Peace and Noise

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Last year's bittersweet return Almost Gone memorialized lost friends and family in profound fashion. The deaths of beat luminaries Ginsberg and Burroughs color parts of her seventh album, but overall Smith is back on the barricades and rocking alongside her Lenny Kaye-led band. "1959," a plea for Tibet, is the catchiest, timeliest song here, and, like "Don't Say Nothing," it merits at least a dash of commercial airplay. Ain't going to happen, of course, but Smith's wisdom, apocalyptic imagery and artful invention (viz. "Memento Mori") is manna to devotees. --Jeff Bateman --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Peace and Noise
Average customer rating:

Beautiful and poetic

The Lioness in winter

She growls, gestures, preens gloriously--one of her best

A Wandering Soul on the Burning Shore

Solid rock sound

Peace and Noise
Patti Smith
Manufacturer: BMG
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Gung Ho

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Wave

ASIN: B000002VTT
Release Date: 2007-06-30

Tracks:

Waiting Underground
Whirl Away
1959
Spell
Don't Say Nothing
Dead City
Blue Poles
Death Singing
Memento Mori
Last Call

Amazon.com

Last year's bittersweet return Almost Gone memorialized lost friends and family in profound fashion. The deaths of beat luminaries Ginsberg and Burroughs color parts of her seventh album, but overall Smith is back on the barricades and rocking alongside her Lenny Kaye-led band. "1959," a plea for Tibet, is the catchiest, timeliest song here, and, like "Don't Say Nothing," it merits at least a dash of commercial airplay. Ain't going to happen, of course, but Smith's wisdom, apocalyptic imagery and artful invention (viz. "Memento Mori") is manna to devotees. --Jeff Bateman

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful and poetic.......2007-07-17

I was walking in the park tonight, a warm dark summer night. Momento Mori came on the MP3 player; I was totally captivated - I hadn't heard it in a long time. When I got home, I gave P&N a careful listening. "Don't Say Nothing" ranks with my favorite Patti songs. Her recital of Ginsberg's "Footnote to Howl" is worth the price of the album. P&N has a hypnotic, almost trance-like quality, more than her rocking earliest, brilliant works. I think the negative comparisons to "Horses", "Easter", are entirely fatuous and don't take into account the maturity of the artist. Maybe I am getting older, but I really dig the tone of this album and the incredibly meaningful, poetic lyrics in every song. My family are big fans... My daughter has an excellent tattoo from the cover of Easter.
Finally, I LOVE YOU PATTI!!!!

The Lioness in winter.......2007-03-27

This album gives me a sense of November weather. From the opening of Waiting underground to the amazing 10 minute track memento mori and ofcourse patti and michael stipe bringing it all back with the closing track last call. I love this album, her lyrics are at full force with 1959, painting images that leave marks all along the eyes and hands.

I actually enjoy this one more than Gone Again. But then again, I love all her albums.

She growls, gestures, preens gloriously--one of her best.......2006-03-23

Classic power and passion, always positive-proactive-even at its toughest. More rock then punk. No whining, screeching, thrashing; she is in control. Guitars sing out with soaring purpose. Rhythm section is rock solid, confident, never pushed. She growls, paces, gestures, preens gloriously, even when she struggles. She is never a victim. Back to basics. Velvet Underground/CBGB tough-lyrical voice of a sensate woman wrestling with the city. One of her best.

A Wandering Soul on the Burning Shore.......2003-10-04

Patti Smith has always been renowned for her willingness to face the darkness--and in her earlier releases she relentlessly questioned the nature of God and God's relationship to man, often in the most violent and blasphemy-laced manner possible, working her ferocity into high art.

In the 1980s, after a period of silence and following the deaths of such close friends as Sam Wagstaff and Robert Mapplethorpe, the quality of her work began to undergo a change: she continued to face the darkness, continued to question God and God's relationship to man, but the tone was increasingly introspective, deliberately thoughtful, increasingly controlled. Then in the wake of her husband's death she reemerged with GONE AGAIN and PEACE AND NOISE. Both find her as passionate and often as outraged as ever. But here the questioning carries with it the sense that the answers are just below the surface.

Like most of Smith's work, PEACE AND NOISE is extremely hard to take in on the first listening, and my initial response to the thing was that it was one of her lesser works. But over time, and after repeated listenings, I find it every bit as powerful as the best of her best. True, as some have noted, there are no single "standout" cuts here--nothing that suddenly jumps up and bites you the way that such Smith classics as "Gloria," "Because The Night," "Dancing Barefoot," or "Gone Again" do. But the album works as unit in a way that many Smith albums do not: it is not a matter of variety here, playing jarring cuts against quieter moments, but one of long consistency.

The opening track, "Waiting Underground," is a powerful piece, bitter, outraged, and yet curiously hopeful--and the strange combination of these qualities persists throughout every selection here. While Smith remains as attacking as ever, condemning the less savory aspects of human nature with every fiber of her being ("Dead City" is a classic example), it is now the outrage of someone who perceives that reality could be substantially different from what it is, that mankind as a whole could rise above the ashes in which we wallow.

Perhaps the single most obvious statement here is "Spell," a strange, hypnotic, chant-like piece in which Smith considers the world and finds everything in it "Holy," an aspect of the God she so persistently probes. But if everything is Holy, why isn't everything different? This is the hard question she poses--and the answer seems to be because we will not have it so. We are unwilling to try hard enough. Ultimately, the album presents us with an equation of life as "noise" and death as "peace"--and the ultimate answer. It is the way home.

