Speaking Freely: Paul Kantner

[@GlobalTubeTruth]

It was Marty and Paul that started Jefferson Airplane, although I believe it was Jorma that gave it the name, but my point is that most people don't realize how great of a musician Paul Kantner actually was. He was truly awesome back in the day, and had a very distinguishable look. His glasses, and his hair style was very Haight Ashbury / San Francisco. His attitude, and his singing style was unique, not to mention he played great guitar, including 12 string, which is why Marty took an interest in him in the first place. Paul Kantner was definitely a true hippie/acid rock legend. His contributions cannot be denied, nor underestimated.

[@chicklets4ever51]

agreed

[@garydion3488]

Thank you for this. Thank you, Paul Kantner, for your ideas, dreams, and all your music.

[@atbglenn]

Very depressing to hear another member from my favorite band just died . RIP Paul....

[@dougpotoksky5415]

Glenn Martin RIP Marty is now gone to that great band in the sky. I feel lucky I had some time with Paul and Marty. Both really special and great people!

[@mickyrodgers7995]

The Airplane flys forever!

[@chicklets4ever51]

Brilliant guy. Great interview, thank you.

[@BanBiofuels]

Paul Kantner helped write the lyrics to *Wooden Ships* along with Stephen Stills. David Crosby wrote the music. I would have liked to have been there when those three music icons created one of the most memorable songs of the 1960s.

[@deancarsononmusic2792]

Glad that I had the chance to meet and speak to Paul in BB Kings in NYC - years of great music and an American Treasure sad to have the news that Paul has moved on but glad to appreciate the value of his music and contributions. Pleased for the opportunity to have spoken with him and to have enjoyed some great later day shows at BB King. He never lost his power for performance and rocked until the end. Thank you Paul and may your friends and family be strong in what is a difficult time no doubt as we all share in your loss. Thanks for such a strong musical legacy and for the lines on your 360/12 rickenbacker and the BC Rich from Airplane to Starships with the ability to evolve, to see and then to keep the roots alive in a modern way with a fearless pursuit of the music. Will miss the shows and the opportunity to speak but appreciated your sense of the now, speaking about Alex and your sense of the continued journey of life in a timeless musical way. Thank you Paul Lorin Kanter RIP!

[@mlebron20]

I saw that show at BB Kings as well. I saw the Airplane with their classic lineup about 6 times. It was strange seeing Paul leading what was essentially a tribute band with David Freiberg.

[@roystonmason9125]

@@mlebron20 JEFFERSON STARSHIP burned the AIRPLANE down my brother double gold and triple platinum

[@jamesyuille9534]

What a truly nice guy! "Everything they say we are; we are!"

[@chrisfinnegan8370]

"Blows against the Empire " is a Master peace, , , really a National Treasure, , ,

[@tomloft2000]

Marty Balin once said that Paul was the weirdest person he ever knew.i'm sure it was said with affection.

[@motel6frontdesk650]

glad to have seen paul up close and personal , even signed a cd or two for me , best american psychedelic band

[@rcweber1953]

Paul is absolutely brilliant, as expected. His mind works at warp speed. It was a highlight of my 60th decade to see his band perform in So. Cal. May his force continue ...

[@nicholaschristiaan8061]

Happy 600th birthday!

[@voidnetwork]

amazing review of the counter-culture history from a real committed and inspirational person

[@donalynette]

Thank you for saying the death penalty needs to go. Rest In Peace, Paul. We are all outlaws in the eyes of America.

[@jameshaddix2637]

paul is a great singer I will miss him

[@EDJ1845]

ALWAYS,loved listening to him. In person, audio/video...etc.

[@larrybeckham6652]

R.I.P. Newseum. They even lost the URL above. Paul Kantner was a true patriot who helped teach this teenager in the Sixties to love my country with eyes wide open! The United States IS an exciting bipolar alcoholic who I dearly love and want to rehabilitate.

[@adralicus]

Paul is greatly missed. Impressed that the interviewer asked him about Blows Against the Empire and KBC.

[@garyonderisin8338]

You are sorely missed, Paul. R.I.P.

[@stevennovakovich2525]

Such a wise man. Unfortunately my sole Jefferson Starship show (St. Charles, Illinois in 2015) was 3 days after Paul passed. They had his guitar on a guitar stand in the area where he normally was. Still an excellent show and I got to shake David Freiberg's hand and take a photo with the whole band. We all just miss Paul so much and wish he was still with us.

[@1sandinista]

Compañero Paul Kantner went to my native Nicaragua in the 1980's to see what was going on, and he fell in love with the Sandinista Revolution. He couldn't help but sympathize with the good guys fighting terrorists sponsored by the Reagan Administration.

