are on their way to purchasing it! I appreciate you commenting.
@@popgoesthe60s52 That's great! The book turns 20 this June and I'm always amazed that people are still discovering it and enjoying it.
@@jefftamarkin I have a question for you. I'm getting some grief on the pronunciation of Matthew Katz's last name. You wrote that he pronounced it "Cates" which is what I used in the video. Did everyone pronounce it that way or was this on of Katz's eccentricities? Isn't is amazing this guy is still causing trouble?
Jeff-as a 20th Anniversary special, would you be willing to dig out those unused pages for the fans ( like us at JEFFERSON AIRPLANE : COME UP THE YEARS)?
@@popgoesthe60s52 Well, he pronounced it Cates but I'm sure some people pronounced it Cats just to annoy the bastard. Yeah, he really needs to disappear now. He caused enough people grief.
Heard the Airplane for first time in 1971 with “The Worst Of.” Great album 😊
Oh the Worst! Yes! But for me it was 1991. Actually I had Surrealistic Pillow vinyl before that. I got really into their free speech radical element and of course peace and love. Amazing band. My preference vox go Grace, Paul, Jorma, Marty.
I’m 53 and of everything I’ve seen on UA-cam, this is the most comprehensive, constructive, thorough and detailed review of anything I’ve seen. Thank you for this, it is sincerely appreciated. I’m attempting to learn as much as I can about this period and this is extremely well done and helpful - intellectually superb, and as complete as anyone could have produced - Thank you!
That is high praise, Dave. Thank you. More to come!
And I agree
@@popgoesthe60s52 ~ I hitch-hiked across the country to San Francisco at the end of 1977 and made friends with Jack Casady's older brother "Chick" at a small nightclub Wavy Gravy started -[the first place I went to] -
a year or two earlier on Haight street. He let me crash at his place until I found a girl who had been living there since 1967 who I moved in with. Skip Spence lived up the street close by and we became close friends as he introduced me to all his friends and my job was in a sense to keep him out of troubles [lol] !!! We could always pick up royalty checks at the Airplane House if we were too broke and I had a wild time for years with him. We could visit Jorma at his home - or get the VIP treatment from Bill Graham if he was at one of his venues and there was never a dull moment. I could go on and on - but the best was when I stayed with him at his place in Santa Cruz and Moby Grape's manager then - John Chesleigh - had a studio in his garage where he was helping form a new band with Steve Mariott from Humble Pie and jams happened all the time and Skip had a really beautiful 'girlfriend/groupie then even though everyone knows he had in effect lost a lot of his mind and would laugh and talk to himself often!!!lol. I could go on and tell about the times we went to "Dinosaurs" gigs and he sat in etc. - just tell me what you want to know... www.discogs.com/master/314967-Moby-Grape-Live-Grape ~ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinosaurs_(band) ~ Skip's death : www.theguardian.com/news/1999/apr/20/guardianobituaries1 ~ Last good recording with Jack : www.discogs.com/release/14466813-Various-More-Oar-A-Tribute-To-The-Skip-Spence-Album
@@FellAnderror Wow, what an experience, Phil! Very cool!
if you want to complete these wonderful videos, get a copy of Jorma's book Been So Long which explains these years (and beyond) through his point of view.
I have such great memories of the Jefferson Airplane at the Fillmore just after I got back from Vietnam. It was the Summer of Love. I was assigned to the Presidio after my combat tour and the first thing I did was see this band at the Fillmore. Great memories. Curative. Seriously so.
Wow, what a time to see them. Thank you for sharing!
Jeff Tamarkin's book is incredible. Just reread it. It's highly detailed, with humour and great respect and understanding of the group and its members. Highly recommended read.
Read it a multitude of times. I literally waited decades for an Airplane bio.
Love your book. I've read it so many times I have sections memorized.
I was very happy that Grace came back to Jefferson Airplane one last time before retiring because she very well could have had her swan song with the success she had without Kantner in Starship. I consider it a most generous act and it erased so much of the negative baggage she had accumulated throughout her career.
Plus her Freedom is the only great song on the reunion album.
