Horses (1975)
Radio Ethiopia (1976)
Easter (1978)
Wave (1979)
Dream of Life (1988)
Gone Again (1996)
Peace and Noise (1997)
Gung Ho (2000)
Trampin' (2004)
Twelve (2007)
I love Patti Smith!! But why am I offering a thread for this talented lady in the 70's forum and not the punk forum?? Well she is from the 70's for one and IMO, offers much more than her punk rock image may give.
In 1946 she was born in my home town of Chicago! Patti had a strong religious upbrining but had left that behind and the opening line to her debut album, Horses, you will hear her sing.
"Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine"
Patti was also considered to be the front for Blue Oyster Cult and even wrote lyrics to some of their songs including, Debbie Denise,Career of Evil, Fire of Unknown Origin, The Revenge of Vera Gemini and Shooting Shark.
In 1974 we see the Patti Smith Group with Lenny Kaye!!
In 1980 Patti was married to MC5 guitarist Fred Smith and they had a son. Patti is the mother in law to White Stripes drummer Meg White whom her son Jackson had married.
In 1988 Patti released Dream of Life and her husband Fred died in 1994 with her brother following shortly after. In 2004 Patti released Trampin' which had many songs regarding motherhood, and she had lost her mother two years before this album.
In 2005 she was named Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture, inducted into the rock hall in 2007, has been a supporter for Greenpeace,Ralph Nader and many protest against the war in Iraq.
I hope many find great stories, music and photos to share of this legendary performer, artist, poet, musician and singer!!
As well as influencing many rock and roll performers including myself...shock rocker Marilyn Manson even covered one of her songs on the band's Smells Like Children album, and this song of Patti's was used in the film Natural Born Killers.
A pretty controversial song from her Easter Album..Rock & Roll N*****
The song was intended not for race but for those that are outside of society and different. I wanted to include this song early as I feel some one else in our community may...and I wanted it to be shown in the proper light and that it was NOT a song about racism. I have african american mates who love the song.
Great Additions! Free Money is a great tune!! I love the entire Horses album...I think all in all I like her last 70's effort WAVE the best..but they're all great in my book.
You and others may be a little young to remember a show at the top of the 80's (though you may) called Kids Are People Too.
I always wondered...HOW DID THEY GET HER on a kid show??
She does sooo well too man! The way she handles herself with the children in the audience and sings a wonderful version of You Light Up My Life.
Very touching.
This is at the end of the 70's for her here before going off and doing different things with her life. You can hear the Marianne Faithful influence as well.
I mean you can on alot of her material...but this is sooo Marianne.
I love Patti Smith but ..I confess my knowledge of her is limited to a few songs..most of the ones listed ..
and this one ..I 'm not sure WHERE I heard this/it was in the 80's because I was still in HS
Yeah Patti is one of the pioneers of punk for sure
__________________ David St. Hubbins: I believe virtually everything I read, and I think that is what makes me more of a selective human than someone who doesn't believe anything.
"I see it all before me:
the days of love and torment;
the nights of rock-and-roll.
I see it all before me.
Sometimes my spirit's empty;
don't have the will to go on.
I wish someone would send me
energy.
Give me something.
Give me something to give.
Oh, God, give me something:
a reason to live.
My body is aching.
Don't want sympathy.
Come on. Come and love me.
Come on. Set me free.
Set me free. "
Patti had a rocky beginning for me. My older brother was obsessed with her and played her day and nite back in 1977. I didn't like her at all. Then in 1978 she released Easter and from the first time I heard the album I finally got Patti. That album hit some cord in me and I finally got the punk scene and Ms. Smith. Shortly after I took my long ponytail haired ass to the famed CBGB's and remember her doing "Pissing in a River" and then going to where the bathrooms are and walking down the steps to see a stream of piss coming out of the bathrooms. Between the poetry and the music she drew me in been a fan ever since.
Horses and Easter are my favorite albums by her but give me anything from her 70's era and I'm a fan. I've got a bunch of boots from that era. I also like the three albums she put out in the 90's when I saw her a few more times.
Patti Smith-Piss Factory
__________________ recent
The National/Wye Oak/War on Drugs
Tori Amos
one other note for the past several years Patti has been playing the last few days of the year including New Years Eve at the Bowery Ballroom, NYC. They have all been sold out shows including 3 nites this year. I only went the first year but have heard they have all been great.
