This is unbearably moving; not only near the deathly knuckle, it faces death unflinchingly and even celebrates our greatest teacher, which so often seems like our greatest enemy.I am in awe at the truth of this song, so direct and so profound.
This is the best version of Father Death Blues. The tempo is slower than most of the other recordings, and I feel like those lingering, drawn out notes really add another meloncholy level to the already meloncholy song, as though it's saying that no matter how fast we run from it, death will always be just behind us, slowly creeping yet somehow always gaining ground. Also, Ginsberg slips up and says, "black" in front of a about a hundred black people. That's just funny. :)
I remember he performed this on a populer Irish chat show in the early 90's.I was watching it with my grandmother and she said why did they bring that depressing man on ?
While a shruti box is similar (in terms of having a hand-pump move air through reeds), a shruti doesn't have a keyboard to change notes. It has little switches/flaps so you can set your notes before starting a song, but a shruti is used to play a constant drone, the same harmonizing notes throughout a song. Ginsberg is playing a harmonium with an actual keyboard, and is (slowly) changing chords through the song.
"Indian lap organs" are called "harmoniums" as well. Harmonium refers to reed-organs (vice pipe-organs) powered by pumped air. Europeans tend to be familiar with the big foot-pumped ones, while in India the locals adopted the small lap-size portable harmoniums that missionaries used and brought them into Indian music. Check out the Wikipedia "Harmonium" article.
Excuse me? I am not criticising Alan Ginsberg here. I really like this performance. And children are children and they need lots of sleep. Besides that, if you had taken the trouble to view some of my U2b-page, you would know I am a creator myself indeed. And so what? Are only creators allowed to criticize? Wake up, mister.
@inauspiciousominous This is not "odd." That which is "odd" is by definition, "out of the ordinary." But we must understand that "ordinary," being used to define what should/should not be done in a moment of grief is far too blanket of a theorem. Death is the great black manifestation that none of us know anything about. How then can we grieve appropriately of that which we know nothing about?
![Allen Ginsberg - Interview + [May 1994]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/MITgcs_-rHU/mqdefault.jpg)
![Allen Ginsberg - Interview + [May 1994]](/img/tr.png)
This is unbearably moving; not only near the deathly knuckle, it faces death unflinchingly and even celebrates our greatest teacher, which so often seems like our greatest enemy.I am in awe at the truth of this song, so direct and so profound.
This is the best version of Father Death Blues. The tempo is slower than most of the other recordings, and I feel like those lingering, drawn out notes really add another meloncholy level to the already meloncholy song, as though it's saying that no matter how fast we run from it, death will always be just behind us, slowly creeping yet somehow always gaining ground.
Also, Ginsberg slips up and says, "black" in front of a about a hundred black people. That's just funny. :)
I remember he performed this on a populer Irish chat show in the early 90's.I was watching it with my grandmother and she said why did they bring that depressing man on ?
i sob every time
This is a beautiful song - thanks for posting :)
That's a deep heart soul song by a great Hu brew wise man. Thank you. Love Always Hu Ra-kalam
so beautiful
While a shruti box is similar (in terms of having a hand-pump move air through reeds), a shruti doesn't have a keyboard to change notes. It has little switches/flaps so you can set your notes before starting a song, but a shruti is used to play a constant drone, the same harmonizing notes throughout a song. Ginsberg is playing a harmonium with an actual keyboard, and is (slowly) changing chords through the song.
dear god. such beauty
Oh wow... thank you so much for uploading this.
I saw Allen read about a year before he left the body. The world is poorer for his leaving and richer for his having been with us...
Adembenemend Thanks VPRO !
sublime
Love this blues.
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It's a harmonium, just a smaller version of it.
And the chords are:
A
D
A, E, A
i wish he was still around....
He's such an inspired poet. I just think though that his occasional vulgarity doesn't do to his own work the justice it deserves.
so much
"Indian lap organs" are called "harmoniums" as well. Harmonium refers to reed-organs (vice pipe-organs) powered by pumped air. Europeans tend to be familiar with the big foot-pumped ones, while in India the locals adopted the small lap-size portable harmoniums that missionaries used and brought them into Indian music. Check out the Wikipedia "Harmonium" article.
We are our bodies and nothing more. Death is real.
@cdylan He will always be with us in spirit!
We call them harmoniums as well :)
@goaitsenvandervliet yes also called a shruti box i believe
a Harmonium can be either big and foot pedaled, or small and hand bellowed, it's the same concept, same name. check the Wikipedia article.
Oddio, ma quella era Nanda fra il pubblico? Nanda... spero tu sia con Ginsberg ora, e Fabrizio ovviamente... un abbraccio a tutti voi, amici.
I have a harmonium without pedals, which is larger than his. Operated by bellows, but far too large for the lap.
Excuse me? I am not criticising Alan Ginsberg here. I really like this performance. And children are children and they need lots of sleep. Besides that, if you had taken the trouble to view some of my U2b-page, you would know I am a creator myself indeed. And so what? Are only creators allowed to criticize? Wake up, mister.
@inauspiciousominous This is not "odd." That which is "odd" is by definition, "out of the ordinary." But we must understand that "ordinary," being used to define what should/should not be done in a moment of grief is far too blanket of a theorem. Death is the great black manifestation that none of us know anything about. How then can we grieve appropriately of that which we know nothing about?
A harmonium is much bigger and has pedals, to be pushed by feet, not by hands.
Anybody know what that instrument is? I want to say it's a harmonium..?
Me guzta mutxo alen ginber xd xd LOL
It's an Indian lap organ.
Harmonium
Disrespectful for the children you mean?
Why disrespectful? You know that Ginsberg narrated the film, yes? Your comment's superficial and for want of a better word, .......