@@seed_drill7135 - I loved "Planes" also. It had a great music video.
Great series! JA is my favorite rock group of all time. I would buy everything recorded as soon as it was released.
Thank you, Buddy!
I've recorded in what used to be Wally Heider's studio in San Francisco. It is currently known as Hyde Street Studios and it is smack dab in the middle of the Tenderloin. I was somewhat fearful for my life going there back in 2015 and that neighborhood has gotten even worse since then. Really bad urban decay. San Francisco is becoming the next Detroit in real time.
I didn’t realize it was in the tenderloin. I was there in 2020 but avoided that area for obvious reasons.
Great series, Matt! The Airplane had an excellent run from Takes Off to Volunteers. Funny how it dropped off after that. I bought Bark when it was new. One of my first LPs to enter the.... trade pile.
Excellent series! Volunteers is one of my all time favorite 60's albums. Also includes one of my favorite gatefolds with the peanut butter and jam sandwich.
I really appreciate the way you relate to the audience. There's a certain level of intimacy, a kind of bond that's very clear. It's sort of like you're talking to your friends, and that's a surprising thing to be able to experience on the internet.
I appreciate the kind comment, Robin. I do try to make these videos conversational and personal. I'm glad I'm drawing viewers that notice! Much thanks.
Great series, Matt. It truly reflects your love of the subject matter. Thanks very much.
I appreciate the great feedback, Silas!
Growing up in this era and just recently starting a tribute band to this era called "Hippie Vibes" I believe Grace was the shining star of Jefferson Airplane and Balin was the shining star of Jefferson Starship, I think Jefferson Airplane would have crashed had it not been for Grace. You do an excellent job with these videos and thanks for posting them. New Subscriber.
You did a fantastic job of telling the story of this great band, thanks for sharing
"up against the wall motherf****r" did so capture the sprit of the times....VOLUNTEERS
Thank you for this series, very well done! Just my .02 .... I remember seeing JA do Volunteers on Dick Cavett that famous night , no tape delay back then, MF'r and all. I also had no idea that night that a few months later, on Dec. 6, I'd be standing on turn 3 of the Altamont Raceway watching the band being surrounded by the HA on one of the most amazing days of my long, sordid life, lol. And as for the reunion tour, you can see from UA-cam that they hired Kenny Aronoff and, as always, he overplayed and basically ruined all those great songs. Thanks again for a splendid effort!
This is a "band", in one form or another, that was always in the backdrop of my musical life having been born in the early 70's. This was a great series Matt, I learned a ton from it!
Thank you, J - that Starship music still takes me back!
Thank you for doing this series on Jefferson Airplane. I particularly liked part three because you covered so much I didn't know about the history of the band between Volunteers and the first Jefferson Starship album. I was 10 in 1970 when a friend came over with the Worst of album. He played We Can Be Together and we thought we were getting away with murder just listening to it. I ultimately got my own copy of this album. To this day I listen to this collection and strongly believe it holds up against so much that has been released since. I admire Jefferson Airplane's unique sound and strongly believe they are an underrated band. Thank you for shining a spotlight on them.
Same here, I was 10 also and an older neighbor (teenager) had the album. "We can be together" had us snickering for weeks!
My pleasure, Dana. Thank you for the feedback!
Blows Against the Empire was my favorite zone-out stoner album of that era. There's a very trippy rocket blastoff piece mid-album on the Hijack side, which was as good a sonic sci-fi effect as I've ever heard. Very War of the Worlds without the war.
Yes, that album still sounds good!
"Very War of the Worlds without the war."
To expand on your comment: they do sample audio from the movie ("lemme through!") - always loved that Starship album. For me, Volunteers is the best - I was 13 and it inspired a version of 'adulthood' in me, of course way different than what was expected at the time. The song "Laughing" from the Crosby album you mentioned is the greatest example of those particular musicians (especially Garcia & Cassidy) playing together, a beautiful song.
Nice series, Matt!
