JACK KEROUAC'S STORY IN MUSIC
by Jason Gross and John Grady (May 1998)
What kind of author today would command a tribute from a group of respected artists? Bruce Sterling certainly has a good imagination but honestly, can you say that such professional hacks as Anne Rice or Stephen King command a range as diverse and awe-inspiring as a real poet/writer like Jack Kerouac? Would they have such varied artists as performance art terrorist Lydia Lunch, Aerosmith's Steve Tyler, R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe, gonzo God Hunter S. Thompson, old buddies and literary giants William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg and Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Clash singer Joe Strummer, Patti Smith, John Cale, Hollywood actors Johnny Depp, Richard Lewis and Matt Dillon, Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, Juliana Hatfield, Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, members of Sonic Youth and perpetual bad-boy Warren Zevon? The answer should be obvious.Kicks Joy Darkness is a tribute album to Kerouac, put out by Rykodisc, including all of these performers. In tribute to Kerouac and this unique CD, we have:
- John Grady's detailed account of Kicks Joy Darkness.
- A brief interview with Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth (who was the associate producer of the CD)
- John's interview with project co-ordinator Jim Sampas.
Also see our 2021 tribute to the musical legacy/influence of Kerouac
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