Jerry Garcia; Mickey Hart
This interview is taken from pre-edited reels taped for the Direct News radio broadcast. As such (and considering who is being interviewed), there is an extremely loose feel to it. The conversation starts out with Mickey Hart, who explains how he scored the Apocalypse Now film, why he takes his pulse before playing, and how things are going with The Grateful Dead.
Jerry Garcia then joins in to talk about the newest addition to the band (Brent Mydland) and the song writing process. This section provides an amazing example of how the band feeds off each other: the two often talk at the same time, to the point where you can't understand what either of them are saying, and then they are done and a point has somehow been made. Finally, the interview focuses on Jerry himself, including his guitar playing and his "subject disease."
This recording as a whole captures the two band members at an extremely optimistic time for The Grateful Dead. They were having fun on tour and looking forward to getting into the studio for what eventually became Go To Heaven. The interview is also full of those psychedelic metaphors and archetypes that provide the groovy-ness one would expect.
Mickey Hart
00:29 - Approaching trance-inducing drumming
01:31 - Approaching the Apocalypse Now score
02:17 - A student of drumming history
03:14 - Mother Melody, Father Rhythm / musical archetypes
04:32 - Rhythm starting from one's pulse
05:35 - Mickey's favorite drummers
06:05 - The Grateful Dead / Brent Mydland
06:41 - The current tour
07:16 - What's special about The Grateful Dead
07:51 - The Winterland shows, 10/78
08:46 - The unique Grateful Dead chemistry / flawed perfection / job security
10:51 - New songs, new album, writing with The Dead
11:40 - Plans for The Grateful Dead
Jerry Garcia and Mickey Hart
12:28 - Not much to talk about
13:03 - The new leg for The Grateful Dead / consistent improvement
14:59 - Flying into the 1980's / learning, maturing
17:20 - "The faith factor" / getting sparks off of each other
18:28 - Brent Mydland
19:34 - New songs, new album (from Jerry's perspective)
20:43 - Mickey introducing compositional ideas during shows
21:35 - Working with Robert Hunter / not drying up the well
23:36 - Earliest memories (Jerry)
24:20 - The infinite well of music
Jerry Garcia
24:51 - Jerry's first guitar, current guitar, playing banjo
25:47 - Trying to be a better guitarist
26:46 - Jerry's favorite guitarists
27:57 - Jorma Kaukonen
28:39 - Being absorbed during leisure time / "subject disease"
30:22 - "The Crack in the Cosmic Egg" trilogy
31:55 - Plans for the near future