Customer Reviews

The Jack Kerouac Collection

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This set takes me back so far in time, I can hardly consume the oxygen required to revive myself. I bought a copy of this at Cyrano's Book Store in Anchorage, Alaska on tape. I parted with it over the years but it was a mistake.

I re-purchased it the other day, once more; but this time on the crisp delivery of CD. Kerouac's voice to me, is what I imagine the voice of God to sound like. If they would've made track 15 from the first disk available to listen to, you'd buy it too, without hesitation. Hearing Jack read the last paragraphs from On The Road, makes one realize that it stands to be one of the greatest passages ever written in Literature (of any genre).

Jack Kerouac, with voice intact becomes reverent, gracious and invisible all at once. You'll read and hear him say how in his life, he was hated by most he met, even the musicians who play on the disk. Do we have to alienate ourselves so much to really 'see'? I'm just thankful that it took place and was released. I couldn't find a better way to live on.

Hoka hey, Jack.

The first album in this box set, which contains 15 tracks of Kerouac reciting prose while Steve Allen plays beautiful jazz piano, is dazzling. There is something magical and heartbreaking about the record.. Listening to it makes you feel as if you're sitting next to Jack himself at a bar, drinking, as he tells you these stories and talks to you. For any fan of Kerouac's writing, this album is a must. Once you've heard this, you will read his books knowing the sweet voice that is talking emphatically.

If you are familiar with everything Jack Kerouac ever wrote, then this set is a great memory jogger. If you are new to his work it is a superb introduction. Or perhaps you've tried to read him but never got into his "flow of consciousness" style. Then, these recordings teach you how to hear him in your mind- as one long, sweet jazz riff. Just close your eyes and let him transport you to better times and better places. Of course, Kerouac's America is still out there, here and there, in forgotten corners, in special places and special people.

Kerouac was the soul of his age. Who else but Jack could go from commenting on Dostoeveky one minute, then switch to the Three Stooges without missing a beat? Or just as easily go from Sanskrit to scat. And it works. That is because a great soul can encompass entire worlds without contradiction....

Kerouac's tales of experience lived out in knowing know-how's & starry eyed wonder through his childish,rollicking & innocent voice.One marvels at the enthusiasm the author nuances in his works,a superb storyteller he definitely has proven himself to be & a damn convincing one.Accentuations & emotions describe the words that they recite so appropriately that its truly something to quite behold.Even if some of his prose meanders towards insignificance & unsubstantiality,the sheer excitement & joy that he puts in delivering them saves it from head nodding doldrums.Disc 1 is a personal fave,some of his best work in the collection is found here,& Steve Allen's piano is so warm & relaxing that I cant but feel so comforted as to bring me back to that time which the music so accurately portrays.Disc 3,with its solemn tone of auhority,the voice solely alone almost whispering to the listener,is probably the best.Kerouac is truly a spoken word genius.

Click the links on this page and listen to the sample cuts provided by amazon.com. You'll see what I mean when I say that Kerouac was uniquely gifted to read his own work interpretively. As a rule, I generally find poets' readings of their own work to be tragically disappointing. Not so with Jack! This is an incredible treasure of the spoken word. Yeah, it's expensive. But what else can you do with fifty bucks that will give you this much pleasure?

I can't express enough how spell binding this experience was for me. I am a poet and listening to this was pure ecstasy. He speaks the language of the street with the rhythm of nature. He had his hands on the pulse of America and his ears were open to the invisible words of the ancients. Its not enough to explain it. You have to listen to it yourself. It is purely timeless and not a relic at all. It is still relevant for these times. You will waft on magic winds going deep into the heart of the cities and looking right into the souls of the people you meet along the way.
That being said this set is beautifully packaged. At first when it came in the mail I thought it was a vinyl and the seller had made a mistake. It was just a big package and as big as a vinyl. Inside there is a big book that gives lots of interesting information on Jack and the recordings inside. All recorded in 1959, they were controversial for the time. As you will hear there is sex and drug references in the poetry. "Poetry for the Beat Generation" has Jack spitting out his poetry like words of a God and Steve Allen adding piano to the background. The piano is a beautiful touch and adds a magical and melodic ripple to the poetry. Yes it is that Steve Allen who had his own TV show. The president of Dot records the label it was originally on, deemed it obscene and wanted only family oriented stuff. Rob Thiele one of the producers of the album got pissed and quit Dot because of that. Steve and Rob got the masters back and started their own company Hanover/signature and released it independently. Next they did "Blues and Haikus" which is different for the fact that Jack has sax backing his words this time. Al Cohn and Zoot Sims performing the honors, providing a jazzy backdrop to Jack's rapid fire Haikus and poems. "On the Beat Generation" is just Jack and his voice, this proves he doesn't need instruments for his poetry to have power. His voice is a instrument in it's self and it has a calming rhythm all its own. It has in it the working man's dreams, a god's conversation and a mind's wanderings. This was great and this set does perfect justice to the man and to the legend who inspired so many.

Jack Kerouac is one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, and I beleive he also has one of the best voices. The difference between reading the book yourself and listening to Jack read it is all in his voice. It is, in a word, mesmerizing. I first heard some of this collection in my Beat Generation class in college, and I had to get the collection.

Salvador Dali said that Jack Kerouac was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. I don't think anyone can listen to his voice, see his pictures in this collection, and appreciate his writings without agreeing whole-heartedly.

This collection of works is more than a few good CDs--it's an experience.

Late night, early day, any day, listening...Thank God this treasure made it thru...You will be most wonderfully absorbed in this, Jack's greatness!

much of what jack wrote was written with the idea of jazz flowwing through his words. in this collection we have not only some fine 50's jazz but jack's own voice doing the libretto.this collection is smooth jazz and smooth jack. oh bye the way one c-d has steve allen as accompianist. this is jack as he and his work were meant to be.

If you've read everything Kerouac ever published, then this collection is a marvelous review and memory jogger. If you've always heard of him and the beats but you've never read him, then this is a perfect first introduction. I've heard people say that they can't read his flow of consciousness style. Well, these recordings in his own voice shows how to read him- like a long flowing jazz riff. You've got to hear him like this in your own mind to get him. Put these recordings on and close your eyes, it transports you to a better place, a better time, a better mind-set. Of course, if you look for Kerouac's America it is still out there, here and there in certain forgotten corners, certain moments out of time....

I'm still absolutely amazed by Jack Kerouac. Who else could discuss Dostoevsky knowingly one moment, then without missing a beat, switch to the three stooges? Who else could instantly switch from Sanskrit to scat? Yet it works perfectly, for a great soul can encompass entire worlds without contradiction.