Friday, January 29, 2016

JA (RIP PK)



What an odd, unrealised, occasionally sublime, more often half-cocked group they were, the Airplane

Rickety not-quite rock, songs that seemed half-written, erratic or strained vocals, variable quality and painfully of-their-time lyrics, embarrassing posturing ... yet moments of piercing beauty

Not that many featuring Kantner as sole songwriter, or singer,  it has to be said, but this cowrite with Balin on vocals is diamond



Otherwise - mirroring my Fleetwood Mac strong bias to Nicks and nothing but (not totally true but near enough) - it's all about Slick and her songs for me







one of my favorite record covers, though, After Bathing At Baxter's






Never quite managed to get into this despite "liking the idea"



overall the San Francisco scene seems like one of the largest ever discrepancies between Legend and what can be gleaned from the actual recorded relics

you really had to be there



5 comments:

Fernando Ramírez Ruiz said...

Hi Simon, hey you only posted some colaboration with Goldie re Bowie Why? Just curious. Saludos!

Unknown said...

I have to say that I've been wondering too . . .

SIMON REYNOLDS said...

Dunno, it seemed sort of pointless posting stuff on or by DB when half the world was doing it.

Whereas Paul K could do with some love probably. Not that I'm that loving or appreciative here I suppose

Also, got plenty to say about bowie in the glam book which is out in late summer. Another reason .... Burned out through thinking about DB and his era for the last three years!

David Gunnip said...

Hi Simon, that's great news about the glam book. Can't wait to get hold of that one. I had read alright a couple of years back that you had signed up to write a book on glam but hadn't heard anything since on your blogs or anywhere else. What kind of angle are you taking with it? Will it be a Rip It Up style narrative or more thinkpiecey!!

You were right not to post much on Bowie the last few weeks. Every idiot seems to be spouting clichés over this side of the pond. Enjoyed though listening to the Little Wonder vid you posted. Sort of appreciate it more now than I did as a jungle fan in the mid 90s. It holds up in fairness. At least he gave a decent stab at it which was commendable at that late stage in his career.

SIMON REYNOLDS said...

I guess it is a critical history... Approach similar to Rip It Up, but bit more polemic and genealogy of ideas.

I really like LIttle Wonder.... Think it's his best thing in the long dry spell between Loving the Alien and the Next Day. And a very creditable stab at jungle