Customer Reviews

King of Poets

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

 

 

I have to give this 4 stars because "Hostage" is so much better. "King..." is a simple recording from 1970. There are poems and Buk speaking to whomever might be listening. Those are some great moments. He steps out from behind the poems and gives us even more about who he is as a man--as if he doesn't give us enough in his writing.

This is surely a good CD to have. But if you have a choice between this one and "Hostage" pick "Hostage."

I think that when Buk was still trying to get his life straight, and was offered $100 for life by John Martin to leave the post office and write poetry full time, I don't think he believed that when he made these small set of recordings in New Orleans over 20 years ago, someone would put them together and package them, and from Germany, no less! The boys from Chinaski Records made this one, and have made a subsequent CD called "70 Minutes in Hell," but I think you should stick with this one (I own both of them). The most memorable track on this CD is "The Night I Killed Tommy," and when you hear it, you'll never be the same. I say pick this one up, just to hear his insanity on the last track, "Bukowski Says Goodbye." There's something so wrong with him, and yet, it's so right. Oh, this CD shouldn't be compared to "Hostage." Buk was polished and almost comfortable in front of the crowd by the time "Hostage" was recorded. This early stuff only proves he was at his best every time he was in front of a mike, whether it was alone in 1970, in front of a drunken crowd of elitist yuppies in 1980, or in our speakers now in the 21st century.

A home recording, KING OF POETS makes you feel Hank is sitting across from you on a beat up couch, beer in one hand, poems in the other. The conversational tone, the slurring of the words, the comments and background noise give this disc an intensely personal feel. A must for Bukowski fans. This is how it's supposed to be.

Some of Buk's lesser known but best work, both his "Shorties" and longer narrative pieces. They flow together well from one to the next as our anti-hero becomes more and more intoxicated-but all the more lucid after every beer he pops open.

I can't go a week without listening to this disc. If you find it broken or have "a need for glue" then this disc will help you put back together the pieces in a both painful and humorous way.

No words can explain the feeling I get when I hear Buk speak to the audience. Money well worth spending. It will change your life Matt Borer San Diego, CA