The Transformation of Waste
I had a dream a few weeks ago that Patti Smith had accompanied me on a coach trip to Macclesfield. Needless to say, it was not the kind of dream that most people would wish to discuss in public. But since this forum does not exactly count as “in public” I shall continue this story until it is at an acceptable length with which to pad out this review.
We stopped off at the pie factory first of all, where the workers were all haggard devotees to local boys Joy Division. It was around this period, 1978, when punk was on the way out that this album Easter was unleashed on the world. This LP would coincide neatly with beginning of the end of the phenomenon she had helped to create, dovetailing her seminal Horses LP and her mediocre Wave effort.
“What kinda pies ya got here?” she asked some of the semi-conscious staff.
“Um… all kinds of pies. Mince, meat. Mince, kidney. Did I mention mince?” the worker replied.
“Yeah, you kinda did,” Patti replied, not impressed.
Then I woke up. Not exactly that exciting a dream but I can’t explain the damn things. One thing it did open my eyes to was the brilliance of this artist. Horses never set my word ablaze, I must confess, but Easter confirms what people had contested for aeons, that Patti Smith was the true poetess of rock music and is one hell of a talent.
Such is confirmed with the elegant opener Till Victory that begins the album with its distinctive guitar versus church organ sound and commences the spiritual thrust this record has behind it. The music has an outstanding transcendent feel to it, with her impassioned and fiery lyrics that leap from the defiant into confessional within the space of a few minutes. As usual, guitarist Lenny Kaye helps Smith take control of her vision from off, and this album would seem to be the closest she has achieved to realising this vision.
Space Monkey is a crunchier tune on the whole with more of those baffling beat poetry lyrics of hers (the liner notes are written in nonsensical Bob Dylan-speak) and builds to an uncomfortable, ejaculatory climax.
Because The Night was co-written with Bruce Springsteen and is an astonishingly good tune with an unusually romantic performance from Smith and possibly the catchiest chorus in her canon; making it one of the most commercially pleasing efforts.
Ghost Dance is taken from plains Indians, apparently, and re-interpreted as a campfire anthem here to exceptional effect. This track boasts the finest vocal performance from Smith on the album, bar three others, and the backing vocals of the mantra-like chorus are wonderfully stirring. It almost breaks down the walls of history and communes with ghosts of the dead, and not many tunes can pull this feat off – it is spine-chillingly magnificent, trust me. Except those of you who already trust me. Sometimes its 41, sometimes its 40. I’ll find that swine, one day…
Babelogue is a spoken-word rant performed in front of a noisy crowd and provides an odd segue into the next track.
In the decidedly controversial Rock ‘N’ Roll Nigger, Smith wields the taboo of this word for some fired-up attack on society at large, shouting in her finest Alice Cooper growl: “Outside of society! That’s where I want to be!” Lenny Kaye is also allowed to deliver a verse (unfortunately) and although their intentions are honourable, perhaps this tune does not really blast through whatever message it is trying to convey. It does rock, however. And how.
Privilege (Set Me Free) is far more interesting a tune, with a moving prayer section from Smith over some eerie synthesiser effects before it builds into a defiant and powerful piece where she wails out the line as though in some manic celebration of life: “I’m so young, so goddamn young!”
We Three is a simply unbelievable and beautiful piece of music, apparently arranged in 1974 by Tom Verlaine when he was still setting fire to fields with Richard Hell somewhere in New York. Unsurprisingly, it sounds like early Television but this performance of the tune is beautiful. It is a romantic, emotional and intimate tune with an absolutely spell-binding performance from Smith, especially towards the final line where the doo-wop harmonies meet the spirituality of the organ: “Every night we go to sleep and pray so breathlessly.”
25th Floor holds enough New York swagger to blast twelve Lou Reeds off the stage, and is an exhausting rock workout for her band, blending as it does into the spoken-word rant about art High On Rebellion. Some might argue this goes on for a little long but this reviewer finds the entire rave-up an absolutely dynamite work-out for her group. Ivan Kral is on bass, Jay Dee Daugherty is on drums and Bruce Brody is on the keyboards. They all deserve medals.
Easter is a profound closer, with its hypnotic chorus, swooning verse and ornate pan-pipes conclusion. There is some first-rate and stirring poetry from Smith that once more keeps the religious theme going and confirms that she managed to find a direct line to God for this wonderful album. Godspeed is added as a bonus track on the remaster but this is an improvised poetry reading over some horrible finger-clicks and grating piano chords… Birdland all over again.
Unless I have not said so beforehand… I rather adore this record. Easter is my favourite of all Patti Smith works, and she is an artist who delivers consistent quality but never many flat-out masterpieces. I contest this LP blends all that is brilliant about Smith. It is bursting with the intellectual venom, the spiritual beauty and moonlit bliss of her finest music, and demonstrates a simply impassioned and untouchable artist at the peak of her brilliance and divine powers.
Easter is the one true Patti Smith masterpiece. Even if she cannot stand mince pies.
