Rise

Format

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  82876872512CD  £6.00

Label

Columbia

Patti Smith

Twelve

both a stop gap release until patti smith writes another album's worth of material and a way to keep her name in front of the public after her highly publicized 2007 induction into the rock and roll hall of fame this set of a dozen covers finds the singer poet in an unusually reflective mode some of the sources are obvious for those familiar with smith's influences the rolling stones jimi hendrix bob dylan some less so paul simon nirvana jefferson airplane neil young and a few come out of left field the allman brothers band stevie wonder tears for fears the flavour of that 1975 debut album is never far from 'twelve' maybe revisiting their roots reminded patti and the boys why they made records in the first place smith's rock poet muse is certainly alive on most cuts her deep voice declaiming yipping soaring and investing old lyrics with fresh dignity and rhythm 'changing of the guard' turns the gargled symbolism of dylan's original into rolling lines of free verse 'boy in the bubble' transforms paul simon's sunny ease into rock'n'roll defiance and even george harrison's pious 'within you without you' emerges renewed guests include flea tom verlaine rich robinson and more