Record label CaedÂmon Audio speÂcialÂized in spoÂken-word recordÂings, pairÂing great litÂerÂary works with great actors. They got James Mason to read the poetÂry of Robert BrownÂing, mulÂti-Oscar winÂner WalÂter BrenÂnan to read the works of Mark Twain and Sir LauÂrence OliviÂer to read WinÂston Churchill.
But there were a couÂple releasÂes, latÂer comÂpiled into one gloÂriÂous CD set, that is so head-slapÂpingÂly perÂfect that it requires speÂcial attenÂtion: Basil RathÂbone and VinÂcent Price read the works of Edgar Allan Poe over the course of 5 hours. RathÂbone was, of course, a South African-born ShakeÂspeareÂan actor who is most famous for playÂing SherÂlock Holmes in a string of films (watch one here) and radio plays, though he was also a vetÂerÂan star of low-budÂget horÂror films like The Black Sheep and Tales of TerÂror. VinÂcent Price was, well, VinÂcent Price – the iconÂic cackÂling vilÂlain in dozens of horÂror flicks includÂing Roger Corman’s campy cinÂeÂmatÂic adapÂtaÂtions of Poe – The House of UshÂer, The Raven and The Masque of the Red Death.
The CaedÂmon recordÂings, which are now availÂable on SpoÂtiÂfy (downÂload the softÂware here) and can be heard below, are pretÂty much Poe’s greatÂest hits – from “The Tell-Tale Heart” to “The Pit and PenÂduÂlum.” Poe’s gothÂic gloomiÂness pairs brilÂliantÂly with RathÂbone and Price’s sinÂisÂter bariÂtone.
So get into your favorite smokÂing jackÂet, get a fire startÂed, pour yourÂself a stiff glass of absinthe, set aside a good block of time, and have a lisÂten.
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RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Edgar Allan Poe AniÂmatÂed: Watch Four AniÂmaÂtions of ClasÂsic Poe StoÂries
DownÂload The ComÂplete Works of Edgar Allan Poe on His BirthÂday
1,000 Free Audio Books: DownÂload Great Books for Free
Jonathan Crow is a Los AngeÂles-based writer and filmÂmakÂer whose work has appeared in Yahoo!, The HolÂlyÂwood Reporter, and othÂer pubÂliÂcaÂtions. You can folÂlow him at @jonccrow. And check out his blog VeepÂtoÂpus, feaÂturÂing lots of picÂtures of vice presÂiÂdents with octoÂpusÂes on their heads. The VeepÂtoÂpus store is here.
Agreed– cerÂtain of them are head-slapÂpingÂly perÂfect that they require speÂcial attention…and these perÂtain to Basil RathÂbone, and in case of interÂest, please check this out: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BasilRathboneSociety/
Basil RathÂbone readÂing “The Pit and the PenÂduÂlum” is great.
“and can be heard above”
Where?
You can also purÂchase the colÂlecÂtion on AmaÂzon. If you have a Prime memÂberÂship, the shipÂping is free.
http://www.amazon.com/Edgar-Allan-Audio-Collection-Price/dp/0062188496/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1439410428&sr=8–2&keywords=%22Edgar+Allan+Poe+Audio+Collection%22
You need to have SpoÂtiÂfy to hear them. There’s a link to the softÂware above, as well as to the recordÂings.
I’m lisÂtenÂing to them now :)
SomeÂhow, SpoÂtiÂfy being proÂmotÂed by a site callÂing itself “Open CulÂture” feels dirty.
Oh, Basil RathÂbone is subÂlime readÂing the TellÂtale Heart.
An absolute masÂter of inflecÂtion enunÂciÂaÂtion proÂnunÂciÂaÂtion timÂbre tone projection–sheer eloÂquence.
I canÂnot recÂomÂmend this enough!
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I wish they used some audio comÂpresÂsion and decent masÂterÂing. FeeÂble audio qualÂiÂty ruins the othÂerÂwise great narÂraÂtion.
AmazÂing span of catÂeÂgories I have nevÂer seen such an expanÂsive offerÂings I look forÂward to explore ing some of them
DurÂing my year in 4th grade our teacher was fired. When her replaceÂment was hired he must have thought we were unruly 4th graders? The first day he was our teacher he walked around the classÂroom telling us the stoÂry of The Tell Tale Heart! He was realÂly a fabÂuÂlous stoÂry teller! From that point on he had us in the palm of his hand! We then had him for 5th & 6th grade. It was a sad day when we had to go to junior high. He will always be my favorite teacher! Mr Brown♥️
Slight corÂrecÂtion, Basil RathÂbone starred in film called The Black Sleep, not The Black Sheep.
Love, love, love audibles…thrillers espeÂcialÂly
Why can’t I find this on AudiÂble?
I love to hear them readÂing Edger allen Poe.