September 11, 2024

"Today she enjoys a bit of social engagement, but not too much. In one sense she is a loner, taking early morning walks...."

"A Europhile who writes, paints and takes pictures as well as making records, [Patti] Smith produces the kind of cerebral work the art world gobbles up.... Her body is a wiry, charged thing that appears to take its heat from the crowd and what she describes as the 'unconditional energy' of the young. More young people flock to see her every year.... This month she will perform to a sell-out crowd at St Paul’s Cathedral. When she comes off stage she doesn’t want to talk to people because she is likely to be rude — and these days she doesn’t like being rude. Smith told Bob Dylan that poetry sucked when she first met him in her late twenties. That tale is true; others aren’t. 'I’ve read the same stories repeated and expanded,' she says. 'The guy from Kiss said I slapped him across the face. I never did!'"

From "Patti Smith at 77: ‘I’m not a 21st-century person’/The punk priestess on her Seventies heyday, US politics — and why she’s happily reconciled with the daughter she gave up for adoption at 19" (London Times).

The quote in the headlines appears in this context: "I’m not a nationalistic person, I’m not even a 21st-century person. I grew up in the Sixties when we all listened to the same music and those who had any goodness in them were all for civil rights. We all wanted to end the war in Vietnam."

59 comments:

Democratic Paychecks for Perks/ Dems for Demolition of Democracy/ fake-cares 4-U said...

Well, the war in Vietnam is over, best I can tell.
Civil Rights were achieved.
uh except the new frontier of civil rights is for young children to be gender-confused... in need of sex talk at early ages and perhaps some chemical castrations... and bodily harm in the name of trans-joy! paid for by the tax payer.

gspencer said...

When I want a clock to stop working I'll put a picture of PS in front of it.

Political Junkie said...

i am too young and unhip. I never knew/experienced what she produced. Just a name for me, unfortunately. Or maybe fortunately, I do not know.

n.n said...

Nations (i.e. administrative jurisdictions), communities, even families are an unavoidable fact of life on Earth. As for Vietnam, why stop there? There is yet another ethnic Spring in Sudan... and Americans are being shunted as unreliable partners to mitigate its progress.

Democratic Paychecks for Perks/ Dems for Demolition of Democracy/ fake-cares 4-U said...

... and Gender-obsessed Trans Joy and blow job books readily available in the Teacher's Union Public School Library.

Democratic Paychecks for Perks/ Dems for Demolition of Democracy/ fake-cares 4-U said...

Kamala and Biden want the war in Ukraine to last as long as possible. War machine grift. As far as Israel is concerned - Kamala refuses to admit she supports Hamas' right to exsist.

gilbar said...

We all wanted to end the war in Vietnam."

well, duh! that's True.. of Course;
Some people wanted it to end with a victory for Hanoi..
Other people wanted it to end with the south being free..
BUT.. Everybody wanted it to end

john said...

On a recommendation I read "Just Kids" about a year ago. Patti Smith seemed the same back in the day - enjoying a bit of social engagement but not too much. I found her prose beautiful, authentic, not too emotional and certainly not too full of herself. Her vivid perspective of that art scene, with Ginsburg, Warhol, Jimmy Hendrix, Maplethorpe, made it a very enjoyable read.

Robert Cook said...

What about ending Israel's war against Palestine?

Robert Cook said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Robert Cook said...

I saw her in concert in 1978, (with a new band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers as opener). She was fantastic, the fourth best concert I've seen, (the top three having been The Who in 1973, 1975, and 1976). She was charismatic and galvanizing...pure charisma! Beyond those four, I cannot so clearly appraise the better or greater or worse shows. (Well, perhaps the worst WORST concerts I saw was ZZ Top, both time in the mid-70s, both time opening for other bands I had gone to see...one of these being Deep Purple, who were mediocre. It's not that they played badly, it's that they did their ZZ Top thing...which was tedious bluesy-rock, their thing. )

(I deleted and reposted this comment, with a bit of added commentary.)

BUMBLE BEE said...

Married the to Fred 'Sonic' Smith, guitarist for the Legendary MC5.

Biff said...

"Smith produces the kind of cerebral work the art world gobbles up.

Maybe, but I googled her work, and it struck me as the sort of mediocre exercise that's a dime a dozen on the street in NYC. There is some talent there, but if she weren't already Patti Smith, no one would be interested. Althousian doodles and marginalia are much more interesting.

wild chicken said...

