JOHNNY THUNDERS BIRTHDAY BASH

Very few rockers inspire within me the affection I have for Johnny Thunders, a true brother-in-arms that I miss always. On July 14, at the Bowery Electric, I'll be participating in a salute to this legendary New Yorker by way of Queens who embodied so much of what we love in the music's ability to rouse a primal instinct. Steve Yarmosh puts on this annual salute and I'm happy to participate and light his ever burning candle.



MILLHEIM RETURN

It's a Thanksgiving turkey-in-the-straw returning to this wonderful town and venue deep in the heartland of Pennsylvania, accompanied by my friends from Marah, Dave and Christine. Looking forward to enjoying the best chicken wings in the Appalachians and a night of rockin', reelin', and raconteuring. See you there!



VELVET UNDERGROUND RE-LOADED

I was there in that star-crossed year of 1970 when the Velvets played Max's all summer, and I danced to the nascent strains of "Sweet Jane" and "Rock and Roll," as I do to this day. To say that this six-disc reissue - including demos, two contemporaneous live performances, surround sound remixes and all manner of photographic ephemera - is a tribute to one of the most influential and inspirational bands to ever exist, is truly an understatement. I scribed the accompanying 3000 word liner essay, as well as the original Rolling Stone review, a circularity that seems to occur increasingly as my lifeline revolves about itself, the concentric circle of one whose life was saved by rock and roll.



LINK CROMWELL IS STILL CRAZY!

After 49 and a half years, there is a sudden flurry of interest in folk-protest singer Link Cromwell and his 1966 non-hit wonder “Crazy Like A Fox.” In October, he made a rare surprise appearance at the famed Ponderosa Stomp in New Orleans, delivering his signature song as well as another garage classic, “Pushing Too Hard,” backed by Deke Dickerson’s band. In the company of such venerated and classic artists as P.F. Sloan, Irma Thomas, and Freddy Cannon, Link thrilled the sold-out crowd, musing on what it might have been like if his debut single had been a hit, thus altering the course of his artistic life. Thank you, Doc Ike!

For a song that only garnered a few random airplays in its time, and a spotlight in Link’s hometown sixties’ garage band, the Zoo (see Norton LP CED 273 at www.nortonrecords.com), “Crazy Like A Fox” has enjoyed quite an afterlife. Both sides, including the oft-unheard “Shock Me,” featuring Link on bass and his Uncle Larry Kusik on harmonica, are included on Ork Records: New York, New York, the sumptuous box set hailing the groundbreaking CBGB-centric label, also featuring Television, Alex Chilton, and local faves the Erasers. Across the pond, the Ace Records anthology of The London-American label for 1966 includes “Crazy Like A Fox” among other “import” hits of the day from such as the Sir Douglas Quintet, Love, Ike and Tina Turner, and the Bobby Fuller Four. It’s not the first time Ace has reissued Link: You Heard Them Here First showcases Link as a “future superstar,” along with early tracks from David Bowie, Lou Reed, and Vanilla Fudge. Now in negotiation with Sundazed Records for a golden anniversary edition single, Link Cromwell has this to say: “’Cause while they’re working on the inside / I’m having fun on the outside…” Oh yeah..!

THE DALAI LAMA JAMS AT GLASTONBURY

One could not ask for a better special guesting than a visit from His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, during our set at Glastonbury.



A KAYE-NOTE SPEECH

On May 5, I was invited by Kingsborough Community College on the Brooklyn shoreline, part of the City University of New York system, to talk to their students. The occasion was not only to celebrate Patti's Just Kids, which was their assigned reading for the semester, but to exemplify that what one learns in "skool" is not abstract knowledge, but a way in which to discover the pathways of one's future self. I was quite honored to speak of my own journey from academia to a life lived within its idealistic principles. Thanks to program coordinator Maureen Fadem for the opportunity to relive my path to enlightenment. Herewith: "We Are All Just Kids."
See video

A PRESS RELEASE FROM ECCO BOOKS

LIGHTNING STRIKING by guitarist and writer Lenny Kaye sprawls across five decades and a dozen cities where rock and roll exploded onto a national stage. A tale of the singers, songwriters, musicians, producers, promoters, disc jockeys, bit players, and fans who converged in a time and place to make an unforgettable sound -- including the Bowery, New York City, 1975, when Lenny Kaye and Patti Smith, along with bands like Television and the Ramones, started their own rock and roll revolution. Introduction by Patti Smith. North American and translation rights sold to Daniel Halpern at Ecco in a pre-empt. Sold by Betsy Lerner of Dunow, Carlson and Lerner Literary Agency.

