When Darryl Read and Ray Manzarek called forth the Beat Defenders for a revolution, I don't think they expected someone to come forth in their Sunday best ready to do battle. Beat Poetry? I dismissed this, as I simply thought that it was associated with liberal politics. Those that are well known, are known for this, as presented by the media. This was reinforced when I went to a convention and a professor claimed to study under Allen Ginsberg. He proceeded to demonstrate beat poetry with a poisonous poem against Bush that used perverted facts, personal loathing and politics, in a disrespectful way. [For both the man and the office.] I and about a quarter of the attendee's over a period of five to ten minutes, walked out.

I unintentionally found other beat poetry when I started to study, The Doors. Their Greatest Hits album was not a very good indicator of their talent. In just a short while, I realized that the poetry of the lyrics was incredible! When I found, "The Unknown Soldier," I thought here we go, its anti-war, but I ended up viewing it as more a chronicling of that time. Then I found their "American Prayer" CD and little by little, beat poetry became to me a language all of its own, a unique poetic form combining poetry, music and performance. It became all too important to me.

With being grabbed by writing poetry, instead of worrying about being published, I decided to go the route of recording and even purchasing equipment to put together a studio. To me at the time, this was unique to me as I did entertain thoughts of combining my poetry with music and sound effects in the form of vignettes. Little did I know... Unfortunately, I had to sell most of my studio to keep my house, save for a Mackie 24-8 which would cost several thousand dollars to replace. It was like throwing my baby on that sword. Eventually, even if I have to scrap for years, my CD will be born as a product of my love. This pause hasn't been all bad and all experiences will figure into my poetic sound works. I have found a few excellent examples of Beat Poetry that is already recorded and plan to do as the doors did; incorporate a variety of styles, not imitations, to provide a unique experience for those that enjoy the performance.

I notice with with what I call beat, politics is not really in it very much. It uses an interpretation, very often the everyday, to bring attention to certain ideas and observations. Beat has its own ever changing descriptiveness, language and artistic mediums to bring forth the performers thoughts and even, challenge him.

They always don't sit well at first. When I heard Jim Morrison's, "Lament For My Cock," I was put off and skipped it. But I listen and work, so I started listening to all the other words, then I realized that there is a lot more going on with that work. Wallah! If you substitute the work cock with, "innocence," and the C-word with passion. You have an incredible poem that covers an often turbulent aspect of life. Many of the poems on that CD presents themselves like that. I would love to see, "An American Prayer," become a theatrical production. One sequence the poet becomes the rock star of The Doors, after their song, they stall as they yield to Martin Luther King's appearance on the poets podium. Bang! It isn't Jim who is shot on stage and that smell of gun powder adds to the sense of just what really happened. The crowd has its actors in it and there is a strange and unsettling contradiction of the bands crowd and Martin's.

Darryl Read is an English punk rock musician and beat poet. To me, Ray Manzarek is one of the most creative forces that I keep track of. I knew of his personal work, "The Whole Thing Started With Rock And Roll, It's Now Out of Control." I admired him for the creativity of that before I found out he was the organist for The Doors. Most of the emphasis is on Jim, but to me, Ray is his equal, separate in many senses but equal and both combined was the creative force behind The Doors.

Darryl and Ray also combined their forces to create two Cd's of beat poetry and I recommend them to the interested.

"Freshly Dug," is a combination of poetry written and read by Darryl and accompanied by Ray. It includes a variety of instruments such as the organ and piano to create the various, "atmospheres," that you will experience.

"Bleeding Paradise," is in the same vein, but it is strictly a voice and piano work. Darryl is very talented in his reading and Ray uses a variety of styles to heighten that beat mood. In a large sense, no matter the style, it is an improvisational act between the two as there is not a lot of overdubbing in the mix. This relationship is fantastic.

I also have to recommend Ian Anderson in his later works, "Ruppies Dance", and, "The Secret Language of Birds." One his Aqualung CD there is an interview and he expresses that as he became older and knew more of music, in order to keep it fresh as a musician, he had to let his talent evolve.

Darryl Read, Ray Manzarek and The Doors also maintain websites that you can go to, even participate.

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