what do you look for in a good spoken word album?
 

So, I have pages and pages of things I want to say and I talked to this guy at this label and we've decided scissor shock is going to release a spoken word album.

The thing is though... I have no idea how to do this... what do you look for in a good spoken word album? I mean, obviously, I shouldn't stutter, the recording should be clear, but what about background noise? Should I get rid of all static? Should I leave some clutter? What's the ideal length? I was thinknig a half an hour. Also, and this is perhaps the strangest question, how do I "market" this? Should I even release it as a scissor shock release?

Just gimme some ideas on what you'd like to hear if you were to hear it and I'll do the rest...

Get a decent writer reading their own stuff. I can listen to Burroughs all day doing his own spoken word stuff.

Oh, I dunno if I'm a decent writer, but I'm reading it all... should I do weird voices or read it completely monotone...

Do it in yer natual voice - I think that always sounds best.

thanks.

Obviously keep music in the background but remember to make your voice the main point.

With the music, it also needs to go with the story, reflect the mood of the writing with the music. For example, the new Patti Smith and Kevin Shields album does this good, when Patti gets more intense with her poem, Kevin Shields guitar gets more louder and abrasive. So yeah, make the music reflect the writing (even though William Burroughs doesn't do this, when did lounge jazz go with stories of heroin addiction? haha).

And you should release it as Scissor Shock, considering how you say that every album is different. :)

I like the track by Steven j Bernstein , on Sub Pop 200 , it's full of anger and rythm and other things , unlike Prison , where he seems to have a nap.

Tom Waits style, for sure. A nice little clarinet solo in the background as you recite Bukowski.

I could even feature on the album with my awesome Scottish accent hahaha

Haha I think I'm going to release it as Robe actually because it's a bit darker than what shock usually releases, plus I think kyle wants to do a spoken word thing too.

Thanks for your ideas though.

Do the exact opposite of everything NPR does.

Listen to some Ken Nordine.

If you don't know, you're not. Seriously. I don't have a problem with people writing shit lyrics (not that you necessarily do) because a decent melody will save a terrible lyric.

But... just don't. If you're at all unsure about whether you're a good writer, then the simple fact is you're a shit writer, or you're not yet an adequate one. If you don't know what good writing is, then you'll never realise that the half-arsed spoken word record you did is shit. If you ever realise what good writing is, you'll absolutely hate and regret the spoken word record you did.

Besides which, you're far, far too young to be thinking about it. Honestly. If you listen to nothing else I say, DO NOT do a spoken word album.

Sorry, I didn't mean to say something I actually meant over the internet. Usual fatuous bollocks resuming presently.

im listening to SCG's dantes disneyland inferno, and thats a pretty cool spoken word album. strange noises and theatrical declamation

A successful spoken word album has to include at least one anecdote regarding your childhood experience of being sexually abused. So long as you have that covered, you're away.

Damn! He's 100% right, but still, did anyone neg rep this one?

have you ever heard dead city radio by william burroughs?

THAT is a good spoken word album

Do whatever the fuck you want, good or bad. Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.

(read: Glice is a cunt)

yeah do it if you want to. if you're a bad writer and it turns out bad, so what. at least you tried something new.