The Patti Smith Group

Just rented the first four remastered album of hers. Although I find her stuff slightly over-rated, this woman’s career does have some very interesting moments in her early albums (while I am aware of her later career which picked-up in 96 I have not had a chance yet to hear it, but I suppose this is now a matter of months) , man , this chick has got some class (and good collabs) and is bloody cute as well – I love brunettes like her.

While the “High-priestess of punk” or other stupid title are vastly too  exaggerated, this chick had some cool lyrics (strongly inspired by Rimbaud and Verlaine to the point she made it into a cult like Jim Morrison did too) and her group was highly influential and certainly one of the better things to cime out of the NY punk scene (along with Ramones and Television and the superb Talking Heads – not really punk, these last ones).

Her first few albums are icons of punk, but every progheads must listen to those, partly because there are a few surprises.

Horses: although attributed to Patti Smith (no group) , the structure of the group is well into place. A bit overrated an album, it does have the excellent Gloria, the 9-min+ Horses and Free money as great highlights. On the downside there are few duds (the 9-min Birdland is fairly boring and the bonus My Generation is purposely atrocious. 

Radio Ethiopia: While this one is not as well regarded by punk specialist, this is the one album of hers most likely to interest the proghead. Not just because of the 10-min+ title track (which is excellent), but this album is rather more even album than Horses. Other highlights include XXXX    . Interesting Chicklets bonus track too.  >>> My personal fave from her and my recommendation should you try her out.

Easter: not my fave album of hers to say the least, in spite of her two anthemic tracks like Because The Night and RnR Nigger (an ode to Hendrix), maybe because there are no longer tracks. Other interesting moments are the live Babelogue where she raves like a mad beat poet (rap artistes can go back in their cribs) used as an intro to RnR Nigger and would now get her a lot of heat for her text and 25 Floor and High On rebellion. Inferior or very average track include Space Monkey, the opening Till Victory, Privilege etc… Boring and overlong (6 mins) title track (although the lyrics are good) and above-average bonus track Godspeed (rings a bell?)

Waves: the last of her “classic” albums  (IMHO anyway) including the Byrds RnR Star and BOC Fire Of Unknown Origin as a bonus track. This album is well in the line of Easter.