Cargo Records

New York Blues!

New York Blues: Rags Ballads & Harmonium Songs dutifully captures a chance meeting between beat icon Allen Ginsberg and celebrated lower east side shaman, odd ball filmmaker and acclaimed songcatcher Harry Smith. Unearthing vintage 1970s tunes by Allen Ginsberg at his trusty harmonium, such favorites as "CIA Dope Calypso", "Dope Fiend Blues","Come Back Christmas" and 5 other enjoyable ditties are intimately captured by Smith in his Chelsea Hotel haunt.New York Blues has been hailed as a lost gem, a reminder "of something we had forgotten to remember" (Portland Vanguard). Although he was no Pavarotti, critics have confessed that Ginsberg's voice "conveys an earthy soulfulness that is utterly endearing" (High Times). 8 remastered tracks, new liner notes and photos by Brian Graham.

"There's such a perverse pleasure in listening to Allen Ginsberg's voice to begin with that hearing him sing is almost too wild, but I love it. His poetry is so raw, honest, sick, beautiful, real, twisted and funny that you can't help but smile at the joyous fact that such a unique, open and fully realized human being shared so much of the last century with us. These mid-'70s collaborations with Harry Smith reveal the happy genius at play no matter how serious the content. Ginsberg's seemingly random consciousness is so on that it just makes my freakin' head split." - Where Y'At New Orleans

Track Listing

1 4 Am Blues (New York Blues/New York Youth Call Annunciation) 9:59
2 Come Back Christmas (Macdougal Street Blues) 6:49
3 CIA Dope Calypso 4:56
4 Put Down Yr Cigarette Rag 3:38
5 Slack Key Guitar (Siratoka Beach Croon) 6:59
6 Bus Ride Ballad to Suva 4:13
7 Prayer Blues 10:21
8 Dope Fiend Blues 4:10