Thursday 20 February 2020

The Dial-A-Poem Poets - "Biting Off The Tongue Of A Corpse" (Giorno Poetry Systems ‎– GPS 005) 1975


Yet another fine album title from Giorno Poetry Systems,which could apply to any organisation or person applying any form of censorship on the already dead forms of media in the internet age. We've been done up like a kipper, as 'real' cockney Dick Van Dyke would have said in a Disney movie set in victorian London.I'm not even sure this is me writing this, that's how confused they've got us.I use the word 'They' advisedly, from the much peddled paranoia angle that 'They' or 'Us' have unleashed on the information portals. The most likely culprit, as ever, is ourselves....."We've dunnit to oowr selves Mawry", said Dick Van Dyke as 'Bert' the jolly chimmney sweep with a heart of gold.......cue a bakers dozen of Clog wearing cocker-ney pearly Kings and Queens having a jolly-old knees-up, singing the Oscar winning tune penned by Oscar winning songsmith Sir Elton John called 'We Dunnit To Ouwrselves Guv'nr (Cor Strike-a-light)"
In fact this is Sir Elton John writing this confused bullshit for you all,aided by award winning lyricist, Bernie Taupin,as I can't read or write.......Oh Yeah, and 'Queen of Hearts', Princess Diana, is hiding in my cellar after faking her own death to escape the paparazzi and MI5......honest Guv'nr.
Now i'll revert to my real music luvin' alter-ego of Reg Dwight(Who isn't knighted) to tell you how ruddy marvellous all that poetry stuff is,and about this allegedly 'uncensored' collection of left-field poets.
Of course its got yet more of W.S. Burroughs'(The guy who predicted this information vacuum) greatest hits, enhanced by the odd gem, like "Cheerless Junkie Song" by Scottish actress,and unlikely junkie, Helen Adam,and Charles Stein's "Seed Poem".Cage is also worth the entrance money as always, but we do have to endure John Giorno again,doing his over-used multivoiced delay style once more.Probably a device employed so we can't hear the words and find out what a shite poet he really was; 'performance poet'and self publicist is a more accurate description of Mr Giono's talents,or lack of, therein.Very talented at hanging out with famous artists however,i'll grant him that;but,If it wasn't on his own label I doubt he'd be on this album.......what d'you think Lady Diana?..wot?..No, there's no Duran Duran on there,mores the pity?
Altogether now......
"Lets 'ave a jolly 'oliday wiv Mauryyyyy"...sung to the tune of "The Union Of The Snake"(subtitled 'Is it me or is everything SHIT!), as penned by the Bard of Brum, Simon Le Bon,or 'Lob On' as we call him.
Oh go on then Diana, tell the non-english public what a 'Lob-On' is.
Princess Di: "Its an Erect prick Sir Elton sir,I repeat....an eeeerect prrrriccccck-uh!.".....close in a small drop of drool running along Sir Eltons quvering lower lip.
"David Darling, rush and get me a hanky, and a nice bottle of Chianti"....(i dunno how to spell,phonetically, that sound Hannibal Lecter made in the 'Silence Of The Lambs'.....but ,I, Sir Elton John, just did it then).......pS this is all TRUE!.


Tracklist:

A1 –Gary Snyder - Anasazi / The Wild Mushroom / Avocado / One Should Not Speak To A Skilled Hunter / No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service 6:00
A2 –John Giorno - Excerpt From Subduing Demons In America 7:08
A3 –William S. Burroughs - A Top Level Conference Is In Progress 6:00
A4 –Charles Olson - Maximus Of Gloucester (Only My Written Work) 1:15
A5 –Ted Berrigan - Excerpts From Memorial Day 3:53
A6 –Ed Sanders - The Struggle 4:50
B1 –Edwin Denby - The Shoulder / The Subway / Over Manhattan Island / Disorder Mental Strikes Me / Suppose There's A Cranky Woman Inside Me 5:34
B2 –Helen Adam - Cheerless Junkie Song 2:45
B3 –Diane Di Prima - Ave 4:27
B4 –John Wieners - In Public 0:55
B5 –Robert Duncan - To Speak My Mind, We Convivial In What Is Ours 2:40
B6 –John Cage - Mureau 4:06
B7 –Denise Levertov - Life At War 3:15
B8 –Frank O'Hara - Having A Coke With You From "The Love Poems" 2:03
B9 –Kenneth Koch - Spring 1:33
B10 –John Ashbery - A Blessing In Disguise 1:20
B11 –Charles Stein - Seed Poem 1:44


6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for these GPS posts - Duncan, Levertov, Olson - bravo!

popoketel said...

Your blog is the absolute best! Do you have "Knup In Your Eye" by the Popes?

rev.b said...

Hope you work out your voice issues Reg. Better yet, just stop singing! As for John, he was something of a kid with a new toy with that voice delay device. I Thought he'd never grow out of it.

northfieldhat said...

There was an American comic strip from 1948-1975 called Pogo, that had a subtext of politics in the way the "funny" animals dealt with their communal existence. It is famous for the phrase "We have found the enemy and they is us."

Jonny Zchivago said...

The Popes????...not that bloody shane macgowan offshoot is it?....nah!

Jonny Zchivago said...

@northfieldhat.. it seems the best cure for human ills,turns out to be removal of the common denominator...the humans. So as always comicbooks predict the problem,and life imitates art imitates life imitates intelligence,imitates comics. Its an endless cycle with an end.....for humanity.The rest of them carry on,and 'us' won't be missed.
Fuck! what made me so cynical?