One of the things that makes these mini-documentaries/reviews some of the most enjoyable content of its kind, and arguably among the best of anything on UA-cam, is that you TALK to us, rather than reading at us as so many UA-camrs do. You know your material, and it shows.
I have to take exception, however, to your dismissal of "Bark", especially the observation about Casady's bass playing being absent. You fail to mention at all the memorable track "War Movie" -- maybe because of its sci-fi theme? But it's a very strong track, and Casady's bass really does stand out in it. Likewise, and possibly for the same reasons, "When the Earth Moves Again", both strong Kantner songs, on which Grace Slick's voice shines even though in a backup role. Also, no mention of the a capella "Thunk", one of my favorite tracks, not least of all because of the way it segues into "War Movie".
Hello Gamina, thank you for the comment and kind words. I admit, I have never been high on Bark and I personally found it a tough transition from Volunteers. But I know many love this lp. Sorry I gave it short shrift.
I wondered at the time how they got away with the MF on Volunteers and I never would have guessed it had anything to do with Hair. The sci-fi parts of Blows Against the Empire had some of the most absurd lyrics of any rock album ever but the music was terrific. They were always right in the thick of it in the late 60s. I never did get into Bark, I had greater expectations of them. Hot Tuna was the best side project and I think the song Genesis from Quah , completely in a folk style - no blues at all - is something truly special by Jorma. I'm glad you take the time to do these bands in detail even if it takes a few segments.
Thank you, John. Yeah, the lyrics from Blows, blow. But I too love the music!
Love Quah.
Absolutely. Indeed the entire Quah! album is terrific (I think.)
Always found is amusing how much of the "San Francisco" sound was recorded in L.A. the first 5 Jefferson Airplane LPs are where it's at for me.
The Reunited JA Were Great In 89'! I Was At A Show In Michigan & An Appearance In DC At A Homeless Benefit... Grace Was Trying To Save The Pandas... 💙💛 Great Series Matt!
Thank you, Spike!
Thank you for this, I feel that 'Surrealistic Pillow' and 'Volunteers' are the ones the most worth having. Interesting.
Wow, this was SO interesting, and a real treat to watch. I've loved their music for decades, but once again, so much of their story I didn't know!
Thank you i needed that 💉 lol love it . i was born in 67 . july. Love. Peace and joy . 👍
Good Shepard, a Great song. I think that it has the best guitar parts of any of their music. love the music. A Great Album!
Part #1=Excellent Part #2=Excellent Part #3= Excellent
My wife and I were both born in Feb 1952. We're both left handed. I've been mostly a drummer (some guitar) since 1964. We met when we were 15 years old and next door neighbors. We saw Jefferson Airplane at Pirates World in Dania Florida in 1969 or 1970. Always loved them. Always Great. Thank You for these 3 wonderful posts.
Best Regards from Tim & Sheila
Hello Tim and Sheila! What a great time to have seen them live! I appreciate the comments and support.
I saw them at Pirates' World as well; most pf my surf community from, S. Broward High', actually worked at the Pirate World¡ 😅
@@SuperAmin1950 That's Very Cool. I went to Norland in 10th & North Miami Sr. High School in 11th & 12th. Great Concerts at PW.
Got a Revolution is indeed one of the very best band biographies, right up there with Lewisohn's Tune In and Rogan's books on the Byrds and Neil Young.
I'd add Hoskins' Across the Great Divide and Marsh's Before I Get Old.
Really enjoyed this series, and I learned a lot! Thanks!
I saw the Starship (minus Grace Slick) in 2009 at Golden Gate Park. It was the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock. I was told later on that I had a pretty good time... 🤘😵💫
Beau Brummels , Animals, Turtles & Rascals. Will be listening . & thank you 👍
Another very good analysis, thank you! The Jefferson Airplane was primarily a counterculture band and as with other bands such as, Quicksilver, Moby Grape, Country Joe & The Fish, etc., when the counterculture was over, their popularity and influence started to wane. It might be fair to assume that, aside from the Airplane and The Dead, most of today's young rock listeners have never heard of those bands. That's a shame because there's a lot of good music from those groups. But the zeitgeist today is different that in the 60's, and those songs just don't mean the same thing to contemporary listeners. I lost interest in the Airplane after Volunteers and had no interest in the Jefferson Starship. But I did see the group live in a Long Island theater sometime in the early 1970's and it was a very good show.
