RIP Paul Kantner (1 Viewer)

[zamboni]

Yet another classic rock great gone - this is getting crazy. :(

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/paul-kantner-dies/

 

[Limp Ditka]

Condolences to Smoo

 

[Binky The Doormat]

Damn. Also didn't know that Buffin Griffin, Mott the Hoople drummer, died as well.

This #### is really making me feel old.

 

[zamboni]

Damn. Also didn't know that Buffin Griffin, Mott the Hoople drummer, died as well.

Yeah, saw that one the other day.

And Jimmy Bain, the great bass player for Rainbow and Dio, died a few days ago.

Sadly we are going to see a lot more of these classic rockers pass in the months ahead.

 

[tommyboy]

Who?

 

[zamboni]

Who?

No, Jefferson Airplane.

 

[ffldrew]

Defined a sound for an entire city - pretty good if you ask me.

That band was a dynamite band but you could tell from the audience that the in fighting was an issue every now and then. And prior to Jourma and Jack taking off it was a mess.

 

[Gr00vus]

This #### is really making me feel old.

 

[Todem]

Damn. Also didn't know that Buffin Griffin, Mott the Hoople drummer, died as well.

Yeah, saw that one the other day.

And Jimmy Bain, the great bass player for Rainbow and Dio, died a few days ago.

Sadly we are going to see a lot more of these classic rockers pass in the months ahead.

Wow.....lot's of great memories seeing Dio live in the mid 80's.

RIP to Jimmy as well as Paul.

 

[zamboni]

Defined a sound for an entire city - pretty good if you ask me.

That band was a dynamite band but you could tell from the audience that the in fighting was an issue every now and then. And prior to Jourma and Jack taking off it was a mess.

True, but the infighting - and copious hallucinogenics - are what the made the band great. Weird and inconsistent, but great.

 

[Aerial Assault]

RIP. :(

 

[eoMMan]

We built this city on rock and roll guy?

 

[ffldrew]

We built this city on rock and roll guy?

No

 

[PIK95]

Miracles.... Great tune. R.I.P.

 

[Doug B]

We built this city on rock and roll guy?

No

Correct - Paul Kantner was out of the band during the Starship years.RIP Paul K. Thanks for "Miracles" and "Jane".

 

[Binky The Doormat]

We built this city on rock and roll guy?

No

Its these kinds of comments that make me feel so old and sad. That kind of mush was why Kantor left the band.

He would roll over in his grave if he thought that was how he was remembered.

 

[Eephus]

We built this city on rock and roll guy?

No

Correct - Paul Kantner was out of the band during the Starship years.RIP Paul K. Thanks for "Miracles" and "Jane".

The Starship stuff damaged the Airplane's legacy but it put food on the table of whomever was in the band at the time. The band had a very good run up until Marty Balin left the band for the first time. To be honest, the late period Airplane material suffered as much as anything from Kantner's limitations as a singer. The early Jefferson Starship albums were improved after Balin joined for the second time but it went downhill from there. Acid and weed were better for them artistically than coke and booze.

ETA: now playing: Blows Against the Empire - Hadn't listened to it for decades. The concept is ridiculous hippie nonsense but the songs and especially the arrangements hold up pretty well. Kantner's no singer but something wonderful happens when he's singing harmonies with Grace Slick.

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

We built this city on rock and roll guy?

No

Correct - Paul Kantner was out of the band during the Starship years.RIP Paul K. Thanks for "Miracles" and "Jane".

The Starship stuff damaged the Airplane's legacy but it put food on the table of whomever was in the band at the time. The band had a very good run up until Marty Balin left the band for the first time. To be honest, the late period Airplane material suffered as much as anything from Kantner's limitations as a singer. The early Jefferson Starship albums were improved after Balin joined for the second time but it went downhill from there. Acid and weed were better for them artistically than coke and booze.

ETA: now playing: Blows Against the Empire - Hadn't listened to it for decades. The concept is ridiculous hippie nonsense but the songs and especially the arrangements hold up pretty well. Kantner's no singer but something wonderful happens when he's singing harmonies with Grace Slick.

 

[zamboni]

RIP Paul K. Thanks for "Miracles" and "Jane".

Really good tunes, but they weren't really Kantner vehicles - more so Balin and Freiberg, respectively.

