Patti Smith
1975
Tracks
1. Gloria
2. Redondo Beach
3. Birdland
4. Free Money
5. Kimberly
6. Break It Up
7. Land
8. Elegie
Ha! I actually did this album last night which means no "I am failure" post on Monday and we are sticking with me doing one album per weekend, at least while I am still doing the movie blog.
So I had never heard of Patti Smith and was not even sure if she was a man or a woman when I started listening to the album. I am grateful for The Book though because, even though it puts me through a lot of crap, it does come up with some great gems, including this album.
I absolutely loved Smith's voice. It's hard to describe but she had one of those powerful voices that turns one syllable words into two syllables and makes every word significant. I wouldn't have even cared what she was saying but she happened to have great lyrics. For instance, "Gloria" has the lyrics: "Jesus died for everybody's sins but not mine/ melting in a pot of thieves/ wild card up my sleeve/ thick heart of stone/ my sins my own/ they belong with me, me."
So a great album. Go girl power! Wait, guy power? No, girl power!
RATING: 5/5
Can't understand how you can like Smith but not Dylan. Granted she has a better voice than Dylan (who doesn't?) but she's nowhere as good as he is when it comes to songwriting, at least his pre-1968 stuff.
ReplyDeleteOh hang on .. wrong album. I was thinking this was .. err .. the other one .. You know, the one with 'Because the Night' etc on. I will move on looking for that ..
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ReplyDeleteWell, Eric, I am an enigma.
ReplyDeleteEaster. The one I was thinking of was called Easter. I'm not that familiar with 'Horses', but I love Easter.
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ReplyDeleteI absolutely love "Free Money". Patty is special. She is pure energy and has a voice that can be harmonious even when she is screaming. It reminds me more to Janis Joplin rather than Dylan.
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