[@paulgrahamedwardspencer5161]

Thanks for the music means so much too so many sleep tight RIP

[@KoolTunes4Daze]

Just a bummer! Paul was only 74.

[@deancarsononmusic2792]

Interesting points at appx 22:58 on music and math and prior to that an interesting point that I would stress in Paul's love for America in expressing the ideals of Freedom and Liberty. Clear to analysis but interesting to hear him make the points. Paul was a musician and a thinker pursuing a relevant line of analysis and open communication. Doesn't mean he had to be always on point but in broad terms he opened important thought lines relevant to times and growth through the framework of freedom of expression and a consistent line to keep momentum on his own path of life and liberty through musical expression.

[@chucklachance7776]

Pure genius....

[@avail1.]

Tim Leary a volunteer in CIA program of expanding pure LSD out to society from U.S. Military testing from the 1940's. Once they realized LSD was not a drug by which you could control society they pulled it, and replaced it with heroin. LSD was assisting young people to a greater awareness of peace, and love and unselfish extrovert living. Helping others.

[@AppleMan531]

One of the most surprising shows I ever saw was Jefferson Starship at The Palladium in New York. This was The Freedom at Point Zero tour. It was the first tour without Grace Slick. We didn't know what to expect. I believe Ansley Dunbar was on drums, Mickey Thomas on vocals and the rest of Jefferson Starship. They had a new album and hit single with JANE. This show was so powerful, I clearly remember it today. They really pulled it off without Grace even though all of us missed having her in the band. It was one of those shows that you always remember. Years later I had a chance to talk with Paul Kantner about that show, and he was amazed how good they were that night and he clearly remembered the same gig. They were so good Grace returned for the next album and had a big hit with FIND YOUR WAY BACK. Years later I saw them at BB Kings and Marty Balin showed up and sang with the band. He was there with his dad. RIP MARTY BALIN. Hope you met up with Paul in Rock and Roll Heaven and are playing together.

[@frankaddington1773]

Wow that's great you got to see that show. Find Your Way Back was a hit but it was Stranger that marked Grace's return. Mickey is a great singer

[@kevinnoonan5095]

Awesome guy. RIP

[@sclogse1]

Paul was a big regular at Cafe Trieste in North Beach. I never saw him wear a normal pair of pants.

[@tamiobannon]

Normal pair of pants?

[@hoctor]

yes he would sit in the back of the place sipping a latte by the jukebox in the place I remember him there, 2008 or so

[@rickyward542]

I feel so fortunate to have grown up listening to Paul Kantner so on the day he died I wrote down a sort of tribute using nine Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship songs. "It's No Secret," "Today" Paul Kantner is no longer "Running Around This World" but his spirit is like a "High Flyin Bird" who sang "Let me Fly" to the "Other Side of this Life" where I can wear the "Crown of Creation" and see "The Light" from the "Windows of Heaven."

[@aasmundolsen]

Last i did yesterday (around 10 hours ago ) listning through Blow against ... this morning i read about his dead .. not a good feeling

[@CrustyCrip]

RIP Paul. Time to fire up my copy of the 2400 Fulton Street Anthology ...

[@codybluetarp]

Paul answered the question, "what inspires you now?", when he proceeded to "Be there" in his continuance. We miss his presence that way, but appreciate his music, particularly in J.A., and "Planet Earth..."

[@billjones8503]

Except for 3 great songs heard on the radio, never got into JA. So much great music back then, was easy to overlook some. Now Grace, when young, had a major crush on her! 🥰 lol ~ Glad she got off the booze & drugs. Wish her all the best!

[@nickbyrne5871]

Most intelligent guy in rock!

[@caitlynmccranie4559]

Did anyone else notice Paul drank out of the interviewer’s cup by accident?

[@jmsfabrication7821]

He's definitely right about the war on drugs. It's been a failure.

[@krisscanlon4051]

I miss Paul and his wry personality and talent

[@mitchellcollins6142]

I think the host is sporting a Jerry Garcia tie! How nice...

[@Hakumei1]

He totally misquoted George, it was Elmer Fudd, not Minnie Mouse!! Cool to hear he was a Carlin fan, though.

[@ancolies908]

I'm an old unknown french songwriter and singer. Crown of creation and Bless it's pointed little head were the first albums I bought (in fact I stole) when I was 12. I stopped listen Starship after Dragon fly, except fantastic Planet earth r'n'r orchestra (15 years later suite of Blows against the empire). Paul's lyrics influenced lot of mine.

[@roystonmason9125]

spitfire and red octopus ! you missin out !