__________________ recent
The National/Wye Oak/War on Drugs
Tori Amos
Wow! I don't know how I missed this thread! Great Job MP! Patti is phenomenal. I remember her being in every issue of Rock Scene Magazine & I had no interest in her whatsoever. Beginning In the 80's I started getting into Punk & hung out at this Punk club. There was a local band called the Fems who really kicked ass & they did this really wild tune titled "Lou Reed". I never missed this band when they were playing back then. One week I was upstairs near the Dance floor & they played "Horses"(or Land) by Patti & I realized This was part of that "Lou Reed" song the Fems did. I went out the next day & bought 'Horses' & I noticed "Gloria" was on the album (During that same "Lou Reed" song the singer would spell out G-l-o-r-i-a). It turned out "Lou Reed" was a combination of the 2 Patti Smith tunes (I still never understood why it was called "Lou Reed"). Anyway, I also picked up 'Easter' that day & I couldn't believe how great those 2 albums were. I could have kicked myself for not giving her a chance in the 70's.
I think credit should also go out to her guitarist throughout the 70's Lenny Kaye & bassist Ivan Kral who helped out on much of the music writing. Lenny Kaye is like an encyclopedia of knowledge when it comes to Rock & Roll & he was the one who compiled & produced the Nuggets albums. He also is a writer contributed articles to Creem magazine, Hit Parader, & Rock Scene(where he had his own column titled Ask Doc Rock). Kaye went on to play in Jim Carrol's band & Kral went with Iggy Pop after 1979. Kaye reunited with Smith & has been her guitarist since 1996.
I thought it was great Patti got inducted into the Hall of Fame & I'll never forget her performance that night. I was sitting back watching the inductions on TV & Patti starts talking really sweet about that she's going to now play her Mommy's favorite song & she launches into "Rock & Roll Nigger"! I almost fell of the couch!
I really liked her album of covers she put out a few years ago called 'Twelve'.
Here's a few from that album:
Here's an old short review I wrote for 'Twelve':
Patti Smith
Patti Smith 'Twelve'
Released: 2007
Label:Sony Music
Review by Bucky
With the recent onslaught of “cover song” CD’s hitting the market these days, 2007 R & R Hall of Fame inductee Patti Smith jumps on the band wagon with her latest release ‘Twelve’ on Sony Records.
Patti, who was one of forerunners of the NYC punk movement in the 70’s along with bands like the Ramones, Television, Heartbreakers, Richard Hell and Blondie pioneered a style of mixing poetry with high energy rock & roll along with intense, emotional performances. Smith always put a dark cool vibe on cover songs as her 1975 album ‘Horses’ blended her poetry in with a dark version of Van Morrison’s “Gloria," and ‘Twelve' continues in that same groove.
Patti covers a wide variety of songs by artists such as The Allman Brothers, Tears For Fears, Neil Young, Nirvana, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Hendrix and The Doors. On Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” the beginning bass line sounds a bit like a haunting “Dazed & Confused”. As the groove builds up, in kicks a rhythm of banjos & fiddles, but it does not really have a bluegrass sound to it. Once again Smith mixes in a bit of her poetry to bring the song over the edge. My favorite track on the CD is her rendition of “Gimme Shelter”which totally rocks out both musically and vocally. If anyone has heard Mitch Ryder cover this song, Patti’s version is similar. Other standout tracks are “Are You Experienced,” "White Rabbit”(which Patti mixes in some more of her own lines over some dark feedback),"Soul Kitchen”(this has a cool feel & groove throughout the whole song) and a phenomenal version of “Midnight Rider”.
I highly recommend this album as Patti makes all the songs her own , and the musicianship throughout every track is incredible and crisp. On a scale of 1-10 I definitely give this album a ‘12’.
@ R. Evans: Thanks Man!! Nice to see all the Patti love
@ rtbuck: Great review man...I knew about Kaye and having a column but didn't know he was behind NUGGETS. Cool trivia. Lenny is a highlight for sure when discussing PSG and I always thought he was cool since I was a kid.
Yeah and how about those cool Rock Scene mags righ??....Patti for sure was in them alot. Look close for "Doc Rock"
Patti Smith: The Godmother Of Punk? 
I love Patti Smith too. Love the energy and the spirit she has.
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