Yesterday I gave a little peak into a corner of Jerry Garcia’s musical life outside the Grateful Dead. Today, I’m going to link you to one of the more interesting interviews ever given by the man. This 1972 Interview with Charles Reich and Jan Wenner has some fairly heavy content and ranges far and wide. Here’s an excerpt:
Reich: I have a question right off one of the evening talk shows, and that is, “Dr. Garcia, how do you stay high?”
I smoke a lot of dope.
Reich: Do you think that’s . . .
Would you like some?
Reich: Do you think that that’s it?
Well, in reality I don’t really stay that high, although I get high a lot, smoking a lot of pot, is what I’m trying to say. That’s what it comes down to, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m high. A certain amount of seeming to be high has to do with my being more or less well rehearsed in the role of Jerry Garcia, ’cause it’s kinda been laid on me. In reality, I’m like lots more worthless than any of that would make it appear.
Reich: Among the different things the kids say about you, one is “Mr. Good Vibes.”
Yeah, but that always is part-true bullshit, because my old lady can tell you about how often I’m on a bummer. Really, I’m just like everybody else and it’s just that I really love those times when I’m high, so my trip has always been to make them count as much as possible.
Reich: What I’m trying to get at is that you believe in being high, and many other people not only don’t believe in it but think it’s dangerous and hateful.
Well, you know, I . . . everybody’s . . . one man’s poison is another man’s dope.
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