Patti Smith at the Minetta Lane: Words and Music

by Patti Smith

Patti Smith at the Minetta Lane features live audio of performances captured over three evenings in September of 2018 at the Minetta Lane Theatre in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, woven into a single, one-of-a-kind audio event. Pioneering artist and writer Patti Smith commands the stage to perform original spoken-word stories from her life, interwoven with the music of her beloved catalogue, played live by Smith, her son and daughter–Jackson and Jesse Paris Smith–and longtime collaborator Tony Shanahan. What transpires is a personally revelatory showcase, an intimate portrait of an icon, focusing on family and taking stock of a near to 50-year career devoted to artistic integrity.
1 hr 23 min

Genres: Music, Poetry, Audiobook, Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography, Art

37 pages, Audible Audio

First published November 1, 2018

About the author

PATTI SMITH is a writer, performer, and visual artist. She gained recognition in the 1970s for her revolutionary merging of poetry and rock. She has released twelve albums, including Horses, which has been hailed as one of the top one hundred albums of all time by Rolling Stone.

Smith had her first exhibit of drawings at the Gotham Book Mart in 1973 and has been represented by the Robert Miller Gallery since 1978. Her books include Just Kids, winner of the National Book Award in 2010, Wītt, Babel, Woolgathering, The Coral Sea, and Auguries of Innocence.

In 2005, the French Ministry of Culture awarded Smith the title of Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres, the highest honor given to an artist by the French Republic. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.

Smith married the musician Fred Sonic Smith in Detroit in 1980. They had a son, Jackson, and a daughter, Jesse. Smith resides in New York City.

Reviews

[Laurie (barksbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short members only freebie I received via audible. It's a live recording of Patti Smith reading poetry, snippets of her writing and performing several of her songs. Interesting and good stuff and that's all I have for a review because I didn't take notes and listened over a month ago!

[Cheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recorded in 2018 at the Minetta Lane Theatre in Greenwich Village over three evening performances, I found listening to this audible “story” was just what I needed for these crazy days. A combination of little snippets of her life story along with her music this was a wonderful collection which was well worth the hour and 22 minutes spent of pure pleasure.

From reading Rilke’s poem Autumn Day, to performing some of her music, sharing some personal stories that I hadn’t heard before, and some others that I had read in her Just Kids, M Train or Year of the Monkey but listening to her share these stories added another level of depth and enjoyment for me. There’s a warmth, a charm to the way she shares her stories, leading you into her life and allowing you to see and feel it all, as though you were there when it happened, it brought back memories of New York City as it was in the 1960’s so clearly that I could see it as it used to be - very different than it is now. There’s also a little bit of Smith’s humorous take on her first, accidental, meeting with Allen Ginsberg.

Well worth the hour and 22 minutes to look back and remember another time.

[Camelia Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

A recording of Patti Smith's performance at the Minetta Lane in 2018. Smith read excerpts from her memoirs, Just Kids and M Train, and sang songs. I like this mixed format of music and spoken words. A collage of sound? She sang some of her famous songs, such as People Have the Power and Because of the Night, and her cover version of U2's Love is All We Have Left.

Quotes:

“How do we get so damn old,'' I say to my joints, my iron colored hair. Now I am older than my love, my departed friends. Perhaps, I will live so long that the New York Public Library will be obliged to hand over the walking stick of Virgnia Wolfe. I will cherish it for her, and the stones in her pocket, but I will also keep on living, refusing to surrender my pen.


The story of how she and Allen Ginsberg met always makes me chuckle.

[Nada Elshabrawy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patti Smith performs her music with stories and poetry.

[Sheila Beaumont · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, powerful performance, a mix of poetry, reminiscences, and music. Highlights include "Because the Night" and the finale, "People Have the Power." This is one I will listen to again.

[Joe Kraus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this one through Audible, but didn’t consider it a “book” until I saw the New York times had reviewed it. If it’s good enough for them, then I suppose it’s good enough for me.

I love Patti Smith at what I think of her as her best, as a kind of punk poet. I admit I get tired of her work (though not her, never her) when she lapses into the heavy recitation rhythm stuff, when she reads a poem mid-concert and seems to ask, implicitly, if we wouldn’t rather be sitting by ourselves and reading. No, no we wouldn’t – not even those of us who do happen to read our share of poetry in other circumstances.

But, on balance, I like Patti Smith very much, and I certainly enjoyed her Just Kids. It’s justifiably celebrated as one of the great rock memoirs.

