AMERICA IS HARD TO FIND Poetry by Daniel Berrigan / ROCK MASS VA LP NM/NM Shrink

$

25

Condition: To my non US customers.  Do not ask me to falsify or alter customs forms values of your items.  I will not do so. 

This one gets an extra star just for its period excesses ... one radical priest (Daniel Berrigan), one freak-out rock band (uncredited), and an excess of pent up rage at America's morale, political and social fabric.

This will seem like ancient history to most folks, but in the late 1960s Daniel Berrigan was a Jesuit priest serving as the chaplain at Cornell University.  Unhappy with the country's involvement in Vietnam he gained national attention when he traveled to North Vietnam (along with professor Howard Zinn) in an effort to negotiate the freedom of several imprisoned American pilots.  The North Vietnamese actually did release a couple of American POWs, but Berriagn was roundly denounced by the Nixon administration who labeled him as a traitor.  Berrigan became even more active in anti-war work.  He took part in several events where students burned their draft registration notices.  Those actions resulted in a three year jail sentence, but he went underground before serving his jail term.  For several months he evaded capture (aparently without making much of an effort to stay hidden).  During that time he managed to get  on the FBI's top-10 wanted list.  Eventually captured by the Feds, he spent 18 months in Danbury Penitentiary.  From that point on he made a career of regularly being arrested for protesting various issues.  The man somehow also found time to write over 50 books, including poetry and several plays.

Recorded between February and March 1970, "America Is Hard To Find"featured a mixture of Berrigan talking about his activism and reciting some of his original poetry (most of it with a distinctive anti-war theme).  It wasn't exactly rock and roll, but was mildly interesting if you treated it as a historic document.   Composed by John Hostetter, Allan Sorvall and David Turner, the flip side was far more interesting.  Billed as a 'rock mass' (shades of The Electric Prune), the four segments featured a mixture of real rock songs (with a religious theme), coupled with some hysterically inept narratives that while clearly meant to be thought provoking, were so over-the-top that you were likely to wet yourself laughing.  The bumpkin accent on 'Credo' is priceless.  (I can imagine legions of ex-hippies and Jesus freaks trying to subtly deposit copies of this album at their local Goodwill or Salvation Army collection center.)

"America Is Hard To Find" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) False Gods, Real Men   (Daniel Brainnigan) - 8:06

2.) Trial Poems I   (Daniel Brainnigan) - 5:36

3.) Trial Poems II   (Daniel Brainnigan) - 4:52

(side 2)
1.) Kyrie   (John Hostetter - Allan Sorvall - David Turner) - 4:18

2.) Gloria    (John Hostetter - Allan Sorvall - David Turner)- 3:48

3.) Credo   (John Hostetter - Allan Sorvall - David Turner) - 4:34

4.) Sanctus   (John Hostetter - Allan Sorvall - David Turner) - 6:37

By the way, in 1972 Berrigan published some of these poems in a book with the same title. 

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GOLDMINE GRADING

MINT ---- It should appear to be perfect. No scuffs or scratches, blotches or stains, labels or writing, tears or splits. Mint means perfect.

NEAR MINT ---- Otherwise mint but has one or two tiny inconsequential flaws that do not affect play. Covers should be close to perfect with minor signs of wear or age just becoming evident: slight ring-wear, minor denting to a corner, or writing on the cover should all be noted properly.

VERY GOOD PLUS ---- The record has been handled and played infrequently or very carefully. Not too far from perfect. On a disc, there may be light paper scuffs from sliding in and out of a sleeve or the vinyl or some of the original luster may be lost. A slight scratch that did not affect play would be acceptably VG+ for most collectors.

VERY GOOD ---- Record displays visible signs of handling and playing, such as loss of vinyl luster, light surface scratches, groove wear and spindle trails. Some audible surface noise, but should not overwhelm the musical experience. Usually a cover is VG when one or two of these problems are evident: ring wear, seam splits, bent corners, loss of gloss, stains, etc.

GOOD ---- Well played with little luster and significant surface noise. Despite defects, record should still play all the way through without skipping. Several cover flaws will be apparent, but should not obliterate the artwork.

POOR ---- Any record or cover that does not qualify for the above "Good" grading should be seen as Poor. Several cover flaws.