Album Details

• Artist: Brion Gysin
• Album: Live In London 1982
• Label: SubRosa
• Year of Release: 2007
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2007-07-30

Brion Gysin, "Live in London 1982" 2007 (Sub Rosa)

A mix of poetry and surprisingly hip jazz/funk improvisations are what you might expect from the inventor of the cut-up method of writing. Gysin was a friend to and influence on the Beats, especially William S. Burroughs. While this concert seems more a celebration of his daring days rather than a taste of current daring, it works both as document and on its own merits. Fresh takes on famous pieces like "Minutes to go" and "Cut-Ups" show a sense of humor and whimsy that were apparent in the originals, but work better now since whimsy and humor are not part of the Hip bag of tricks these days; Gysin reminds his audience that it is cool to be a joker too.

Members of the Slits, Rip, Rig and Panic and Penguin Café Orchestra provide smart grooves to "Ad Lib" and "Ahead, Ahead: 93 Million Miles Away," grooves that update and celebrate the days when music and poetry mixed un-self-consciously and with power.

Almost forgotten these days, Gysin was a writer, painter, musicologist, philosopher and all-around secret pulse of much of the mid-20^th century avant-garde.

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