BRION GYSIN LIVE IN LONDON 1982
Title
BRION GYSIN LIVE IN LONDON 1982
Subject
Brion Gysin – Live In London 1982
Description
Most of the texts were written upon meeting Burroughs, at the time of the invention of the cut-up. The influence that Brion Gysin has had on contemporary music may never be taken fully into account, particularly when he introduced Brian Jones, of the Rolling Stones, to the shepard's music of Joujouka. Those times were still audacious: the music was created during the sound-checks ! Musically, the choice of traditional instruments expresses the desire to be free of machines (because, as Burroughs says, 'We ourselves are machines.').
This recording is evidence of the extraordinary creativity and spontaneity of the musical and artistic scene at that time. It hasn't aged a bit. Beyond the nostalgia inspired by the invocation of that bygone cultural scene, there is a call for a creativity of which it is difficult to find examples today.
Live in London 1982 is the Beat Generation revamped. Recorded four years before the death of Beat legend Brion Gysin, this live set features the poet reciting poems from the late '50s and early '60s, accompanied by a makeshift no wave backing band consisting of Slits bassist Tessa Pollitt (also playing cello), Rip Rig Panic (and later free improv) drummer Steve Noble, Penguin Cafe Orchestra percussionist Gile, and guitarist Ramuntcho Matta, also credited for writing the band's vamps and grooves. The music is resolutely avant rock: dissonant, provocative, and largely improvised. The musicians' interventions are tentative at first ("Minutes to Go, 1," "Cut-Ups (1959)"), then, following an extended unaccompanied recitation, the musical aspect of the show takes off. Paradoxically, that 25-minute solo spot for Gysin, entitled "Teaching," provides a highlight: the man clearly enjoys revisiting his old writings and, at age 66, definitely has the cultural authority of a teacher. The sound quality in the first two-thirds of the album is fine. However, things degenerate starting with "Ad Lib," which seems to be an audience recording from the back of the venue. The sound quality improves for "Impro: 1," but the tapes are badly warped, which makes the track very annoying. The last two tracks sound better and contain, in fact, the best material on the album: the band gels better and Gysin paces his recitation to the groove. Live in London 1982 is an interesting document, but it will appeal only to fans of spoken word or connoisseurs of William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin's legacy.
This recording is evidence of the extraordinary creativity and spontaneity of the musical and artistic scene at that time. It hasn't aged a bit. Beyond the nostalgia inspired by the invocation of that bygone cultural scene, there is a call for a creativity of which it is difficult to find examples today.
Live in London 1982 is the Beat Generation revamped. Recorded four years before the death of Beat legend Brion Gysin, this live set features the poet reciting poems from the late '50s and early '60s, accompanied by a makeshift no wave backing band consisting of Slits bassist Tessa Pollitt (also playing cello), Rip Rig Panic (and later free improv) drummer Steve Noble, Penguin Cafe Orchestra percussionist Gile, and guitarist Ramuntcho Matta, also credited for writing the band's vamps and grooves. The music is resolutely avant rock: dissonant, provocative, and largely improvised. The musicians' interventions are tentative at first ("Minutes to Go, 1," "Cut-Ups (1959)"), then, following an extended unaccompanied recitation, the musical aspect of the show takes off. Paradoxically, that 25-minute solo spot for Gysin, entitled "Teaching," provides a highlight: the man clearly enjoys revisiting his old writings and, at age 66, definitely has the cultural authority of a teacher. The sound quality in the first two-thirds of the album is fine. However, things degenerate starting with "Ad Lib," which seems to be an audience recording from the back of the venue. The sound quality improves for "Impro: 1," but the tapes are badly warped, which makes the track very annoying. The last two tracks sound better and contain, in fact, the best material on the album: the band gels better and Gysin paces his recitation to the groove. Live in London 1982 is an interesting document, but it will appeal only to fans of spoken word or connoisseurs of William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin's legacy.
Creator
Brion Gysin
Date
2007
Format
CD
Language
English
Type
Jazz, Rock, Funk / Soul, Non-Music
Identifier
JAZ.GYS
Coverage
Belgium
Files
Collection
Citation
Brion Gysin, “BRION GYSIN LIVE IN LONDON 1982,” WPB, accessed March 12, 2025, https://tpb.worm.org/items/show/14425.