This is such a driven, bitter, delicately balanced recording. And while Smith is often memorable for her musical extremes, she offers none of them here--there are no screaming, rioting guitars, no nail-driven drums; it is instead a slow build of tension that coils tighter and tighter from selection to selection, relying more upon Smith's vocals and remarkable lyrics than upon instrumentation. PEACE AND NOISE is not, perhaps, the ideal album for a first-timer; it really has to be considered in the overall context of Smith's body of work. But it is a remarkably fine one. Strongly recommended.

--GFT (Amazon Reviewer)--

Solid rock sound.......2003-04-21

Patti Smith's 1997 album has a beautiful insert booklet with black and white pics and handwritten notes, that serves primarily as a tribute to William Burroughs (1914 - 1997). There is a good rock sound throughout, but none of the songs really stand out like for example Gloria or Redondo Beach on Horses, Because The Night on Easter or Dead To The World and Ravens on Gone Again. The lyrics are up to her expected high standard, but I think the songs lack gripping melodies. Perhaps it's just a matter of taste, but to me Smith represents those impassioned, melodic anthems that transport the listener to the lofty realms of rock. The best track here is Memento Mori with its impressive instrumentation and its improvised lyrical meanderings. Much as I adore the inimitable Patricia, I cannot recommend Peace And Noise to the casual listener. So, this is not the place to start for those who wish to investigate the genius of Patti Smith; rather try Hoses, Easter, Wave, Radio Ethiopia or Gone Again to experience the best of her soaring, poetic songs.

Average customer rating:

Moving, intense music.
peaceful moment to soothe you and draw you closer to Him.
Aural Delight
Excellent Russian Music
Slavyanka: Small Chorus - Large Sound

Russian Church Music

Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000007DX
Release Date: 1992-10-01

Tracks:

Our Father (The Lord's Prayer)
Blessed is the Man
Behold, Bless The Lord
O Lord, Save Thy People
Having Fallen Asleep
By The Rivers Of Babylon
Make A Joyful Noise
With My Voice
For The Mercy Of Peace
Salvation Is Created
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The Shadow Of The Law Passed Away
Lord, Now Lettest Thou Servant Depart
For the Mercy of Peace
Our Father (The Lord's Prayer)
Glory To God In The Highest

Customer Reviews:

Moving, intense music........2006-04-30

I've had this album for a little over a year now and still listen to it regularly. It's a favorite in my car, especially in the early morning while driving my kids to school. The combination of the sunrise and the moving vocals combine to leave me feeling full of life, ready to move on with my day. The chorus is truly incredible, and with a decent sound system the feeling of being in the midst of all those deep voices is something memorable.

I love the sound and style of Russian music, and this CD has been wonderful when I'm in the mood for something more meaningful.

I'm not a music expert or Russian linguist, nor will you find me in a church on Sunday. I enjoy good music of all forms, and no matter what your religion or linguistic affiliation, this is excellent music that is sure to add something to your collection.

peaceful moment to soothe you and draw you closer to Him........2001-08-03

The themes and songs remind me of an ancient Russia when the Church is at peak and predominantly practiced at the whole of Russia.Just imagine yourself in one of those great cathedral with the choir singing and the priest celebrating the mass.The song that echoed in the great cathedral wall will surely put ones to heavenly realm,a sense of calm and joy one will always remember....

Aural Delight.......2001-02-06

Of all the music I own this cd is my favorite at this time. This group has a very rich and powerful sound. When I buy choral music this represents exactly what I am looking for. If you are like me you bought a Gregorian Chant cd and were disappointed becuse it is in unison and rather flat sounding: this is harmonious and lush. Each track is four part a capella. I cannot adequately express the pleasure I receive from this cd. I am not an audiophile or vocal technique expert but I know good music when I hear it; this certainly qualifies. The group has a very good blend and sings what seem to be difficult pieces very smoothly. I would describe the mood as invigoratingly soothing. If you like all-male choral works you will enjoy this. I will certainly be purchasing more work by this group in the future.

Excellent Russian Music.......2000-10-04

This is an excellent performance and resource. These days, it can seem that nothing less than an authentic performance will do, whether that necessitates playing Bach on 300 year old violins or Liszt being played by a full-blooded Hungarian. And with the amount of recordings becoming available from countries with few previous U. S. releases, it can seem that only a Russian ensemble can truly perform Russian music. Slavyanka's CD proves that philosophy to be false: an American choir can deliver an excellent account of Russian choral music.

I'm not sure if this is professional, semi-professional, or a group that meets weekly, but the results are quite good. Recording quality here is generally good and the choir has the requisite low bass section (the first track will let you know that). There are times when intonation and ensemble seem to slip away slightly, which keeps this recording from cracking the upper echelon. Some of the soloists seem uncertain at times, as well.

The inclusion of texts in Cyrillic letters, transliterated Russian, and English is an excellent addition that I wish CDs used more often. The texts make it easier to understand the message and to learn about the Russian language (definitely not the easiet language in which to sing). In fact, the CD booklet is so big that it scarcely fits into the jewel box.

I enjoy having this CD in my library and I would encourage those interested in choral music, Russian music, or even those learning Russian to buy it. I can't think of a better way to learn about a language and a culture.

Slavyanka: Small Chorus - Large Sound.......2000-03-29

Slavyanka Men's Chorus has the ability, through magnificent dynamic contrasts, to sound small and intimate, but can sound large as a Russian theological academy chorus. Their work on this disc is impeccable. The accompanying booklet of program notes is superior, and is in multiple languages. The inclusion of the text of the liturgical music in several languages, including Slavonic and transliterated English pronunciation of the Slavonic, is a wonderful addition. Can't recommend it highly enough!