It was revealed today (September 29) that Matty Balin, the co-founder and vocalist/guitarist of Jefferson Airplane has died, age 76. Jefferson Airplane was one of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock. Here are 10 essential songs from their catalog.
Somebody To Love
Jefferson Airplane rose to fame with this song in 1967. It was their first big hit and is an essential breakup song in addition to being a leap forward for psychedelic rock.
White Rabbit
If you have heard of Jefferson Airplane, you probably have heard this iconic song based on Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Wooden Ships
The band’s cover of Crosby, Stills and Nash’s ‘Wooden Ships’ is darker, edgier and gave the song a new lease of life.
We Can Be Together
“We are obscene, lawless, hideous, dangerous, dirty, violent and young”, Balin sung. The band owned every negative stereotype associated with alternative youth culture.
The Ballad of You, Me & Pooneil
This was the first single written by Paul Kartner. He joked that it “referred to Freddie and Winnie the Pooh sort of thrown into a mixmaster on the psychedelic era.”
