Customer Reviews

Easter

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In early 1978, when this album was released, I ran a small record shop in Lancaster, Pa. I had been intrigued by "HORSES" and even more intrigued by its successor "RADIO ETHIOPIA", which contained some of the most provocative rock to come from the early American punk scene. I was not ready for the power and the glory of "EASTER", however, and its scope and depth took me completely by surprise. I listened to nothing else (well, okay, except for "DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN")at the store and at home, sometimes sitting in front of the stereo in a trance, totally overwhelmed by this record. From the opening cut "Til Victory" to the closing prayer "Easter" (I don't have the remastered version...hence I don't recognize "Godspeed" as the true final track), this record is mezmerizing, mystifying, and completely in tune with what The Patti Smith Group was aiming for...a declaration of musical independence. Though the entire album is electrifying, there are a few cuts that are just plain incredible, including "25th Floor/High On Rebellion", "Privilege" (Set Me Free), and of course, the single "Because The Night" and the title track. Expertly produced by Jimmy Iovine, this album will take you back to a time when rock this unadulterated was being performed by a group of New York bands that shaped music for years to come..Talking Heads, Television, The New York Dolls, and of course, The Patti Smith Group, to name a few. Buy this, take it home, wait until late at night, and then go for the ride it takes you on...I guarantee it will leave you breathless. Needless to say, this is one of my favorite records of my lifetime, and it provided the soundtrack for the greatest years I've known, when I swaggered just as righteously as this band and this album. It filled a place in my rock and roll heart that, to this day, it still occupies just as wholly. This is serious and thought-provoking music that, for this listener, has transcended time and space. I loved it then and I love it more now...it is indeed a classic and belongs in every serious rock and roll record collection.

Many years after her seminal late-seventies work, Patti Smith's debut, Horses, gets the lion's share of the accolades within her body of work. I'll probably get a lot of disagreement and maybe even a flame or two from that disc's staunch supporters, but in my opinion Easter is the pinnacle of her recording career. Horses is probably the more groundbreaking work, but to these ears it's a difficult listen and probably more trendy than it is good. Though given a more mainstream production, Easter is not one iota less tough or uncompromising.

Easter is stylistically a late-seventies hard rock album, but still it's all Patti, complete with her poetry and earthy sensuality. Her poetry is more mature sounding: There's only one ill-advised, childish diatribe here on "25th Floor", and the song appropriately enough soars so high you don't mind. Her vocals are less hysterical and more focused than ever before or since. She sings like a woman utterly possessed, and it's this element that gives Easter its power.

The Patti Smith Group shifts effortlessly from thundering anthems ("Till Victory", "Privilege") to stately ballads ("Easter") to quirky art-rock ("Space Monkey"). Patti's definitive reading of Bruce Springsteen's "Because the Night" -- which cuts both Natalie Merchant's soulless version and surprisingly the author's more gritty rendition -- is here too. Happily, it is neither the best thing about Easter, its weakest link, nor its centerpiece as it simply fits comfortably within the CD's mosaic.

Granted, if you're the type who exists on an audio diet of the Velvets, Talking Heads, and Tom Waits and who thinks that REM sold out after Chronic Town, do the rest of us a favor and pass on this. However if you enjoy female rockers like Chrissie Hynde, Debbie Harry, Kate Bush, and Tori Amos -- or just love moody hard rock -- buy this. You're in for a real experience.

And surely goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life and you shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever...god damn.

Patti Smith isn't the kind of girl you'd want to bring to meet your church-going mother: she's outraged, angry, and profane, and meeting her music for the first time can have the impact of slamming into a brick wall. But if you listen closely you'll find she also has an artistic and intellectual depth that far outstrips virtually any other rock-and-roller working today.

EASTER, Patti Smith's most commercially successful album, may not be in quite the same league with HORSES but it is so close it hardly matters, and some may even prefer the tighter structure of EASTER over the more free-form HORSES. Either way, either album, Patti Smith [belts out] some serious rock-n-roll (...): her ability to channel a passionate ferocity into a raw, innovative, and uncompromising art is simply amazing.

Every track on EASTER explodes with Smith's unique creativity, but some jump out a bit more than others. The first three songs of the collection--Til Victory, Space Monkey, and Because The Night--mix some serious guitar, driving beats, and disconcerting vocals to tremendous effect, and 25th Floor/High on Rebellion is Patti Smith at her hard-rocking poetic best, spinning passionately voiced recitals against an increasingly dissonant musical background. If you're new to Patti Smith's music, EASTER is probably the best introduction; if you're already a fan, EASTER should be cornerstone of your collection.

