Airplane influence

[Susan Butcher]

I read somewhere recently the opinion that Jefferson Airplane's music has little or no influence on the contemporary rock scene. I don't hear enough new records to know. What do you guys think?

[psychhead]

I've been listening to psychedelic music for so long now it's not funny anymore ....and I can safely say where there's a female voice in a psych band, you can hear Grace's influence....some examples: Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star; Michelle of Southern Comfort Blue Band; S Ranch Davidians; Dana Fuchs Band, etc. Lots of psych/jam bands have been directly influenced by JA and the Dead as well.

Rob

[JoeD80]

Jack Casady certainly had a lot of influence on showing how a bass guitar could be used to make music rather than just keeping the beat. I think he was probably the first to do that. On some songs he played 30 or 40 notes. As for Hot Tuna's psychedelic music, their playing style in the late 70s is pretty similar to what they had been doing with Jefferson Airplane. Check out Funky #7 on America's Choice. Good stuff. Another influence the Airplane had was -- light shows. They were one of the first bands to use light shows extensively and they took their light show on the road to whatever venue they were at. Glenn McKay's Headlights always toured with the Airplane from 1965 up until about 1970 I think. These days you see laser light shows and all sorts of multimedia stuff but back in the 60s the Airplane was there first.

[Susan Butcher]

Just to go sideways for a moment, do you remember that episode of The Monkees about the hypnotic one-eyed alien flower? There's a song in it, "Zor and Zam", sung in Grace's style by Mickey Dolenz. Seven months later, the Airplane released "Lather", a song with a very similar melody. Maybe their influence reached backwards in time?

[PsychedelicRabbit]

I don't think JA is an influence in the popular music of today. I think they are in the more indie, underground stuff, though. So it really depends. I think they are still an influence, but it's either hardly noticable or you really have to dig deep in the underground music to hear it.

But I don't listen to today's music.

[psychhead]

I don't think JA is an influence in the popular music of today. I think they are in the more indie, underground stuff, though. So it really depends. I think they are still an influence, but it's either hardly noticable or you really have to dig deep in the underground music to hear it.

But I don't listen to today's music.

I don't like to be stuck in the past in music and while I too agree that most pop music.....NOT psychedelic music ...today is not influenced by JA, if you look on Myspace, there are loads of new bands that are directly influenced by JA and the 60s......Midnight Movies from L.A. just to name one.

[PsychedelicRabbit]

I do think that there are people directly influenced by JA, but the mainstream things you see (on TV or online or on the radio) aren't influenced. I do know there are people influenced by JA and other 60's artists, but you might have to look out for them.

[psychhead]

I do think that there are people directly influenced by JA, but the mainstream things you see (on TV or online or on the radio) aren't influenced. I do know there are people influenced by JA and other 60's artists, but you might have to look out for them.

Exactly....that's why I love places like Myspace...they give a lot of space to both mainstream AND underground/indie stuff!!