JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
In 1966 takes place in the coast West of the USA what was given
in calling the revolution Hippie, the movement of the flower power, etc. A conglomerate of
circumstances historical-post war, war in the southeast Asian-,etc., geographical, social
and in decisive measure personnels they gave occasion to that to the way of the minstrels
in the courts of the half age, that gigantic American society attended the birth of its
own and original jugglers. The topic, era the geste in search of the new interior, of a
different reality, of the one which perhaps, Jefferson was one of the most important
pieces.
What was born then, was what survived to the
USA of the bewilderment that their same populous industry created, undoubtedly without own
styles, without defined figures, without men that created "works". The new
current, fresh, healthy, and vital that arrived of San Francisco, it began for the
first time to create that prestige, to give groups with names in quantity, not isolated
cases as until then he/she had been taking place. Parallelly the conditions were given, in
an avidity of new messages, an incentivated selection that the public made, of that
torrent that began to be offered without measure. A musical critical sense, stopped to be
stammering patrimony of some.
The rock, the letters, constituted a testimony, a hymn in which
identification was looked for eagerly. Nobody wanted to be behind and to be deceived.
Looking for something new but without admitting banal innovations. Appreciating the
originality, but without admitting mediocre terms. Then the stigma of the consumption
society, will transform into canyon meat to all those built up hopes masses. The risk of
the protest music will arise, of the rock, packed for consumption. New steps will try to
move away from the flood rising toward the area of the progressive music.
But let us return to the moment in that the purity of the movement
of rebelliousness floated in the air. Of all the representatives that we retain, there is
one whose vibrations today we still receive them, although I eat group it has concluded
their it assembles. It is so important, so crucial Jefferson Airplane paper like
that of their individually considered members that their history, the hidden side of each
one of their recordings, the personality of the interpreters, deserves to be revived.
Coexists in Búfalo Springfield, with The Byrds, with The Mama´s and The
Papa´s.
Toward ends of 1966, Jefferson Airplane is definitively
constituted. Singer Signe Toly Anderson has abandoned the formation by
reason of maternity. The drummer Skipp Spencer has left to form Moby Grape;
and Bob Hardy, the bassist has left her place to Jack Casady. January 14 the
group finds its definitive form: Grace Slick (sing, bass and rhythmic guitar), Marty
Balin (sing), Jack Casady (bass), Jorma Kaukonen (guitar) and Spencer
Dreyden (drums). But they won't truly take flight until their second album, "Surrealistic
Pillow".
The year 1967 becomes for the Americans and the same thing for the
Europeans the symbol of the musical and social revolution that California burns. In
this the psychedelic period in the one which J.A. they are the first ones, next to
Country Joe in using a light show, and they par excellence become their representatives.
In June of 1967 they make their appearance in the festival of Monterrey
and they obtain the international consecration. The magazines "Rolling Stone"
and "Life" dedicate him their covers. Their two albums "After
Bathing at Baxter´s" (the but gleaned and the but ambitious of the group) and "Crown
of Creation" (the but folk of all those that have recorded) they are significant
samples of a group that has arrived to the maturity, and where Jorma Kaukonen finds
its place finally.
The beautiful psychedelic history plays then to its end. J.A.
it records their first live album. "Bless it´s pointed little head",
where their instrumental technique and their scenic presence explode. This musical
progress will find its acme in "Volunteers" where the group discovers the
technique of recording in sixteen hints, and where Nicki Hpkins collaborates
(piano), Stephen Stills (organ Hammond), Jerry García (pedal steel guitar)
and David Crosby (sing). Monterrey Pop, projected in Europe, "Volunteers"
disk of gold, and concerts in England and Holland assures its international position. ....
Janis Joplin's death that will cause the leader's departure, Marty
Balin, will traumatize this pink period. Hot Tuna (it names that the RCA
imposes instead of the sought Hot Shit) it is constituted as group, and Paul
Kantner and Grace Slick only assure the continuity of Airplane. With García,
Crosby, Nash and Casady the duet records "A blow against the Empire",
ideological crusade with an eye toward gathering San Francisco's musical and
polemic forces.
