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Dead City Radio

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This article is about the album. For the song, seeDead City Radio and the New Gods of Supertown.
Dead City Radio
Studio albumby
William S. Burroughs
Released31 August 1990
RecordedDecember 1988–June 1989Hairball 3,Lawrence, Kansas
GenreAvant-garde/Experimental/spoken word
LabelIsland
ProducerHal Willner,Nelson Lyon

Dead City Radiois a musical album byBeat GenerationauthorWilliam S. Burroughs,released byIsland Recordsin 1990. The CD is a collection of readings by Burroughs set to a broad range of musical compositions. It was produced byHal WillnerandNelson Lyon,with musical accompaniment fromJohn Cale,Donald Fagen,Lenny Pickett,Chris Stein,alternative rockbandSonic Youth,and theNBC Symphony Orchestra,among others. It was dedicated to "Keith Haring,at the Apocalypse. "[1]

Background

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Although not Burroughs' first album—he released his first spoken word albumCall Me Burroughsin the 1960s and was a fixture on theGiorno Poetry Systemscollections of the 1970s and 1980s—Dead City Radiowas the first release to receive wide public attention. Willner came up with the idea for the album after booking Burroughs for a December 1981 spot onSaturday Night Live,in which he read "Twilight's Last Gleaming" over a pre-recorded NBC Symphony Orchestra rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner."[2]Later, over drinks, the two bonded over their love of actressMarlene Dietrich,and Burroughs began singing theGermanstandard"Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt"(Falling in Love Again), a song associated with the actress. Willner likened Burroughs to "true Americana," saying: "He should be right up there in front of a map or a railroad track or a flag, as you might seeJohn WayneorJohnny Cash."[3]

The material performed by Burroughs on the album included excerpts from some of his famous works such asNaked Lunch,as well as a couple of items from his 1989 short story collectionTornado Alley.The track"Kill the Badger!"is an excerpt from Burroughs' novellaThe Cat Inside.Amusic videowas created Burroughs' reading of"A Thanksgiving Prayer"(a poem fromTornado Alley); the reading (like the book from which it came) is dedicated toJohn Dillinger.Burroughs prefaces his reading of the short story "Where He Was Going" with a brief discussion of its inspiration and origins. The brief narrative "Brion Gysin's All-Purpose Bedtime Story" is taken fromGhost of Chance,a novella Burroughs would publish in 1991. Several tracks include Burroughs discussing elements ofChristianityandThe Biblein a conversational style, and one track has Burroughs reciting theSermon on the Mountwhile adding editorial comment.

Most of Burroughs' readings from the album were recorded at his home inLawrence, Kansasbetween December 12 and 15 1988,[1]with further recordings taking place on June 24, 1989. The music was added at a later date. Burroughs' recording of "Falling in Love Again" was included as a bonus track and is the only commercially available track as of 2012 to depict the author actually singing.[citation needed]Gus Van Santproduced a video starring Burroughs to promote the album.[4]

The track"Ah Pook the Destroyer"was later used as the soundtrack for the acclaimed animated short filmAh Pook Is Here.Burroughs' song"Falling in Love Again"plays over the closing credits of the film.

Track listing

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  1. "William's Welcome (What Are You Here For?)" (featuringSonic Youth,music byLenny Pickett)
  2. "A Thanksgiving Prayer"(music by Frank Denning)
  3. "Naked LunchExcerpts (You Got Any Eggs for Fats?)/Dinner Conversation (The Snakes) "(music by Frank Denning)
  4. "Ah Pook the Destroyer/Brion Gysin's All-Purpose Bedtime Story "(featuringJohn Cale)
  5. "After-Diner Conversation (An Atrocious Conceit)/Where He Was Going"(music by Frank Denning)
  6. "Kill the Badger!" (music by Buryl Reed)
  7. "A New Standard by Which to Measure Infamy" (featuringDonald Fagen)
  8. "TheSermon on the Mount1 (WSB ReadsThe Good Book) "(music by Lenny Pickett)
  9. "No MoreStalins,No MoreHitlers"(featuring John Cale)
  10. "The Sermon on the Mount 2" (music by Lenny Pickett)
  11. "Scandal at the Jungle Hiltons" (featuringAllen Ginsberg)
  12. "The Sermon on the Mount 3" (music by Lenny Pickett)
  13. "Love Your Enemies" (featuring John Cale)
  14. "Dr. Benway's House" (featuring Sonic Youth)
  15. "Apocalypse"(music by Bill Giant, Eugene Cines, Frank Denning, Ray Ellis)
  16. "The Lord's Prayer"(featuringChris Stein& Sonic Youth)
  17. "Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt(Falling in Love Again) "(Friedrich Hollander)

Personnel

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References

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  1. ^abWeidman, Rich (September 2015).The Beat Generation FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Angelheaded Hipsters.Backbeat.ISBN9781617136351.Retrieved2 May2023.
  2. ^Wood, Brent (January 1995). "Bring the Noise! William S. Burroughs and Music in the Expanded Field".Postmodern Culture.5(2).doi:10.1353/pmc.1995.0014.S2CID144814096.
  3. ^Rae, Casey (11 June 2019).William S. Burroughs and the Cult of Rock 'n' Roll.University of Texas Press.ISBN9781477318676.Retrieved2 May2023.
  4. ^Goldstein, Patrick (19 August 1990). "Pop Eye". Los Angeles Times.
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