130 minutes of the first-ever recordings of Charles Bukowski reading his own work. Culled from tapes made by Bukowski at his Los Angeles home in 1968 for biographer and rock critic Barry Miles, long before the author had begun regular public readings. Bukowski was so shy he insisted that he record alone. He reads both poetry and prose, gets thoroughly drunk during the recording, and bitches about his life, his landlord, and his neighbors.
70 Minutes in Hell, a German home recording made in 1969 of Charles Bukowski. What makes this so compelling is that nobody can read Bukowski like Bukowski.
The Buk's 60-plus books offer a glimpse into the world of horse tracks, seedy bars, and sleazy LA rooming houses. 70 Minutes in Hell, with its haphazard recording (replete with comments to the German dude making the recording and the sound of traffic passing by) gives us some insight into the world of an aloof, desperate and drunken man disinterested in the normalities of society.
Regardless whether you're an insomniac, a narcoleptic or none of the above, if you're a Buk fan you need to listen.
20 track collection of recordings of bukowski live in hamburg in 1978. Also include 4 bonus home recordings from 1969. His spoken word lyrics, later inspired 'the streets', with a style unique to the era. Beautifully crafted, poetic album.
Tonight will be a very dignified reading," intones Charles Bukowski at the outset of this public performance. "I will read dignified poetry in a dignified manner." Of course, this sends the audience into stitches, knowing that Bukowski will soon plunge into his poems, which seem more like anecdotes of gleeful depravity, packed full of prostitutes, horse racing, and displays of drunken candor. One piece finds Bukowski a guest speaker at a pristine private college, feeling under the weather after a night of fierce drinking. ("I think I was in the state of Nebraska or Illinois or Ohio.") In his nausea, he sits mutely before the class of wide-eyed students. When asked questions about his craft, he responds tersely, answering such innocent queries as "What do you think of Norman Mailer?" with "I don't think of Norman Mailer" (or "Who are your three favorite writers?" with "Charles Bukowski, Charles Bukowski, and Charles Bukowski"). While the poet is typically crude throughout the performance -- even in his interaction with the audience -- a couple of surprising things come to light when one hears Bukowski in a live setting: 1) how sweet and reasonable he can sound, and 2) how dead-on his comic timing is. Hostage is essential listening for anyone interested in the mythic Charles Bukowski. This is a highly entertaining recording.
Series: A Moveable Feast 3
Interviewer: Tom Vitali
Duration: 30 minutes
Summary: An interview with Charles Bukowski precedes his reading of his poem, Do you use a notebook?, from the collection Dangling in the tournefortia.
This was apparently an audio magazine series called A Moveable Feast, distributed on cassette. (I also seem to recall hearing some segments on my public radio station.)
The tape is hissy, and the mp3 isn't encoded that well, with a couple spots of stuttering and repetition, but it's all very minor. And the tape itself is now over 20 years old and doesn't seem to be as easy to find as his albums.