She really fawned over William S Burroughs which is kinda disgusting considering how much he loathed women.

Lyle Sanford, RMT said...

Patti Smith and Brian Eno the same day!!!!! They both fascinate me as having been so influential more in striking out-on their own than being a part of a movement - and they both speak of art as "work", which demistifies it - and they express themselves so well and so thoughtfully in interviews.

NorthOfTheOneOhOne aka Doug Emhoff's Pimp Hand said...

Don't feel bad. Unless you were in NYC and into the Punk scene you didn't get much of a chance.

Blair said...

John Lydon said it best: "Horses... horses... horseshit!!"

Ampersand said...

I had slight entertainment industry dealings with her about 20 years ago related to her now deceased husband (MC5 guitarist Fred Smith) and she was a pleasure to deal with. Smart and generous. Her autobiography Just Kids is readworthy.

The Vault Dweller said...

I'm happy to hear she was able to reconcile with he daughter she gave up for adoption. I enjoyed hearing about her inspiring Michael Stipe of REM. It is nice to hear about which artists from a prior generation inspired artists in a different generation. It makes it feel like it is all part of one big story or tapestry.

n.n said...

Adoption, while not ideal, is a viable choice. Good for her. Make love, not abortion.

Ice Nine said...

Patti is singularly physically unattractive and that makes a lot of people, I suppose, put her off. But she is in fact a beautiful, gentle, gracious person and a great intellect. Her writing is elegant and beautiful. Read her wonderful
(eulogy for Sam Shepard).

n.n said...

Thermal conduction requires surface area.

Maynard said...

Cook said: What about ending Israel's war against Palestine?

Palestine, Ohio or Palestine, Texas?

I do not know of any other Palestines.

Tell me Cook, since you are a self-proclaimed moral intellectual, Has there ever been an independent country with the name"Palestine"?

Robert Cook said...

Mr. Lydon, as charismatic and (at times) creatively exciting as he could be, is also no stranger to horseshit, often great boulders of horseshit! (I'd say the first two of the three PiL shows I saw were also among the most powerful and compelling bands I saw in condert, (Jah Wobble was gone, but Keith Levine was in the band for those first two great shows I saw, one at Roseland Ballroom and the other at the Brooklyn Zoo). The third and mediocre show was at the Beacon Theater, and the band was a group of hired "pro" musicians. Competent, but slick, and no excitement or charisma. Patti Smith has never been anything but completely sincere in all the creative work she has produced. I'd give her a greater track record than Lydon.

Robert Cook said...

Apparently so. But, taking your point a little further, has there EVER been an independent country with any name that was not at some time established and named so by settlers. Many global land areas have borne numerous names and populations over the fullness of time, changing as do the seasons.

Ralph L said...

It's disgusting that the British are turning their beautiful churches into concert and art venues, but that's somewhat better than mosques, the next likely step.

AlbertAnonymous said...

Personally, I much prefer Patty Smyth….

Enigma said...

Patti Smith...famous for her "piss and vinegar" attitude and an album cover that showed her nipples (Easter). Then she became a creepy and abrasive lizard-lady. I never could make it through an entire PS album...but I like plenty of other punk artists...I guess you need to be from her generation to enjoy her work.

Marcus Bressler said...

I never was impressed by her or saw a reason to listen to any of her music. But tastes differ. Nothing in the article made me want to delve into her music or life; just another liberal woman who considers herself to be "hip". YMMV.

The Godfather said...

According to Wikipedia:
Human rights in Vietnam (Vietnamese: Nhân quyền tại Việt Nam) are among the poorest in the world, as considered by various domestic and international academics, dissidents and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as Amnesty International (AI), Human Rights Watch (HRW), and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
This has long been a matter of controversy between the Government of Vietnam, led by its Communist Party (CPV), and other countries and political unions, such as the European Union (EU) and the United States. Under the current constitution, the CPV is the only legal political party: all other parties are outlawed, making Vietnam one of a few legally constituted one-party states, along with China, Cuba, Eritrea, Laos, and North Korea.
Elections in Vietnam have been characterized as nothing more than a rubber stamp, with every election resulting in 99% of votes for the CPV. Freedom of association, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the right to a healthy environment are severely restricted. Citizens critical of the Vietnamese government or who discuss certain topics deemed "unacceptable" by the CPV are often subject to intimidation and imprisonment.

