'Previously licensed to Astralwerks in the U.S., now re-released on its original label, Honest Jon's, with new and improved gatefold card wallet sleeve packaging. Poet, composer, street musician and cosmologist Moondog (Louis Thomas Hardin, 1916-1999) learned rhythm from American Indians and counterpoint from J.S. Bach. Many of his recordings feature instruments he built himself: trimba, yukh, tuji, oo. Sometimes you can hear in the background the streets of New York, where Moondog often slept. In addition, he was blind, due to an accident when he was 15. Sometime in the 1950s, fed up with being mistaken on the street for Christ (his regular busking spot was uptown on Sixth) Moondog put on a Viking costume, with spear and horned helmet; and he dressed like this until the late 1970s (by which time he was working with orchestras in Germany). Moondog's renown was extensive: Igor Stravinsky lobbied a judge on Moondog's behalf. Charlie Parker wanted to play with him, Julie Andrews DID play with him, and he was feted by the likes of Bob Dylan, Marlon Brando, and Steve Reich. Andy Warhol's mother designed one of his covers, and Weegee took photographs of him (included in the booklet). Janis Joplin covered him, Mr. Scruff owes him badly, and Antony and the Johnsons covers his songs. This is the first retrospective of Moondog's music -- 36 tracks from 1949-1995, most of them exceptionally rare, all of them miraculous.'
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Tracklist
1 Theme And Variations 2:48
2 Down Is Up 1:09
3 Bumbo 1:54
4 Big Cat 1:51
5 Oo Debut 1:09
6 Lament 1 'Bird's Lament' 1:43
7 Moondog's Symphony 1 (Timberwolf) 1:55
8 Moondog's Symphony 2 (Sagebrush) 2:00
9 Rabbit Hop 2:27
10 Rimshot 0:47
11 Snaketime Rhythm 0:40
12 Instrumental Round 0:59
13 Double Bass Duo 1:21
14 Why Spend The Dark Night With You 1:04
15 All Is Loneliness 1:20
16 Snaketime Rhythm 1:00
17 Dragon's Teeth 1:25
18 Oboe Round 1:06
19 Be A Hobo 0:53
20 Dog Trot 2:25
21 Oasis 3:02
22 Avenue Of The Americas 1:32
23 2 W 46th Street 1:35
24 Lullaby (2 W 46th Street) 1:21
25 Fog On The Hudson (425 W 57th Street) 1:21
26 Utsu 1:10
27 On And Off The Beat 1:32
28 Chant 1:09
29 From One To Nine 2:25
30 Improvisation In 4/4 1:11
31 Enough About Human Rights! 3:36
32 Viking 1 2:59
33 Rimshot 1:03
34 Chaconne In G Major 4:50
35 Oasis 3:49
36 Invocation 10:13
Notes
Compilation of early Moondog EPs and 10"s.
Track durations are not stated on the release.
This version comes in gatefold carboard sleeve.
