Writing Lyrics for the Grateful Dead
Musician Robert Hunter collaborated with Jerry Garcia to write lyrics for many of the band's best known songs. He admits that some of his lyrics are "Joycean word salad" inspired by his LSD trips. Hunter has a new album of his own music, called Liberty.
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Other segments from the episode on July 4, 1988
Lessons Learned from Thirteen Years on the Road
Blues and country musician Roy Bookbinder joins Fresh Air to talk about his career on the road and the issues involved with being a white singer performing traditionally black music. He plays several songs in-studio.
A Quintet Goes in All Directions at Once
Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says Paul Motian's new album, Misterioso, keeps listeners off-balance with its quick shifts from the rhapsodic to the rambunctious.
Public Television's New Point of View
PBS's newest show, POV, showcases a diverse selection of documentaries, many of which have been screened in theaters or broadcast on other networks. TV critic David Bianculli has this review.
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Dennis McNally
Dennis McNally is the publicist for the Grateful Dead, and the band's official historian. He's also the author of the new book, A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead. He is also author of the book, Desolate Angel: Jack Kerouac, the Beat Generation.