(Before everyone rushes out to pre-order, please note it still has yet to be written, and will probably not arrive at your local bookstore until sometime in 2018. Until then, wish me luck and good wordplay).

PATTI SMITH AND HER BAND ON TOUR

Patti Smith and her Band are touring Europe and the U.S. this year celebrating the 40th anniversary of "Horses."

Consult pattismith.net's Jobs page for the latest tour information.



LUKE THE DRIFTER LIVES!

Each January 1, the Lonesome Prairie Dogs host a remembrance of one of the twentieth century's greatest performers and poets. Hank Williams died on this day in 1953, and the annual Hank-a-thon is a way to sing his songs and salute the long shadow of his influence. This year I chose to intone one of his Luke the Drifter sermons, those songs he would record on a penitent Sunday after a Saturday night carousing. My choice was "Too Many Parties Too Many Pals," proper for this day of recovering from bringing in the Eve, and I followed it with my own tribute to Hank's alter ego, "Luke The Drifter." Dig those crazy fringes, wearing a true H Bar C rodeo special, courtesy of my birthday gift from the irrepressible Tom Clark.





50 YEARS OF ROCK AND ROLL

It's something I never imagined, to salute a half century of playing in bands. I celebrate this occasion in style, as I describe in a piece for WonderingSound.com. A slightly expanded version, with video linkage, can be seen in the tour diary section. All praises be to the rock and roll gods for such a privilege.



"MERCY IS" NOMINATED FOR GOLDEN GLOBE

Patti and Lenny's song from Noah has been nominated for a Golden Globe. In honor of this honor, here is a live version from the recent end-of-year shows at Webster Hall in New York.

THE FILLMORE EAST, COMMEMORATED









PATTI SMITH / "Mercy Is"

March 28 is the cinematic release date of Darren Aronofsky's long awaited NOAH. It features "Mercy Is," written by Patti and Lenny, a lullaby that holds an honored place within the movie itself, and returns in a full orchestral version as the credits roll, performed by Patti with the Kronos Quartet. A soundtrack album is available on Nonesuch Records.



ROADBURN 2014!

Heavy Psych Luminary Lenny Kaye to Jam with Harsh Toke at Mikael Åkerfeldt's curated 2014 Roadburn Festival

We are thrilled – nearly speechless! – to announce that garage-psych legend and Patti Smith's long-time guitarist (not to mention respected producer, writer and rock historian) Lenny Kaye will jam with Harsh Toke at Mikael Åkerfeldt's curated Roadburn event on Friday, April 11th at the 013 venue
in Tilburg, The Netherlands. "Lenny is a legend and the nicest guy in rock," says Mikael Åkerfeldt, "First met him in Greece when him and Patti Smith came up to us. She said: "Is this the band you've been raving about?" Lenny said: "Opeth! Fuck yeah!! Needless to say, we're now besties and he's a natural choice to be invited to Roadburn. Lenny is some type of psych/rock encyclopedia as well as rock/psych guitarist extraordinaire. Ladies and gentlemen, looks like we have a psychedelic jam on our hands. Can we wait? No we can't!"

In addition to Lenny Kaye's performance with Harsh Toke at Mikael Akerfeldt's curated Roadburn event on Friday, April 11th, we are very excited to announce that Lenny will commemorate the Nuggets collection he compiled for Elektra Records under the direction of Jac Holzman.

In an intimate setting at the V39, located across from the 013 venue, Lenny will talk about this landmark collection of 60s psych and garage rock that has excited and inspired in equal parts over the past 40 years, and defined the genre. For many of us at Roadburn, Nuggets played a crucial role in the development of our musical identities. This impressive collection became a cherished companion in our ongoing quest to unearth the finest oddball proto-metal and heavy psych from the 60s and 70s that form the very core of the festival.

LITERATURE

In early 2014, eMusic, for whom I’ve written since 2006, shifted its editorial content to www.wonderingsound.com. A complete redesign and reconfiguration spearheaded by editor in chief J. Keyes created an on-line “magazine” that was both forward-looking and intellectually incisive. It provided a challenging and stimulating look at the music we love today and will love tomorrow; and though the site is currently on hiatus while looking for a new parent company, it is still a vibrant presence on the internet. It also is an archive of my writings over these past eight years, and its freedom to cross genres and stimulate discussion was invaluable. The below is the articles I have written over the past year, and I hope that I can return to the wondering of sound in this newest annum.

