Easter

back in stock. 1978's stab at the big-time for patti and band resulted in the smash collaboration with springsteen ('because the night') and the bands most accessible album. "rock and roll is the only cultural asset america has given the world," declared a young patti smith years before she made her own records. then she made easter, which made that asset a little more valuable. easter is an essential cultural touchstone. whereas 'horses' was built on poetry and 'radio ethiopia' scrapped accessibility for primal cacophony, 'easter' was the patti smith group's most approachable package of smith's vision. as an artist and songwriter, smith constantly pushed the boundaries of rock's scope: the demented 'space monkey' builds a visual landscape, 'because the night' melds pop with literary intention, and 'ghost dance' transcends all musical genres to become a mantra. possibly the most powerful track on the album is smith's epic 'babelogue / rock 'n' roll nigger' segue, where she incorporates jimi hendrix, jesus christ and jackson pollack into a paean to artistic individuality and its inevitable alienation. this remstered cd adds a bonus track - 'godspeed' which was a b-side from the album sessions.