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William S. Burroughs and the Cult of Rock 'n' Roll

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William S. Burroughs and the Cult of Rock 'n' Roll

By: Casey Rae
Narrated by: Ian Putnam
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About this listen

A history of the writer’s impact on some of the biggest names in rock music from the Beatles to Bowie and his role as a secret architect in the genre.

William S. Burroughs’ fiction and essays are legendary—but his influence on music’s counterculture has been less well-documented until now. Examining how one of America’s most controversial literary figures altered the destinies of many notable and varied musicians, William S. Burroughs and the Cult of Rock ‘n’ Roll reveals the transformations in music history that can be traced to Burroughs.

A heroin addict and a gay man, Burroughs rose to notoriety outside the conventional literary world; his masterpiece, Naked Lunch, was banned on the grounds of obscenity, but its nonlinear structure was just as daring as its content. Casey Rae brings to life Burroughs’ parallel rise to fame among daring musicians of the 1960s, ‘70s, and ‘80s when it became a rite of passage to hang out with the author or to experiment with his cutup techniques for producing revolutionary lyrics (as the Beatles and Radiohead did). Whether they tell of him exploring the occult with David Bowie, providing Lou Reed with gritty depictions of street life, or counseling Patti Smith about coping with fame—the stories of Burroughs’ backstage impact will transform the way you see America’s cultural revolution and the way you hear its music.

©2019 University of Texas Press (P)2022 Casey Rae
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Critic reviews

“[Rae] writes with the passion of a teenager discovering new sounds and the control and self-assuredness of a seasoned academic...William S. Burroughs and the Cult of Rock ‘n’ Roll celebrates not only the gifted mind and bizarre life of a writer who changed literature forever with his magic and ideas, it also finally gives him the place he deserves in the pantheon of rock and roll.” (NPR)

“William S. Burroughs was as much a quiet rock star as he was an artist or a writer. His inroads into audio, spoken word, and music created paths that we still follow. Casey Rae’s book is a labor of love that offers a map to understanding Burroughs’ complex relationship to music and other art forms.” (Chris Stein, co-founder of Blondie)

“[A] fascinating new book...Rae is an engaging storyteller and often an enlightening one...I’m grateful for Rae’s study and recommend it highly not only to those (still) interested in Burroughs and rock music, but to anyone curious about the possibilities for creative synergy between the arts.” (Journal of Popular Music Studies)

What listeners say about William S. Burroughs and the Cult of Rock 'n' Roll

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well written and read

A great exposition on Willaim Burroughs' influence on and relationships with many of music's greatest iconoclasts from Lou Reed through David Bowie to Kurt Cobain. We also come across such key cult luminaries such as Genesis P Orrodge along the way.

it also documents Burroughs own life. The prose is lively and is well read. The sort of book you want to recommend to others too.

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excellent essay

I had only a passing familiarity with William Burroughs’ work largely through his interactions with the rock world, so this was an excellent entree into his wide ouevre. Very well written thoughtful, imaginatively and stylishly put together and well narrated too.

The Naked Lunch here we come!

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