Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

This is an elegy to Paul Kantner, who died yesterday. He co-founded Jefferson Airplane. His most memorable song he wrote for them was “Crown Of Creation”. I still remember seeing Jefferson Airplane in 1970 at the Shore. And when they did that song I moved and sat down in the aisle to hear it. I strongly identified with some of the words of that song: ‘you are the crown of creation, and you got no place to go’. The song gave me hope for change at a time my life felt helpless and out of control. Paul Kantner was a visionary. The last studio album Jefferson Starship, the group he founded, came out with was an album almost no one heard near the end of his career. It was full of protest and folk and other peoples’ material. It was unlike anything he ever put out. It was titled “Jefferson Tree Of Liberty”. He was a visionary to the very end.

Tags: "Crown of Creation", "Jefferson Tree Of Liberty", 1970 concert, an elegy to Paul Kantner, folk music, hope for change, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, music, protest songs, record album, visionary
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Today I am having an afternoon tribute to Jefferson Airplane. They continue to excite me.  They were erudite.  Their harmonies, vocals and instrumentation were powerful.  They wrote great songs.  I had the privilege of seeing them in 1970.  I went down to the Shore to see them.  I knew I would be stranded overnight but I did not care.  I never forgot moving into the aisle when they played “Crown of Creation” and all I could do was sit there mouth open awed.  It is my favorite song of theirs.  It still speaks to me.  The song is timeless and is about your struggle to grow and love those around you.  Thank you, Paul Kantner.  I will continue to listen to this box set I have of them today.  My wife is not home so I can pump up the volume.  I never tire of them.  Their songs were about love, anger and the fight to remain true to yourself despite the forces which tear us apart.  I still identify with those struggles they portrayed so powerfully in music and song.

Tags: "Crown of Creation", bands, concert in 1970, harmonies, instrumentation, Jefferson Airplane, music, my wife, Paul Kantner, songs, vocals, writing music, wrote great songs
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If you want to upset me confront me unnecessarily and put me in an untenable position.  And do it over minor stuff.  Always give me a way out.  Very, very seldom is it necessary to do that.  Almost never in fact.

If you listen to diplomats, usually every effort is made to reach a compromise pleasing to both.

If you want me to yell and raise my voice continue to do that.  You have a choice in the matter.  Meet me half way.  Do not make it your will against mine.  Do not insist on something being done a certain way.

If the truth be known, there are usually several different ways to accomplish the same purpose but if you insist I do something and you have backed me against the wall and I really can’t do it or think I can’t, I will only get upset.

And it is so unnecessary.  If you are willing to bend, most things can be done peacefully.  And without strife.  ‘Your mother’s ghost hangs over your shoulder’–a line from the song “Triad” written by David Crosby and performed by Jefferson Airplane.

Sometimes you have to realize stances you maintain are really shadows of lessons you learned in your childhood and repeated lessons your parents imparted.  It is not necessary to hang on to them.  They only get you in trouble as you found out.

This latest squabble we had was when I asked you to check a dog’s collar.  All you had to do was say, “Yes, I will.”  I was not sure of how tight or loose it was before.  You insisted I figure it out.  You did not have to back me in a corner.

I do not exist in a vacuum.  If you don’t want me to raise my voice, stop putting we (???) in untenable positions.  And give me ways out.  I guarantee I will get upset less and will raise my voice less.  You do exert some control over me.  Just use it.

Tags: 'your mother's ghost hangs over your shoulder', "Triad", back me in a corner, compromise, confrontation, David Crosby, Jefferson Airplane, lessons learned in childhood, marriage, meet me half way, minor stuff, yell and raise my voice, your will against mine
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I can not tell you exactly why music is so important to me but it is.  On some level, the music I pick every day to listen to is done intuitively.  As a rule, most of it is uptempo and I actually absorb energy from it.  In fact, if I am tired I can no longer (???) can listen to such music:  I have to switch to something laid back and mellow.

I started listening to music seriously over forty years ago.  I knew back then I was not that articulate.  Music expresses the inexpressible so I was able to relate to it.  My favorite group then was Jefferson Airplane.  I came to the conclusion one reason I loved this group so much (I still do today) because their music had, at times, an angry tone and growing up I was not permitted to express anger at all, in any degree, so listening to them was cathartic.

As I grew older, my tastes kept expanding and were very eclectic.  I listened to a broad range of music:  blues, rock and roll, jazz, just about everything.

Although I spent hours everyday listening to music, it was not wasted time:  my mind would roam.  I started keeping journals and writing poetry.  I was gradually becoming more and more creative and that process started with music.

At the same time, I was also becoming more and more articulate.  Music still was important and I continued to listen all those years every day for hours.  I never stopped.  In fact, I am very fortunate my wife shares my love of music.  I am always acting as her personal DJ.

I do not know if any of theses explanations explain my love of music or why I listen but maybe you can identify with some of these reasons or my drive to keep listening.

I am the only one in my family who is obsessed with music.  I can explain it quite plainly:  I want to listen to music almost more than I want to breathe.  I do not think you can be driven more than that.

Tags: absorb energy from music, blues, creative, eclectic tastes in music, expresses the inexpressible, God, jazz, Jefferson Airplane, keeping journals, knowledge, learning, listen to music, love of music, more articulate, music, my wife, personal DJ, poetry, rock, rock&roll, time, writing, writing poetry
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