Funnily - when interviewing I have to listen for 3 reasons.
1) so that I can steer the next question/answer to relevance to the locality
2) so I can maybe get elaboration on a point, like peoples' names. During edits the extra points can then be stitched-in to preface the subject, or make it more explanatory.
3) the results are about the person &/or the locality and not me so whatever I say will probably be cut out.

But as a conversation I am interested so my mind doesn't wander much. It relaxes the interviewee, the results are more conversational. Though I do record "talks" at my local history group, and they sound more formal.