Land (1975-2002)

Patti Smith

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 19, 2002)
• Original Release Date: March 19, 2002
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Arista
• ASIN: B00005YVQN
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #35,516 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

In some ways, singer-songwriter Patti Smith seems an unlikely choice for a full-bore anthology. After all, she's had only one charting single with "Because the Night." Even at that time, most people probably were more familiar with Gilda Radner's spot-on parody of her on Saturday Night Live than with Smith herself. Yet her influence both on the fledgling NYC punk scene and as a protofeminist poet renders her something of an American counterculture icon. As such, Land (1975-2002) serves to frame an uncompromising career spanning four decades. Split over two discs and featuring 31 tracks and almost two-and-a-half hours of music, Land begins with a survey of Smith's studio albums, relying most heavily on 1978's Easter. All the greats are here--"Dancing Barefoot," "People Have the Power," "Gloria," "Rock 'n' Roll Nigger," "Frederick," and of course, "Because the Night," plus a newly recorded version of Prince's "When Doves Cry," one of two songs cut specifically for this collection. The second disc is where fans--who were solicited for track selection input via gigs and the Web--get the goods. Early demos, among them 1974's coveted "Piss Factory," plus two other pre-Horses recordings, "Redondo Beach" and "Distance Fingers," kick things off. What follows is a batch of previously unreleased live recordings--"Dead City," "Spell," "Boy Cried Wolf"--most captured during a 2001 tour through the U.S. and Europe, and studio outtakes. Smith herself helped remaster the recordings while stacking the accompanying booklet with fans' photos and the like. Land probably won't spark a Smith renaissance, but loyalists can marvel at an artist who's never turned a fast buck by easing up on the sweat, tears, hunger, and integrity that inform every one of these tracks. --Kim Hughes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I was born in 1979..., September 7, 2002

By	Gena Chereck (Nebraska, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I didn't exactly grow up with the music of Patti Smith, and I've never seen her play live. But in the past few years, I've had the good fortune of being exposed to some of her fine songs -- "Gloria," "Because the Night," "People Have the Power," "1959," "Glitter in Their Eyes" -- thanks to radio and TV; and back in January, I finally caved and bought the classic album Horses (1975) at a used-CD store when the guy behind the counter recommended it to me. Sure enough, the aforementioned songs -- and the Horses track "Free Money" -- can be found on Disc One of Land: 1975-2002. I've also discovered new favorites like 1976's moving "Pissing in a River," 1978's ferocious "Rock 'n' Roll Nigger" ("Outside of society / That's where I want to be!"), 1979's tender and catchy "Frederick," 1996's powerful "Beneath the Southern Cross," and a surprisingly soulful new rendition of the Prince hit "When Doves Cry." Okay, so I would have deleted "Babelogue" (1978), "Ghost Dance" (1978), and "Paths That Cross" (1988) in favor of "Land" (1975), "Kimberly" (1975), and "Lo and Beholden" (2000). Otherwise, Disc One is a pretty solid and entertaining retrospective.

Disc Two is less consistent, and more problematic for newer fans like yours truly. I really like the stripped-down demos "Redondo Beach" (another favorite Horses track) and "Distant Fingers," as well as the Gone Again-era outtakes "Come Back Little Sheba" and "Wander I Go;" but I think the early single "Piss Factory" and the live version of 1978's "25th Floor" will more likely enthrall older fans. The rest -- including the new studio recording "Higher Learning" and a handful of live tracks recorded during a 2001 tour -- is hit-and-miss, although I find "Dead City" and "Wing" especially stirring. Oh, and stay tuned after the 2002 live track "Notes to the Future" -- the old live version of "Tomorrow" (from the musical Annie) makes for an entertainingly odd closer. Ultimately, Disc One (with its hits and choice album cuts) is a must-have for young rock 'n' roll fans curious about this revered and influential punk/alternative-rock figure; while the uneven-but-intriguing Disc Two may require a little more time and patience to be fully enjoyed.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Many unreleased tracks on this great anthology, March 20, 2002

By	William Merrill "eclecticist" (San Antonio, TX United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Hearing Patti Smith's music for the first time in the mid-70s was an electrifying experience. The whole "rock poet" thing was cool, but what really caught my ear was Patti's primal, free singing style plus Lenny Kaye's powerful electric guitar licks. "Land" is an really fine collection of Ms. Smith's material, with all of her biggest songs and (more importantly to me) an entire disc of previously unreleased demos, live cuts, and alternate takes. When a set like this comes out and I already own many albums by the artist, there's always a dilemma of "should I spend the bucks when there are only 3 or 4 new songs?" In this case the decision was easy -- a baker's dozen of good stuff like a demo of "Redondo Beach" (raw but compelling) or an incendiary live version of "Dead City." I highly recommend this anthology. My only minor complaint is there are no musician credits for the CD of unreleased tracks. It would have been nice to find out who played what.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Poet Speaks, November 20, 2002

By	Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

This is the perfect CD to replace those scratched vinyl albums, as it contains the best of Smith's seventies and eighties masterpieces like Babelogue, Gloria, People Have The Power, Frederick and Because The Night, plus live versions of old and more recent classics and interesting demo versions of Redondo Beach and Distant Fingers. Even if you have already replaced your vinyl with CD's, this is still a must have. The rare early single P-Factory, a true collector's item, makes this an essential purchase for the true fan. There is no one quite like Patti Smith with her talent for merging rock and poetry. It is luxuriously packaged with an informative booklet. Watch out for the hidden track - it's a lovely surprise to hear her take on the Broadway song Tomorrow!