973: PRISON | STEVEN JESSE BERNSTEIN

1992: Probably one of the more unusual albums on this list. Steven was a troubled fella who killed himself in the very early 90s. He was an amazing poet similar to William Burroughs, who he was apparently friends with. Bernstein's disturbing, dark and often very humorous work is well represented on Prison, which was recorded at the Monroe State Prison in Washington. Later Seattle producer Steve Fisk (Pigeonhed, Pell Mell) took the spoken word and put music to it. The backing music sounds as if it's from a Film Noir picture at times - then flips to happy go lucky tunes reminiscent of an early 60s film score - then onto groovy Hammond B organ chops. The juxtaposition of this and the twisted-gnarled prose of Bernstein reading his poetry really works on this Sub Pop release.