"Don't you think it's time you started taking life a little more seriously? Your mother and I understand how much you like this music, it sounds like a bunch of noise to us, but you like it and that's fine...I suppose. But you can't spend your whole life doing this. I mean, this isn't a career. This isn't how normal people make a living. Okay, it's fun, and it makes you feel like you're 'part of something.' But normal people just don't dedicate their entire lives to...a...band. Don't you want to settle down? Don't you want to be like everybody else? Okay, you 'get chills' when you listen to this band, but you can't put something like that in the bank. 'Getting chills' doesn't pay the rent, young man."
"Yeah, dad, but paying rent don't give me chills."
Remember, you can get just as high listening to this series without drugs. And if you do it straight, the radio doesn't change shape during the broadcast.
Listening to "The Latvala Files" is a little like sitting on a stool at a grungy bar in a strange city you're just passing through, while the locals tell a story to each other. Sure, they're friendly enough and include you in the conversation, but they're not really talking to you. They're talking to each other. That's what I get when I listen to this piece. Just like you can't stop the barstool storyteller to fill in with enough backstory, it's really hard for those of us who have not educated ourselves in the lore of the Grateful Dead to follow what's going on here. We know about Jerry, we know there were lots of drugs, and that everybody seemed to have a good time, whether they remember it or not. But that's about where the knowledge of the Dead stops with we layfolk.
Dick Latvala, from what I gather, was a man whose life was devoted to attending Dead concerts and recording them for posterity--perhaps the John Lomax of the Jam Bands, doing anthropological field recordings of legendary concerts. It might have been good to have included more music from the concerts to give it a little more first-hand appeal; as it is, there are a few "you shoulda been there when..." moments in this piece. However, Latvala says something interesting about his original motivation for recording: "I was recording to see if I really heard what I thought I heard." Of course, since this was a Grateful Dead concert after all, we know that one's senses were probably not to be trusted. However, I think that is a good motivation for sound preservation in general. In that respect, Latvala is no different from any of us who work in the sound recording media.
What a touching story. Dick Latvala followed his bliss and got a dream come true ?Working for the Grateful Dead?. What loving hands the music was in. Dick was one of us a Grateful Dead Head. I want to hear more interviews. The Heart of Rock n Roll resides in Dick. Someone say tape so he wakes up..
Many people have wondered how Dick became the "vault keeper", it's all here in his own words. Dick was such an interesting character. It was truly an honor to know him and share opinions on the music with him. I hope many will listen to this compelling story & get as much enjoyment out of it as I have. To sum it up, only one word is necessary -LATVALA!
Dick Latvala is indeed a colorful character. With his gravel-voiced and spit-fire storytelling mode, I was hooked, and I'm not even a fan of the Grateful Dead, though I'm always nostalgic for an era that side-swiped me. How can you pass up finding out that the very day Latvala is being interviewed marks the 31st anniversary of his dropping acid? Or that he offered the shirt off his back and cavorted around a Grateful Dead concert topless because someone commented that they liked his tie-dyed shirt? Latvala is easily the appeal of this documentary, even more than the GD music. I can hear it in a variety of programming venues from music nostalgia, to the drug-addled sixties culture (and subsequent eras), to the importance of keeping a band alive. Neither GD nor Latvala are with us anymore.
There's plenty of music, as would be expected, but I was hungry for longer clips as sometimes they stop short before I'm done grooving. Perhaps a DJ would program this half-hour documentary by breaking it into shorter, thematic sections and weaving more music in fully for an entire two-hour show featuring the band. That could better split up some of the rambling tone of Latvala's voice and stories.
I was confused about who the commercial-tinged narrator was and his disappearance then abrupt reappearance as he introduces two segments (Bill Walton, the host of a Sirius Satellite radio show; and Mikey Hart ? both of whom wax nostalgic about Latvala); I was also unclear about who the main interviewer was, though he asks great questions of Dick Latvala in an accessible style. Perhaps this would be easily clarified via a host intro.
Overall this is a great story told by an even more appealing character, which lends a credence to the entire piece. I look forward to future Latvala file entries.
The story of how dick latvala became the tape archivist for the garteful dead is an amazing story and one that thousands will be interested to hear. His unusual and deistintive style is entertaining and informative. I am sure that if this found a place on a radio show it would get a great reception.
