The Golden Palominos - S/T

Anton Fier's "revolving-door band", in their first stellar effort, comprised of such masters as Bill Laswell, Arto Lindsay, John Zorn & Fred Frith. This shit is absolutely essential.



geet.

Bill Laswell, Atom Heart & Tetsu Inoue - Second Nature

Ambient excursions. Delve into the synthetic forest but be sure to leave a trail of breadcrumbs.

William S. Burroughs in Music.

William S. Burroughs is easily one of the most important writers of the twentieth century, friend and colleague of Allen Ginsberg & Jack Kerouac which comprise the Beat Generation of litterate's and poets, a group of singular influence. He is characterized by his ill-bred subject matter: drugs(most importantly heroin), homosexuality, guns, the dark corners of society and the innards of the soul. Some of his works include: Junky (an insiders guide to the life of a heroin addict), Queer, The Soft Machine(which inspired the band of the same name and the Soft Boys) and Naked Lunch his best known work which received a cinematic adaptation by David Cronenberg. I cannot stress his infamy enough. Here i've collected some of his musical endeavors:

Gus Van Sant & William Burroughs - The Elvis Of Letters


A collaboration between Burroughs and director and musician Gus Van Sant. Burroughs also appeared in Van Sant's movie Drugstore Cowboy. Van Sant plays drum machine, bass and guitar, while Burroughs reads four short pieces with his voice often being electronically manipulated.



William S. Burroughs - Dead City Radio


A collection of readings from many of his works, including Naked Lunch, Tornado Alley and The Cat Inside. Behind his low unmistakable voice lies the musical company of such fellows as John Cale, Donald Fagen of Steely Dan(a Naked Lunch reference) and Sonic Youth.



William S. Burroughs & The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy - Spare Ass Annie & Other Tales.


"Burroughs' dusty, sandpaper-dry readings from several of his works, including NOVA EXPRESS, are augmented with a combination of hip-hop tracks and found music, such as schmaltzy orchestral pop from the '50s, cheesy synthesizer versions of Bach airs, and Christmas carols."



William S. Burroughs & Kurt Cobain - The "Priest" They Called Him.


More readings, this time accompanied by Cobain's aural dissonance.



William S. Burroughs & Material - Seven Souls.


My personal favorite. A reading of his essay on the final death, the death of the soul and the super secretive purpose of the atom bomb, accompanied by Bill Laswell's musical genius.

Material - One Down

Second album from Laswell's collective, going into a hard edged, streamlined Disco/Funk direction. Nicky Marrero, Nona Hendryx, Nile Rodgers and Fred Frith all contribute. It also features the curio "Memories", a song penned by Hugh Hopper of the Soft Machine that features some nasty sax from Archie Shepp and the lead vocal by the one and only Whitney Houston. Laswell sure liked to bring incongrous elements together, bless his heart. Not their best by any means, but i like it a lot.

Busting out

Material - Memory Serves

"One of the most high-profile projects of the endlessly prolific bassist and producer Bill Laswell, Material pioneered a groundbreaking fusion of jazz, funk, and punk that also incorporated elements of hip-hop and world music well before either's entrance into the mass cultural consciousness."

More Material material to come. heh.

what a great cover

Last Exit - Cassette Recordings '87

Still live, still pumping big-time improvised noise wail. This one features a take of Jimmy Reed's "Big Boss Man" that sounds like no other version you've ever heard. This is mighty powerful stuff, and those a tad squeamish when it comes to full-bore noisemaking and improvised energy should explore this record only with proper supervision. There's no telling what will happen if you're left alone with these guys for any length of time.- John Dougan

More sonic destruction from perhaps the loudest free jazz group of all.

My Balls, Your Chin

Last Exit

Debut album by this free jazz supergroup composed of Peter Brotzmann, Bill Laswell, Ronald Shannon Jackson, and the late great Sonny Sharrock. Insane even by free jazz's standards, it's loud, noisy, and chaotic. Not for the faint of heart.

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