Blows Against The Empire is one of my desert island albums, in 1971 it was the first rock album ever nominated for a Hugo Award. The album's insert had an advertisement which called for 7,000 people with various skills to join in an interstellar journey after a soon to be built starship was hijacked, a fantasy that some took seriously, LOL.
I agree, the Airplane helped define the 60's, they were bannermen for the counterculture, they were as their introduction at the Monterrey Pop Festival indicated, "a perfect example of what the world was coming to". All of that makes Grace's negative comments so disappointing but she did have a cynical personality and her issues with alcohol didn't help.
No single event ended the 60's but it wound down as the war ended, long hair, smoking pot and other things, which were once counter, became mainstream. White powder drugs helped ruin what started out as a search for higher consciousness and the expiration date for taking advantage of the privilege of youth had arrived. It was a special time though, with some great rock music, art, literature and fashion being born from the influences of the counterculture lifestyle. It's always good to be young but to have been young during the 1960's was very special!
Thanks again for another great video!
Hello Gene and thank you for the substantive comments. I agree, much of the 60s counter culture music is lost on younger generations but I am pleased to see at how well so much music from that time holds up. I'm sorry I forgot to mention the Hugo award... that does elevate that album considerable. I listen to that more than any other Airplane album. I used to envy those who experienced the 60s in real time but I'm quite content to view it and experience from the generation that followed. Much thanks for your continued support, Gene!
@@popgoesthe60s52 I just joined as a Patreon.
@@geneobrien8907 Thank you, Sir!
I thought Blows against the empire’s the song A Child is Coming was overlooked in this video. That was great balance of Grace Slick, Paul Kantner, harmonies of David Crosby and the outstanding bass line of Jack Cassidy to make one of my favorite songs of that album. Outstanding work!
I was at the '89 JA reunion show @ the Concord Pavilion. Epic !
I lived in the Haight / Ashbury. I was at Altamont. I was at the Kent State gig. I followed the Airplane. I have to say. You got a few things just plain wrong. I could tell you If I ever met you. But that's OK. This 3 part history was great, and brought back a lot of memories. Thanx!
If you are going to tell me I got something wrong, then have the decency to say what it is, Jeffrey. That's how this comments section works.
I really didn't know about all those albums released after Volunteers. I'll have to check them. Certainly much better than all the crap being put out these days.
Great stuff. Such a refreshing break from the daily deluge of politics and economy. 🙂
3 great episodes - and those records have stood the test of time; especially the first ones up to -70....
Great series on a great band ... enjoyed all three parts, and also would recommend the Jeff Tamarkin book. And as a newspaper guy, the liner notes of "Volunteers" are fantastic -- loaded with inside jokes and poking fun at things in newspapers of the late 60s (be sure to check out the batting leaders of the "Amerikan" League!)
Great journey through •THE• iconic SF band - unremarked as definitive influence on the not-often-sung New Pornographers.
Was working at the Pierce Street Annex (originally Marty's The Matrix) during the KBC period (great album, made some waves, perhaps not popular enough for your mention?), doorman for the record/CD release of "2400 Fulton Street" (a killer compilation, though "The Worst" soars). Everyone showed except Grace, and Paul got ejected for... Well, that's a story for a different forum.
Thanks for these three parts, Matt. Bravo.
Another awesome series detailing one of the best bands of the 60s. As usual, there’s a few things I’d like to point out. First, it wasn’t actual Hells Angels who roughed up Marty at Altamont. They were prospects, not patched members. Sonny Barger and the higher patched members didn’t show up til a little later, so things were a little out of order because their was a weird mix of several different chapters from throughout California.
