Episode Nine: Stanley Kubrick

I have been a fan, devotee, follower, of Stanley Kubrick ever since I got over sleeping through my first viewing of 2001. It was in its initial release at the Ziegfeld Theater in NYC and I was 7 years old. I remember I curled up on the floor shortly into the "Dawn Of Man" sequence and went to sleep. That is all I can remember. About ten years later I saw 2001 for a second time and there was no turning back. Kubrick's reclusive lifestyle contrasted by his insane ability to archive made his fans, like myself, hunger for any smidgen of getting close to his world.

I recently came across an interview done in 1966 by Jeremy Bernstein in preparation for a New Yorker profile on Kubrick. Though I enjoyed the entire interview, which is about 75 minutes long and covers everything from his school years through 2001. What I enjoyed most were the parts not about filmmaking, but about how his mind works, those are the parts that made me feel like I was getting to know him a little bit. The excerpt I have included here is about his thoughts on war and the total destruction of the planet earth, which he was of course fully inundated with before during and after the making of Dr. Strangelove.

This audio interview gave me a feeling of that intimacy and made me think, well I'll be darned, it's been 1127 days since my last Soundbytez podcast, what have I got to lose?

There are many trails of Kubrickian fun to be searched for on the internet, but if you want a great place to start, and possibly the best overall collection of SK breadcrumbs, check out the Stanley Kubrick archives over at Coudal.com, there is plenty to keep you busy until perhaps me next Soundbytez entry? I don't know.

Since it has been over 1100 days since my last submission I would love to get at least one email from the outside world to see if anyone is still even listening or subscribed or if I should just give up while I am ahead.

Thanks

IMDB Stanley Kubrick
Wiki Stanley Kubrick
Full Jeremy Bernstein Interview and New Yorker Article Kubrick/Bernstein Archive

Download entire interview

Episode Eight: Robert Moses

A number of years ago I had the opportunity to work on an HBO movie entitled "Freedom Song" about the creation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee or SNCC. I have always been interested in the subject of Civil Rights and particularly the freedom rides that started in the early sixties and paved the way educating blacks giving them the skills they needed in order to cast a vote at a time when racial hatred had forbidden it.


While making the project every effort was made to be as authentic as possible to the truth of those times. I remember the actual stools that from the Woolworth's cafe counter in Greensboro, Miss where one of the most famous sit-ins had taken place were loaned to us to shoot that sequence.


The most amazing part of being involved in that film was standing in the presence of Robert Moses.


I think that Robert Moses may be one of the most important men still alive in this country. His work and continued efforts to educate and spread a word of love and freedom are astounding to me.


I was just recently looking around online for photographs I could possibly afford to purchase that concern this time period in American history and came across Robert Moses's website which has a great history of those tumultuous time, oh and guess what, some sound files as well.


I thought the audio files seem perfect for a first in a long time episode of Soundbytez.


Peace.


Wiki Robert Moses

Wiki SNCC

Robert Moses Telephone Interview
Conducted over the phone by John Greene and Jeremy Jackson
Date unknown

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Episode Seven: Woody Guthrie

Truth be told, I used to think that I "should" love Woody Guthrie because he represented so many beliefs and ideas that I believe in, but now, in last few years, my love of Woody Guthrie and his music has become real, for many reasons.
It all started when Billy Bragg's Grammy winning album "Mermaid Avenue" came out. The album was a labor of love that Bragg did after being approached by Woody Guthrie's daughter who offered him a chance to go through a vast amount of unrecorded Guthrie material and at his discretion pick lyrics that he would then put music to. The whole project lasted more than a year and the resulting albums are wonderful. This album did two things for my world of music appreciation. It Introduced me to the band Wilco, which served as the "back-up" band for the Mermaid Ave. sessions and it made me a huge fan of Woody Guthrie the story teller.
The other event that made me a great Woody Fan was having a child. I remember when I was young and went to this progressive school in Brooklyn, NY there was a class called "Rythm's" which was basically a folk dancing class. It was taught by a woman name Margaret Mayo, who was a friend of Woody's and in the course of that class I was inculcated with a broad love of amongst other things Woody Guthries music. Now that I have a son of my own and rediscovering so many of Woody's playful children songs, it made me pick up my guitar and for the first time in my life. actual play it with abandon and just put the songs out there. There may be nothing more joyful than singing along with children.
Anyway's. too make a long life history short, I decided to add Woody to Soundbytze just the other day when a co-worker gave me this set of Woody Guthrie interviews made by Alan Lomax as part of his "Oral Histories" that he made in the 1940's. Amongst the many powerful and beautiful ideas that Woody puts out is a haunting account of a dust storm that pert near sounds like the end of the world. And after the account Woody sings a very early version of one of my favorite songs of all time. "So long, it's been good to know you"

Woody Guthrie: "So Long It's Been Good To Know You"
Alan Lomax Oral Histories
Library of Congress Recordings 1940

Episode Six: Dave Rabbit

Dave Rabbit is the creator and DJ of a pirate radio station that broadcast from Saigon in 1970 and 1971.

