Howl And Other Poems (1959)

"This is arguably the best-known recording to feature any beat-era poet. Although "Howl" is the centerpiece, the peripheral works -- especially the mantra-like "Footnote to Howl" and "Kaddish (Part One)" -- are given empowering presentations that magnify the greatness that's inextricably inherent in both art and artist. Indeed, the genesis of Allen Ginsberg's brilliance as both poet and performer has rarely been equalled. The modern listener remains entranced by his vaudevillian sense of provocation as it couples with an unspoken, yet palpable obsession of a postmodern amphetamine-fuelled Shakespeare. The material is split between the live recitations of "Howl," "Sunflower Sutra," and the opening section from "Kaddish," which had been collectively documented at Ginsberg's "Big Table" readings during the 1959 Shaw Festival in Chicago. The other works consist of studio recordings made in June of 1959 in the Bay Area -- where the poet resided semi-permanently." (Lindsay Planer, Allmusic)

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