Allen Ginsberg CD Poetry Collection

by Allen Ginsberg

A collection of recordings written and read by one of the greatest literary and cultural figures of the 20th. The collection is accompanied by a special 64 page booklet containing the poems.



Upon the release of his first published work, Howl and Other Poems (1956), Allen Ginsberg became the unlikely force of a movement that would change a generation: art, literature, sex, love, family and politics. None would ever be seen the same way again. The Beat Generation was born. And with it, the legend of the free-spirited, rule-breaking, brillian group of friends Ginsberg kept close--Jack Keroac, William Burroughts, Gregory Corso and Neal Cassady.

Including Ginsberg’s two seminal works, Howl and Kaddish, as well as nearly two dozen other works, this collection celebrates a cultural icon who was of his time, ahead of his time, and whose legacy will transcend time. The collection includes such important works as:

Who Be Kind To, White Shroud, Footnote to Howl, Sunflower Sutra, America, Supermarket in California, My Sad Self, Wales Visitation, Sad Dust Glories, Plutonian Ode, My Green Automobile, Neal’s Ashes, Many Loves, The Names, September on Jessore Road, Father Death Blues, and more...

What makes this collection very special is the accompanying 64 page booklet featuring the text of the poems.

Genres: Poetry, Audiobook

64 pages, audio cd

First published November 23, 2004

About the author

Allen Ginsberg was a groundbreaking American poet and activist best known for his central role in the Beat Generation and for writing the landmark poem Howl. Born in 1926 in Newark, New Jersey, to Jewish parents, Ginsberg grew up in a household shaped by both intellectualism and psychological struggle. His father, Louis Ginsberg, was a published poet and a schoolteacher, while his mother, Naomi, suffered from severe mental illness, which deeply affected Ginsberg and later influenced his writing—most notably in his poem Kaddish.
As a young man, Ginsberg attended Columbia University, where he befriended other future Beat luminaries such as Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, and Neal Cassady. These relationships formed the core of what became known as the Beat Generation—a loose-knit group of writers and artists who rejected mainstream American values in favor of personal liberation, spontaneity, spiritual exploration, and radical politics.
Ginsberg rose to national prominence in 1956 with the publication of Howl and Other Poems, released by City Lights Books in San Francisco. Howl, an emotionally charged and stylistically experimental poem, offered an unfiltered vision of America’s underbelly. It included candid references to homosexuality, drug use, and mental illness—subjects considered taboo at the time. The poem led to an obscenity trial, which ultimately concluded in Ginsberg’s favor, setting a precedent for freedom of speech in literature.
His work consistently challenged social norms and addressed themes of personal freedom, sexual identity, spirituality, and political dissent. Ginsberg was openly gay at a time when homosexuality was still criminalized in much of the United States, and he became a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights throughout his life. His poetry often intertwined the personal with the political, blending confessional intimacy with a broader critique of American society.
Beyond his literary achievements, Ginsberg was also a dedicated activist. He protested against the Vietnam War, nuclear proliferation, and later, U.S. foreign policy in Latin America. He was present at many pivotal cultural and political moments of the 1960s and 1970s, including the 1968 Democratic National Convention and various countercultural gatherings. His spiritual journey led him to Buddhism, which deeply influenced his writing and worldview. He studied under Tibetan teacher Chögyam Trungpa and helped establish the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado.
Ginsberg’s later years were marked by continued literary output and collaborations with musicians such as Bob Dylan and The Clash. His poetry collections, including Reality Sandwiches, Planet News, and The Fall of America, were widely read and respected. He received numerous honors for his work, including the National Book Award for Poetry in 1974.
He died of liver cancer in 1997 at the age of 70. Today, Allen Ginsberg is remembered not only as a pioneering poet, but also as a courageous voice for free expression, social justice, and spiritual inquiry. His influence on American literature and culture remains profound and enduring.

Reviews

[Hilary Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

All I'm saying is, don't drive through your work parking lot with the windows rolled down while you listen to this.

[Kent Winward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Allen Ginsberg reads some of his most famous poems and it just goes to show that poetry is a medium that is meant for the ears, even more than the page. Kaddish, Howl, America and a whole host of his other poems make an appearance covering almost 40 years of his poetry. Well worth the listen.

[Kendall Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird, but interesting. The audio recordings are absolutely phenomenal for presenting Ginsberg's work.

