Kerouac: Kicks Joy Darkness CD

Producer Jim Sampas presents a sampling of Kerouac's writing styles, including "pomes" (short snippets of poetry), "blues" (longer, jazz-influenced choruses of poetry), and "dreams" (snapshots from his dreams). There are also four previously-unpublished pieces. Kerouac's words are set against a variety of musical backgrounds with results as diverse and alive as Kerouac's poetry and prose itself. The tone ranges from the reverence of John Cale's voice and atmospheric keyboard playing on "The Moon" to Maggie Estep's furious, emotional reading of "Skid Row Wine," on which she is backed by the heavy, dark, rock noise of the Spitters. Several actors lend their voices to KICKS JOY DARKNESS, including Johnny Depp and Matt Dillon, as well as numerous rock icons, a few of Kerouac's contemporaries and Kerouac himself, from a scratchy late 1950s recording of "MacDougal Street Blues," with a new, synthy musical accompaniment by ex-Clash frontman Joe Strummer.

KEROUAC: KICKS JOY DARKNESS is a collection of readings from beat poet Jack Kerouac's oeuvre. Most of these readings have musical backing.

Engineers include: Mark Sandman, Lydia Lunch, Tom Lewis.Entertainment Weekly (4/11/97, p.84) - "An assemblage of writers, actors, and musicians contribute to this unexpectedly robust collection of Saint Jack's lesser-known `pomes'..." - Rating: B+