Volunteers of America

Friday again - here I was about to write that we'd finally made it through a week without any famous musicians dying, when I read that Paul Kantner has died. I suppose he is less iconic than the others who've passed this year, but not that much less iconic - or maybe, more indissociable from his band. I can't deny that the Jefferson Starship became something horrible in the 80s, but how many bands didn't? (And I suppose the worst of it came after Kantner took Jefferson away from them.) Still - the Jeffersons weren't necessarily the first rank of rock bands, but they were big - they were important - and at their best, they were damned good. Airplane or Starship. Though I have to admit - Marty Balin is my favorite...)



Up against the wall, motherfuckers! Ah, for the days when politics was serious and people wrote interesting songs about them... Now? we get dimwit moochers occupying bird sanctuaries, for some reason... And a presidential race between the sensible party and the extremely silly party. Though the sensible party has been misbehaving more and more as we close in on the actual voting. I see more and more from both Bernie and Hillary supporters abusing the other - to hear their opponents talk, only hacks support Clinton, and only bros support Sanders. Bernie's a dreamer! Hillary's a Republican! Bernie's a communiss! Hillary's rich! I guess it's normal. I worry about the few - mostly on the Sanders side, I am sorry to say - who say they will never vote for Clinton - that is an attitude I can't accept. Whatever you think of Clinton, or either one of them - the Democrats have to win the White House for the sake of the country. Go listen to Donald Trump a while. No. Parties matter, more than the people probably. In officem there probably isn't a dime's worth of difference between Sanders and Clonton: there's a Goldman Sachs bonus check's difference between either one of them and the sanest Republican.

Speaking of Republicans - I will outsource commentary to Edroso I think.

Enough. Music it is! Random Ten!

1. Mahavishnu Orchestra - You Know, You Know
2. The Velvet Underground - What Goes On (live)
3. The Kills - Gypsy Death and You
4. Madonna - Beautiful Stranger
5. Little Feat - Crazy Captain Gunboat Willie
6. Sex Pistols - No Feelings
7. REM - Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)
8. Spirit - Morning Will Come
9. Fairport Convention - Doctor of Physick
10. Blood Brothers - Burn, Piano Island Burn

And again, for Paul Kantner - by favorite Airplane song, written by Kantner and Balin:



Something soothing from the Blood Brothers:



And the Kills: