Fresh Air with Terry Gross, July 21, 1988: Interview with Harry Connick, Jr.; Review of the Monsters of Rock tour; Interview with Thomas Disch; Review of the film 'The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years.'

Since its national debut in 1987, Fresh Air with Terry Gross has been a highly acclaimed and much adored weekday magazine among public radio listeners. Each week, nearly 4.8 million people turn to Peabody Award-winning host Terry Gross for insightful conversations with the leading voices in contemporary arts and issues. The renowned program reaches a global audience, with over 620 public radio stations broadcasting Fresh Air, and 3 million podcast downloads each week. Fresh Air has broken the mold of 'talk show' by weaving together superior journalism and intimate storytelling from modern-day intellectuals, politicians and artists alike. Through probing questions and careful research, Gross's interviews are lauded for revealing a fresh perspective on cultural icons and trends. Her thorough conversations are often complemented by commentary from well-known contributors. Fresh Air is produced at WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and broadcast nationally by NPR.
INT.1: A live concert with jazz pianist HARRY CONNICK JR. Connick began performing in New Orleans at age 5 and made his first record when he was 9. His new solo album includes interpretations of Thelonius Monk's "I Mean You," the old standard "Sunny Side of Street," and stride piano blues. REV.1: Rock critic KEN TUCKER muses on the heavy metal scene. He reviews a number of recent recordings by bands featured in this summer's "Monsters of Rock" tour, such as Van Halen, Metallica and Scorpions. INT.2: Novelist THOMAS DISCH. Best known for his science fiction novels - Camp Concentration and 334 - Disch is also the author of several acclaimed children's books - The Brave Little Toaster - and a Victorian novel, Clara Reeve. Disch is also the theater critic for The Nation magazine. REV.2: Film Critic STEPHEN SCHIFF reviews "The Decline of Western Civilzation Part II: The Metal Years." Directed by PENELOPE SPHEERIS, the film is a documentary-style look at the world of heavy metal rock, profiling some of today's top metal bands, like Megadeth, Lizzy Borden, Seduce, and pioneers of the metal sound, like Motorhead, Ozzy Osbourne and Aerosmith.