At Reed College: The First Recorded Reading Of Howl & Other Poems
Omnivore, 2021
10/10
Listen to At Reed College: The First Recorded Reading Of Howl & Other Poems
A legendary poet and writer who was present at the onset of the beat movement alongside Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs, the Ginsberg estate and Omnivore Records team up to go back 65 years to Allen Ginsberg’s reading at Reed College in 1956.
“Epithalamion” starts the listen with Ginsberg’s very distinct delivery and keen attention to linguistics comprising this and the short poems to follow, including the vivid storytelling of “Wild Orphan”, and the timeless beat poetry of “Over Kansas”.
Deeper into this portion of the record, “A Supermarket In California” turns a trip to the grocery store into a fascinating experience that’s even comical, and “The Trembling Of The Lamb” follows with incredible syntax as Ginsberg’s inimitable enunciation and his North Jersey accent have us hanging on every word.
The Howl portion of the listen leads with the brief “Introduction”, which is mostly Ginsberg caught making small talk, before the 13+ minutes of the classic “Howl”, where Ginsberg paints a very articulate portrait in an almost robotic sort of way, where he never stumbles while simultaneously sounding like a sage, a prophet and a madman. The discs ends on “Howl II”, where, abruptly, Ginsberg stops before the end, saying that he doesn’t feel like continuing anymore.
The original tape was handled by Michael Graves, who transferred, restored and mastered the audio so well, that it hardly seems dated, and the accompanying and very detailed liner notes from Dr. Pancho Savery only add to the appeal of the package. Ginsberg passed away 24 year ago, and was still working up until he died; considering how vast his influence was and still is with the younger generation being exposed to his art, we should all be thankful that his work is still available and presented with so much care.
Travels well with: Jaki Shelton Green- The River Speaks Of Thirst; Sunny War- Shell Of A Girl