Easter

by

Patti Smith Group

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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.