William S. Burroughs - Call Me Burroughs (1965)

"Bradley the Buyer" by William S. Burroughs

The start of the Beat Generation has been pinpointed to the area of Columbia University in 1944. Allen Ginsberg was there, as was William S. Burroughs. It took around ten years for the cluster of authors that made up the Beats to publish their major works; Burroughs's Naked Lunch published in 1959. Like Ginsberg's Howl, Burroughs's testament faced censorship, book bans and court proceedings. And not too long after, like Ginsberg's Howl, Burroughs would set some of his writings to wax. Call Me Burroughs was released in 1965 by The English Bookshop, Paris.

Here is the discography surrounding William S. Burroughs's debut album:

Call Me Burroughs

The ESP Sampler (1967 compilation recording)

William S. Burroughs & His Friends

"Inflexible Authority" by William S. Burroughs

Pass the Headphones!!

Allen Ginsberg - Howl and Other Poems (1959)

"Howl" by Allen Ginsberg

Lawrence Ferlinghetti moved to San Francisco in the early fifties and opened the City Lights bookstore. City Lights would also be the name of his publishing house founded a few years later. Ferlinghetti was arrested—then acquitted—for publishing Allen Ginsberg's landmark poem Howl. A recording of Ginsberg's poetry readings Howl and Other Poems was released by Fantasy Records in 1959.

Here is the discography surrounding Allen Ginsberg's debut album:

Howl and Other Poems

"A Supermarket in California" by Allen Ginsberg

"Kaddish" by Allen Ginsberg

Pass the Headphones!!

Kenneth Rexroth & Lawrence Ferlinghetti - Poetry Readings in the Cellar (1957)

Poetry Readings in the Cellar

Although published by Harvest Records, Richard Brautigan's album was originally planned to be "Zapple 3," the third release from The Beatles's experimental sub-label Zapple before it was shuttered in 1969. Another poet, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, was slated for Zapple 4. Lawrence Ferlinghetti split sides with Kenneth Rexroth on their 1957 debut recording Poetry Readings in the Cellar backed by The Cellar Jazz Quintet and released on Fantasy Records.

Here is the discography surrounding Kenneth Rexroth and Lawrence Ferlinghetti's debut album:

Poetry Readings in the Cellar

"Climbing Milestone Mountain, August 22, 1937" by Kenneth Rexroth

"Are There Not Still Fireflies" by Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Pass the Headphones!!

Richard Brautigan - Listening to Richard Brautigan (1970)

"Love Poem" by Richard Brautigan

Herb Caen's only other "vocal performance" on record is on Richard Brautigan's Listening to Richard Brautigan where, on one track, we hear successive readings of the author's "Love Poem" including Caen's own. A collection of poetry readings, prose readings, and casual conversations: the album released in 1970 on Harvest Records.

Here is Richard Brautigan's discography:

Listening to Richard Brautigan

Richard Brautigan Interview

Listening to Richard Brautigan by Richard Brautigan

Pass the Headphones!!