Patti Smith - Hard Nipples

All Music Guide

This bootleg presents a live Patti Smith performance from late 1975/early 1976 in which she appears with John Cale, who produced her just-released debut album, Horses. Cale gets a solo spot on "I Keep a Close Watch," awhile Smith intersperses songs from Horses (and "Ain't It Strange" from the upcoming Radio Ethiopia) with such concert covers as the Velvet Underground's "We're Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together" and "Pale Blue Eyes" and the Who's "My Generation," as well as spicing up the proceedings with her usual commentary on everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Giuseppe Verdi. Especially interesting is a version of "Birdland" that makes the song's references to Wilhelm Reich explicit. Unfortunately, the sound quality on what must be an audience tape is low. (Also released under the title Turn It Up.)

- William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide