A few more observations about Steven Sebring's documentary, Patti Smith: Dream of Life. No big deal, but it could be cut from 109 minutes to 90 minutes and be tighter, stronger. Cut some peripheral goofing off scenes and voila.
Nonetheless, the film shimmers and benefits from Patti Smith's cadenced narrative bursts, and the visuals are nifty fifty. As are the music clips. It's cool -- at least from my perspective -- to see the connections with poet Arthur Rimbaud (the Amy Winehouse of French poetry), William Blake and the American Beats.
There are also scenes in the Hotel Chelsea, significant memories of Bob Dylan and William S. Burroughs, Patti Smith's "guardian angel," Patti waiting for him in the lobby to return from the next door El Quijote Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge (fourth drink free!), where Janis Joplin also had some Amy Winehouse moments.
Cool stuff. I remember watching Patti Smith close out CBGB via livestream video in Detroit on October 15/16*, 2006, and specifically remember her rendition of the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" while incendiaries crackled all around and Chinese rockets flew.
As for how she comes across, Patti Smith is like some ever-shifting combo of Tom Petty, Joey Ramone and Iggy Pop with a dash of Joan Jett and Chrissie Hynde -- as befits her androgynous poet-rock star persona. Viva Patti Smith!
Today's Rune: The Mystery Rune. *[Corrected. Show began on 10/15, ended early a.m. 10/16].
6 comments:
I've liked quite a bit of her stuff over the years/.
*shrug* She has always come across as raw to me but real.
Patti closed out CBGB on October 15, 2006. Not Halloween Night.
Thanks for the review. Looking forward to seeing the show. Her body of work is amazing. If she'd only written "Frederick" it would have been astounding. I love her take on "So You Wanna Be a Rock and Roll Star."
Thanks all for the comments and thanks Anon for the two week rollback. I posted on it:
Sunday night, October 15/16, 2006, I caught much of the final show at CBGB's via their website's live stream. Raw, real cool, fitting, Patti Smith's performance included frenetic backing by Lenny Kaye, Richard Lloyd, and Flea and ranged from spoken word to anarchic anthemic guitar clash.
Patti Smith walked the stage, put on glasses, read from sheets of paper, checked lyrics, did the hair flip, took her boots off, danced barefoot, sang, talked and occasionally played electric guitar. . .
Erik, nice review! I think I would want to see this even if I WASN'T a fan.
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