[Uli Vogel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tried listening before falling asleep but he kept me wake for hours cause I was constantly.chuckling. People are complaining about his singing skills - well I feel that makes him even more loveable. He is timelessly awesome.

[Dean Oken · Rating 5 out of 5]

got really emotional listening to this. i ended up hiking to the top of mount tabor while ginsberg was reciting buddhist mantras and had a full breakdown over the beauty and wonders of this world

[David Cerruti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Allen Ginsberg reads his work to an audience. His rich and expressive voice is a joy to hear. It isn’t all profane ranting. Some is quite tender. Most pieces are introduced with a little story.

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mean, it's Ginsberg doing Ginsberg. And it's awesome. Though my ears did bleed a bit from the songs. That's pribably my only issue with this. The songs were awful.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were a few poems I absolutely loved and having him read them enhanced that, but overall I found most of them a little too raunchy.

[Casey Bell · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve heard better ‘poetry’ coming out of a Marine’s mouth while he was chewing someone out. I’m disappointed this is one of the loudest ‘voices’ of the Beat Generation, which is a far, far cry from the creative voices of the Lost Generation: Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. There are most certainly better representatives than Allen Ginsberg, at least I hope so.

My assessment is that it is just bad, but maybe that’s why it was popular. Ginsberg said: “first thought, best thought,” so maybe this is mostly just straight-out-of-the-head stream of consciousness type material. It’s chaotic, not creative, in my opinion.

[Marina]

i forgot allen ginsberg was canceled and i would cancel him all over again just for how trash 90% of this collection was, or at least wish that my friend’s dad had actually given him a little tap with his car back in Boulder all those years ago… maybe that would’ve knocked some sense into him.

anyways, i will always love the ecstasy of howl but hearing allen ginsberg’s theatre kid yelling about anything explicit for the sake of it and boring platitudes did nothing but irritate me. deserved cancellation and not worth listening after the first 40 mins. imo. like no reason on earth to listen past that

[Joy Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have an always been a Ginsburg fan. I think his use of sexual explicit content is overdone. However, I’m so glad I found this collection. It gave me an opportunity to hear the musician, the lover, the observer, the ranter, and, of course, the philosopher.

Today I will say he is probably in my top 10 poets. Thank you, Mr. Ginsberg for breaking the boundaries which still repress me.

[Sean Taylor]

this was super fun. feels like being present at a ginsberg live reading, poetry intercut with stories and music.

lots of classics ('howl' & 'sunflower sutra') along with gems i'd never heard. an old man looking back on his life. and a helluva life that was.

i enjoy coming back to the beats because (he and kerouac specifically) articulate a purpose I've always had & always forget.

[J.Istsfor Manity · Rating 4 out of 5]

An audiobook listen. Great poems—many canonical. But the musical interludes—especially Allen’s squawking goes beyond the diy/punk ethos—sometimes it’s just plain painful. It tapers off a bit at the end. But you come for the poems and all the best ones are here. Worth a listen, then reread the collections.

[Matthew Betashour · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of Allen Ginsberg and read/sung by him. I really enjoyed reading the work and then listening to Allen Ginsberg read it and seeing how our two reading styles differed. That being said I started reading them in his voice after a few of them but still a fun experience!

[Maggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Allen Ginsberg is not my cup of tea.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ginsberg by Ginsberg.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s lovely to hear a poet in his own voice, sounding his barbaric yawp.

[Scott Delgado · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was only really knew "HOWL," but this was a good introduction to Ginsberg's wordplay and humor as well. I enjoyed this.

[storytime · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this so much.

[Eithan · Rating 1 out of 5]

wanted to see if i'll like poetry but nope, still not my thing. Seems too damn crude & shallow

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

This poetry is so dated.

[Read Between The Lines · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my introduction to Allen Ginsberg. I wasn't sure if I liked it at first, but once he started singing, I was completely enchanted. Poetry in audiobook format definitely has a certain kick to it.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed most his takes on politics, America, family, death, and religion. The Supermarket, Bomb, Allah and Yahweh, America were some of my favorites. The sex stuff was pretty powerful too. He should stay away from music, though. A bit too blunt at times.

[Rene Low · Rating 4 out of 5]

In here there is some powerful poetry that fucks with the establishment and might just blow your mind. Not all of it resonated with me but the stuff that did really did.

[Lauren the Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

kind of a blast?

[Brandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

it's a little too obscene for me. not my kind of book. but I've read way worse