Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, William Burroughs and the Cut-Ups Writing Technique

Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, William Burroughs and the Cut-Ups Writing Technique

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Lou Reed was deeply by the the work of  Bob Dylan and Willam Burroughs

What did Lou have to say about Burroughs?

"Reed said Burroughs was "the person who broke the door down... he alone had the energy to explore the interior psyche without a filter."

"Burroughs changed my vision of what you could write about, how you could."

How did Burroughs feel about Lou Reed.

"Bill really liked Lou Reed because when I took

him to the Bunker, Lou was very witty and he asked pointed questions in just the right way," Bockris said, adding that Burroughs made a point to note "how sharp he thought Lou was."

These quotes come from William Burroughs And The Cult of Rock N Roll.

https://www.rocknrollburroughs.com

Her is the first chapter of this book wich is helpful.

https://www.rocknrollburroughs.com/interzone/2018/1/11/introduction1 I

Take a Walk on The Wild Side is heavily  influenced by Burroughs. 

Junkie by Burroughs a raw account of heroin addiction struck Lou hard. Needless to say you can guess who influenced Heroin

The link next link below takes you to transcripts of Lou with Burroughs and other Beats and was recorded at the Bunker on I believe Canal street in NYC where Lou was a frequent guest of Burroughs begining in 1979.

https://www.reddit.com/r/LouReed/comments/hbp4nl/excerpts_from_lou_reed_meets_william_burroughs/

 Many artists have used thus techniques such as including Patti Smith, , Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Kurt Cobain....And of course Lou and Dylan others. 

Often artists will not share their toolbag of tricks they use in the creative process. But trust me they do because it can jumpstart the creative process. 

The next text is Bob Dylan explains Burroughs Cut-Up technique. This is rare footage from 1965 that was not included in Don't Look Back.

https://www.reddit.com/r/LouReed/comments/hbp4nl/excerpts_from_lou_reed_meets_william_burroughs/

Finally I did a Cut-Up using Dylans work. I share this because it gives an example of someone using the technique. I am not that gifted here but maybe as an example it is helpful because whatever came out here good or bad came put of this technique. 

This is from the prose dialogue below but explains the textual sources used.

"Burroughs said," I took the Lord's Prayer, Tibetan mantra, a Rimbaud poem and Dylan's All Along the Watchtower, put them in a pot off on low boil overnight and stirred."

Finally give the links above to some sources used so others interested could look for themselves at decide for themselves the meaning instead me saying this is this or that the only understanding with validity comes from one's own experience,  not whatever it means to  me.

If oyers know more about cut-ups, Burroughs abd Dylan please share and correct me if I have made any mistakes. 

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Spirit Rises Liberation Cut-Up #9

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As I walked out into the day, snow glittered, sun blinded me, and I heard a voice.

"You must cut up the words from their fixed positions, liberate and release them in space."

I could not find the source of the voice as I became lost in clouds in the blue sky. 

You must release language from the prison of grammar."

Aging I looked around, there was no one.

Then looking into the sun saw a figure descend and I shuttered.

It was William Burroughs with a shotgun, shooting cans of paint, which colored the clouds a sunset of rainbow colors.

" Language is a virus, you must cut up and release the words, unshackle yourself from words and language, cut-up the text and read between the lines, in the silent spaces, release."

So then mantra intertwined with text as this is what was written across the sky as far as I could see.

Visual language, dancing Vowels and consonants, the words were stirred and then freed from grammar, syntax, and any fixed designation. 

Final words from Burroughs.

"This world is a lifeboat, a spaceship, human species, stop shitting in your own bed."

Then he disappeared into the sunset.

The words, Vowels, consonants, weaved in a spiral and dissolved into a dot. 

No more words.

Release

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Dylan Spirit Liberation Cut-Up #80

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OM - Lord - Dylan - Hung - PHAT

BOB brilliant spoke - paths of - life mercy - Along barefoot Silences. 

Omega you - Surely - can’t - anger - the - black - blood -vapours - shadow - alchemy - death - rays - cruel crossed - World's - mysterious - pestilence 

Outside wind Servants - kept - black tents - along - the - violet - green - waves - distance - seas - waters

Written - vowels - origins - Lord - strange - smile - maketh - this proud shepherd - leadeth - me - through - green - wild - pastures

The - thief - preparest - the - white Angels - table - and - wine

kings - and - a - studious joker - spat - divine - reason

sounds waves - kindly - women - princes - animals - runneth  - raptures - valley 

OM - VAJRAPANI - restoreth - Me - life - drink - cup

Thou dwell - in - me - piercing - sublime - peace - shadow - soul

Thy - Businessmen - Trumpet - riders - lie - Anointest - enemies - confusion 

Rimbaud - smells - blue - viridian - red - white - velvety - Excited - beautiful - parsley - Vowels

he - shall - know - the - rod - while - he - fear - his - Plowmen - goodness

Cow - Eyes - falsely - comfort - thief - staff - lips - Dotted - oil - art - view - smile

my - shivers - growl - among - my - wildcat - glaciers - house - flies - Watchtower

I - follow approaching - Whiteness - feel - fate - joke - Shuddering  - righteousness- peace - presence - mercy - relief 

mine - head of life - purples - me - will - with - His - lances - watchtower

my - days - print - out - began - with - OM - Mani - Pad - WAGI - O - E - O - U - E - O - U - A - SWARI - HUNG

By - All - Yea - want - But - through - me - leadeth us - down  your - broad - buzz foreheads walk - still - many - prepares - the - earth - furrows -full - howl

I - did - what - one - let - me - While the - Gulfs - around - and - over - earth - came - beside - my - cup

I - must - dig - before - late line - hour - furrows - the - dayI 1

all - of - life - is - many - All - is - None - Two - 

is - the - name's - relief - I - shall - talk - along - of - our - worth - but - tell - of - too - much - for - my - sake - and - no - no - HUNG

OM - Lord - Dylan - Hung - PHAT

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There were some other words left in Burroughs hat, but I was weary of my task. 

Borroughs then appeared and said, "That is a start, but much more left to do. 

I said," Where did those words come from? "

Burroughs said," I took the Lord's Prayer, Tibetan mantra, a Rimbaud poem and Dylan's All Along the Watchtower, put them in a pot off on low boil overnight and stirred."

" Then the words were separated, laid out to dry, until there was nothing left to say." 

I said Burroughs, " I have no idea what any of this means 

He looked deep in my eyes and said "You will," and disappeared, and I happily went to bed falling into a deep sleep. 

I dreamed of Burroughs crying about losing one of his cats. 

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Assembled by David Arndt on New Years Day 2020.

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Images Lou Reed and Burroughs and Ginsburg and Dylan. Images David S. Wills

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