That Saddest January Ever

Lefsetz calls it the "great migration."

Bowie. Frey. Loizzo. Gillette.

Now Paul Kantner.

We lost another one yesterday, as the co-founder of the Jefferson Airplane departed terra firma. The first of the San Francisco bands to score a major label recording contract, the Airplane gave us such classics as Somebody to Love and White Rabbit. In time, the Airplane became the Starship...and, long after Paul split, became the punchline of a train wreck. 

While the remnants of the Starship were spawning We Built This City, Kantner returned to his roots and hooked up with original vocalist Marty Balin and bassist Jack Casady to form KBC, creating one of the best protest songs of the decidedly non-engaged '80s.

As we bid farewell, we're going with a sadly under appreciated Kantner effort on this Music Friday...this is KBC with America.

And, here's hoping we lose no more in February.

Comments

[Cole Carley]

Sorry to hear about PK. I loved listening to the Airplane, starting in college and got to see them in concert once. Once they lost their blues accent and left planet Earth, they lost me too.
Tough month for musicians. I'm glad it's almost over.

[Bill Geist]

I saw the Airplane in the very early '70s, when the phenomenon of rock shows was still new enough that a little town like Kankakee, IL could score the 'Plane. We never knew why...but Grace was so pissed off that she sang the entire show with her back to the audience. Of course, maybe she was just groovin' to the psychedelic light show being projected on the back wall of the High School Gym.