Danny Goldberg joins the Mindrolling Podcast for a conversation around culture and consciousness.
Our friend Danny Goldberg is a music industry legend, former Chairman of Warner Brothers Records and President of Atlantic Records, Danny discovered and managed Kurt Cobain and Nirvana and was the head of Led Zeppelin’s record company, “Swansong” amongst other things. The conversation revolves around Danny’s experience in combining great worldly success and a spiritual path. We get into the sixties and the origins of expanded consciousness via Ram Dass and the teacher Hilda Charlton.
Check out Danny’s exploration of the intersection between culture and consciousness on the Rock & Roles Podcast.
Show Notes
Waking Up to an Inner Life (Opening) – Danny shares the influences that led him to the exploration of his own consciousness and inner realms.
“Certainly a big influence was hearing Ram Dass on WBAI when he was giving lectures with content that would eventually find its way into Be Here Now. It was a revelation because of the way he was able to connect ancient traditions with awareness and LSD. He had a hipness factor and a legitimacy that didn’t feel preachy. That definitely was a huge turning point for me in terms of embracing the idea of being openminded and positive towards spirituality.” – Danny Goldberg
Music as an Ally (6:30) – Danny and our hosts explore the transformative role that music played in the culture and consciousness of the late sixties and they look at the parallels between that era and today. Danny shares some of his experiences working with the band Nirvana and what it was like being also close to artists who were making a direct impact on the culture.
“I don’t think that my role as a manager gives my opinion about the relevance of music in today’s culture credibility, I think it’s my role as a father of an 18 and 22-year-old. I think Kanye West means the same to my son Max as Bob Dylan meant to me.” – Danny Goldberg
Empire of Eternity (25:25) – We look at the powerful words of Martin Luther King Jr. around the paradox of our situation in the universe. They dig deeper into the topic of the intersection between internal exploration and cultural transformation.
“Although we live in the colony of time, we owe our allegiance to the empire of eternity.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
Then and Now (37:35) – Despite all of the difficulties that the current and upcoming generations face politically, culturally and spiritually Danny has 100% faith in their ability to meet these challenges. He considers the parallels between his own generation’s struggles and what is happening today.