One of the twentieth century’s most defining voices gets a fitting tribute. Craft Recordings marks the centennial of Allen Ginsberg with a special vinyl reissue of his landmark 1959 spoken-word album ‘Howl and Other Poems’, originally released by Fantasy Records. The recording captures Ginsberg performing many of his most celebrated works, including the era-defining title poem “Howl.”
The reissue arrives September 4 on eco-friendly green blend vinyl, faithfully replicating the original 1959 package design. This is a limited edition pressing, available for pre-order now and streaming across digital platforms. The set draws from the Big Table reading at Chicago’s Shaw Festival, paired with additional sessions recorded at Fantasy Studios in San Francisco.
The performances crackle with energy. Alongside “Howl,” the album gathers celebrated works including “America,” “Sunflower Sutra,” “A Supermarket in California,” and “Footnote to Howl,” preserving the radical candor, urgency, humor, and musicality of Ginsberg’s early readings.
The history behind the work runs deep. Born June 3, 1926, in Newark, Ginsberg found himself at the center of a 1957 obscenity trial after City Lights published the collection, and the court’s decision affirming the poem’s literary importance became a landmark victory for free expression in America. The continued publication helped establish the Beat Generation as a major cultural movement, alongside writers including Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, and Gary Snyder.
Ginsberg’s reach extended far beyond the page. His friendships and collaborations with Bob Dylan, Philip Glass, Patti Smith, and Paul McCartney forged lasting connections between poetry and popular music. In 2019, his recording of “Howl” was selected for preservation in the Library of Congress National Recording Registry, a recognition of its enduring cultural and historical importance. Seventy years on, the work continues to challenge, inspire, and resonate.
Track Listing:
Side A
Howl (Live at Shaw Festival, Chicago, IL / January 29, 1959)
The Sunflower Sutra
Footnote to Howl
Side B
A Supermarket in California
Transcription of Organ Music
America
In Back of the Real
Strange Cottage in Berkeley
Europe, Europe
Kaddish