Episode Five: Jerry Garcia and Ken Kesey

OK, I was going to do a show on Jerry Garcia because there are these great audio tapes from a hotel room interview that almost leaves one with the impression that they have spent two hours hanging around with Garcia (if that is something one wants to do), but after re-listening to the interview it was impossible to find a short piece that exemplified the condition I am currently circumlocuting.

Then of course there is Ken Kesey who I owe a huge apology to after mistakenly giving away his title as author of "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" to Neal Cassidy on my first SoundBytez show notes until my sister corrected me (thanks Rach)

So, what could be better than an interview with the both of them? And by the weird old Tom Snyder to boot!

This audio is taken from a .mpeg video file I recently found and I think it is actually one of the better ways to try and demonstrate where the world of LSD inspired rock music (of which I was quite the fan) was at in 1981, so that is why it is here on SoundBytez.

Does anyone else see a pattern here: Neal Cassady, Thompson, Garcia, Kesey???

Enjoy.

Jerry Garcia and Ken Kesey
"The Tomorrow Show"
hosted by Tom Snyder
NBC Studios New York, NYC
5/7/81

Episode Four: Johnny Cash

I must say I love the man in black.

I am one of the many who had no idea how great Johnny Cash was until the always fascinating producer Rick Rubin put him back on the charts with the "American Recording" series starting in, oh some time about 10 years ago.

I never had a chance to see him perform and it was not until I started re-listening to all the Rick Rubin produced material, and downloading and listening to all the available interviews from NPR upon seeing the new bio-pic that I realized just how much I think this legend still rules.

I think the film is amazing, a rare and challenging look at habitual love and drug use. I was also really moved by how the filmmaker decided to be brave enough and to let the music play it's own worth, no cutting away after a few introductory bars. And no lip syncing and an amazing performance by Joaquin Phoenix. The whole thing is just very moving.

So I thought I should come out of hibernation and divvy up another episode of SoundBytez.


The Johnny Cash Terri Gross Interview
National Public Radio
1997