Marianne Faithfull and Gregory Corso, together in his last days – January 5, 6 and 7, 2001, in Robbinsdale, Minneapolis (Gregory died ten days later), recorded by Michael Minzer , produced by Michael Minzer, Hal Willner and Marianne Faithfull, and released, in 2006, under the title Lieders, on Minzer’s Paris Records.
Minzer: “This CD consists of recordings that were not included on the (earlier) Gregory Corso Die On Me release”…””Lieders” was a title he (Gregory) suggested for the original album.”
Marianne: “I speak with the voice of Allen Ginsberg” – “I speak in the voice of Allen Ginsberg. You’ve always.. Yes, yes, yes. Allen always told you you should do this with Hal, now you’re doing it, and you’re not getting out of it – no way, you little fucker…”
Lieders opens with random unedited conversation. Gregory to Hal: “Will you do me a favor? Open this here for me, the whisky, and pour it in here…” – Marianne to Gregory: “I hear you’ve been gambling a lot, darling” – Gregory: “I love it, I win” – Gregory to Michael: “Take me gambling”. The opening cut (recorded conversation) can be accessed here.
Conversation continues – Gregory regales Marianne with tales of Greek mythology [this is from Die On Me] – “I love Greek mythology” – Gregory: I would be so happy if the Angel (Marianne) would do my poetry…” – Marianne: Well I don’t know if you’ll like the way I read them” – Gregory: “I like you and you like me, we’re similar in a way… “The goodies remain, the rest of the crap is culled out..”
Marianne reads Gregory’s “No arrangement was made” (this one, similarly, from the Die On Me collection – as is “Getting To The Poem” (“I have lived by the grace of Jews and girls…”))
From Lieders, she (Marianne) reads Nevermore Baltimore, Thoughts Concerning Sickness, Many Have Fallen, Conversation in Taos (“The nicest place, I was ever nice at was Fort Bliss..”), New Poem Title Unknown – (“I’m not like him [like Allen], I’m straight”), and The Doubt of Truth (“In the Muse there is no rest home..” – Gregory: “That’s right, there ain’t no rest home, there’s no Old Poets Rest Home..” – Marianne ruefully agrees).