Hopefully a full recording will be released of the Carnegie Hall tribute to Patti Smith. Until then, there are a number of videos on YouTube. Best I’ve seen is Ben Harper doing “Ghost Dance,” Smith’s mesmerizing mediation from 1978’s Easter. Note Flea on bass and Dylan/Costello sideman Charlie Sexton on guitar. Continue reading »
A harrowing, dingy, noisy song about the DTs, “Waves of Fear” from Lou Reed‘s eleventh album The Blue Mask is one of his more uncompromising songs (which is saying something). It’s just Reed’s description of what it’s like to detox, with no varnish and no protecting the listener from the misery, with Reed almost spitting the lyrics. It’s combined with an extremely grimy and relatively noisy rhythm guitar part, followed by just a bonkers solo from former Voidoid Robert Quine. It’s a deep cup fora number of reasons. Continue reading »