[@ancolies908]

@@roystonmason9125 I had these albums (today I've sold my collection, 2000 LP and no place. But I copied on my computer all my favourte tracks, about 15.000). They were only 3 sungs I love in Red octopus and Sitfire : I wanna see another world, There will be love, and Cruisin.

[@roystonmason9125]

@@ancolies908 double platinum ,, a little too late with the criticism !! Who is you favorite so that i may shit on their albums ?

[@BOBBOTO]

"I come and go like a comet we are wanderers, are you anymore"

[@montgomerydenzer8805]

Intelligence and Eloquence WOW MAN

[@GlobalTubeTruth]

Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Country Joe & The Fish, and many other popular bands of the 60's were most definitely part of the CIA's MK-Ultra LSD experiments. That's an absolute fact. I don't expect him to admit it here, but it's amazing that he'd even make reference to it. He even makes reference to Satanism in the way of saying that when he discovered "The Devil's Advocate", he found his place in life. That is far more of a serious, and accurate statement than most people would ever care to believe. I love Jefferson Airplane as a band, and Paul Kantner as a musician. I feel the same way about Jorma, Jack, Grace, Spencer, and the members of the other bands. I love all of them, and their music, but I have a very hard time excusing, or justifying the participation in a mind control experiment that literally ruined the lives of so many people, despite the good times that were had by most. The music, and the scene make us feel like everything was ok, but it wasn't, and it isn't.

[@esnesnonsinoigilerlaertnsi6440]

+GlobalTubeTruth You are truly an idiot!

[@chriscantrell2695]

No, he is not an idiot. He is absolutely spot on. You are either living in a dream world, (the matrix) or in complete denial about the reality of the CIA's operations and how they used the British Invasion and later the San Fransisco sound / bands, along with Timothy Leary, Owsley, (both CIA operatives) using LSD and other psychedelic drugs to shape and control a whole generation of Americans. Look at America today (2017) and tell me they didn't fuck up a whole generation / world with globalism, NWO, abortion, Euthanasia, out of control crime, prescription drugs, reverse racism, feminaziism, gender identity issues, diversity instead of unity, good is bad and bad is good, up is down and down is up, BS global warming scam, no borders, love of refu-jihadis, greed, it's all about me, loss of free speech, Gun control to disarm us, disregard for the rule of law, war on religion, war on men, promotion of pedophelia, LGBTQ, Antifa, Soros, Bush crime family, Clinton crime family, phony baloney commie Obama from Kenya, HAARP, Wall St banksters, 100 Trillion debt, unchecked migration, half the country on welfare or some form of social freebie, failing fiat dollar, gold and silver manipulation, 50% unemployment in black communities, 25% national unemployment, loss of jobs, loss of wages, outsourcing of jobs to China, India, Africa, etc., corruption in govnt., constant wars, and on and on and on. Where have you been since the 60's / 70's??? Probably in a THC smoke filled bubble. Wake Up!!! Moron!

[@pommelhorsepommelhorse8731]

aw ma, you promised not to get drunk and post anymore

[@timmyt603]

Chris Cantrell you're an idiot as well

[@mercurialmagictrees]

GlobalTubeTruth oh wow I didn't expect to see such bold truth here. it's profound to think about. the other comment here made this make more sense too

[@johniorio7951]

my jefferson airplane memory from the '60's?......making out with the older sister of my best friend around '69....she had the airplane playing at the time, i remember she had love-beads hanging in the doorway.....I was 10 and had no clue about the airplane.....swear to God, i was not even into girls at all!......later, you better believe, i became a major fan!!

[@verutschkow]

"Paul is dead, we miss him we miss him ..."

[@themadmattster9647]

bipolar women who drink, um I wonder who that could be about...lol

[@terriwhite6733]

Too funny

[@katiemoyer8679]

There are plenty around….😂🤣😂

[@l.rongardner2150]

Back then, I was a left-winger because the right wing was fascist and big on censorship. Now, I'm a right-winger because the left wing is fascist and big on censorship.

[@raybenoit5238]

The irony is that the same group behind the tumultuous political clashes back then , are the same group today that are alive today or their descendants .

[@l1nnea]

love grace and paul

[@tennissir1986]

It’s funny how most people think of Grace when they think of J.A. but it was Jorma’s guitar that really made them and of course others song writing.

[@roystonmason9125]

no IT was WHITE RABBIT and SOMEBODY to LOVE ! the 3 part harmony GRACE SLICKS VOICE along with JORMA JACK PAUL MARTY and whatever drummer they chose for the time !

[@bobbart4198]

I know that many people wont get the connection, but I've LIVED through these times - the '60's and the '70's - and so have a GREAT many other people ... BERNIE SANDERS 2020 ... it's NOT just about those who are Already empowered, - it's about EVERYBODY !

