Patti Smith

[llmod1]

Just been listening to the amazing Piss Factory by Patti Smitj on the Vertigo New Wave compilation. I absolutely love this track but know nothing about her music at all.

What tracks would you recommend I check out?

Is there other stuff that sounds like Piss Factory?

Thanks

[medlar]

Start at the beginning and venture on from there. Horses. Classic.

[Ian Townsend]

Piss factory is great...everything else i can totally live without.

Very optimistic head says 'Yes, she should be great'

Completely honest ears and heart say 'Nope.'

Bit like Tom Waits. A few good bits but vastly overrated.

I need to start a Joni Mitchell thread. Love her but have only just heard Hejira and it's wonderful.

Thread hijack over...

[eclipsechaser]

new on me but the youtube is full on isnt it.

[Ian Townsend]

Just been listening to the amazing Piss Factory by Patti Smitj on the Vertigo New Wave compilation. I absolutely love this track but know nothing about her music at all.
What tracks would you recommend I check out?
Is there other stuff that sounds like Piss Factory?
Thanks

Have you heard Television's Marquee Moon album Mark? It crackles throughout with a similar energy to Piss Factory but Is totally different.

I mention it because it was celebrated as brilliant New York / New Wave around the same as Patti Smith but imho was a million times better back then and remains fresh today.

It's an absorbing, sit down and focus listen and after the initial 'WTF?' response to it's dischordant sounds and disjointed rhythms it grows steadily with repeated listens. I've always loved it from start to finish even though it's an unusual one that's out of kilter to my generally sugary, slow, easy, orchestral tastes.

[jakartajive]

Patti Smith's version of GLORIA is enough to make any sane person kill themselves.
And her.
And the whole band.

Everything I hate about art rock.

[treeboy]

Marquee Moon is a stunning lp. Guitar interplay, blah blah blah.......if you don't know it, you need to hear it. Sounded great when it came out, for me, it now stands up as a classic in its own right.
I agree with Medlar on Horses. Give it a try. As you can tell, it's a bit of a marmite job. Seen her a few times rocking out to Gloria with Lenny Kaye. Call me insane, you could be right.

[Grim Lounge Cowboy]

I never got Patti Smith. A few o.k. moments on “Horses”. The same with all the US first wave ‘punk’.

A matter of context perhaps? It probably stood out in the context of most of what people got to hear from the US back then. Add to that the heft that came from the NY hipster-elite connotations.

But for me little of it, if any, had the aural sandblast effect of UK punk. Even the ‘art’ end of the UK punk spectrum seemed more compelling.

I recently heard ‘Hejira’ again for the first time in what, I realise to my surprise, must be 15-20 years. The music seems more disjointed than I remember. It was my introduction to Pastorius, and I wonder if his contribution held it together for me more then than it does now. Many of the lyrics still very strong. I seem to recall reading that Lemmy is a fan of her lyrics?

“Piss Factory” sounds better than I remember it. Less rock. Less arty. Not for repeat listens though, I suspect.

[MPFlapp]

Horses. Classic.

Agree

I mention it because it was celebrated as brilliant New York / New Wave around the same as Patti Smith but imho was a million times better back then and remains fresh today.

Agree

On the "Piss Factory" - is it lyrics or the mood of the music or both you are looking for in other tracks..?


Of the older LPs "Radio Ethiopia" is gem too... The 12" of "In Excelsis Deo"/"Gloria" with "My Generation" is well woth a punt - US version if you can...

of the newer LP I like "Twelve" the LP of cover versions. "Benga" I like a lot...

Alwys go and see her live if I get the chance... never been disapointed by the show.

Worth checking "Dream of Life" documentary...

[Sie-Fly]

... for me just 'Piss Factory' ... everything else bores me - one day I might get it but for now it does little for me

[medlar]

I need to start a Joni Mitchell thread.

I struggle with Joni Mitchell, don't get her at all. Tried, as Mrs Medlar likes her a lot, but nope, I must be missing something...

[jakartajive]

My favourite Joni Mitchell song by a million miles.

[Brainbomb]

I quite like her first 4 albums: Horses, Radio Ethiopia, Easter and Wave. Sure she comes close to "stupid rock'n'roll" at times but pulls it off better than most and there are some really great tracks here and there:

[emperor tomato ketchup]

As a teenager big on Velvet Underground and New York punk I love her first four albums. The latter stuff never worked for me though. Like Blondie the even numbered albums are a somewhat pale refelction/overcooked version of the preceeding odd numbered one.

So Horses is the loose rambling "poetry" over garage band riffing and Radio Ethiopia is that without tunes. Easter is the more comemrcial moves (includes Because the Night) but with enough rambling atonal oddness to make for a satisfying listen and then Wave is a slicker version with much more focus on the new wavey pop tunes (but they are very good for that).

As fr Joni Hejira was the first album I got.

[Mumbles]

Got a lot of love for Patti. At times she's too earnest, but then ( '76 ) for me as a teenager, she was a focus for the changing of the guard musically and artistically. Don't overlook the importance of her a woman in rock and roll at the time - at her gigs there were loads of girls/women which to me felt refreshing and underscored what macho bollocks that was largely at play in music at the time.

Also, my girlfriend got her look from Patti as well