Back in 1981 me and my friend Andy were in a record store. This was not unusual and probably happened most Saturday’s, after several hours of decision and indecision he was buying Stevie Nicks album Belladonna. I was considerably poorer than him and was buying an album out of the cutout bin, it was Wave by Patti Smith.
Both albums had women in lace holding white birds on the cover. One looked like a mysterious witchy type who would break your heart, the other looked like she would drag your sorry ass through several types of trouble and then leave you broken and asking for more.
Wave by Patti Smith is a rollercoaster ride through punk rock, psychedelia, pop music and esoteric noises with a Byrds song thrown in to keep you confused. You can dance to this but you have to be channeling some serious demons to truly keep with the beat. The lyrics will screw with your mind, covering religion, politics, drugs and insanity and the music will take you right along.
Back in 1981 I had no idea that this was apparently the most conventional of Patti Smith’s albums. I guess Todd Rundgren had something to do with that.
I bet Andy has not listened to Belladona since the eighties ended but Pattie Smith’s Wave is still on rotation here in the boonies.
Day 15 zero records bought…
No doubt Bella Donna is a good album, but I think you got the lasting album there.
One of my favorite artists. The song/poem Wave here terrifies the shit out of me every time I hear it in the dark for reasons I can’t quite put into words, but I find myself in thrall to it nonetheless. Or maybe I’m just in thrall to Patti…
Hey! Good to see you’re still chuggin’ along man.
What a terrific piece. Economical, entertaining and engaging. Nicely played, sir.
The cut price bin is where all the dangerous classics hide