In the film, you can see them arrive and drove their bikes right through the crowd. That’s when the bikes were parked in front of the stage. You can see Sonny, Skip, Tiny, Terry, and others arrive on the scene. They were from the Oakland chapter, and they were the ones running the security scene. Also, it was the Angels who saved Mick Jagger from getting shot by Meredith Hunter. Yeah, the Angels kicked the shit out of a lot of people but that was because people were climbing on and over their bikes trying to get on the stage which was built way too low. That had nothing to do with them. They had a fucked up situation to deal with in the first place and they dealt with it the way an outlaw biker club deals with any fucked up situation. Violently. Their fists and the tips of their boots were the alternative to Wavy Gravy’s seltzer bottles and cream pies at Woodstock.
People had this bullshit notion that the Hells Angels were part of the hippie scene because they were friends with Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead. It was quite evident that they weren’t part of the scene going back to ‘65 when they attacked the anti war demonstrators in Berkeley at the Vietnam Day march. Yeah, they hung cool at the Be-In and they were cool with the Diggers but they were never part of the hippie scene really. And most of the Angels who were kinda mellow were from the Frisco chapter, not the Oakland chapter. Big difference.
The thing that becomes evident in this third part is that by ‘70 - ‘71, that bullshit hippie “flower child” fantasy had withered into a deep crisis of so many people strung out on heroin, cocaine, “speed” (which was a nicer word than crystal meth at the time), and a large variety of pills. It was an ugly scene really and the music was starting to reflect that profound change. There were a lot of casualties of the scene, and many of them were the musicians themselves. MK ULTRA was winding down and as it did, the entire scene was depleting. As soon as Vietnam was over, the hippie scene was completely over and done.
20+ years of great music and fun morphed into something completely different by 1975. Disco was the next big thing and unless you were at a Grateful Dead show, you didn’t really see any “hippies” anymore. It became passé. We now had bands like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin that still had a bit of that hippie edge but the days of true psychedelia were long gone. Jefferson Starship did pretty well as they reinvented themselves into something that fit the times better. It was a very strange era and if it wasn’t for the great music it would be looked at as one of the most sad eras in modern history. Instead, we tend to glamorize it with misinterpretation as something it wasn’t. In reality, it was a huge CIA hoax that used media propaganda to push LSD and other drugs on the youth and distract people from an illegal war for corporate profit. It was sad and a very dark chapter of American history. It’s a bummer to think about it in those terms but that’s the reality of it, whether we like it or not.
Thank you for the background on the prospects... I didn't know that. Yes, I'm rather jaded on the whole hippie experience and with the passage of time, it's easier to see the manipulation. I tend to not give too much credit to MK or the CIA: how hard is it to get the youth to buy into getting high and getting laid? They never had an easier job or more willing participants! I appreciate the comments, Natural.
I first read of the Angel "prospects" in Phil Lesh's memoir.
I wonder if some of the Angel-prospects weren't Vietnam vets who had PTSD.
@@popgoesthe60s52 Dont know Matt if you read the book Altamont by Joel Selvin, I HIGHLY recommend it!!! -one of those books that once you start reading it you cant put it down.
@@erniericardo8140 Thank you, Ernie I haven't read that one. I will put that on my list.
Wow! Thank you so much for this extended history of my favourite 1960's San Francisco bands. I went to Woodstock 1969 with my older cousins (I was 12 years old, and my cousins left me alone to hang out with other kids my age at the fest). Seeing Jefferson Airplane in the morning was such a delight for me, because they were who I was most excited to see, and they didn't let me down. I'm an east coast person (born and raised in NJ, and I'm still here at age 67), so the San Francisco sound was my favourite genre of Rock music. I also saw the Grateful Dead for the 1st time of 153 shows through my concert history. I never listened to the Dead before seeing them at Woodstock, and even though they said that their performance at Woodstock was their worst ever show, they still hooked me in.
Getting back to seeing The Airplane, was one of the kids who was hanging out near the helicopters that transported the artists to and from the show, and Grace Slick came over to a bunch of us and told us she loved us. I thought she was a pretty classy and gorgeous to take the time to do that.
Those times were so long ago and the world has changed many times since then, but I am still that hippy kid inside, and I still believe in the things I protested against back then. I also still love Jefferson Airplane's music.
