THE
DO(M.
BEAT
Featured Band All Week
PATTERSON ALLEY
959 Pearl, Eugene Closed Monday
Jefferson Airplane 101: Social commentary
through the music of space-fiction minstrels
By RITA THOMAS
Of the Emerald
You would almost think that
two hours of credit would be
given for memorizing (and un
derstanding) the title of this
SEARCH class. The course is
called: “Jefferson Airplane:
Acid Love Revolution, Epic
Planetary Exploration, and
Down Home (San Francisco
Innovation) Funk.”
If the title is examined closely,
piece by piece, you can come to
some fairly accurate conclusions
about what Jay Roberts is trying
to do with this class. Roberts
thinks that the Jefferson Airplane
is one of the most important
American musical groups ever,
“especially for a whole specific
era—the whole Youth Movement
Revolution. The flower children
era, which stemmed from and
was concentrated in the San
Francisco area.”
What is the justification for
studying an Acid Rock musical
group, even if it is one of best?
According to Roberts, “The
Jefferson Airplane made more
social comments than any other
group. Their lyrics have really
changed since their beginning.
They started out with love songs
and by their third album they
were really saying something.”
Although Roberts is con
centrating primarily on the
Jefferson Airplane, the larger
scope of his class is the entire San
Francisco phenomenon, and the
music which not only ac
companied it, but resulted from
it, and in a way, helped instigate
it. Roberts will use the Jefferson
Airplane to examine the entire
spectrum of the San Francisco
innovation in funk and acid rock
music.
“San Francisco music, as a
whole separate thing, started out
when everyone’s trip was love
and peace. That goes for the
Jefferson Airplane, too. The
songs reflected the mood of the
era. That mood died away, the
more radical social movement
began, and the Jefferson Air
plane (and other groups) became
more socially oriented. They
progressed into a much tighter
group. They were really together
and were really beginning to lay
some heavy stuff down,” ex
plains Roberts. He points out that
the songs of the Jefferson Air
plane make comments on issues
such as women’s liberation,
drugs, the social revolution,
religion, and the war.
The class will not concentrate
entirely upon how San Francisco
groups are similar, nor on their
effect on that area. Also under
discussion will be how the groups
relate to the entire revolutionary
HOUSE of RECORDS
VISIT WHERE YO U FIND
THE BESST FOR THE LESST.
i
1 258 E. 13th
BETWEEN PEARL AND HIGH
Do the Dead Speak ?
FOR THE ANSWER TO THIS AND OTHER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
HEAR BEN ALEXANDER
FORMER SPIRITUALIST MEDIUM.
BEN WILL SPEAK ABOUT:
the occult, astrology, materialization,
seances, ouija boards and witchcraft.
June 28 thru July 1st
Sheldon High School
2455 Willakenzie Road
7 pm each evening
June 28th
EMU 2:00 pm
room to be posted
Editor_
Managing Editor
News Editor_
Associate Editor_
Photo Editor
Sports Editor_
National News Editor.
Entertainment Editor
Editorial Assistant_
General Manager_
Advertising Manager
- Torrie McAllister
- Cynthia Spinel I i
Kathleen Glanville
- Peggy McMullen
_Steve Twedt
-Merlin Mann
-Abbie Ziffren
_Clay Eals
_James Russell
-Ai Phelps
David
The Oregon Daily Emerald is published Monday through
Friday during the school year, except during exam and
vacation periods, and tour times weekly during summer
session by the Emerald Board ol Directors at the University
ol Oregon
Second class postage paid at Eugene, Oregon, 97403.
Subscription Rates:
(1) University of Oregon student and faculty-staff sub
scription rates are based on annual contracts between the
Emerald and the ASUO and the Emerald and the University
administration. The rate of these subscriptions is ap
proximately S2.00 per year
(2) Special subscriptions for persons not included in
category (I) are available at a rate of SI0.00 per year, $9.00
per academic year and $3.SO per term
movement, the differences bet
ween the pop culture and the
flower children, what acid rock
really is, and how the groups
relate to the drug culture and its
members.
In regard to what acid rock is,
Roberts says he hopes to explore
all three levels such music can be
enjoyed at: when you’re in your
normal condition, when you’re
stoned, and when you’re on acid,
“which is what it’s really meant
for anyway.”