In 1969, J.A. it founds their own recording house, Grunt,
and "Bark" registers, with J. Covignton in drums and Papa John
Creach in violón.
In March of 1972 with their new light show "Clen Mc Kay and
the Heavy water lights", J.A. they leave in tour for USA it also Leaves Paul
Kantner's new album and Grace Slick, "Sunfighter" that
develops the musical ideas of "A blow against the empire". San
Francisco's family that originates the career of three groups, Hot Tuna, J.A.
and Kantner and Slick, mark a decisive fact in the American contemporary music.
Their members that are in a multitude of later recordings, have contributed a lot with
their colleagues of Grateful Dead, to return and to open the American rock.
The Three Originals
"AFTER BATHING AT BAXTER´S"
This L.P. engraving while the group lived in Beverly Hills's
luxurious mansion, the same one that The Beatles rented for its American tour, is
the first one in showing a progress, from "Surrealistic Pillow".
"Ballad of You, and me, and Pooneil" is a beautiful
song. The instrumental accompaniment is the traditional one 2/4 that Airplane toasts
with a range of electronic and melodic refinements. The melody in itself is appreciable,
opposing a to hit of rock, with an atonal line. Another superior band is "Young
Girl Sunday Blues", an excellent product of the team Kantner-Balin. "Rejoyce",
although it is not a topic easy to hum, it is a good sample of the surprising vocal
control of Grace, their piano and the jazzy hearing of Spencer.
"Watch her ride", "Spare Changye",
"Street Masse" and "How Suite it is" are other renowned
themes of this disk.
"CROWN OF
DREATION"
This album shows to the group amid a fight between the
style and the stylisation; and the results are sometimes ambiguous. Obviously one of the
strong ones of Airplane, the same thing that the source of its problems, is the
fact that its personnel enters there is a number of different and persuasive stylists: Grace
Slick, Jorma Kaukonen and Marty Balin are only the most obvious figures
to this respect.
We have the case of Grace Slick: a talented vocalist that can
transform a song in something only, but at the same time without appealing to rationalized
manerisms. Their "Greasy Heart" constitutes a satisfactory performance,
although the fraseo becomes eccentric sometimes. The point is that not this immunized to
the dangers of its own style that can spill in form of a parody and exaggeration of
itself.
Jorma Kaukonen also develops a different style, for example
in "Star track".
Of special Interest it is "Traid", of David
Crosby who was already figure when The Birds integrated, with responsibility
illuminated-neither what to speak interpretive -. "Triad" with its
arrangements of acoustic guitar, as many songs of Crosby is rather sad and it
causes a deep impression. Including it in "Crown of Creation" is a great
merit for the album, and it stops Crosby and Airplane.
This disk as others of J.A. has their points to favor and
others in against. In all ways, was already a disposition to evolve, although gradual.
"VOLUNTEERS"
The best topic in the album is probably its version of "Wooden
Ships", possessor of new life thanks to Kantner. This seems to be a real
one innovative, with the harmony that practices in their songs. The song arises more than
as a desperation scream according to the version of C.S.N. and Y., with the "Wooden
ships on the water", partly supported in a pleasant harmony that reinforces the
lyrical of the version. It is an epic performance and one of the best that Airplane at
some time has made.
Another of the quotable songs here is "Hey Frederick",
of Grace Slick that contains an effort inspired by Jorma Kaukonen's
interpretation and Nicki Hopkins.
"We can be together" and "Volunteers"
are more or less the same song. The harmonies of Kantner are in all their
excellence and they are undeniably catching.
The rest of the album, with the possible exception of "For
all Seasons" is excellent. "The farm" and "Turn my life
down" have some vocal contributions worthy of a choir of angels, required by the
recording system to 16 bands. In "The farm" the vocal pyramid is
wonderful. In "Good Shepherd" it is a beautiful reminiscence of the old
Eskimo tune "Eskimo Blue Day"; it sounds like a combination of "Crown
of Creation" and "Bear Melt" with the best characteristics of
each one.
He said with success a musical critic in some opportunity: The J.A.
they will never replace the Greatful Dead neither the Rolling Stones; but
these neither will replace J.A. ... bigger power for all.