Ralph J. Gleason, noted music critic and co-founder of Rolling Stone magazine, typically championed the underdog. Be it the dissidents of jazz, up-and-coming folkies, or the way-out, psychedelic freaks, Gleason was in their corner, praising the iconoclasts and mavericks for stirring up the conservative cauldrons. The columnist, by no strange coincidence, happened to live and work in San Francisco at the time the city was exploding with the new hippie counterculture. This would not only inspire Gleason and Jann Wenner to give birth to Rolling Stone; it would also enable the award-winning writer to continue producing musically based shows for National Educational Television. He set a standard for quality programming with the Jazz Casual series, which featured guests like Dave Brubeck and John Coltrane and functioned as the catalyst between the mainstream and the underground. He went on to capture the meteoric rise of the San Francisco psychedelic scene with a sense of cultural reverence. Previously released as separate DVD sets, A Night At The Family Dog, with vintage live performances from the Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead and Santana, has now been bundled with Go Ride The Music and West Pole, which includes more live Airplane and Dead footage, plus performances from Quicksilver Messenger Service, Steve Miller Band, Sons Of Chaplin and Ace Of Cups.
Originally airing December 13, 1970, A Night At The Family Dog took place earlier that year at the Family Dog Ballroom just as the Airplane, the Dead and Santana were each coming into their own. Santana blazes through two riveting instrumentals: “Incident At Neshabur” and “Soul Sacrifice,” a highlight during the group’s performance the year before at Woodstock. Carlos Santana and keyboardist Gregg Rolie lead the assault for the first number, while drummer Michael Shrieve dominates the second one. Altogether, the Latin rock of Santana most likely enhanced the trip experienced by those in attendance. If it didn’t, the Dead was there to take the reins.
In 1970, the Grateful Dead were settling into a comfortable position that would grow as steadily as their music. They began in earnest with the late Ron “Pigpen” McKernan taking the lead vocals for “Hard To Handle.” The dancing girls, doing their best slo-mo twirling, establish the groove before Jerry Garcia takes over with some truly astounding guitar work. “China Cat Sunflower” and “I Know You Rider” follow in succession, further cementing the Dead’s reputation as the consummate jam band.
Jefferson Airplane, arguably at the peak of their powers, headlined the show and operated as an unyielding, obdurate unit. As it was, the group was splintering in different directions and would barely stick it out for the next couple of years before losing members and morphing into Jefferson Starship. But on this night in the city by the bay, they were untouchable. The performance of “The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil” is a spellbinding mix of psychedelia and intervening vocals from Grace Slick, Marty Balin and Paul Kantner that sets the stage for an extended jam sustained by bassist Jack Casady and guitarist Jorma Kaukonen. “Eskimo Blue” from Volunteers, the last album with the “classic” Airplane lineup, is captivating on many fronts, mostly for the close-ups of Slick, simultaneously stunning and unfazed by her surroundings.
The Super Jam, which features various members from all three bands along with other players from Quicksilver Messenger Service and the Steve Miller Band, is exactly what it implies: a freeform jam session that meanders and maneuvers all over the road. But no one can deny the spirit in which it was intended — to aimlessly blow the minds of everyone in attendance. Unfortunately, the credits start rolling midstream before the video abruptly ends.
Plop in Go Ride The Music and off we go with roadies moving gear in and out, traveling entourages, freaky audience members, split screen shots covering the entire scene — typical rock-band-on-tour footage now, but then it was new, novel and wild. Jefferson Airplane indulges us with seven tracks from Pacific High Recording. The fiery interplay of Casady, Kantner, Kaukonen, and new drummer Joey Covington provides the backdrop. Interspersed are generous close-ups of the svelte and commanding presence of Grace Slick slotted alongside a few inordinate ramblings from Marty Balin and even Jerry Garcia. For their part, Quicksilver Messenger Service set up at a park and dig in deep with their unique blend of psychedelic folk and blues.
West Pole builds on the cinématique contortions and elements of Go Ride The Music, but works as a snapshot in time, offering an overview of the emerging San Francisco sound. Gleason narrates, outlining the mass infusion of countless bands, while man-on-the-street interviews with fans help to reinforce the impact. Ace Of Cups, an all-girl fivesome, open the disc on a high, optimistic note before segueing into erratic MTV-style short films featuring the Dead, Airplane, Sons Of Champlin, Steve Miller Band, and Quicksilver Messenger Service. Clearly, the filmmakers were testing the goods from Owsley Stanley’s private stash when they edited these clips together. Either that, or they were experimenting with a form that would pioneer the marriage of film and music. And what of Ralph J. Gleason himself? The late Rolling Stone magazine co-founder’s legacy has never been more important in a day and age where music stands as the great language of the universe.
~ Shawn Perry