I first heard excerpts from "Radio First Termers" through a friend who had a cassette that was given to him by another friend who served time in the war.

I listened to the tape only once, and for 20 years I never forgot it. As far as I am concerned it is as close to combat as I ever want to get. It is scary and intense and fearful and sad and many other things, to me.

When I started this podcast, "Radio First Termers" was the one thing I thought about putting into SoundBytze. I opted not to start my program using the material because I didn't want to set the stage and make it an impossible act to follow.

Of course my experience may not be yours and also I think hearing just these few excepts further disconnects the horror I find in in the message.

Here is the inexplicably bizarre part of episode five. Just before uploading the show I did one last google on "who is Dave Rabbit" and came up with an article that came out five days ago written by the man himself. 35 years in hiding, no one has ever known his identity, I wait until right now to put my little sound byte out there and low and behold, Dave Rabbit lives!

Go figure.

(2009 Update: If you enjoyed this episode, your gonna go nuts over the Radio First Termer Restoration page I  finished a while back)

Dave Rabbit
Radio First Termer
Saigon, Vietnam
1970-71

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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

Episode Three: Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan is one enigmatic kind of a guy.

It is only in the last few years that my love for Dylan has been augmented by a slightly greater understanding of who he is. Partially due to reading his most recent book "Chronicles: Volume One" and partially due to his own words from interviews like this radio piece from 1963 with Stud Terkel.

The Stud Terkel's Wax Museum Radio interview is pretty well known amongst the Dylan bootleg trading circles, and it is considered a "must" own by all.

The first time I listened to the interview I just loved how annoyed Dylan always seems to be, never admitting anything, never agreeing with Stud (is that right?)

Now, I just feel like it is a great moment in time, hearing Dylan play music, already in complete command of his song at the ripe age of 21, it is pretty mind blowing if you ask me. The snippet I have included may not do the interview justice, see what you think. If you want a copy of the whole thing drop me a line and I will burn you one. Till then.

Bob Dylan
Stud Terkel's Wax Museum
WFMT Radio, Chicago, IL
05/01/1963

Episode Two: Hunter S. Thompson

I might as well follow up with the guy Whose name I could not remember on my inaugural show!

Hunter S. Thompson

Thomspon recently blew his brains out so there has been a flurry of gonzo related news bits out there. the one I like the best was a contest to see who could come up with the best way to carry out Thompson wish to have his ashes blasted into the atmosphere through a cannon. You might laugh or you might cry, but the truth is that it looks like his desire will be met by a loyal family and friends aided through the deep pockets of Johnny Depp who has committed to make it happen.

It is all going to happen soon, as well. Thompson's liftoff is set for August 20th, 2005 somewhere near his home of Woody Creek, Colorado. Can you believe I have actually been to Woody Creek? A friend of mine got married there!!

My interest in Thompson may have come initially through "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", but to be honest the works that made me a real fan are "Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs" and "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail 1972". Both books are a staggering reads of gonzo madness which somehow captures a reality for more believable and interesting than reading through "normal" journalistic accounts of the same events.

Here is the bad news. I did find the 1977 Boulder, Co discussion that has been floating around and though it does give some glimpse into the troubled, yet fascinating mind of the good Dr. I would not say it is not by a long shot the most exciting piece of audio I am going to present.

With that said, have a listen and take what you want from it.

Hunter S. Thompson
UC Auditorium
Boulder,CO
11/01/1977

I wiki'd him as well, I think I will Wiki all my SoundBytez guests, and there is plenty o' info worth looking at, I thought I would end with this:

Hunter S. Thompson's Famous quotations
A slogan of Thompson's, "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro," appears as a chapter heading in Kingdom of Fear. He was also quoted as saying, "I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me." Another one of his favorite sayings, "Buy the ticket, take the ride," is easily applied to virtually all of his exploits.