Thanks for sharing your Woodstock experience!
Loved Good Shepherd on Volunteers ! Great Fillmore East show on Volunteers tour in Nov 69
Another epic presentation full of things I never knew, and inspiring me, a geezer, to play my guitars and listen to albums and songs :) Sincere thank you!
My pleasure. The Airplane still inspires!
Hey man, thanks for finally turning on the lava lamp at 17:56, which must have been turned on at least a couple of minutes earlier to get going. I've appreciated Jefferson Airplane since the mid-sixties, and particularly over time the writing of Paul Kantner, Marty Balin's voice, such as i"Today", and Jorma's song "Turn My Life Down", and Jorma's guitar work all along. Jorma Kaukonen's album "Quah" is noteworthy in the later part of The Airplane and it's component parts. thanks for your documentary of a great band, Jefferson Airplane.
Wow. It sounds like the Don Robertson "slip note" piano style at 3:21 which was later popularized by Floyd Cramer.
Thanks for these videos, very informative. JA were a bit before my time but I discovered them in the mid 80s and have loved them ever since.
Papa John Creech had a band that performed in Oklahoma in 1977 where I saw him. Great, tight band.
Well done Matt. I enjoyed all 3. (I waited so I could watch back to back to back) :o)
One of my favorite bands growing up in the 60s, in the state of Iowa. Always dreamed of living in SF and finally moved there in 1999. Thirty years too late. A marvelous video, as usual. The Jefferson Airplane was booked at the University of Iowa student union in 1969. They canceled and we got stuck with Led Zepplin. Oh well, now I know why.
The City of San Francisco has a lot of history, if i could i would also move there.
Thank you for watching, Huskrrr. To bad they cancelled the student Union show!
Another fine, comprehensive overview. Never one of my favorite bands tho. And your comment about preferring to see them rather than The Who (?!) Why I oughta...😝 thanks anyway. Time well spent. ✌
Thank you for doing a great Part 3 of Jefferson Airplane. They are one of my favorite bands. The first album I got by Jefferson Airplane was Crown of Creation when I was 12...that was in 1968.
Pop goes the 60s!! Thanks Matt for your incredible work!! Killer job
Hey Cleve - thank you for the support - more to come!
I have to admit that I don't care about Jefferson Starship--just the Airplane. Anyway, well done! Thanks for doing this!
Thanks again Matt. To quote The Grateful Dead "What a Long Strange Trip it's Been" (or not long enough). Some people think there might not be enough interesting stories or music to sustain a channel devoted to the sixties. I hope you prove them wrong on that Matt! I'm a child of the sixties , but it's not just a nostalgia trip for me. It's a musicological Mystery Tour! I noticed on the Volunteers album Wikipedia page that the Ace of Cups sang backing vocals on the record. They got back together recently and they didn't even release any records in the sixties.Even they might have stories to tell. Great music was made by the big names and obscure ones.
Hello David. I have been doing this a little over 3 years and I have a 10-year plan. But I have 20 years worth of videos to produce so I am not worried about content. 🙂 There are plenty of groups like Ace of Cups to bring to the attention of 60s music fans, so stay tuned!
Interesting information. I’ve always been a huge fan of the Starship era. Red Octopus and the that part of the band are quite a force. Very cool. I always loved the Jane song as a guitar head it was a fun jam!
Why no mention of The Matrix movie, at least?
The psychological relativities to the song
White Rabbit is really deep. More to the picture than meets the eye. And thank you for being complimentary on your delivery and not overly done. Good stuff.
You're just finishing the series. Nice job, a thoughtful and committed history of an interesting, if not somewhat oddball band. I appreciate your taking the time to do three parts, each about thirty minutes, to cover everything. Your series on the Byrds was the same way, whereas other would do one piece, and cover as much as they could in thirty, maybe forty-five minutes. You really take the time, and aren't concerned with those who want something quick, that their digitally altered attention spans can handle. Thank you.
Thank you, I appreciate the kind words.
