Banga

This is a gorgeous album in all respects!
The package of this 'deluxe' edition is in the format of a proper hard back book, complete with dust jacket, the CD housed in a card sleeve/page at the rear, which appears to be quite durable and ok. The lyrics and writings by Patti are beautifully presented as are the numerous black & white photographs that accompany them. It is quality.

The music:
Well this is a definite progression from it's two brilliant predecessors 'Gone Again' & 'Trampin' and shows off a measured maturity whilst still managing not to sound staged or boring or too 'polished' - she somehow manages to retain plenty of her usual edginess.

The 10.19 minute colossus that is 'Constantine's Dream' is by far my favourite track at the moment and is truly hypnotic and powerful, a 'bit' like 'Gandhi' in stature but less overtly angry. (I say 'at the moment' as is usually the case with Patti's albums that they are so multi faceted and have such depth that my favouritism varies with the passage of time & circumstance). Bearing this latter effect in mind, I can tell this album is going to be a long lasting and ever increasing favourite among my collection. You immediately know quality when you hear it, even if you also immediately know that much of it has yet to reveal itself to you.

Her voice seems to just get better & better and the instrumentation is just so blooming good!

All in all this is an utter delight, well worth the money and to anyone who likes Patti Smith it is absolutely ESSENTIAL!

Having only heard Horses from her oeuvre I therefore do not count myself as a fan of Patti Smith. Being a music fan who always appreciates the music before the lyrics may explain why I didn't appreciate Horses as much as most did and, consequently, why I always preferred the early albums of the New York scene's other punk pioneers, the Ramones, Television, Blondie and the Talking Heads. So it is all the more surprising that I actually like Banga so much. Ordinarily, I wouldn't even have listened to it but it was chosen as the album of the month in our local music club so listen to it I had to. Yes of course it is as lyrical and poetic as you'd expect (how good it is on these counts, I'll leave it to others to say) but it is the music that impresses this listener. The melodies are strong on the sung tracks and where her vocals are spoken, the musical accompaniment is spot on. A good example of the latter is on the longest track, the 10 minute plus Constantine's Dream. Normally, I would find such tracks boring and self indulgent but with a fine musical track to back it, it works well. Other stand out tracks for me are the semi sung/semi vocal opener, Amerigo, and the wonderfully folky Nine which, appropriately is the ninth track (do you see what they did there?). My admiration for Banga shows that you don't have to be a Patti Smith fan to like it and I recommend it to all who have reached the end of this review.

Great album marvellous thought provoking lyrics played by excellent musicians , gets better with each play. I recommend the special edition comes with a beautful hardback book which is a good read and the extra track kids . Patti never disappoints and now for the tour in September.