Dylan Thomas: The Caedmon Collection

by Dylan Thomas, Billy Collins (Introduction)

On February 22, 1952, Dylan Thomas made his first recording for Caedmon Records, "A Child's Christmas in Wales and Five Poems. It was the first of many albums Thomas was to record for Caedmon. This recording launched not only Caedmon, but the spoken-word industry as well.

Here, at long last, in celebration of 50 years of spoken-word publishing, Caedmon presents "Dylan Thomas: The Caedmon Collection.

This collection includes Thomas' poetry: "Fern Hill" and "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night," his prose: "Adventures in the Skin Trade and "Quite Early One Morning, and his final work -- "Under Milk Wood, a play. The recording of "Under Milk Wood included here is the only one in existence with Dylan Thomas in the cast. It owes its remarkable existence to the serendipitous placement of a microphone at center stage minutes before the curtain was raised.

Genres: Poetry

Audio CD

First published February 1, 2002

About the author

Dylan Marlais Thomas (1914-1953) was a Welsh poet who wrote in English. Many regard him as one of the 20th century's most influential poets.

In addition to poetry, Thomas wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, with the latter frequently performed by Thomas himself. His public readings, particularly in America, won him great acclaim; his booming, at times, ostentatious voice, with a subtle Welsh lilt, became almost as famous as his works. His best-known work includes the "play for voices" Under Milk Wood and the celebrated villanelle for his dying father, "Do not go gentle into that good night." Appreciative critics have also noted the superb craftsmanship and compression of poems such as "In my craft or sullen art" and the rhapsodic lyricism of Fern Hill.

Reviews

[Brian MacAskill · Rating 5 out of 5]

How many of your heroes will you hear? Most are dead.

This one was still alive, not in my lifetime (though terribly close), but through the wonders of modern technology I understand more of him, because I have heard his voice alive.

[Pelican Rapids · Rating 3 out of 5]

only listened to first couple of discs because they were out of order