@@popgoesthe60s52 I appreciate your time and effort. And care. So many either try to fill it with 'on location' and little information, or the cram it all into thirty minutes. I was delighted to see so many three (or more) parts to these series. Looking forward to the history of the Beach Boys, as soon as I finish Moby Grape. Liked and Subscribed.
@@augustusbetucius2931 Welcome, Augustus! Plenty more to come.
Thanks Matt! Hope someday you'll make something on The Doors and It's A Beautiful Day 👏🙂
Hey Matt.. .Terry Tutor here.....Once again, I am always in awe of the research that goes into what you present......Masterful job....Peace and Love
Hey Terry - thank you. This was a satisfying series to do.
Well done man! Thanks so much for spending time doing your homework and creating so many quality docs
Thank for posting this so quickly.
I've seen Airplane several times. I have "Bodacious" (M Balin), Fandango (J Covington), and "Black Kangaroo" (P Kaukonen) which I bought right when they came out and are somewhat hard to find. Not many know about these. But here's a trivia question for anyone: Can you tell me what one album featured Craig Chaquico on ferocious guitar before joining Jefferson Starship? After J Starship, he later went on to release several solo albums on the Higher Octave label. (P.s...Excellent job putting together this highly informative video). Thank you!
Complete history well done! Thanks
After listening to their cd's several times, I came across 'Eskimo blue day' on UA-cam, live at Woodstock (unfortunately without moving image). Impressive and I came to the conclusion that Jefferson Airplane was the best band ever. And fortunately there is a Woodstock recording on cd with this song as well. Wonderful what the band has achieved with a leading role for a fabulously good Grace Slick. This will never come again, but the cd is there! As well as the special lyrics of this prophetic masterpiece.
The band had never performed ‘Eskimo Blue Day’ until Woodstock. Fearless band.
Nikki Hopkins played keyboards at Woodstock with JA...Added a nice dimension..
A great series, Matt, thank you very much for your excellent work! Also, been meaning to mention that I love the lava lamp! I still have one that my girlfriend gave to me as a present in 1973, but, the wire is frayed and I need to replace it! 🙂
Lava lamps certainly have their charm! Thanks for watching, Mike!
Thank you for the videos. The Phil Spector ideas sound very interesting.
Enjoyed all three parts of this series. Early on in my life. The first album that I owned was "Flight Log". It was much later in life as I grew older that I appreciated Jefferson Airplane's music more and more. Take care.
My cousins had Flight Log and remember borrowing that when I was a teen.
Well done, as always. I absolutely loved Surrealistic Pillow when it came out. So much so that I hunted down their debut LP and bought it, too. But I soon realized the importance of Slick's vocal because it didn't measure up to Surrealistic Pillow. When Bathing at Baxter's was released, I purchased it immediately but, try as I did, I just couldn't warm up to it. In fact, I was so disappointed that I never bought another of their releases. (The same thing happened to me with the Grateful Dead. Their sophomore album was too far "out there" for my taste.) It may have been that I didn't start indulging in pot till '73 so perhaps I just couldn't understand what those bands were doing and it soured me on them. IMHO, the mesmerizing Surrealistic Pillow was their apex.
Yes, I was slow to appreciate Baxter's and expected another Surrealistic Pillow when I bought it. Thank you for the support!
Very well done series. I understand that time was limited, even with three parts,, but was surprised there was no mention of Marty's Bodacious D.F. album, Jack's punk trio SVT, or the '80s reunion of Paul, Marty and Jack with KBC. These projects weren't commercially successful but show their unique versatility and dedication..
Is this the final in the series?
I had toyed with a 4th part, to include more of the solo and off shoot projects, but the 3rd part I did was difficult to keep a flow going.and I didn't think I could pull a 4th part off.
@@popgoesthe60s52 Give it a try .
thanks for this excellent series about JA. With volunteers, Blows against the empire, and "Baron van Toolboth and the chrome nun" they had 3 very good albums in a row, even if not that commercially sucessful in my opinione
Eskimo Blue Day is such an interesting song. So unique
Slick's quote at 20:13 is ironic. In the 1990's, I met her at a vegan food convention in Los Angeles. (I'm not vegan, but at the time was considering becoming so and went to the event.)
