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Confessions Of A Crap Artist by Philip K. Dick (1959) - One of the better known of PKD’s 1950s attempts to crack the mainstream barrier. No reality meltdowns, of course, but it does employ his usual method of setting up a group of sometimes oddball characters and then rotating through their independent viewpoints. A tough survey of marital power struggles in rural Marin county.

Ramblin’ Man: The Life And Times Of Woody Guthrie by Ed Cray (2004) - A fine, straight down the road biography of the folk music legend, digging down to the facts behind the legend with exhaustive background research — including viewpoints from seemingly everyone who ever met the man. The prose is neither too flat or too arty, and negatives are neither hidden or wallowed in. Though it is pretty grim as Huntington’s Disease progressively twists Guthrie’s behavior and personality.

Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse (1927) - Aging, depressive intellectual snob is taken for an educational ride by well intentioned grifters.

RECORD-BIN:

Anthology Of American Folk Music by various artists (Folkways/1952) - Harry Smith’s legendary collection is the grandfather of all ‘old music’ compilations. I wondered how it would set now in the age of the CD re-issue, when so many compilers have followed in its footsteps (and I’ve listened to many of them). Would it be just another batch of old rekkid sides? No — it really is “all that.” Smith made an excellent selection of tunes and sequenced them in a remarkably artful manner. It still works.

J.S. Bach: Cello Suites Nos. 1-6 by Pablo Casals (Naxos/2000) - Vivid 1920s and 30s recordings of Bach’s cello suites by the artist who brought them into the modern performance repertoire. Intense performances and rather nice sound quality.

Strummin’ Mental, Parts One and Two by various artists (Crypt/199?) - Two separate CDs of joyfully obscure late 1950s to mid-1960s rock instrumentals. This batch does cover the fabled twang ‘n’ surf era with 32 sides a piece, waxed by unknown American kids gone mad with the power of electric guitars. Points off for zero information on the bands or tunes.

Ook Kontact

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