Is Patti still proud of what "we all" accomplished by ending the war in Viet Nam?

Iman said...

“What about ending Israel's war against Palestine?”

That will end with the unconditional surrender of Hamas.

Iman said...

Smith was an overrated rocker. IMHO.

Iman said...

Part of the “self-abuse” thang…

Iman said...

Mustache and all…

rhhardin said...

What's wrong with just sitting at home browsing the internet? If you can get a woman making that choice it can be an essay in the NYT.

rhhardin said...

Patty Griffin Makin' PIes.

Mikey NTH said...

Hamas attacked Israel, Mr. Cook. You may have read about that 11 months ago.

Mikey NTH said...

I suppose it would depend on the poet. The Cremation of Sam McGee is awfully good.

rhhardin said...

Patty Smith makes me thing of Sally Field films, I guess common names but not A-list, an I've-heard-of-her thing.

Temujin said...

This older version of Patti Smith is the 'Artist in Residence' at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens down here in Sarasota. I believe she's doing this through 2023 and 2024, then supposedly someone else will step in (maybe rhhardin?). They feature exhibits her poetry around the grounds and she'll come in for a few days to perform in the evening, in a nice setting in the gardens. The first exhibit they did was a Patti Smith/Robert Mapplethorpe exhibit which was actually quite good.
She's an interesting person. I was never a follower of hers, but she's touched American rock history and the arts. And her poetry is interesting as well.

The rule of Lemnity said...

“I do not go in search of poetry. I wait for poetry to visit me.” —Eugenio Montale

Maynard said...

I have not listened to Patti Smith much in the last 10 years, but I was a big fan. She has that something that makes her unique and interesting.

I care not about her crazy politics and suspect that she is about as thoughtful and informed as Cook, probably more so.

Narr said...

I'm waiting for Patti Smith to do some Brian Eno covers.

loudogblog said...

Remember Robert, Israel didn't start the war, Hamas did. But Israel will finish it.

loudogblog said...

Nothing against Patti Smith, but she had a major hit with an absolutely terrible version of Springsteen's Because the Night.

Oso Negro said...

Saw her live in Austin in 1979, IIRC. Loudest show I ever attended.

John said...

I wonder when she said that about poetry to Dylan. I saw her open with his 1997 tour in Auckland, NZ. It was a great show from both.

Megthered said...

Her New York elitist smugness makes my skin crawl. I hate people like that.

effinayright said...

For me , it was the Huey Lewis and the News show. Even with the earplugs we brought along, it was Cochlear Death.

The fact that Huey got Meniere's Disease, a severe ear ailment that effectively ended his career, is at least ironic. (but apparently there's no connection to loud noise and the disease).

effinayright said...

How many centuries you got?

Tina Trent said...

I will certainly let my former co-worker, Mr. Dang, know of her piece of mind. He spent a decade having to take a shit at precisely the same time as everyone else in the commie prisoner re-education camp, and those who couldn't were shot into the latrine, and the next morning all the prisoners had to line up again and shit on their bodies or be shot too.

A former architect and artist, he would do extraordinary line-drawings of that mass latrine filled with bodies, over and over again.

The anti-war movement quickly became a pro-communist victory, pro-war, anti-American, anti-freedom movement. Only willful idiots can talk themselves into believing otherwise. She should have joined her comerades shooting prisoners in those camps. In a meaningful way, she did.

What a shithole generation -- the elites and effetes, that is.

Tina Trent said...

Temujin: Mapplethorpe among the rose mazes of Ringling? Disgusting. The museum is dedicated to Christian art. What did they do, piss on it?

Cappy said...

So did Bernardine Dohrn.

Cappy said...

The late 60's and 70's: I refer to them as "We shall never speak of this again".

Iman said...

A horribly overwrought song… which is a trademark of teh Monkey Man from New Jersey.

Iman said...

“Baby’s on Fire”?

Joe Bar said...

I saw Patty Griffin live about 10 years ago. That lady can sing!

Narr said...

Never heard of it. (I have heard of Smith and Eno though no fan of either.)

Lazarus said...

We are living in the world that the Sixties and Seventies created, but some people miss the rebellion, the edginess, and the idea of being outsiders, so they end up as bored and frustrated as they were with the world they grew up in back in the Fifties.