She's "complicated", right?
Fantastic Series! I've only recently started listening to the Airplane last fall ( I had surrealistic pillow on repeat for months ) and I really enjoyed learning about their history! Cannot wait for the next one :)
Thank you, Nolan!
30 Seconds Over Winterland. Great live album.
Thank you Matt for presentation on the Jefferson Airplane... loved it.
My pleasure. That was a fun one!
Absolutely fantastic documentary all parts are superb. Thanks.
Thank you, Johnny!
I loved that cover the best 😅
Thanks 🙏 Great coverage 👍😃
This was outstanding. I really think some of the early albums of Hot Tuna are every bit is good is Jefferson Airplane.
Hey Gregory. There is a lot of good solo/duo stuff from these guys and I had a hard time fitting them all in!
An excellent history - thanks for your work on this.
Part 4 needed on STARSHIP thanks
Well, I figured Jefferson Airplane was one group I knew about all there was to know about. But I also figured I'd enjoy this series, just not learn anything. I learned things. Thank you Matt!
My pleasure, Jon! Thanks for the nice comment.
I love Bark. Law Man, Crazy Miranda, When the Earth Moves Again and War Movie are fantastic. Kaukonen's songs are solid. I also learned not to argue with a German if I'm tired.
I love Chrome Nun to death. Fantastic album! It intrigues me hearing artists like this at the frayed ends of their creativity, fighting to get that one last rep in.
Great video! Thanks for all your hard work! 😊
Great work, really enjoyed the series.
I like all of your work on Pop Goes the 60s but this is your tour de force as far as I'm concerned. There is so much here that is interesting and illuminating. I've always been a fan of Jefferson Airplane's music and your series on their history brought them to life for me. Btw, as a waiter at a restaurant in Larkspur, CA in 1977 I waited on Grace, Paul and China. I recognized them immediately although they presented as an otherwise anonymous, polite, young family out for dinner.
Thank you Lawrence… I was a bit nervous about this one because there is so much information to sort out! Glad you enjoyed it!
Another great series.
Thank you
Thank you , John!
Thank you for this series! One of my favorite sounds from a band! "Crown of Creation" is my favorite
Great series on Jefferson Airplane - congratulations. i agree Airplane was not your typical peaceful hippie band - Grace Slick said "I made a lousy hippie, i liked fast cars, preferred liquor over pot, the idea of communal living horrified me..."
That was brilliant thank you
Thank you SO much for this 3 part series. The JA will be a discovery for me. Looking forward to going through these early albums.
(Miracles, especially, and With Your Love remind me of patchouli scents, shag carpeting, wicker chairs, beads in your doorway, and women with hair like Cher and Rita Coolidge)
Thank you, Jon!
Thank you for making this video big fan of Grace,great job well do mate😊
Such an essential band of the late 60s. Thanks for this terrific three part series, Matt. Great job. You are capturing the essence of a very important period of time in music history!!
Hey David - thank you for the support! I will be busy this summer!
This is when I wish you hadn't confined yourself to the 60's. I'd love to see you research and present Jefferson Starship. But, I can appreciate being focused.
Yes, I hear ya. I'll ber lucky to get my 60s bands done within a 10-year frame period!
Hi Matt - great set of videos, thanks. Here in the UK I was aware of them in the late 60s and knew some people who had their albums, but they were never really successful here and I always struggled with them personally. Something about their sound never engaged me, and believe me, I’ve tried over the years! Anyway, great storyelling as always!!
appreciate the comments!
Fantastic series! I saw then on that reunion tour and they turned me into a lifelong fan.
Thank you Matt for a great J.A. series. I always felt that Jorma was under-appreciated as a writer. To me , he has some of the best songs, next to Balin. For some reason I never got into Kantner's writing. I always thought he was trying to hard to be poetic and thought provocating. On the 1989 release of the reformed band, Jorma still had the best song over Planes, and Summer of Love. I will step down off my soap box! Take care.