[@BOBBOTO]

LOL. HE'S A TOTAL FRAUD. HE LAUGHS AT YOU. DESPISES YOU.

[@bobbart4198]

@@BOBBOTO ... Got PROOF, or is this just another empty BS comment ...

[@avail1.]

Solutions.....rip Paul....🤗

[@sergesolkatt]

❤️

[@avail1.]

Environment and our response to it, and we begin to think about it, and put forth our mental/emotional reaction???

[@2Uahoj]

He lauds that 'the doors of sexuality crashed down,' but doesn't mention the broken relationships, abortions, diseases, orphaned children, suicides, all as a result.

[@themadmattster9647]

and those things didn't happen before?

[@stephenverchinski409]

Actually read that the illegal abortions were quite high prior to women's liberation.

[@robertsousa9550]

Sorry, I don’t see it that way at all.

[@MichaelRoney]

When did this originally air?

[@WoodstocKenny]

+Michael Roney June 20, 2001

[@avail1.]

It is all heading toward; being funneled to a period of finality, like reaching a huge of valley of decision; judgment. One can see that the particular period/decade passed away and all compressed into it. As it is now.....the world or social order going away. Soon the whole big mix will go away. And be replaced by another - Zephaniah 3:8/ 1:17,18. None of what is seen is sustainable/forever. The unseen, will be eternal - Hebrews 11:6.

[@jamescarne2171]

He is NOT DEAD but yet LIVES! LIFE GOES ON (it's just some have to be "re-educated" in God's school of HIGHER LEARNING before they can see the BIG PICTURE that they missed in this life due to hypocritical religions who didn't really know what the truth of God is! As Don Quixote said "What are wounds to a knight errant?" For he will rise again! And WOE TO THE WICKED!" Fight on "our new improved version of Paul"!

[@ronson232]

Paul was a proud atheist.

[@kwenzini]

oh fuck off.

[@lindasmith3978]

Tell that to the Coroner

[@hankgoresich6836]

@@ronson232 His daughter is a dedicated Christian and theist, thank God.

[@avail1.]

Lived their life. But no changes made in society. Jorma was correct.

[@chicklets4ever51]

Not true. They helped end the Vietnam War.

[@joeharris3878]

@@chicklets4ever51 the 1960s and 1970s awakening led to the end of the Viet Nam war, true. But the actions of the combat soldiers making "fragging" so pervasive was the actual reason the US government pulled out, I believe.

[@chicklets4ever51]

@@joeharris3878 not so sure. Students were burning down ROTC buildings. And the youth movement eventually persuaded many mainstream figures--even authority figures like Walter Cronkite--of the rightness of their cause. Not to mention that many of the few good things in our predatory capitalist society--such as organic food, respect for alternative lifestyles, environmental consciousness (despite its present-day falsification and exploitation by the PTB), and so on--derive directly from 60s counterculture. (Kantner was always more of a revolutionary than Jorma, who was the better guitarist, even while Paul was the better songwriter.)

[@almostskater3210]

This guy reminds me so much of Vinnie Colaiuta

[@tennissir1986]

For all of the Jefferson Airplane recordings I don’t believe he played guitar on that many. Jorma was a great guitarist.

[@rubicon-oh9km]

You're incredibly wrong. Paul played a strong rhythm role in the majority of the band's catalog.

[@tennissir1986]

rubicon1983 So tell me the songs where he played a strong rhythm guitar on ?

[@rubicon-oh9km]

@@tennissir1986 Surrealistic Pillow through Volunteers. Check it out. Pick any song on those records and you'll hear Kantner

[@Martsapso21]

His guitar is almost as prominent as Jorma's throughout After Bathing At Baxters. Watch Her Ride, the acoustic guitar on Martha, Wild Tyme, the list can go on forever. Open your ears.

[@joeblevins1058]

huh? You're either trolling or oblivious. Kantner's ringing 12 string rhythm work was an integral part of the Airplane throughout their existence.

[@Pwrcritter]

Paul always did hehe..

[@alansmyth4310]

Awful news rip brother.

[@DavidSmith-ss1cg]

Funny(But not all THAT funny), the US has NEVER considered a War on War.

[@reykjavik82]

paul was either bipolar or a genius or both

[@bambam4LSU]

yep he's dead!!

[@bambam4LSU]

2016 is going to be a very disappointing year for many!

[@bobbart4198]

The Countdown thing at the beginning is just annoying ... please loose that shit ...

What a scumbag. Even jokes about being a CIA asset. Slithery snake talk.

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

@@BOBBOTO you don't understand he's not joking these fools are all actors influencing your pea brain into further mush.

[@WilliamHerlihy-p4g]

Ditto