Though not as dazzling as her first album, Horses, Easter is the more accessible of the two. This time around the songs are tighter and more rock-oriented. "Because the Night" was the hit, but other highlights include "25th Floor,"Till Victory," and "Rock n Roll Nigger," a fantastic song about her misfit status. If you are new to Patti Smith, this album makes a fine introduction.

EASTER MAY HAVE COME AND GONE BUT THIS ALBUM WILL REMAIN IN MY MIND FOREVER. for years, i had heard how magnificent this woman truly is and what amazing things she contributed to the wonderful universe of rock music. ok, then why isn't her ranking just a bit higher on the the list of the most influential women in rock-n-roll? i'll never know. as patti states in the beginning of one of her songs on this album, she hasn't messed much with the past but she has messed PLENTY WITH THE FUTURE. after giving this album a great deal of thought, i've come to the conclusion that easter is one of the greatest albums ever recorded in rock-n-roll history and patti smith is a genius that's still overlooked by so many. call it punk, call it classical rock, or whatever you want but just don't over look patti. from the almost seductive & beautiful springsteen pinned ballad "because the night" (later covered by natalie merchant in the early portion of the nineties) to the very end of this record, patti reveals all as the album cover might suggest. she is unafraid to bare her soul and share her unique wisdom with the world. through easter, i can easily say that there has never been a woman quite as bold nor as prophetic in her anger as ms. smith and i don't think there ever will be. this is an album worthy of repeated listenings and lengthy discussions. thanks to patti, we have a whole planet of raging females who won't have to knock as hard as the door has been kicked down. play easter and play it loud.

I've heard Patti Smith's name mentioned by many people but never listened to any of her music. That is until I saw her marvelous performance at 2007 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction on tv. I picked up this cd because it had "Because The Night" and "Rock n' Roll Nigger". I'm greatly impressed by her songwriting ability and just love "Space Monkey." I cannot believe to be so behind the times in appreciating this incredible rocker. I also did not realize that U2 had been such huge fans of hers until a clip at the R&R Hall of Fame was shown with drummer Larry Mullen mentioning Patti. This album rocks and really shows that the ladies can write & rock out at the same time!

Of her early work, Easter is Patti's most accessible album and owing to the inclusion of Springsteen's beautiful "Because The Night" it became her biggest seller - she had managed to adapt her poetic gifts to appeal to a mainstream rock audience. Strong melodies and arrangements abound: Till Victory is Patti at her rousing, anthemic best while Babelogue followed by Rock 'n Roll Nigger is a hypnotic stream-of-consciousness rant. Other great tracks include Space Monkey, Privilege and Ghost Dance. Easter found a good balance between her commercial aspirations and artistic vision, and is recommended as a starting point for those who want to investigate the punk poetess.

It seems as though today, there is a new segregation enforced by the music industry: girls are expected to do "pop" while rock is for guys. Listen to any contemporary hard rock station and you are unlikely to hear a female voice. This was not always the case as evidenced by Patti Smith on this fine album. She is a rocker to the core. I am among those who believe Easter is a better album than Horses. While Horses was groundbreaking, Patti's vocal delivery on it was very mannered, which distracts from some of the songs. On Easter, she just belts them out. I believe Easter has stood the test of time better than Horses, and is her best album. The album is loaded with great songs. Her version of "Because the Night" is definitive. It is passionate, sexy, and completely outclasses the bland, wonderbread remake by Natalie Merchant. All the other tracks from the original album are just as good. The only song I was not entirely impressed with was the bonus track, "Godspeed", but that's a small point. Get Easter if you want one of the great, underrated albums of the 70's.

This album, released when I was a college freshman, colored my whole world at the time. That being said, the parts that still matter to me are "till victory" , ghost dance, because the night, and especially we three (!) and easter(!) two of the all time greatest tracks. Patti smith is a unique and valuable artist and seer, and we are all lucky to still have her perspective. Be- lieve it or not, she is UNDERrated, not over-. Long may she wave and rave (love, r)

I have always loved Patti Smith. This is one of those albums that just take you a long time to actually get. "Because The Night" is one of my favorite songs of all time, I have it on various CD collections. "Easter" is a great song also. I have most of here other albums, and I think this one and "Horses" are her best. I saw her perform a few years back and was totally blown away by the power of her performance, not to mention the great band she had with her. It's funny that what people like Patti Smith were doing in the 70's, a lot of new acts are trying to copy now. Most making only childish sugar coated versions. She is the queen of the female punk/rock singer-songwriters.