I first discovered Maurice Lemaître's work in a Paris bookstore; I think somewhere in the Marais district. It was a booklet that came with a CD of him reciting his 'letterist' poetry. Once I got home, I was hooked on him and the entire Letterist movement, which was the first step that eventually leads to Situationist International. Not really speaking a word of French, I was more in tune with Lemaître's voice and pronouncement of the words. For me, it's music or sound that brings up the era of the Boris Vian's Saint Germain des Prés then anything else. Letterism or sometimes spelled out as Lettrism is an off-shoot of DADA, that focused on literature, painting, and films. Isidore Isou is the most famous member of the group, but Lenaître was very much the public face of Letterism. He even appeared in an Orson Welles documentary on Paris nightlife. Still, this vinyl edition of his recitations is a marvel. One can see traces of hip-hop in "Quatre Lettries Sur Des Thèmes Rock" which is him reciting his poetry over a French rock n' roll record. Very primitive recording, yet a total delight. I know very little of his paintings, and these recordings are my main entrance to the world of The Letterists, but still, it's a magnificent and fun approach to a Parisian culture at its height. I find work produced in the Paris 1950s of great interest. To me, it's the bridge between post-war European years to the Hippie movement. It's a fascinating journey to go on, and this album is very much a suitable soundtrack for that trip.