Allen Ginsberg

1979 performance of Allen Ginsberg, Peter Orlovsky, Steven Taylor and Harry Hoogstraten recorded live at De Leeuwerik, a small bar in Eindhoven (Holland). Everyone takes turn reading poems and singing songs accompanied by harmonium, percussion and guitar. The set starts with Ginsberg’s ‘Plutonian Ode’ and ends with a wasted ‘Copulation Blues’. Orlovsky reads extracts from ‘Clean Asshole Poems and Smiling Vegetable Songs’, Hoogstraten from his book ‘Boxing Days’. Awesome archival find that has been gathering dust on Hoogstraten’s shelf for more than 30 years. Hoogstraten is a Dutch poet and visual artist who was one of the people behind the One World Poetry festivals and editor of the literary underground magazine Mandala. 200 copies.
Major archival edition of a previously unheard Beat summit featuring Allen Ginsberg, Peter Orlovsky, Steven Taylor and Harry Hoogstraten reading live in Europe in ’79: discovered only recently after reportedly gathering dust on Hoogstraten’s shelf for thirty years, this is an amazing presentation from Sloow Tapes and represents the apex of their recent turn to presenting 20th century underground poetics in cassette form. The group jam on harmonium, percussion and guitar, making a joyous noise while Ginsberg reads “Plutonium Ode” and “Copulation Blues”, Orlovsky reads from “Clean Asshole Poems...” and Hoogstraten takes on excerpts from his book “Boxing Days”. Recorded at a small bar in Holland, this is a major coup for Sloow Tapes and a heavyweight addition to the Ginsberg shelf. Recommended.(Volcanic Tongue)