RIP Paul Kantner

[cosmickid]

We've lost another,this time Jefferson Airplane co-founderPaul Kantner.Dead at 74...

http://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news...-paul-kantner-dies-at-74/ar-BBoPIdg?li=BBnbfcL

 

[MJE]

 

[cosmickid]

Today seems particularly bittersweet right now,but it's one of my favorite Airplane tracks.Here's another PK classic...

 

[Warison]

I life long goal is to learn how to play Embryonic Journey.

Lather is such a great song.

 

[T.M.P.]

I life long goal is to learn how to play Embryonic Journey.

Lather is such a great song.

EJ isn't that hard of a song, not that I know it, but I used to. It's just Jorma playing fingerstyle blues. I bet you could learn it quite easily.

fwiw - if you get a chance, sign up for Jorma Kaukonen's (Airplane's guitarist) Rev Gary Davis Fest. Tickets were 30 bucks a few years back. It's a really great show and in his personal studio in SE Ohio. It seats around 60 to 80 people. Up close and very personnel.

An ex GF of mine bought me lessons, ($900) which included tickets to the Rev Fest, plus I got a weeks worth of instruction and workshops from/by Jorma, his wife, Ernie Hawkins, and Roy Book Binder. I didn't learn shit, except to use my own voicing instead of being a human recording playback machine.

The best times were campfire jams at night, and listening to Jorma and Jack Cassidy while they talked about the Haight/Ashbury days. Lot's of stories about Garcia and the Dead. It was a great time. fwiw - his wife was the better teacher.

Plus I had a chance to play for a HoF guitarist. Which is not in any way fun. I completely fell apart when he asked me to play something and went into retard mode. I felt like he was judging me.... lol

fwiw - Kantner ruined Airplane and was the driving force turning them into Starship. RIP and all, but there's no forgiveness for Starship.. Airplane was an iconic band, Starship was just horribly bad.

 

[Warison]

fwiw - Kantner ruined Airplane and was the driving force turning them into Starship. RIP and all, but there's no forgiveness for Starship.. Airplane was an iconic band, Starship was just horribly bad.

I did not know that about Kanter. Airplane was one of the first bands I found outside of the fringe around the late 80's. I held the flag for them and Janes Addiction. I found Airplane before Jerry or the dead. EJ was like the odyssey for me. And throughout the years it's always been a song that represented 'an everest moment' for me as a guitar player. I could fake it, maybe at this point, but it's gonna take some finger memorization to do so. Some real practice.

I know you're not a huge nashville fan but I've finger memorized Burning House by Cam down pretty good. So you can imagine the leap EJ is gonna be for me.

But it's a goal and has been for about quite a long while.

 

[T.M.P.]

I know you're not a huge nashville fan but I've finger memorized Burning House by Cam down pretty good. So you can imagine the leap EJ is gonna be for me.

I'll play anything. If I can. Doesn't mean I like the band, or even the song but I'll play anything.

We played a set list once, just from musical boredom and for cynical shits and giggles (we, being a buddy and I doing acoustic sets) IIRC it included Back Street Boys, Boy George, Wham, Blink 182, Prince, Snoop, Aguilera, etc etc .. just a bunch of pop songs. Nothing I would ever listen to. Anyways.. that was probably the most fun I ever had on stage (I generally hate it) and everyone listening, loved it..

You know the Nashville musicians, arrangers, engineers, etc etc etc are the best in the business, right? I didn't mention writers on purpose. Just as I would never mention paint by number paintings in the same quality as Monet.

The background music by the "out of focus guys" is highly professional and exceptionally well done, even if it is dumb. Then, there's the no talent asshat in front that gets all the attention and money. Dumb people think he (the no talent asshat) is the talent.

 

[Warison]

Shiiiite ... play anything?? I've got 'more than words' and 'kathy's song' down. I have no shame. Landslide. 'nuff said.

But the part where you mention falling apart in an early post: True Story...

My wifes family has an end of the summer bonfire at the lake every year. I've attended the last 5 and have dreamed of bringing my guitar to each one. Unheard of there. Nobody plays. Nobody even knows to play. This last year somebody visits the fire and hands me a guitar in front of about 30 people. It was like I was a monkey trying to play a wrench. I handed it back to him and said, 'not now'.

I died a little bit on the inside that day.

 

[Hoops Cat]

Shiiiite ... play anything?? I've got 'more than words' and 'kathy's song' down. I have no shame. Landslide. 'nuff said.

But the part where you mention falling apart in an early post: True Story...

My wifes family has an end of the summer bonfire at the lake every year. I've attended the last 5 and have dreamed of bringing my guitar to each one. Unheard of there. Nobody plays. Nobody even knows to play. This last year somebody visits the fire and hands me a guitar in front of about 30 people. It was like I was a monkey trying to play a wrench. I handed it back to him and said, 'not now'.

I died a little bit on the inside that day.

See, here's the thing. You've invested the time, and can play (even if in your own mind it's limited).

The folks sitting around that bonfire will have no phacking idea if you suck or are great. And 100% of those asshats can't play a note. Like me.

But, anyone there worth a shit would appreciate someone putting out a little bit of themselves by playing a song or two. Like me.

So next time, take the phacking guitar, strum the most comfortable song you can play, and just do it.

And if any asshat gives you shit, put him in a rear naked choke hold until he apologizes.

 

[Warison]

See, here's the thing. You've invested the time, and can play (even if in your own mind it's limited).

The folks sitting around that bonfire will have no phacking idea if you suck or are great. And 100% of those asshats can't play a note. Like me.

But, anyone there worth a shit would appreciate someone putting out a little bit of themselves by playing a song or two. Like me.

So next time, take the phacking guitar, strum the most comfortable song you can play, and just do it.

And if any asshat gives you shit, put him in a rear naked choke hold until he apologizes.

You are absolutely correct. Seriously. I'm a guitar player as well as a fan of anybody that will pick up the instrument. I can watch bad guitar players play all day. And love it and appreciate it.

But the mind **** is when: ... you spend years, by yourself playing, thinking it's all sacred and that you're learning a real craft and that this is serious shit here, and then to be put in a spot where your mind ****ed mind thinks, oh... they expect me to be a clown.

That's a very think imaginary line you can't imagine until you've approached the torture that is the guitar.

But believe me, I know you are right.

 

[Hoops Cat]

You are absolutely correct. Seriously. I'm a guitar player as well as a fan of anybody that will pick up the instrument. I can watch bad guitar players play all day. And love it and appreciate it.

But the mind **** is when: ... you spend years, by yourself playing, thinking it's all sacred and that you're learning a real craft and that this is serious shit here, and then to be put in a spot where your mind ****ed mind thinks, oh... they expect me to be a clown.

That's a very think imaginary line you can't imagine until you've approached the torture that is the guitar.

But believe me, I know you are right.

From where I sit, and yeah, its easy being me, you speak a language that I can't speak, but can understand. If that makes any sense.

To me, its not sacred. Its a language. You speak it. Boil it down, that's all it is.

So speak.

You'd have the family in your hand before you finished strumming the first chord.

 

[Warison]

From where I sit, and yeah, its easy being me, you speak a language that I can't speak, but can understand. If that makes any sense.

To me, its not sacred. Its a language. You speak it. Boil it down, that's all it is.

So speak.

You'd have the family in your hand before you finished strumming the first chord.

I appreciate that. I sincerely do.

I should play an acoustic Nirvana set for them just to feel it out. haha

 

[Hoops Cat]

I appreciate that. I sincerely do.

I should play an acoustic Nirvana set for them just to feel it out. haha

It would be go time, sumbitch....

But that's funny....