Music Debate #117: Jefferson Airplane Starship

[Reed Rothchild | 9,932]

 

 

 

[Estil | 1,291]

Check out White Rabbit with only her singing (no instruments); it sounds rather haunting...

 

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,123]

I like the older stuff better, but they're still reasonably solid overall. 6/10.

[Mega Tank | 1,099]

6 minutes ago, Estil said:

Check out White Rabbit with only her singing (no instruments); it sounds rather haunting...

 

I remember listening on the radio a discussion of listening to songs as vocals only. This way you apprwciate the vocals much more. The problem I have with it is from hearing this song so many times, it's near impossible to not fill the instrumentals in your head as you listen to this.

[docile tapeworm | 4,272]

my dad said he saw them (airplane) play at a dive bar once and she fell off the stage wasted drunk. hell ya! rock n roll baby

[Tabonga | 2,533]

I preferred their earlier stuff (pre Starship) much more.

And i may be only one here who not only  knows what a "jefferson airplane" was but used them on several occasions.  The good old days!

[twiztor | 919]

Jefferson Airplane is a pioneer of the psychedelic rock genre. The combination of Jorma's guitar work and songwriting, coupled with Grace Slick's vocal abilities makes them one of my favorites ever. 

this seems to echo what others have said, but the Jefferson Airplane stuff is the highlight of their output. The loss of Jorma and subsequent change to Jefferson Starship was still solid, but noticeably worse (i prefer Hot Tuna to Jefferson Starship). The full-on change to Starship got them a couple big hits, but i don't have any affinity for. Some of the spinoffs are ok, but it's crazy how many times this band splintered and reformed in various versions.

I gave them a 9. I never get sick of JA. I have 4-5 of their albums on vinyl and listen regularly.

[The Count | 598]

8 minutes ago, Tabonga said:

I preferred their earlier stuff (pre Starship) much more.

And i may be only one here who not only  knows what a "jefferson airplane" was but used them on several occasions.  The good old days!

I had to look it up, I think it's a type of roach clip?

[Tabonga | 2,533]

Just now, The Count said:

I had to look it up, I think it's a type of roach clip?

Indeed - improvised/made from a paper match.  Really poplular until head shops became common and you could buy much better alternatives.

[Rhapsody98 | 1,633]

So, when I was in high school, way back in 1997, I belonged to a group called "Explorers", which was basically Boy Scout Cops.  I joined to spent more time with my dad, and for a while figured I end up doing this for life, but didn't (which is a story for another time).  But one of the perks was that they used us as Rent-a-Cops for events.  One of those events was a concert for Starship and Survivor.

So I got to see both of those bands in concert from the front row, because I was in uniform, keeping the crowd from jumping on stage.  

Survivor opened, and they were ok.  They did a lot of jazzy stuff I don't think was ever on the radio, and wrapped up with Eye of the Tiger.   Then after a very short break, Starship came on and played most of their old hits, minus the ones they needed for Grace Slick.    About midway through the concert, I realized that the guitarist was the same lead guitarist for Survivor.  I don't know which band he actually belonged to, if he was filling in for someone or what...  But I nudged my partner (whose name was literally, actually, on his birth certificate Junior, welcome to the South), and said "Hey, isn't that the same guy who played for the first band?"  

And he must've been a hell of a lip reader, because he took a second to make eye contact with me, take his hand off his guitar, point at me, and nod.   

And I've had questions ever since.  

 

[Rhapsody98 | 1,633]

10 minutes ago, Rhapsody98 said:

So, when I was in high school, way back in 1997, I belonged to a group called "Explorers", which was basically Boy Scout Cops.  I joined to spent more time with my dad, and for a while figured I end up doing this for life, but didn't (which is a story for another time).  But one of the perks was that they used us as Rent-a-Cops for events.  One of those events was a concert for Starship and Survivor.

So I got to see both of those bands in concert from the front row, because I was in uniform, keeping the crowd from jumping on stage.  

Survivor opened, and they were ok.  They did a lot of jazzy stuff I don't think was ever on the radio, and wrapped up with Eye of the Tiger.   Then after a very short break, Starship came on and played most of their old hits, minus the ones they needed for Grace Slick.    About midway through the concert, I realized that the guitarist was the same lead guitarist for Survivor.  I don't know which band he actually belonged to, if he was filling in for someone or what...  But I nudged my partner (whose name was literally, actually, on his birth certificate Junior, welcome to the South), and said "Hey, isn't that the same guy who played for the first band?"  

And he must've been a hell of a lip reader, because he took a second to make eye contact with me, take his hand off his guitar, point at me, and nod.   

And I've had questions ever since.  

 

Ok, So I did a bit of Googling, and I think it was Survivor's guitarist at the time Frankie Sullivan.  But either way, it was a good concert.

[mbd39 | 2,095]

3 hours ago, Tabonga said:

I preferred their earlier stuff (pre Starship) much more.

And i may be only one here who not only  knows what a "jefferson airplane" was but used them on several occasions.  The good old days!

I kind of assumed that Jefferson was the band's founder who finally left when they just became Starship.

[mbd39 | 2,095]

One of the great "yacht rock" songs.

 

[Estil | 1,291]

2 hours ago, docile tapeworm said:

my dad said he saw them (airplane) play at a dive bar once and she fell off the stage wasted drunk. hell ya! rock n roll baby

 

[Shawn | 31]

9/10

[JamesRobot | 6,027]

Fucking love We Built This City.  That song is a stand alone 10.

I dig pretty much all of the iterations of the band and have a mild Grace Slick crush.  But I haven't dug deep into the albums.  I'll go 7 overall but they're probably better than that.