Description

William S Burroughs – The Elvis Of Letters – Vinyl Record

William S. Burroughs’ The Elvis of Letters, released in 1985, is a distinctive spoken-word album that merges Burroughs’ groundbreaking writing style with the avant-garde production of filmmaker and musician Gus Van Sant. This collaboration came at a time when Burroughs, already a countercultural icon, was expanding his influence beyond literature and into new art forms. The album serves as an auditory experience of Burroughs’ worldview, showcasing his voice against minimalist, often haunting soundscapes created by Van Sant. The result is a deeply engaging record that allows listeners to step directly into Burroughs’ world of surrealism, social critique, and dark humor.

Burroughs’ voice on The Elvis of Letters carries a hypnotic quality that enhances his signature themes. Known for his dry, raspy delivery, Burroughs transforms each line into a performance, layering his prose with intensity and a sardonic edge. Van Sant’s backing soundscapes, often sparse and ambient, create a dissonant, dreamlike environment that amplifies Burroughs’ words without overshadowing them. This approach lets Burroughs’ narratives feel close, almost conspiratorial, as he dives into existential themes and societal reflections.

The album includes pieces like “Word is Virus,” where Burroughs explores his theory that language itself is a controlling force, an almost viral element that shapes human behavior in insidious ways. Burroughs, fascinated by the mechanics of control, dissects how language can be a form of power and manipulation. Another piece, “Millions of Images,” moves into Burroughs’ surreal, free-associative style, bringing listeners into his experience of altered states and media-saturated consciousness. With each track, Burroughs builds a picture of modern life as deeply flawed, strange, and teetering on the edge of absurdity.

The Elvis of Letters dives into the realms Burroughs often explored in his novels and essays: addiction, control, surveillance, and the hollow nature of consumer culture. The piece “The Hipster Be-Bop Junkie” examines the beat and jazz scenes with Burroughs’ characteristic dark humor, blending elements of nostalgia with a cynical edge. By referencing 1950s counterculture alongside his observations of 1980s modernity, Burroughs paints a picture of cultural continuity—where rebellion morphs but never fades, and countercultural icons become woven into the fabric of history.

Burroughs’ work also draws on his own life experiences, as someone who grappled with addiction, alienation, and the often chaotic world of underground art. His writing, which has always had a prophetic and almost dystopian vision, finds new life in this auditory format, allowing his thoughts to breathe in a new medium. This album connects his work with the budding experimental and alternative movements of the 80s, bringing Burroughs’ voice to listeners who might not have encountered his books but were immersed in the music scene.

The Elvis of Letters is both a testament to Burroughs’ influence on spoken-word performance and a landmark in the evolution of multimedia art in the 1980s. His unique, unapologetic voice had already inspired writers and artists, but this album brought him into the experimental audio space, influencing the world of spoken word and setting the stage for future collaborations between writers and musicians. The record was influential in showing how literary work could translate into a musical context, preserving the writer’s core message while adding new layers of interpretation through sound.

Burroughs’ work here continues to appeal to those who seek boundary-pushing, thought-provoking art. In this album, he not only critiques but inhabits the counterculture he helped create, becoming a voice for rebellion and intellectual curiosity in an era increasingly defined by consumerism and conformity. The Elvis of Letters endures as an essential piece of Burroughs’ legacy, capturing the voice of a true outsider whose ideas remain relevant to fans of both literature and avant-garde music.

Song List
1. Burroughs Break
2. Word Is Virus
3. Millions Of Images
4. Hipster Be-bop Junkie, The