Gung Ho

Gung Ho has Patti Smith imaging herself into several different political situations: in Vietnam, speaking for the stolen Africans in the Middle Passage, as Salome ordering the head of John the Baptist. What she manages to do with these situations is really something special, and a great testament to her talents as a poet and artist. She hasn’t been this full of piss-and-vinegar since Radio Ethiopia, but she’s still managing to sound like the goddess of alternative rock that she is. While this isn’t as crazy as the folk-punk hybrid Gone Again, this is more like Easter – full of big and scary ideas for a mainstream album, but given enough of a polish to give the illusion of being easily accessible. The lone single, “Glitter in Their Eyes,” is an anti-materialism rant, and possibly about blood diamonds, if I’m understanding the imagery correctly. But I can’t imagine too many people being riveted and thrilled by “Libbie’s Song,” but I was. Patti Smith is someone who’s never had to worry about chart performance, working with flash-in-the-pan producers or compromising her artistic integrity, so she’s allowed to follow her muse wherever it takes her. And in this instance it took her to a song which sounds like the world’s oldest country song – her voice sounds warm and great in the genre, maybe that’s where she’s heading towards next? I’d be on board for it. I’ve already loved her early punk days, her glossier rock middle period, latter day alternative folkie rebirth and this just melds and merges the different versions of Smith into one rollicking new one. Or perhaps she was just summarizing her years at Arista for her final studio release. Either way, I believe that Gung Ho is one of her best efforts. DOWNLOAD: “Glitter in Their Eyes”