The Magic of 12

 

By Timm Carney

 

 

 

 

The Patti Smith Band has always been a cover band. She made her start in the dark dirty clubs of New York crooning covers like “Land of a Thousand Dances” interjecting poetry and improvised lyrics. Life being cyclical she is back in New York recording covers with Lenny Kaye .  Patti doesn’t just do covers she makes them her own.  20 maybe 30 years ago she’d sing/shout the guts out of “You Light up My Life” and “Tomorrow” yet somehow ending up so “Punk Rock” .

 “12” is Patti Smith’s latest album, CD, Disc whatever.  She covers 12 quirky and spellbinding classics. “12”’s power is Patti Smith.  Each track a brilliant performance captures the essence of the songs.  These are not mere homages but genuine renditions honoring the original artist’s intent.  The liner notes explain the reason for each song’s selection.

Bob Dylan is a no brainer; Patti smith has always wanted to be Bob Dylan.  Tears For Fears on the other hand was a surprising choice. In the notes she claims not have been familiar with them and having first heard the song in her morning café over coffee.  Picture poor the barrista having to explain to Patti Smith that it’s “Everybody Wants to Rule the World “by Tears For Fears.  The politics (who knew Tears For Fears were political) of the song appealed to her.  It does make one listen to the lyrics in a different light.

The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” is a straight on rock cover.  It’s bar band music being played by a bar band. Tom Verlaine and Flea play on this track along with playing on “White Rabbit”.  Patti writes of rock women in the liner notes.  She recognizes Grace Slick as the maverick she is. Ms. Slick has always been underrated. If there never was a Grace Slick, there would never have been a Patti Smith or a Chrissie Hyde or an Amy Winehouse for that matter.  Grace was a woman before her time.  “White Rabbit” opens with some classic Patti Smith: mumbled/whispered Lewis Carroll text.  Is there any writer creepier than Lewis Carroll?

The Paul Simon song is as annoying as any Paul Simon song always is. Paul Simon! Whatever.  Luckily it is followed immediately by “Soul Kitchen”.   When Patti Smith wants to be groovy she can be the grooviest.  Morrison’s haze and sexuality ooze perfectly from her, organ and all.

Back to the creepy: Patti has given “Smells Like Teen Spirit” an eerie Deliverance quality oddly befitting the song. Her plaintive tone voices Kurt Cobain’s angst with a poetic grace. It is more than just an homage it’s an elegy. She follows this with “Midnight Rider”.  Is there any Southern Rock song that encapsulates Southern Rock more than “Midnight Rider”, other than “Free Bird”? No?

Neil Young produces the Bridge Show every year as a fund raiser for the Bridge School, a school for handicapped kids. The kids from the school attend the show every year and are given killer seats on the stage.  Patti Smith performed at the show in the late 90’s.  Her set was done to the kids on the stage.  We, the rest of the Mountainview amphitheater were allowed to watch but she did the show to the kids.  Later she joined Neil Young and Eddie Vedder on the stage for a rendition of “Helpless”.  Her version of the song on “12” is flawless. A Neil Young song always sounds better when not sung by Neil Young, but his voice should still be there, Patti pulls it off beautifully. 

12 is really one of the best cover albums recorded in years.  These are true covers.  Sing along, you know you know the words. Why wouldn’t she love all these songs you know you do.