The Coral Sea
After photographer Robert Mappelthorn passed away from AIDs in 1989, good friend and punk poetess Patti Smith wrote The Coral Sea later in 1996, a book of poems in prose form dedicated to his memory. Patti Smith recorded two sessions of the readings in 2005/2006, accompanied by improvisational guitar from My Bloody Valentine frontman, Kevin Shields. The sessions are now available as a double album.
Smith as a reader is compelling and exceedingly passionate while Shields supplies sweeping acoustics and mellow textures. In the second disc the guitar becomes more energetic at parts halting to silence at times leaving you only with mesmerizing metaphors.
This two hour long spoken word album isn't an easy listen by any means, it's not supposed to be. But if you manage to sit through it in one sitting, it will be an uniquely awe inspiring experience.
-Ed
Listen to samples and buy it from here
Smith as a reader is compelling and exceedingly passionate while Shields supplies sweeping acoustics and mellow textures. In the second disc the guitar becomes more energetic at parts halting to silence at times leaving you only with mesmerizing metaphors.
This two hour long spoken word album isn't an easy listen by any means, it's not supposed to be. But if you manage to sit through it in one sitting, it will be an uniquely awe inspiring experience.
-Ed
Listen to samples and buy it from here