This, it turns out, is a kind of greatest hits live. It’s her reading excerpts of her two memoirs and then punctuating them with live music. The memoirs are very good – I enjoy those prose breaks more than I do the poetry interruptions – but I’ve read them. And the music is generally great, but it doesn’t really rock here. For the most part, these are late-middle-aged reworkings of the classics, songs that – beyond their excellence – are supposed to matter here because of the context of her memoirs and because of what we bring to them from our past as well. They tend to linger, to move more slowly than the album versions or, presumably, the classic concert arrangements.

This is, in effect, Smith’s answer to Springsteen on Broadway. She isn’t selling out at a major theater, but she is reuniting with her fans. She’s talking through the music, not feeling that rock spirit but capably performing a script.

I doubt I’ll ever find Smith truly boring – and this is certainly not – but I did get the sense I’d heard it all before. She’s one of the rock queens, someone I’m glad to see basking in her well-deserved renown. I’d be interested in a full concert, one where we get to see her rethinking the music as music, slowing it down and drawing new nuances from it.

Framing the music in her strong memoirs makes it something that, live, must still pack a punch. Recorded – as something that we’re supposed to acknowledge as a book – it leaves me hungry for something purer: another memoir or another concert.

[Andie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patti Smith performs this memoir through poetry, song and her own quirky prose narrative, painting a wonderful picture of New York in the 1960's - a place that has now vanished. My favorite anecdote is of her first meeting with Allan Ginsberg at the Automat. She arrives with enough money for a cheese sandwich only to find that the prices have increased. Allan Ginsberg appears behind her and pays the difference and sits down at her table. He stares at her intently and finally exclaims, "You're a girl!" Smith, realizing that he was looking for a young boy hook up merely asks him, "May I keep the sandwich?" It doesn't get better than that.

[Tommy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This shouldn't even count as a 'read'. It's a brisk hour or so of Patti sharing stories, writings, and a few songs, accompanied by her kids/band members. It's wonderful, because it's Patti. Stories about Fred "Sonic" Smith, Robert Mapplethorpe, Allen Ginsburg, the Chelsea Hotel, and living on cheese sandwiches in the late 60's.

"People Have the Power", "Wing", "Because the Night", "Pissing in a River", and "Peaceable Kingdom" make the setlist.

It's joyous, warm, and loose. Patti's a gift. Listen to her sing, speak, or read whenever you can. She's a healing balm in these tempestuous times.

[Guillermo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not exactly an audiobook. Part poetry reading, part storytelling, part concert. It's beautiful and it works.

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful performance of music, poetry and music!

[Larry Bassett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short (less than two hours) audible special presentation is a combination of singing and readings from a variety of the authors, published work. You probably have to be a bit of a fan of Patti Smith to obtain the most enjoyment here. I would have to say that the audience seem to be a group of sycophants, whose soul purpose was to see how loud they could clap! Listening to this did want me to go immediately to look at my Robert Mapplethorpe books!

[Relyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first discovered Patti Smith on Instagram. Her feed is fantastic. I feel like one of the last people in America to discover her. Patti Smith is obviously a songwriter and performer. She's an author, too. Even better, she's a poet, a storyteller, and a wordsmith. Her eye for beauty is astounding. When I learned that she is still traveling the world making music, advocating for change, and generally doin' her thing at 72 - well, how could I not love her?

I do love her. I really do. I don't, however, love her music. I really, really, REALLY don't love Patti Smith's, Neil Young's, and similar music. Not at all. So, what would make me love this production so much?

Here's what I do love, and all of was in great evidence on Patti Smith at the Minetta Lane.
- storytelling
- scratchy, smokey voices
- evocative stories
- people who are so completely themselves, they couldn't live another life if they tried
- reminiscences that are tender and sweet without being saccharine
- stunning audio quality
- belief. I have so much admiration for people who believe deeply in something. In this case, Patti believes that People have the power.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a recent free "Audible Originals" selection. I picked it because I knew nothing about Patti Smith and figured it'd be painless way to learn something.

I enjoyed the songs, though I didn't have the concentration to follow the poetic lyrics. Turns out I did know (and like) one Patti Smith song - "Because the Night" - and it was a special treat to be surprised by it.

The stories were also enjoyable, but I think there were parts of them I didn't "get" like I should. For instance, many of them were about her friend Robert Mapplethorpe. The live audience in the recording were clearly very familiar with him, but I'm not, so I think I needed more detail than she provided.

The poetry? I know most poetry is written to be heard rather than read, but I don't have the concentration at this stage of my life to make sense of it in "real time." I sort-of zoned out for most of it. If you're reading this and you're a big fan, sorry.

All in all a worthwhile listen coming in at just under 90 minutes.

