Jefferson Airplane at Woodstock

[Steve]

I saw a lot of Tuna shows when Bob Steeler was with the band. He's a fine drummer. They'd play for hour shows & Bob never stopped smiling.

[jimmie ray]

Has anyone else seen Hot Tuna with their newest drummer, Scoota Warner? He seems to have a style like Bob Steeler, and the band sounded the best that I've heard them for an electric show. Who knows - maybe he's not that good technically, but the style fits or offers familiarity?

[EmbryonicRabbit68]

I remember when i first saw 'At Woodstock' at a Best-Buy a month ago.Couldnt afford it, and when i went back with money to buy it a week latter it was gone...it was a sad week...oh a sad week.Especially when i found out it had a poster and the CDs were in miniature vinyl slips, really got addicted to the mini-vinyl CD reissues.

And as for Jack and drummers, i cant exactly judge because for some reason i never made some sort of connection with drumming.I know a good drummer and a good drum pattern when i hear it, but for some reason the drums go in one ear and out the other.So when i listen to JA or Hot Tuna/Related, and being a bassist, i usually listen to the bass.And Jacks playing is so interesting, he literally paints a picture with his playing, and i havent heard something really plain from him.And if he was playing something really plain or simple, its usually because Jorma is soloing, and Jormas guitar fits Jacks bass so much you tend to just get mixed up in it, and it becomes a river of music.And thats where the drummer comes in and adds what drums add to the song.Thats why i felt Spencer was a good drummer for JA, because his patterns always fit JAs music.He wasnt technically the greatest drummer, but his style fit the Airplane in an ambient way.Joey Covington was a really good drummer technically, but as for Hot Tuna drummers, ive just really started listening to Hot Tuna within the past few months, so im adjusting to the sound and when i get into a new band the drums are the thing i tend to analyze latter on.

[plueschinger]

Hiho!

Here in germany you can buy it as "The Woodstock experience"
including the "Volunteers" album plus the whole woodstock concert.
A really good double cd.

And I only can tell, like it was told before in this thread,
Wooden ships is really great.

Have a lot of fun.
Regards
Plueschinger

[Apparatchik]

I purchased the Woodstock Experience a couple of months ago. It is a great buy, though I already own the Volunteers LP. I do wish they did not split the concert between discs, but I suppose it could not be helped.

The music is clean sounding and fresh. I agree that the rhthym section of Dryden and Casady are paramount. This is my favorite disc of live airplane.

Peace

[Steve]

Speaking as a bassist, I love playing with a good drummer. And good doesn't mean fast or busy, it means timing. Every note in the right place & time. IMHO, Dryden & Steeler were the best in the extended Jefferson family.

[redrabid]

Bob Steeler? Well , I don't know. On record at least he wasn't always steady. On "America's Choice" and "Hoppkorv" you can hear him speeding up and slowing down the tempo in the same song. And his fills, they are sometimes just "acceptable", rather unevenly spaced over the bars. His playing makes those records a bit uneasy to listen to. Never heard him live (I haven't played "Double Dose" in maybe 20 years) and playing live or playing in the studio makes a big difference.

Last night, after a day of hard work, I sat down on the couch, poored myself a glass of wine and listened to "The Woodstock Experience". Due to the unfavourable circumstances it is a flawed performance, but there are a few songs that show what a stunning band JA could be (sometimes, alas). One of my favorite moments is when Grace Slick comes in ,at 14.40 into "Wooden Ships", for some vocal improvisation: "Gooooooh.....". Sheer extasy! (If you have good ears you can already hear Grace a few moments earlier, buried deep down in the mix. Mine aren't. The price I pay for playing in a band for some 15 years). But the performance of "House", a song I like, is below standard.
On the couch, listening to "Wooden Ships", I fell asleep. My glass wasn't empty yet. I awoke, at least I think I did, at the beginning of "House" and suddenly, in this strange state where Dream and Reality were battling for dominance, I was grabbed by the mesmerizing beauty of this performance of "House". It brought tears to my eyes. After a few minutes Reality was victorious and Beauty receded. I heard the same lacklustre performance again I always hear.
Apparently you have to be "out of your mind" to get in touch with the hidden beauty of this performance. Probably a state similar to the one the musicians were in when they played "House" at Woodstock.
In 60s parlance: A mind blowing experience.

[Surrealistic~Pillow]

I just ordered that cd from ebay... I can't wait to listen to it!
next to buy: jimi hendrix at woodstock

[plasticfantastic]

I have the Janis Joplin at Woodstock as well-- really fabulous.

[EmbryonicRabbit68]

I cant wait to get that CD!I love how they put the CDs in mini-vinyl sleeves.I like to collect those.

[plasticfantastic]

They are pretty cool, aren't they?

I found some of the new vinyl re-releases of Airplane albums today, Jefferson AIrplane Takes Off, and Baxter's, to be exact. I turned them down for a funky old Quicksilver album.

I like my vinyl old.

[EmbryonicRabbit68]

Yeah if I have to choose between a re-issue or an original I will always go for the original.Something about the oldness, and that crackle!

Today I lucked out and found an original issue vinyl Bless Its Pointed Little Head at an antique shop.I saw it on vinyl a while back at this record shop and didnt get it, and I never forgave myself, until today .

[plasticfantastic]

Congratulations!

Bless Its Pointed Little Head is one Airplane album I've never seen on vinyl. Probably, it's the only one I haven't seen on vinyl. Well, nice spotting.

[babson]

I bought the woodstock 40th blue ray. Has some unreleased footage on the 2nd blue ray. After watching that I immediately bought the JA woodstock CD, 'cause it had more JA not on the 40th dvd. Especially, the 20 minute 54 second "Wooden Ships".

The movie DVD added Jorma's "Uncle Sam's Blues".

The 2nd DVD has the JA never seen before, 3/5 of a mile in 10 seconds" and "Volunteers".

I also really liked The Greatful Dead's "Turn on your love light".

[PrayForPlagues]

The videos of JA playing "3/5 of a Mile" and "Volunteers" are on Youtube. I'm hoping someday the whole show will be released on DVD.

Ah, I only have The Worst of Jefferson Airplane and After Bathing At Baxter's on vinyl. Found Baxter's at an antique store when I was 10, I was stunned by it.