These are for my purposes, no pretense to completeness.
I find his comments about Joe Garcia to be quite revealing. There are a few other good nuggets in here. Man, even in the depths of his Rock Bottom period, he sounds engaged and articulate. What a mind!
~~~~~~~~~~~
Fall 1984 interview by Alice Kahn. Date uncertain, but
around 29 he refers to Halloween as if it’s right around the corner, so could
be between October 20 (last date of east coast tour) and 10/27 (start of BCT
run). That is speculation.
around 29 he refers to Halloween as if it’s right around the corner, so could
be between October 20 (last date of east coast tour) and 10/27 (start of BCT
run). That is speculation.
It was an evening in the fall of ’84 when Kahn was escorted
to Garcia’s house by the band’s publicist, Dennis McNally. She remembered
Garcia being very high; her years working as a nurse and caring for drug
addicts made her aware of the signs.
to Garcia’s house by the band’s publicist, Dennis McNally. She remembered
Garcia being very high; her years working as a nurse and caring for drug
addicts made her aware of the signs.
“I thought, ‘Oh no, is he going to be able to talk? Is he
that out of it?’” Kahn recalls. “He was quite a sight.”
that out of it?’” Kahn recalls. “He was quite a sight.”
“I was prepared to support my music addiction, you know what
I mean? If I had to pay for every bit of it, I’d gladly pay for it,” Garcia
told Kahn. “For me, music is something I love. I never thought ever to make
money out of it. What do I need money for? Really, I was living great without
any money at all …
I mean? If I had to pay for every bit of it, I’d gladly pay for it,” Garcia
told Kahn. “For me, music is something I love. I never thought ever to make
money out of it. What do I need money for? Really, I was living great without
any money at all …
Garcia on the sudden death of his father: “I couldn’t even
stand to hear about it or anything like that until I was about 10 or 11.
Although I can’t say I remember him, the effect it had on me was really … it
was really crushing.”
stand to hear about it or anything like that until I was about 10 or 11.
Although I can’t say I remember him, the effect it had on me was really … it
was really crushing.”
6th grade to peninsula, did 8th grade
twice on Peninsula, so four years.
twice on Peninsula, so four years.
Menlo Oaks
@0630 “I had my own education, my own program
going”. He was an autodidact
going”. He was an autodidact
bored with school
SF school neighborhood was very catholic
peninsula, other religions
boys and girls easier on the peninsula
Menlo Park brand new ranch house
before mom took him down there, grandparents raised him,
largely unsupervised
largely unsupervised
they worked
not much stomach for discipline 0915
0940 a couple of teachers who opened up the world for him
asthma, reader, sickly
1015 very radical teachers, just lucky
close to Stanford was cool too 1025 educational experiments
fast learner programs
fast learner programs
1100 teachers
1111 teacher turned him on to 1984
I was hungry. I was really hungry 11:44
1209 father died when I was 4 or 5
1217 I remember him 12:20 that emotionally crippled me for a
long time. I couldn’t even stand to hear about it, or anything like that, until
I was about 10 or 11. I didn’t start really getting over it … although I can’t
say I remember him, the effect it had on me was really crushing … maybe because
it affected my mother a lot, and I could see … I sensed that. And also, it was
something that I wasn’t allowed to participate in, and I think now that that
was really a problem. I should have been able to … [she asks question] They
tried to protect me from it.
long time. I couldn’t even stand to hear about it, or anything like that, until
I was about 10 or 11. I didn’t start really getting over it … although I can’t
say I remember him, the effect it had on me was really crushing … maybe because
it affected my mother a lot, and I could see … I sensed that. And also, it was
something that I wasn’t allowed to participate in, and I think now that that
was really a problem. I should have been able to … [she asks question] They
tried to protect me from it.
his mom couldn’t talk to him about it. it was painful for
her
her
1310 that was the reason I went to live with my grandparents
Q do you remember him playing?
A little bit, yeah, I remember him playing a little, breaking
out the clarinet. I don’t remember what the tunes were, except that I do
remember Steven Foster kinda tunes, nice little melodies and stuff like that.
out the clarinet. I don’t remember what the tunes were, except that I do
remember Steven Foster kinda tunes, nice little melodies and stuff like that.
