Moondog
Louis "Moondog" Hardin was one of the greatest geniuses of the 20th century. A New York street performer of the 1950s, he composed string quartets, symphonies and operas, but mainly surreal vignettes for orchestra and home-made instruments. His works encompass everything that was known and a lot of what was still unknown. He virtually invented every single genre of rock, electronic and world music.
The German Years 1977-1999
The first disc is an anthology of the music Moondog made in Germany, after moving there in 1974. The second is a recording of his last concert, on 1 August 1999. Both are excellent and amazing examples of Moondog's skills. Excellent notes and photographs.
Story of Moondog
3rd LP from NYC street performer & avant-garde/minimalist composer, originally released in 1957. Perhaps the least accessible of his early releases, this album is made up of percussive jams, usually on instruments of his own creation, street sounds, poetry, & Far East melodies, despite opening w/ a swinging number that is, oddly, the most bizarre thing on the album.
The Viking of 6th Avenue - The Authorized Biography
Here is one of the most improbable lives of the 20th century: a blind and homeless man who became a famous eccentric in New York, and who rose to prominence as an internationally respected music presence. Born Louis Thomas Hardin in 1916, Moondog first made an impression in the late ’40s when his music was played by the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall. His unique, melodic compositions were released on the Prestige jazz label. In the late ’60s the Viking-garbed Moondog was a pop music sens…