Customer Reviews

The Best Of William Burroughs: From Giorno Poetry Systems

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Spanning the whole of his career, this 4-disc box set is well worth the price. Not only does Bill's intonation assist the reader into how to go about reading the author's works, Burroughs's satire and wit is a mile a minute on every disc except Disc Four. The final disc is a collection of his cut-up experiments that he conducted in the early 1960's. These spliced fragments of passing cars, television commercials, and poetry readings foreshadow '90's alternative. The package includes an extensive collection of photos spanning over the whole of the author's life. From pre-Naked Lunch to this final work, The Cat Inside, this is a great audio collection for anyone wanting to appreciate the Godfather of the Beats.

To sum this collection up in a word....Brillant. Hat's off to the folks responsible for this essential compilation of some of the finest spoken performances I have ever heard. This monster 4cd set, is packed to the gills with classic pieces from Bill's entire writing life time. The box contains a large booklet with rare photo's and additional info, as well as an unpublished piece. Each cd box, contain small booklets with even more rare photo's of Burroughs through out his life. This is a genius time machine. No distracting music. The audiences in the live segments,are mixed down to a dull roar. It may not have everything.... but it certainly satisfies, none the less. A must have for any true Burroughs fans.

Having anxiously awaited this Giorno Poetry Systems release, I am pleased to report that I was not disappointed in any regard. Technically the recordings are as well finished as any WSB release other than Dead City Radio, which is no insubstantial feat given that the age of some of these recordings approaches thirty years. Well divided among the four discs are excerpts of political rantings, historical observation and cut-up works along with full recitations of several well known WSB characters, creations and creatures. Despite the fact that the set contains no truly previously un-released material, one look at the discography gives good cause to consider that as a requirement for a tasty well rounded boxed set. A few of the works are certainly not for the timid or frail of thought and some of the experimental recordings may hold sustained interest only for the WSB technophiles. If you own no recorded William S. Burroughs (yet) and seek a disc set representative of his work throughout his prolific and often hilarious renderings of his own writings, you have found that (set of) disc(s). Rates a "put down what your doing and find one" on the When to get it? scale and 10 out of 10 on the Photo and print inserts match the audio? scale.

Pity this is no longer available, because it's an excellent summation of Burroughs' experimental prose and recordings. I doubt that I'm alone in preferring to experience his material through his recitations rather than in print. The sound of his inimitable voice, rendering his words exactly as he meant for them to be expressed, adds immeasurably to their impact. Crazed, drug-addled, bizarre, liberal and cynical at the same time, quite often hallucinatory and occasionally even sentimental, Burroughs pushed the envelope of narrative fiction as much as any author of the 20th century, and few writers have ever been so adept at the oral interpretation of their own work. If you can find a copy to buy, you're likely to get hooked. As it were.

listening to someone read is so calming even if his voice is as off the wall as william s.'s is. four discs is a lot but if you take it one at a time it's not plus the pictures are good.

The man that knew William Burroughs best, John Giorno, has put together the best information on WSB that exists. John has no axe to grind and no interest to protect, unlike Burroughs other editors (heir, adopted son). The list of what was buried with William is worth the CD alone. Although John says that he was with William when Burroughs died, he means it in a zen way. He was not there, but no one was closer to WSB than Giorno (except for those that inherited the money). Buy it now if you really like the old man. It is boring, for sure, but Burroughs voice is worth a few dollars.

I am someone who believes the best way to appreciate Burroughs, is to hear him read his own work. This set of recordings however lacks "production". It consists mainly of live recordings of readings, where the sicophantic laughter of the audience is extremely intrusive.It does of course contain good material but lots of crap too. I say go with "produced" recordings such as "Dead City Radio", "Spare Ass Annie" or the excellent penguin audio book "Junky".