'2018 repress, originally released in 2005. Tremendous gatefold presentation and one of HJR's most impressive documents to date.
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
A1 Theme And Variations
A2 Down Is Up
A3 Bumbo
A4 Big Cat
A5 Oo Debut
A6 Lament 1 'Bird's Lament'
A7 Moondog's Symphony 1 (Timberwolf)
A8 Moondog's Symphony 2 (Sagebrush)
A9 Rabbit Hop
A10 Rimshot
A11 Snaketime Rhythm
B1 Instrumental Round
B2 Double Bass Duo
B3 Why Spend The Dark Night With You
B4 All Is Loneliness
B5 Snaketime Rhythm
B6 Dragon's Teeth
B7 Oboe Round
B8 Be A Hobo
B9 Dog Trot
B10 Oasis
C1 Avenue Of The Americas
C2 2 W 46th Street
C3 Lullaby (2 W 46th Street)
C4 Fog On The Hudson (425 W 57th Street)
C5 Utsu
C6 On And Off The Beat
C7 Chant
C8 From One To Nine
C9 Improvisation In 4/4
C10 Enough About Human Rights!
C11 Viking 1
C12 Rimshot
D1 Chaconne In G Major
D2 Oasis
D3 Invocation
Credits
Compiled By ? Edwin Pouncey, Howard Williams, Mark Ainley
Design ? Will Bankhead
Liner Notes ? Edwin Pouncey
Photography [Cover] ? Bettmann/Corbis
Notes
Compilation of early Moondog EPs and 10"s.
Comes in gatefold sleeve.
