Patti Smith - Gung Ho (2018) [Hi-Res]

Patti Smith was working through grief when she returned from her eight-year recording hiatus to cut "Gone Again" (1996) and "Peace & Noice" (1997). She was dealing with the deaths of a number of close friends and family members--including husband Fred "Sonic" Smith--within a short time. Having achieved a degree of musical catharsis, Smith teamed with Pixies/Catherine Wheel producer Gil Norton for 2000's sonically gorgeous "Gung Ho".

Smith reaches beyond her punk roots, incorporating pennywhistle and mandolin into her folk-flavored song about Custer's wife ("Libbie's Song"). Longtime band member Lenny Kaye includes Middle Eastern-sounding nuances in his co-written tale of Salome ("Lo and Beholden"). Among the more stirring numbers are "Strange Messengers," written from the chilling viewpoint of a slavery victim, and "Glitter in Their Eyes," a chirpy, new wave-y anthem decrying today's rampant materialism. "Gung Ho's" 10-minute-plus title track/centerpiece lauds North Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh, portraying him as a patriot in love with our Constitution. "Gung Ho" will no doubt rankle a few Vietnam vets. A revitalized and inspired Smith avoids the trap of dry, didactic historical regurgitation, serving up another reminder of why she is rightly considered a downtown doyenne.

"Patti Smith's late-'90s comeback was devoted to reflective, intensely emotional music that explored her life in seclusion and the losses that forced her to reconnect with the larger world. They were acclaimed, ambitious, successful records, but they steered away from Smith's angry, activist muse, plus her penchant for visceral music. She rediscovers both on Gung Ho, her most immediate album in years. "Immediate" doesn't necessarily mean rock & roll, though. At times, she does reconnect with garage punk, notably on the Farifisa-fueled "Persuasion" and "Glitter in Their Eyes," which is graced by the guitar of Tom Verlaine, but her remarkable band -- featuring guitarists Lenny Kaye and Oliver Ray, bassist Tony Shanahan, and drummer Jay Dee Daugherty -- sounds direct and forceful even on the mid-tempo cuts that dominate the album. Smith doesn't shy away from the personal -- after all, the cover shot features her father, Grant, and the title track appears to deal with his war experiences -- but she works on a broader plane throughout the album, concentrating on larger, social messages even in the more intimate moments. The result may not be as haunting as Gone Again, but it's superficially nervier, reminiscent of a subdued, mature version of Easter. In other words, it's another handsome, shaded, and satisfying work from an artist who has reconnected with her muse." (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG)

Patti Smith, vocals, guitar
Lenny Kaye, guitar
Jay Dee Daugherty, drums
Oliver Ray, guitar
Tony Shanahan, bass, keyboards