Talking Rain

Spoken Word & Music from the Pacific Northwest (Tim/Kerr)
by Ryk McIntyre

Listening to this CD should convince you, no… should propel you to get out and experience Spoken Word entertainment yourself. Much like punk rock introduced fun and excitement back into music, so does Spoken Word firmly put the boot to dull academic readings of duller poets who act Groelleir-Than-Thou. And this collection of artists from the Pacific Northwest kicks that butt. Kicks it, I tell you!

With 18 tracks total, this CD has few low points. Personally, I found “Philadelphia Love” by Wille Smith and Free Bass Explosion to be tired old beat misogyny, the kind of cliché that make people bored of poetry. Just not my thing. Sorry, Willie.

Other than that, the treats here are many and varied. That I think the women generally come off better that the men may just be my prejudice, but damn! Katherine Dunn‘s “American Dozens,” Alyssa Burrow‘s “Reformation” and “The Predicament” and Melody Jordan‘s “Train Wreck”? My, my, my, it doesn’t get much better than this. Anywhere. Even Leanne Grabel‘s “Mommy,” which could be written off as just a Laurie Anderson/Jane Siberry thang, rises above, stakes it’s own territory, quietly owns it.

So that you don’t think men poets suck (oh my… is that a straight line…) you must heed Don Wilson‘s “Jammin’ at the Halo” with it’s spooky groove, or Adam Parfey‘s “Special Weapons and Tactics.” Finally, Pete Miser‘s “One Tall Glass of Wine” shows off a great structure as well as a muscular set of lips. (Try, just try reciting his poem yourself. Ouch! Tied tongue city!)

Two interesting additions are filmmaker Gus Van Sant (Drugstore Cowboy; My Own Private Idaho, and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues) and Ken Kesey. Yes, that Ken Kesey. Just goes to show, ya never know who you’ll meet walking down Poetry Street.