This piece would be appropriate/ideal for AAA or mixed format stations. Rather than using this as a stand-alone 30 minute segment, better used, perhaps, as a longer drop-in segment to a music mix program, especially for DJ wanting to build up a program focused on music and culture of the '60's. For the more ambitious DJ/producer, this could even be faded in and out.... weaving the interview in and out of a longer one-hour segment of music. The Latvala Files gives a solid insider view of the "Dead," and there is a feeling of being an eavesdropper listening to Latvala talk about "primal dead," or the anniversary of his first acid trip. or the "communal orgasm" experienced at a Dead concert. The music clips are just that -- short :10-:15 bits -- & I craved longer doses. The informal, conversational style with (Justin?) is nice... not slick, but good questions, and easy back and forth is appropriate to the topic. Not clear who the more commerical sounding presenter is who intro's the piece and transition between sections, which leaves a question mark. The interview transitions between being indoors and outdoors without set-up or context also catches/trips the ear a bit.
This piece is grand gift to Dead-Heads everywhere... I've never really understood the whole phenomenon myself, and it's so a testament to the excellent production of this radio story that I was able to get into it as an outsider. Everything about the structure of this half-hour documentary is admirably smart: the tape cut selection, the music segues, the story progression... And just listening to the incredible voice of Dick Latvala, the late Grateful Dead archivist, is enough to keep you glued to your headphones. This guy sounds every bit like the veteran acid-dropping, tie dye wearing Dead fan that he is!
Program directors would do well to find a Grateful Dead anniversary date of some sort and set aside half an hour for this package. It's got everything a die-hard fan would want, along with a narrative elegance that makes it a great story in and of itself. (?even for people who haven?t got a clue about the band!)
Comments for The Latvala Files: Hangin' Out in the Vault
Produced by Justin Grotelueschen
Other pieces by Justin Grotelueschen
Rating Summary
8 comments
Joseph Dougherty
Posted on July 04, 2007 at 07:14 AM | Permalink
Review of The Latvala Files: Hangin' Out in the Vault
"Don't you think it's time you started taking life a little more seriously? Your mother and I understand how much you like this music, it sounds like a bunch of noise to us, but you like it and that's fine...I suppose. But you can't spend your whole life doing this. I mean, this isn't a career. This isn't how normal people make a living. Okay, it's fun, and it makes you feel like you're 'part of something.' But normal people just don't dedicate their entire lives to...a...band. Don't you want to settle down? Don't you want to be like everybody else? Okay, you 'get chills' when you listen to this band, but you can't put something like that in the bank. 'Getting chills' doesn't pay the rent, young man."
"Yeah, dad, but paying rent don't give me chills."
Remember, you can get just as high listening to this series without drugs. And if you do it straight, the radio doesn't change shape during the broadcast.
Dennis Conrow
Posted on June 05, 2007 at 11:41 AM | Permalink
Review of The Latvala Files: Hangin' Out in the Vault
"Did I really hear what I thought I heard?"
Listening to "The Latvala Files" is a little like sitting on a stool at a grungy bar in a strange city you're just passing through, while the locals tell a story to each other. Sure, they're friendly enough and include you in the conversation, but they're not really talking to you. They're talking to each other. That's what I get when I listen to this piece. Just like you can't stop the barstool storyteller to fill in with enough backstory, it's really hard for those of us who have not educated ourselves in the lore of the Grateful Dead to follow what's going on here. We know about Jerry, we know there were lots of drugs, and that everybody seemed to have a good time, whether they remember it or not. But that's about where the knowledge of the Dead stops with we layfolk.
Dick Latvala, from what I gather, was a man whose life was devoted to attending Dead concerts and recording them for posterity--perhaps the John Lomax of the Jam Bands, doing anthropological field recordings of legendary concerts. It might have been good to have included more music from the concerts to give it a little more first-hand appeal; as it is, there are a few "you shoulda been there when..." moments in this piece. However, Latvala says something interesting about his original motivation for recording: "I was recording to see if I really heard what I thought I heard." Of course, since this was a Grateful Dead concert after all, we know that one's senses were probably not to be trusted. However, I think that is a good motivation for sound preservation in general. In that respect, Latvala is no different from any of us who work in the sound recording media.
