Patti Smith: Outside Society

Patti Smith
Outside Society
Arista/Columbia/Legacy Recordings [2011]









Fire Note Says: A perfect education on the career spanning compilation from Patti Smith.

Album Review:
There is no question that Patti Smith is an icon of the indie rock nation and her music catalog stands alone but trying to encapsulate her work into an 18 track compilation of singles, in chronological order, gets a little more tricky. Not because the songs are not good but because Patti Smith's albums work so well as albums. When you take the songs out of their original order and remove their surrounding counter parts, Outside Society seems to lose its context. This is especially the case when you discuss records like Horses [1975] and Radio Ethiopia [1976] that each contained tracks that pushed by the 9 minute mark and displayed the depth of her talents. Outside Society still offers up a complete coverage of her career and will catch up longtime fans on her more recent releases, which is a benefit here. Regardless of how her work flowed, Outside Society is still a descent taste for newbies of what Patti Smith offered and should steer them back to the classic records - which is a good thing. Honestly, that is what this compilation should do anyway!

Key Tracks: "Gloria", "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Glitter In Their Eyes"

Bands With Similar Fire:
PJ Harvey
EMA
Kate Bush

Patti Smith Website
Patti Smith Facebook
Legacy Recordings

-Reviewed by Christopher Anthony