Paul Kantner - R.I.P.

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I was very little during the Jefferson Airplane period but i remember the second incarnation of the Jefferson Starship. Kantner was a true Legend. And i agree with the above statements. " We are Losing too many at once"!
 
Yes another one gone at such an alarming rate...! Rest In Peace, Mr. Kantner...


-- Dave
 
While I was never much of a Jefferson Airplane fan, I do own and quite enjoy the Jefferson Starship albums with Kantner (from Dragonfly through Nuclear Furniture). There were still enough traces of the group's old sound and personality from Jefferson Airplane to make it identifiable as the work of the same principal figures, but it was a little more commercially accessible than the usual Airplane material. And while his own self-penned material only sporadically made it onto singles (though he had a hand in writing "Jane," certainly the hardest-rocking of all the band's hits and probably my favorite of theirs; if you've never seen their live performance of the song from the old sketch-comedy series "Fridays," I highly recommend it - it's a fun clip to watch), he did write some fine and fun overlooked songs for the band, like "Ride the Tiger," "Caroline," "Girl with the Hungry Eyes" (from Freedom at Point Zero), and the title cut from Modern Times. Definitely a talented guy, and the band never quite as rocked nearly as convincingly after he left; he definitely helped to give the band its edge.
 
Since Christmas 1969, when I found 'VOLUNTEERS' under the Christmas tree, I've collected the Airplane & Starship releases, along with side projects by Slick, Kantner & Hot Tuna (Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady). Always thought there were few groups that contained such a large amount of collective talent.

It was coincidence that the band's original female vocalist, Signe Toly Anderson Ettin, died the same day as Kantner and at the same age. Had to wonder if they sang a rousing duet of 'Chauffeur Blues' from ' the first album, TAKES OFF, while en route to the next world.

JB
 
I guess Kantner was not as influential or popular as Glenn Frey or David Bowie, but he DID pen a couple of huge singles and led the band through at least 4 incarnations over at least that many decades. I'm surprised his death didn't get more attention, even from the satellite radio people. Money talks, for sure.
 
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