Had the Band Stuck Together Longer, Could Moby Grape Actually Have Been Worse (or Better) Than Jefferson Airplane?

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Sep 202013
 

I know the first Moby Grape album and like it enough, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard a lick of their next album. (Or a third album, if one exists.) I’ve never even seen a second Moby Grape album in anyone’s collection.

The Jefferson Airplane comparison is appropriate, right? The bands had a connection through Skip Spence, who I believe started at the Airplane’s drummer. They probably drank from the same Electric Kool-Aid and traded underwear and ponchos, as part of that San Francisco scene. Is someone’s mic turned off on this performance of “Omaha,” or is the band not bothering to sing the lead vocal that responds to the “Listen my friends” chant? Their version of the next song (the title is a numeric time of day, right?) is fine, but it may have been a good thing that Moby Grape didn’t have the staying power of Jefferson Airplane. Or maybe you think it’s a shame they didn’t reach the heights of Airplane performances, like the following:

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Thought Bubbles: What Are They Thinking? What Are They Thinking?

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Jul 062012
 

Even if you’ve never performed music before an audience, you’ve probably done something along those lines—a school play, a presentation in the classroom or in work—and know what it’s like to have thoughts run through your head while you’re “in the moment.” Maybe you give yourself a mental high five while you hit your mark. Maybe you suppress a Jeez! when you flub a line. Maybe you’re feeling so good on stage that you have a flash of feeling like you know what it meant to appear in front of a rapt audience at some legendary venue.

As you watch this video of The Jefferson Airplane performing “Mexico (Go Ride the Music),” pick a moment and see if you can’t write a “thought bubble” representing what could possibly be going through the mind of any band member in the midst of performing this song.

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Once and for All: Marty Balin Boils Rock ‘n Roll Down to its Cliched Essence

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Jun 082012
 


In our continuing quest to identify rock’s most cliched moments I present to you the following performance, which may take the cake. You couldn’t commission a panel of hacks to write and perform a more cliched song than this one…could you? The person who posted this video does not allow embedding, so you have to click here to watch it. Enjoy.

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Rock Town Hall’s Saturday Night Shut-In: ROCKTOBER Broadcasts “LIVE” From the Coast of Loving!

 Posted by
Oct 222011
 

Sounds of the Hall in roughly 33 1/3 minutes!

In this week’s edition of Saturday Night Shut-In Mr. Moderator broadcasts “LIVE” from the Coast of Loving, “Frisco,” as the natives call it, specifically! The Moderator is calling all Peace Warriors to tune in, turn on, and drop whatever it is you were doing. As an added bonus, for those curious to learn more about Eric Burdon & The (Then-)New Animals, you’ve come to the right episode.

[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/RTH-Saturday-Night-Shut-In-50.mp3|titles=RTH Saturday Night Shut-In, episode 50]

[Note: The Rock Town Hall feed will enable you to easily download Saturday Night Shut-In episodes to your digital music player. In fact, you can even set your iTunes to search for an automatic download of each week’s podcast.]

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Mystery Date Revealed: It’s a Byrd, It’s an Airplane, It’s…Anonymous?

 Posted by
Dec 032010
 

Will Your Mystery Date Be a Dream or a Dud?

Who was that anonymous, mid-1970s band featured in our most recent Mystery Date that sounded a lot like a Jefferson Airplane that had been hijacked by The Byrds with Lindsey Buckingham calling the shots from an undisclosed location? As BigSteve and misterioso knew—and as mockcarr actually mentioned in his initial comment—it was…

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When You Really Think About It, Jefferson Starship May Have Produced a Stronger Quartet of Songs Than Any Four Songs by Jefferson Airplane

 Posted by
Nov 052009
 

It’s been a little more than 11 months since I first posted this controversial view. One of the characteristics I most admire in our Townspeople is our ability to reconsider past views and objections. Now may be as good a time as ever for each of us to reconsider our initial opinions and for newer members of Rock Town Hall to chime in on this issue.

Frankly, I was surprised at the lack of support my query elicited. I didn’t expect the majority of Townspeople to hear things as I heard them, but I surely didn’t expect that the closest thing I got to agreement was a vote for plain, old Starship! Why don’t you join me in reviewing our first discussion of these matters, replaying the supporting video clips, and sharing any new insights that may have resulted from your growth as a music listener? I look forward to your comments.

This post initially appeared 11/30/08.


Granted, Jefferson Airplane is a favorite whipping band among certain segments of Rock Town Hall – and I don’t believe anyone who’d hang here like Jefferson Starship, but when you really think about it, Jefferson Starship may have produced a stronger quartet of songs than any four songs by Jefferson Airplane.

I speak specifically of a quartet of mid-70s Jefferson Starship songs:
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