Rating: 9/10
We stopped off at the pie factory first of all, where the workers were all haggard devotees to local boys Joy Division. It was around this period, 1978, when punk was on the way out that this album Easter was unleashed on the world. This LP would coincide neatly with beginning of the end of the phenomenon she had helped to create, dovetailing her seminal Horses LP and her mediocre Wave effort.“What kinda pies ya got here?” she asked some of the semi-conscious staff.
“Um… all kinds of pies. Mince, meat. Mince, kidney. Did I mention mince?” the worker replied.
“Yeah, you kinda did,” Patti replied, not impressed.
Then I woke up. Not exactly that exciting a dream but I can’t explain the damn things. One thing it did open my eyes to was the brilliance of this artist. Horses never set my word ablaze, I must confess, but Easter confirms what people had contested for aeons, that Patti Smith was the true poetess of rock music and is one hell of a talent.
Such is confirmed with the elegant opener Till Victory that begins the album with its distinctive guitar versus church organ sound and commences the spiritual thrust this record has behind it. The music has an outstanding transcendent feel to it, with her impassioned and fiery lyrics that leap from the defiant into confessional within the space of a few minutes. As usual, guitarist Lenny Kaye helps Smith take control of her vision from off, and this album would seem to be the closest she has achieved to realising this vision.
Space Monkey is a crunchier tune on the whole with more of those baffling beat poetry lyrics of hers (the liner notes are written in nonsensical Bob Dylan-speak) and builds to an uncomfortable, ejaculatory climax.
Because The Night was co-written with Bruce Springsteen and is an astonishingly good tune with an unusually romantic performance from Smith and possibly the catchiest chorus in her canon; making it one of the most commercially pleasing efforts.
Ghost Dance is taken from plains Indians, apparently, and re-interpreted as a campfire anthem here to exceptional effect. This track boasts the finest vocal performance from Smith on the album, bar three others, and the backing vocals of the mantra-like chorus are wonderfully stirring. It almost breaks down the walls of history and communes with ghosts of the dead, and not many tunes can pull this feat off – it is spine-chillingly magnificent, trust me. Except those of you who already trust me. Sometimes its 41, sometimes its 40. I’ll find that swine, one day…
Babelogue is a spoken-word rant performed in front of a noisy crowd and provides an odd segue into the next track.In the decidedly controversial Rock ‘N’ Roll Nigger, Smith wields the taboo of this word for some fired-up attack on society at large, shouting in her finest Alice Cooper growl: “Outside of society! That’s where I want to be!” Lenny Kaye is also allowed to deliver a verse (unfortunately) and although their intentions are honourable, perhaps this tune does not really blast through whatever message it is trying to convey. It does rock, however. And how.
Privilege (Set Me Free) is far more interesting a tune, with a moving prayer section from Smith over some eerie synthesiser effects before it builds into a defiant and powerful piece where she wails out the line as though in some manic celebration of life: “I’m so young, so goddamn young!”
We Three is a simply unbelievable and beautiful piece of music, apparently arranged in 1974 by Tom Verlaine when he was still setting fire to fields with Richard Hell somewhere in New York. Unsurprisingly, it sounds like early Television but this performance of the tune is beautiful. It is a romantic, emotional and intimate tune with an absolutely spell-binding performance from Smith, especially towards the final line where the doo-wop harmonies meet the spirituality of the organ: “Every night we go to sleep and pray so breathlessly.”
25th Floor holds enough New York swagger to blast twelve Lou Reeds off the stage, and is an exhausting rock workout for her band, blending as it does into the spoken-word rant about art High On Rebellion. Some might argue this goes on for a little long but this reviewer finds the entire rave-up an absolutely dynamite work-out for her group. Ivan Kral is on bass, Jay Dee Daugherty is on drums and Bruce Brody is on the keyboards. They all deserve medals.
Easter is a profound closer, with its hypnotic chorus, swooning verse and ornate pan-pipes conclusion. There is some first-rate and stirring poetry from Smith that once more keeps the religious theme going and confirms that she managed to find a direct line to God for this wonderful album. Godspeed is added as a bonus track on the remaster but this is an improvised poetry reading over some horrible finger-clicks and grating piano chords… Birdland all over again.
Unless I have not said so beforehand… I rather adore this record. Easter is my favourite of all Patti Smith works, and she is an artist who delivers consistent quality but never many flat-out masterpieces. I contest this LP blends all that is brilliant about Smith. It is bursting with the intellectual venom, the spiritual beauty and moonlit bliss of her finest music, and demonstrates a simply impassioned and untouchable artist at the peak of her brilliance and divine powers.
Easter is the one true Patti Smith masterpiece. Even if she cannot stand mince pies.
Rating: 9/10
1 comment:
Hello Harold, thank you for your comment. There is Radio Shetland which is an offshoot from Radio Scotland on the BBC, although most young people in the area listen to SIBC which plays pop music and gives regular news sections about local issues. SIBC also play local artists occasionally and i believe they are an independant radio station. Hope this is a help, anything else feel free to ask! :)
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