The thing about Kantner is that he wasn't the dominant songwriter for Airplane/Jefferson Airplane - it was a really a communal effort, with Paul, Grace, Marty, Jorma, and later Freiberg and Pete Sears all having input on the various albums. Nor was Paul a particularly gifted singer or guitarist. But he was the backbone/glue of the band through its various fractions and lineup changes.

One of my favorite tunes of his the early days is D.C.B.A.-25.

Good call by Eephus on Blows Against The Empire - that was really the one album where he was the dominant force. Have to give that a spin again today.

 

[DocHolliday]

Damn. Also didn't know that Buffin Griffin, Mott the Hoople drummer, died as well.

Yeah, saw that one the other day.

And Jimmy Bain, the great bass player for Rainbow and Dio, died a few days ago.

Sadly we are going to see a lot more of these classic rockers pass in the months ahead.

Losing Bain is the one that hurt this week. I love Dio. Will always love that work.

 

[zamboni]

Damn. Also didn't know that Buffin Griffin, Mott the Hoople drummer, died as well.

Yeah, saw that one the other day.

And Jimmy Bain, the great bass player for Rainbow and Dio, died a few days ago.

Sadly we are going to see a lot more of these classic rockers pass in the months ahead.

Losing Bain is the one that hurt this week. I love Dio. Will always love that work.

Agreed. Also Rainbow's Rising when Dio had his short-lived tenure with the band is one of the great pioneer albums in hard rock/metal.

 

[Godsbrother]

Don't forget Abe Vigoda. Maybe the greatest harp player in RnR ever.

 

[Ditkaless Wonders]

Jefferson Airplane was awesome. Jefferson Sraeship sucked. Once the Airplane crashed I followed Hot Tuna

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Don't forget Abe Vigoda.

 

[Gr00vus]

Jefferson Airplane was awesome. Jefferson Sraeship sucked. Once the Airplane crashed I followed Hot Tuna

I like Modern Times.

 

[El Floppo]

went to HS w/ and knew his daughter- feel terrible for her.

and yeah, these guys dropping makes me feel sad and old.

 

[zamboni]

Jefferson Airplane was awesome. Jefferson Sraeship sucked. Once the Airplane crashed I followed Hot Tuna

I like Modern Times.

That's a good album - my all-time post-Airplane tune of theirs is Stranger. Blistering guitar work by Craig Chaquico

Red Octopus is also a really good album, but I think their Jeff Starship material is more miss than hit.

 

[zamboni]

Ballad Of You And Me And Pooneil

Song was written by Kantner, but this live version really features Jack Casady, with one of the best rock bass solos you'll ever hear (starts at around 2:10 mark and goes on for nearly 2 minutes).

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

Ballad Of You And Me And Pooneil

Song was written by Kantner, but this live version really features Jack Casady, with one of the best rock bass solos you'll ever hear (starts at around 2:10 mark and goes on for nearly 2 minutes).

Nice swastika pendant/necklace there on Jorma..lol Casady is one of the best. Awesome song.

 

[zamboni]

Good list: http://ultimateclassicrock.com/paul-kantner-songs/?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=newsletter_4572276

 

[Eephus]

A number of my SF Facebook friends have been posting about their local encounters with Kantner. Sounds like he was a real mensch.

 

[zamboni]

Bizarre - didn't realize that Signe Anderson, who was the Airplane's original female lead singer for the first album before Grace joined, died the very same day as Paul.

http://psychedelicsight.com/11890-anderson-signe-obituary/

 

[Binky The Doormat]

Don't forget Abe Vigoda.

The face of rock and roll.

 

[JuniorNB]

I always liked this one that Kantner did with the KBC Band. With Balin and Cassidy.

https://youtu.be/N3zUGmigO5A

 

[Mister CIA]

Jefferson Airplane was awesome. Jefferson Sraeship sucked. Once the Airplane crashed I followed Hot Tuna

Please check out Red Octopus. It's quirky brilliance, but not that quirky.

 

[Encyclopedia Brown]

I always liked this one that Kantner did with the KBC Band. With Balin and Cassidy.

https://youtu.be/N3zUGmigO5A

I remember getting that cassette in the mail because I forgot to send back the little blue card from Columbia House records. Kanter claimed he disengaged himself from Jefferson Starship because they offended his musical integrity, but this album sounds just like anything his former bandmates were cranking out. It had all the mid-80's hallmarks: heavy synthesizer/reverb/endlessly repeating chorus. "In America", is the song I recall hearing on the radio.