Regarding the so-called “drug
culture,” Roberts says the
phrase is cliche and no longer
meaningful. “The ‘drug culture’
originally was a state of mind. It
doesn’t necessarily mean that
now. So a lot of people under
thirty take drugs. Big deal. We
don’t call our parents the ‘War
Culture.’ A person can be just as
together and as far out as the
phrase ‘drug culture’ originally
meant, and never have used
drugs at all. Some people who use
drugs all the time really aren’t
into any kind of cultural trip—
they’re just into drugs.”
The class, which meets two
hours one night a week, is very
relaxed and happy—a necessity
according to Roberts. “In
tercommunication is what this
kind of class has to be based on.
We’re just talking about ideas
and opinibns and getting some
background information for those
who don’t have it. We’re not going
to get into anything highly
technical about the music
changes or anything. I’m not a
music major, so I couldn’t
anyway. I just want a lot of
outward opinions from
everybody.”
One album will be listened to
each night and then discussed.
Articles on the group and their
music will also be read. Roberts
hopes to spend at least one night
discussing the record company,
Grunt Records, formed by Grace
Slick and Paul Kantner. Hot
Tuna, a sort of faction of the
Jefferson Airplane, will also be
discussed.
Roberts is an undergraduate
art major at the University. He
has attended the University for
two years and last Spring term
taught a SEARCH class in Folk
Music. When he decided to teach
something this Summer, he
wanted to get into “something
more specific—and something I
definitely like. I was looking for a
group that was more socially
meaningful than most—one
that was really saying
something.”
Studying the Jefferson Air
plane as space-fiction minstrels
will surely reveal that they have
a lot to say.
1 BRIEFS )
MISC.
The following are a few of the volunteers
needed this week by Lane County Agencies
The list is complied by the Voluntary
Action Center, 473 West 10th Avenue,
Eugene. VSO opportunities are open to
anyone interested, RSVP is limited to
persons over 40.
VSO — Like to play cards? Need a young
woman to play gin rummy and visit with
elderly gentleman once a week.
RSVP — Something you can do at home.
Make bulletin board decorations monthly for
local nursing home
VSO RSVP U-Pick helper and driver to
take residents to Upick farms to get
produce. Should be able to help pick.
VSO RSVP Male instructors and
assistants needed in woodworking, archery,
pool instruction or any area which appeals to
boys Must be established mature resident of
the community.
(Continued on Page 7)
Official rules . . .
(Continued from Page 1)
southeast corner of 16th Avenue
and Patterson Street.
James Saul, member of the
city’s planning staff, said the
staff recommended denial of the
permit because the University’s
proposed use ’’does not meet the
criterion of a conditional-use
permit.”
With the R-4 zoning
classification, “the city is at
tempting to encourage
residential, instead of office
use,” he said, adding that the
staff feels “the University should
grow upward and not outward.”
Five persons besides Van
Oudenallen spoke in favor of the
permit application at the
hearing, and none opposed it.
Mary Whener, Terry Hughes
and Lenny Jensen, who are co
owners of Mama’s Home Fried
Truckstop, and Peter Hale said
their main concern was that if the
University had the permit, the
restaurant would have a better
chance of survival. “Somebody
desiring high-density housing
would be less fair to Mama’s than
the University,” Hale said.
George Mayer, owner of the
building in question, also spoke in
favor of the application. “The
structure has been remodeled
three times in the last 15 years in
an attempt to bring high-density
housing, but only during one
month was it filled to capacity,”
he said. “The money spent there
was worthless . . . and it does not
substantiate R-4 use.”
Mayer added that if the permit
application is denied, “the
restaurant will go . . . It’s sad,
because I helped to build it.”
| On Campus
Yogi to speak tonight
An introductory lecture on Transcendental Meditation as taught
by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi will be given at 8 p.m. tonight in 221 Allen.
The lecture, “A Vision of Possibilities,”is open to the public at no
charge. The lecture is presented by the Students’ International
Meditation Society.
Campus Canadians to celebrate
Canadians on campus, their families and American friends will
hold their annual Canada Day Picnic from 4:30 to 9 p.m. July 2 at
Armitage Park. Eating, drinking and games for children and adults
and the exciting Dominion Softball Championship will be featured.
In addition professor Guy Shellenbarger will be honored on his
retirement this summer. Last year 350 people participated.