It’s something I’d like to have been able to do. I’d like to
have been able to experience his music. 1448 But he was a musician who was
interested in American music also. He wasn’t a classical musician. 1506
clarinet is a wonderful instrument. I remember the sound of the instrument
more than the tunes [1512] … the clarinet has that nice woody especially in that
middle register, that relaxed register. That
sound is very present in my ear. It sounds linear in my ear. I can recall
them, like some people can recall smells … I can recall specific sounds and I
can hear a sound … all of a sudden it’ll transport me to places
have been able to experience his music. 1448 But he was a musician who was
interested in American music also. He wasn’t a classical musician. 1506
clarinet is a wonderful instrument. I remember the sound of the instrument
more than the tunes [1512] … the clarinet has that nice woody especially in that
middle register, that relaxed register. That
sound is very present in my ear. It sounds linear in my ear. I can recall
them, like some people can recall smells … I can recall specific sounds and I
can hear a sound … all of a sudden it’ll transport me to places
1554 Menlo Park as part of your roots?
Part of my directionality. Contributed self-affirmation and
the sense that there are radical possibilities and other kinds of lifestyles
and things.
the sense that there are radical possibilities and other kinds of lifestyles
and things.
1640 drawing
gave me a way to think about myself
1700 not a schooled musician. No music lessons. art was
where he was going in his mind. “I’m gonna be an artist”. Peninsula
gave me a sense of self 1727
where he was going in his mind. “I’m gonna be an artist”. Peninsula
gave me a sense of self 1727
discontinuity in the tape … too bad
first acid test 1800 – 1930 we had this tremendous purpose
2045 the very first show we played was pandemonium and it
really hasn’t changed much
really hasn’t changed much
2100 Silicon Valley
Phil is the avant of the avant garde
Steve Reich
2525 Making a living? Are you kidding? I was prepared to
support my music addiction. If I had to pay for every bit of it, I’d gladly pay
for it. The idea of being allowed to play 2548, and not only that but being
paid for it is like ‘What? You’re gonna pay me to do this? Whoa …” I’d
been playing for years for nothing.
support my music addiction. If I had to pay for every bit of it, I’d gladly pay
for it. The idea of being allowed to play 2548, and not only that but being
paid for it is like ‘What? You’re gonna pay me to do this? Whoa …” I’d
been playing for years for nothing.
2608 music is something I love. I never thought, ever, to
make money at it. That was … what did I need money for? I was living great
without any money at all.
make money at it. That was … what did I need money for? I was living great
without any money at all.
2820 the hardware is just part of the “parade
of passing phenomena”
of passing phenomena”
2839 stuff doesn’t get me that way. I’d rather have fun than
stuff.
stuff.
forget Halloween – makes it sound like it’s close to
Halloween
Halloween
GD has already surpassed my expectations 2913 tenfold
Reagan’s America 2942
Deadheads are people who want some excitement, some fun
3114 they can’t be pigeonholed … not a monolith
discontinuity at 33:xx
1960 auto accident 33:33
33:50 it was cosmic
3507 not a sensitive artistic temperament. That’s a saving
grace. I’m not that fragile. And also I’m not that self-absorbed.
grace. I’m not that fragile. And also I’m not that self-absorbed.
Adulation cult like followers
That’s not me. That’s not about me. That’s about it. -35:45
Why don’t you believe that about yourself?
3625 I’ll tell you why. The minute you try to go somewhere
with any of that … the minute you try to capitalize on any of that phenomenon,
it just turns to dust in your face. 3534
with any of that … the minute you try to capitalize on any of that phenomenon,
it just turns to dust in your face. 3534
Rodney Albin just died benefit for him 3840
The Offstage in San Jose 3912
3935 music … drugs … they go together!
4337 saw Baez at BCT
he is doing lines on tape at the end
4645 the accident before and after quality the person who
came out of the wreckage was not the same person who went roaring into it
came out of the wreckage was not the same person who went roaring into it
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