"Volunteers" / Jefferson Airplane

This song got a boost from the movie cum piece of crap Forrest Gump. It is a terrific exercise in anthemic energy.

The Airplane went thru amazing changes that were not strictly about adjustments in lineup. They started out as a folkie group, then the acid kicked in. The group seemed to be a continuous jostling of power amongst its members. This song jets forth with a unity of all group members.

There are 2 corps to Jefferson Airplane's core:

1. Vocals




• Grace Slick, wild


• Paul Kantner, folkie


• Marty Balin, croonin'





2. Instruments




• Jorma Kaukonen, guitar


• Jack Casady, bass


• Spencer Dryden, drums


• And plus not forgetting Nicky Hopkins on piano. Mr Hopkins, sainted, played on every recording in the 60s.

With this song, all 6 cylinders are firing. Marty leads the vocals, but it is all an energetic shout. I like how the song is concentrated, it is exuberant political call out. You need not take it at face value, vis-à-vis actual act, but it has the necessary propulsion. That propulsion comes from the tight and urgent musical trio. As in, blast thru a wall. You do not have to buy the political implication, which is gestural at best. I mean, the words are puppet theatre, but encompassed by rock enthusiasm, which has an authenticity, tho as it might be, of earnest youth.

"Omaha" / Moby Grape

I discovered Moby Grape a few years ago, having had only modest acquaintance with them in the day. Their first release was hyped to the high clouds, but it is not like they were without talent. All five sang, all five wrote songs. They had three guitarists, with Jerry Miller as classic lead, with Skip Spence and Peter Lewis as unique adjuncts. Skip Spence, who wrote "Omaha", was the resident songwriting genius: every song of his seems sui generis. "Omaha" remains startlingly fresh 40 years since it was written.

Five guitar chords, played back in reverse, begin the song with apocalyptic seizure, then it is full steam ahead. The song goes forward, driven by the lead guitar line. I love the song for its good spirit, not in the hippy dippy 60s sense, but more that of a fleeting conjunction of genuine spirit and youthful release. If punk rock could be happy...

Here is an excellent Moby Grape compilation, including two similar versions of "Omaha". Other nifty cuts on this recording include:

• "Rounder", both the live version, with vocals, and the instrumental studio track


• "Hey Grandma", their alternate classic


• "Indifference"


• "Bitter Wind", 2 versions, one totally amped up with studio effects


• "Motorcycle Irene"


• "Looper"


• You Can Do Anything

And for oddity, a hunk of oo slightly embarrassing gushing 60s slurp: "Come in the Morning", which sounds like the Partridge Family...

I commend this music to thee with sincere affection.