Joanne Wishnoff
Posted on May 28, 2007 at 10:03 AM | Permalink
Review of The Latvala Files: Hangin' Out in the Vault
What a touching story. Dick Latvala followed his bliss and got a dream come true ?Working for the Grateful Dead?. What loving hands the music was in. Dick was one of us a Grateful Dead Head. I want to hear more interviews. The Heart of Rock n Roll resides in Dick. Someone say tape so he wakes up..
robyn Gross
Posted on May 16, 2007 at 09:53 AM | Permalink
Review of The Latvala Files: Hangin' Out in the Vault
Many people have wondered how Dick became the "vault keeper", it's all here in his own words. Dick was such an interesting character. It was truly an honor to know him and share opinions on the music with him. I hope many will listen to this compelling story & get as much enjoyment out of it as I have. To sum it up, only one word is necessary -LATVALA!
Joan Schuman
Posted on May 14, 2007 at 03:55 PM | Permalink
Review of The Latvala Files: Hangin' Out in the Vault
Dick Latvala is indeed a colorful character. With his gravel-voiced and spit-fire storytelling mode, I was hooked, and I'm not even a fan of the Grateful Dead, though I'm always nostalgic for an era that side-swiped me. How can you pass up finding out that the very day Latvala is being interviewed marks the 31st anniversary of his dropping acid? Or that he offered the shirt off his back and cavorted around a Grateful Dead concert topless because someone commented that they liked his tie-dyed shirt? Latvala is easily the appeal of this documentary, even more than the GD music. I can hear it in a variety of programming venues from music nostalgia, to the drug-addled sixties culture (and subsequent eras), to the importance of keeping a band alive. Neither GD nor Latvala are with us anymore.
There's plenty of music, as would be expected, but I was hungry for longer clips as sometimes they stop short before I'm done grooving. Perhaps a DJ would program this half-hour documentary by breaking it into shorter, thematic sections and weaving more music in fully for an entire two-hour show featuring the band. That could better split up some of the rambling tone of Latvala's voice and stories.
I was confused about who the commercial-tinged narrator was and his disappearance then abrupt reappearance as he introduces two segments (Bill Walton, the host of a Sirius Satellite radio show; and Mikey Hart ? both of whom wax nostalgic about Latvala); I was also unclear about who the main interviewer was, though he asks great questions of Dick Latvala in an accessible style. Perhaps this would be easily clarified via a host intro.
Overall this is a great story told by an even more appealing character, which lends a credence to the entire piece. I look forward to future Latvala file entries.
carol latvala
Posted on May 10, 2007 at 05:04 AM | Permalink
Review of The Latvala Files: Hangin' Out in the Vault
The story of how dick latvala became the tape archivist for the garteful dead is an amazing story and one that thousands will be interested to hear. His unusual and deistintive style is entertaining and informative. I am sure that if this found a place on a radio show it would get a great reception.
Sue Schardt
Posted on May 07, 2007 at 06:09 AM | Permalink
Review of The Latvala Files: Hangin' Out in the Vault
This piece would be appropriate/ideal for AAA or mixed format stations. Rather than using this as a stand-alone 30 minute segment, better used, perhaps, as a longer drop-in segment to a music mix program, especially for DJ wanting to build up a program focused on music and culture of the '60's. For the more ambitious DJ/producer, this could even be faded in and out.... weaving the interview in and out of a longer one-hour segment of music. The Latvala Files gives a solid insider view of the "Dead," and there is a feeling of being an eavesdropper listening to Latvala talk about "primal dead," or the anniversary of his first acid trip. or the "communal orgasm" experienced at a Dead concert. The music clips are just that -- short :10-:15 bits -- & I craved longer doses. The informal, conversational style with (Justin?) is nice... not slick, but good questions, and easy back and forth is appropriate to the topic. Not clear who the more commerical sounding presenter is who intro's the piece and transition between sections, which leaves a question mark. The interview transitions between being indoors and outdoors without set-up or context also catches/trips the ear a bit.
Aaron Henkin
Posted on May 04, 2007 at 06:59 AM | Permalink
Review of The Latvala Files: Hangin' Out in the Vault
This piece is grand gift to Dead-Heads everywhere... I've never really understood the whole phenomenon myself, and it's so a testament to the excellent production of this radio story that I was able to get into it as an outsider. Everything about the structure of this half-hour documentary is admirably smart: the tape cut selection, the music segues, the story progression... And just listening to the incredible voice of Dick Latvala, the late Grateful Dead archivist, is enough to keep you glued to your headphones. This guy sounds every bit like the veteran acid-dropping, tie dye wearing Dead fan that he is!
Program directors would do well to find a Grateful Dead anniversary date of some sort and set aside half an hour for this package. It's got everything a die-hard fan would want, along with a narrative elegance that makes it a great story in and of itself. (?even for people who haven?t got a clue about the band!)