Post #357884 by BC-Da-Da on Tue, Jan 29, 2008 1:26 PM

Hi Sven,

[1] It was great to hear your take on the '80s tiki or exotica happenings. I, of course, feel like you, Otto, Shag and Combustible Edison gave this culture a really defined vernacular for artists and thinkers to pick up on. It's been good to have people who are into the bohemian aspect, as much as the pure fun and the artistry. It makes for a rounded view of tiki. I am planning on interviewing Stuart Sweezy for my beatnik book, as I'm doing a chapter on '80s and '90s bohemia, dealing with many facets from social protest to coffeehouse to experimental art, dandy-ism and all that stuff. Which brings me to your second question...

[2] I do deal with Buddy Collette in my "Beat Generation in Los Angeles" book... in two chapters, actually. And I love that "Polynesia" album. I probably won't deal with that album directly in the book, only because the book is not as much about recording studio material as it is about clubs, coffeehouses, art galleries, journalism and happenings in the '50s. But I guarantee the album will warrant mention right next to other word jazz favorites of the time. Amongst the better word jazz material from that time are: the Jack Kerouac/Steve Allen LP, the "San Francisco Poetry Scene" album, Ken Nordine's "Word Jazz" and "Son of Word Jazz," as well as Al Jazzbo Collins' "East Coast Jazz Scene." Also, any of the Slim Gaillard, Harry the Hipster Gibson and Lord Buckly albums from the '50s really swing, though they three tend to be more in the comedy vein... hip speak a little more pronounced.

I also like Kenneth Patchen's word jazz records, and of course, "How to Speak Hip" by Del Close and John Brent. Oscar Brown Jr.'s "Tales of Manhattan" is also that middle ground between camp and hip. But as far as L.A. word jazz from the '50s goes, you are right about "Polynesia"... I would say that that album, plus "Eden's Island" by Eden Ahbez were the top two coming out of this area. I only wish more of those Venice poets were recorded back in the day.

I've already been thinking that an L.A. beatnik album cover and event poster book needs to come on the heels of this current one, but these books take so long to germinate. You know how that is. It took me three years to finish "Dumb Angel #4," then about two and half more to finish "Pop Surf Culture," which I just saw that Santa Monica Press has slated for June, 2008. So hopefully this beatnik one won't take quite as long. But I really appreciate your input on the '80s exotica thing. It's a small part of an overall chapter that includes a lot of hip culture, but I felt like it was an important subject.

In "Pop Surf Culture," I tried to deal with '80s bohemian artwork in surfing, and it boiled down to about three sentences talking about a few early Coop surf drawings, some event flyers that harkened back to the surf-beatnik drawings of the '50s... and maybe a few guys that were successfully melding socio-political statements with a Mad magazine aesthetic. But it was tough, because it seemed like anything hand-drawn or campy was looked down upon for most of the '70s and at least the first half of the '80s. I've just been getting into Throbbing Gristle, Lydia Lunch and Cabaret Voltaire... what a breath of fresh air.