70 Minutes in Hell

Charles Bukowski

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 15, 2004)
• ASIN: B00004R7JZ
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #431,893 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Classic 1969 recording from the late poet who said, 'The more crap you believe, the better off you are'. Over 69 minutes in length. Standard jewel case.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 70 Minutes of Sublime Hell, April 12, 2005

By	Ouija (Las Vegas, NV USA) - See all my reviews

Do you think I'm crazy? I think you're crazy too. So is 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.

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.

4.0 out of 5 stars 70 Minutes in Heaven, January 11, 2001

By	G. Purkis - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a classic home recording of a desperate (and very drunk) Bukowski, complete with cars zooming off in the background and some interesting asides, both to himself and the German who is recording him. A couple of the poems are mislabeled. For instance, "Bukowski Still at it" is really "The curtains are waving and people walk through the afternoon here and in Paris and in New York City and in Mexico". Plus, an extremely drunken version of "No Lady Godiva" follows "True Story" (I think he forgot to read the title). Although they were less than knowledgeable about Buk, these German made home recordings are priceless to a real Buk-addict such as myself.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 45 minutes in hell, February 23, 2001

By	Dean Monti - See all my reviews

This is an interesting work, but I have yet to experience all 70 minutes of it. I put it on late at night (because morning or mid-day seems an odd time to listen to Bukowski)and inevitably have fallen asleep. Not because this material is inferior or not as interesting as some other works --it's a fascinating collection and there is less bad boy posturing here than is evident in live recordings with an audience --it's Bukowski's voice that does it. His droning, dare I say it, soothing tone is at an all-time monotone on this CD and it isn't long before his bedtime stories send me off to dreamland. Yet, Bukowkski's voice is essential to Bukowski's work. One wonders if anyone other than the Bukowski could read Bukowski.

So, as someone who suffers from sleep disorders, I cannot recommend this recording highly enough. It's better than Sominex. However, as a long-time fan of Bukowski's work I know that recordings such as these are both rare and a wonderful augmentation to his books. And for that reason, I intend to drink a lot of coffee and spend my full ninety minutes in hell someday soon.