A never before heard interview with Dweezil Zappa from 1995. Transcript for this episode. In the story I wrote in 1994 based on this interview with Dweezil Zappa, the lead paragraph summed up the conversation pretty well: “His father treated life as if it were a wave of stupidity he could somehow contain. Dweezil Zappa prefers to smirk and ride the tide.” "There's not much use in being negative 24 hours a day," he said. "I can spend a few minutes of my day being negative, but ultimately I like t...
Oct 23, 2019•28 min•Ep. 11
A never before heard interview with Shannon Hoon of the band Blind Melon from 1995 one month before he died. Shannon Hoon transcript can be found here. When I spoke to Shannon Hoon in September 1995, he and his band, Blind Melon, were on the verge of stardom. Their first album yielded the massive hit single “No Rain,” they had played Woodstock ’94, and they were excited about their new album, “Soup.” We talked about the new album and how different it was from the band’s debut, about his growing ...
Oct 15, 2019•50 min•Ep. 10
A never before heard interview with comedian Bill Maher from 1994 Bill Maher transcript can be found here. Bill Maher is a huge part of the comedy and talk-show landscape, thanks to his HBO show Real Time, which is now in its 17th season. But in 1994, when this interview was recorded, Maher, then 38, really was just taking off. His Comedy Central show “Politically Incorrect” was about to start its third season, he was an occasional correspondent on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” and he had ju...
Oct 09, 2019•29 min•Ep. 9
A never before heard interview with Jeff Tweedy of the band Wilco from 1997 Jeff Tweedy transcript can be found here. Jeff Tweedy is often described as a reticent interview subject, but I found him to be relaxed and easygoing when we spoke in 1997. At the time, Tweedy and his band Wilco were touring behind their second record, “Being There,” and he was learning to balance the responsibilities of career and fatherhood. Our talk is largely about music and musical influences, and about Wilco gettin...
Oct 02, 2019•30 min•Ep. 8
A never before heard interview with Neil Peart of Rush from 1990. Neil Peart transcript can be found here. I interviewed Neil Peart several times over the years and thoroughly enjoyed every conversation. In addition to being a great drummer, he’s a smart, thoughtful, articulate gentleman whose worldview extends well beyond rock ‘n’ roll. This interview, recorded in 1990, was the first of our talks. Nearly 30 years later, I’m still amazed by his interest in visiting art museums and bicycling arou...
Sep 25, 2019•43 min•Ep. 7
A never before heard interview with Rick James from 1997. Rick James transcript can be found here. When I spoke to Rick James in 1997, he had already been a megastar, a prisoner, and a recipient of royalties for the use of his “Super Freak” bassline in MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This.” At the time, he was about to start a tour to promote his first album in nine years, “Urban Rhapsody,” and was in the midst of writing his autobiography, “The Confessions of Rick James: Memoirs of a Super Freak,” w...
Sep 18, 2019•33 min•Ep. 6
A never before heard interview with Joan Rivers from 1990. Joan Rivers transcript can be found here. Joan Rivers was a great interview, and quotes like this are the reason why: “I think one of the reasons (people) do like me, those that like me, is because I really never bullshit them. I always say exactly what I truly think and believe, including when Elizabeth Taylor was fat. She was fat!” At the time of this interview, Rivers, then 57, was hosting her own daytime talk show, “The Joan Rivers S...
Sep 11, 2019•31 min•Ep. 5
A never before heard interview with Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull from 1993. Ian Anderson transcript can be found here. For more info please visit our website. The Tapes Archive is part of the Osiris network. For more podcasts and experiences, please visit Osiris. Intro music by the Budos Band Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 04, 2019•43 min•Ep. 4
A never before heard interview with Trey Anastasio from 1993. Trey Anastasio transcript can be found here. I have a long, strange history with Phish. I’m an admirer—nobody dares do what Phish does routinely, which is to play a completely different show and challenge its audience—and a skeptic, because sometimes, they step on their dicks. In 1997, after the August 10 Phish concert at Deer Creek Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana, I wrote one of the most negative reviews I ever wrote about anyon...
Aug 28, 2019•43 min•Ep. 3
A never before heard interview with Billy Joel from 1994. Billy Joel transcript can be found here. For more info please visit our website. The Tapes Archive is part of the Osiris network. For more podcasts and experiences, please visit Osiris. Intro music by the Budos Band Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 20, 2019•31 min•Ep. 2
A never before heard interview with George Carlin from 1989. George Carlin transcript can be found here. At the time of this interview, in 1989, George Carlin was 52 years old, a 30-year veteran of standup comedy, and in the middle of yet another tour. He also had a role that year in the movie “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” and in the subsequent TV show, “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventures.” By this point in his career, Carlin was already considered one of the two or three greatest stand...
Aug 19, 2019•30 min•Ep. 1
An introduction to the podcast, and a little bit of background on how and why this podcast was created. The podcast is a collaboration between documentary filmmaker Alan Berry (“Dead Man’s Line”) and his longtime friend, journalist Marc Allan, who conducted and recorded the interviews decades ago. Allan recorded these interviews via phone, and the podcast provides a unique, intimate look into music, culture and these artists’ careers at specific moments in time. Most interviews were conducted be...
Aug 19, 2019•2 min