[CS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bullet Review:

Thank the gods this was a free Audible Original work and I didn't spend any money or credits on it. I'm not saying this was terrible (the prose parts where Patti Smith relates various events from her life were pretty interesting), but I'm not a poetry person nor a Patti Smith fan (I had to look up who she was). The addition of music was very odd - on one hand, it was a helpful introduction, on the other, it was somewhat out of place.

Honestly, I got this solely because it was free - and I found it meh.

Your mileage may vary. Maybe this will be just the introduction you need to become a Patti Smith fan. Good for you.

[Sonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really didn't know much about Patti Smith until our book club pick one month was "Just Kids". I had been familiar with some of her music but that was about it. I love her style of writing and was awed by her experiences in New York in the 60's and 70's. She seems like someone I would really enjoy spending time with. When Audible suggested this for free, I jumped at the offer and it deepened my appreciation for her and her work.

This audio is an enjoyable hour and a half with Patti telling stories from her books and singing some of her more popular songs.

[Jeimy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part concert, part recital, part book reading. Patti Smith is as magical in real life as she is in the recordings of her book. My only regret is not being at the Minetta Lane when she was performing live.

[Katie Boyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Free Audible Original - songs and poetry readings by Patti Smith. Very cool for fans of music/poetry/Patti but I wouldn't call this short piece a "book" per say. Quick enjoyable listen though.

[Debra Barstad · Rating 3 out of 5]

good listen I would recommend

[LindaJ^ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Audible Original is short - less than an hour and a half. It isn't really a book, it is a performance. It is Patti Smith live at the Minetta Lane. Smith, with her children backing her up musically, reads poetry (all but one that she wrote herself) and tells stories (some from her book Just Kids). Many of the stories are about NYC in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She talks about Robert Mapplethorpe and her husband Steve Smith. Each story is accompanied by a poem or a song. Patti Smith can still sing with the best. The audio ends with a rollicking version of her song "The People Have the Power" followed by phrases such as "believe it," "make it so," "use your voice" and, one that I really liked, "To Wrest the World from Fools." This "audiobook" can be listened to again and again.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I'm glad that Audible is now offering free Audible Originals each month to members, I have yet to find anything that I couldn't live without. Free being free, I snatched up Patti Smith at the Minetta Lane during the month it was offered.

Patti Smith at the Minetta Lane is a short and sweet glimpse into the life and times of Patti Smith and I am glad that I gave it a listen. That said, I won't listen to it again. Good thing it was free.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will read or listen to anything Patti Smith puts out. This was a bit more than a concert recording (although it could be typical for Patti Smith concerts) with some prose and poetry reading, as well as anecdotes and music performance. Will I listen to it again? Definitely. It's worth it if only for the songs and the anecdote about the first time she met Allen Ginsburg!

[Rod · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting blend of poetry, storytelling, music, and asides, including pieces from Just Kids and M Train. I loved it. Patti Smith always strikes me as genuine, compassionate, insightful, with a deep feeling for the sorrow of life and a beautiful sense of humor. Hope to hear more from her soon.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting mix of Patti Smith reading from both Just Kids and M Train and her poems interspersed with music and banter with the audience. My only beef is that it was too short! But listening to this audio book definitely made my recent plane trip more bearable.

[Kelly_Hunsaker_reads ... · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patti Smith's stories, poetry and music tell the stories of her life. This short recording lets us hear her warmth and humor and listen in to a bit of her musical genius as though we were there. This is a short listen that was a lot of fun.

[LeeTravelGoddess · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful short book of words and songs 💚.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Patti Smith. She is an icon and so full of joy and humility. I love to hear her tell her stories, and her songs are so evocative of a life lived.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, the things I never knew

[Tom Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her stories, poems and music resounds from the sincere emotions of her heart and the listener can feel the truth of them. A wonderful experience of a real Icon of our Age. Thank you.

[Troy Tradup · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoken and sung performance turned audiobook, so no direct quotes, but just go listen to it yourself — it's Patti Smith, damn it!

This short mix of stories and songs is a beautiful introduction to Smith's writing (I believe it pulls from both Just Kids and M Train) and her music. Her one-of-a-kind voice only seems to be getting better with age and a couple of the renditions here, Because the Night and Pissing in a River, might almost be definitive.

Obviously I'm a huge fan anyway, but I'd be hard-pressed to believe anyone could listen to this set and not be completely charmed.

I said on BookTube recently that I was kinda bummed I'd never had a chance to hang out with Smith over a cup of coffee or browse with her through some dusty used bookstore. What I really wish is to be able to jump in a time machine and wander around St. Mark's place with Patti at the end of the 1960s. Robert Mapplethorpe, cheese sandwiches from an automat (her Allen Ginsberg story is priceless), and Patti Smith becoming Patti Smith.

Man, I was born too late and in entirely the wrong place.