Songs Of Innocence And Experience

VINYL FORMAT. The original volume of William Blake's collection of poems Songs Of Innocence And Experience Showing the Two Contrary States Of The Human Soul was published in 1789 and since then many have tried their hand at putting some of his 'songs' to music, including poet Allen Ginsberg who believed that Blake himself had originally intended for his poems to be sung. Ginsberg also believed that by studying their meter and verse he could roughly figure out how Blake would have performed them. This album then, originally released in 1970 on Verve, is the result of his efforts. Here Ginsberg sings -- as well as plays the piano and harmonium -- on the 21 'songs', accompanied by partner Peter Orlovsky, and jazz musicians Don Cherry (finger cymbals, trumpet, wood flute, sleigh bells, beaded gourd), Bob Dorough (harpsichord, organ), Cyril Caster (guitar, trumpet), Hanet Zeitz (flute), Jon Sholle (drums), and Herman Wright (bass)