Elvis Presley link

Willie Nelson link

Wayne Kramer link

Fifty Years of the Stones link

The Black Keys link

Waylon Jennings and Buddy Holly’s Motorcycle link

The Baseball Project link

Joan As Police Woman link

Gene Rains link

And for a compendium and index of the many articles I’ve written for both eMusic and Wondering Sound, this link will take you to the complete works, including meditations on the passing of Lou Reed and and George Jones, ruminations on Katy Perry and modern garage rockers, as well parsings of the Beach Boys, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and yes, Johnny Hallyday.

link

DOGGIE IN THE WINDOW





There is nothing like a pup, and this benefit is for a good canine cause. Dog collars optional.

VINTAGE GUITAR

In the April 2013 issue of Vintage Guitar magazine, there's a three page spread devoted to my love of old stringed instruments and their amplifiers, written by Michael Dregni. Lots of pics of my instruments and metaphysical chatter on what it means to be a "punk-rock guitar apostle." Can the Unicaster signature model be far behind?

AMOEBA RECORDS



When Patti and company visited Los Angeles' fabled Amoeba Records headquarters last October, I sat down with Marc, the owner, and showed him "What's In My Bag" for their website. I've said it once and I'll say it again: this is the best record store in the world. They've just posted the well-shot and creatively-edited interview, with many clips of my chosen faves, and you can find it here.

NEW YEAR'S DAY



It was sixty years ago that Hank Williams passed from this earth, in the back seat of a limousine on the way to a gig. Each year, at the Rodeo Bar on Third Avenue, the Lonesome Prairie Dogs have hosted a special tribute to commemorate this anniversary. For Hank's diamond jubilee, they're pulling out all the stops. I'm pleased, and not a little nervous, to be filling Don Helm's lonesome steel guitar slot as part of the house band, and perhaps might even be cajoled to pull out my own tip o' the cowboy hat to Hank's alter-ego, Luke the Drifter. Many guests, many classic songs. It's an afternoon show, starting at 2, so you can take your hangovers there and be washed in the blood of the Mary. After I plan on fulfilling my own New Year's tradition, by reading at the annual St. Mark's Poetry Project benefit somewhere around seven in the evening, which is about mid-point in this classic gathering of New York's creative spirit. As always, the all-day-and-night affair for the worthiest of causes will kick off the annum in grand style, and I plan on doing something to honor one of America's finest poets, Hank hisself.

PETER BUCK SOLO ALBUM



Last Spring Peter Buck brought me out to Portland to guest on his solo album-in-the-making, along with a core band consisting of the multi-talented Scott McCaughey, bassist/vocalist Mike Mills, and drummer extraordinaire Bill Rieflin, The sessions began on a Saturday, and the album was mixed and ready for mastering the following Wednesday! Most everything was a first or second take, direct to magnetic oxide at the Tape Foundry. Thusly you can hear Peter's eponymous debut now in vinyl only, courtesy of Mississippi/Change Records, and listen to me tickling the strings on "So Long Johnny," "Nothing Means Nothing," "Nowhere No Way," and the existence-affirming "I'm Alive." Hopefully, Peter and crew will be encouraged to take this on the road sometime in the future.

NUGGETS 40



Two score decades and still artyfacting. It's hard to believe that the First Psychedelic Era that comprises the Nuggets anthology has had such a long lifeline, or that I was gifted the opportunity to gather some of my favorite rock o' ages together back in 1972, only to see the album become a byword for youth-gone-ever-wilder. I am honored to have been a part of encapsulating the sounds of the almighty Garage, bearing witness to my pilgrimage to guitar feedback nirvana, as well as the countless others who found within its dug-its the inspiration to make their own divine noise. This November Rhino will pay tribute to the original incarnation of Nuggets by re-releasing a 40th Anniversary edition in a variety of formats: digital download, CD, and most gloriously vinyl, so you can hear these songs in the way I first heard them, along with my updated liner notes describing how all this came to prophetically be. All honorifics go to Jac Holzman, who as president of Elektra gave me an opportunity to prospect for gold. And should you be on the other side of the world, in Australia there will be a tribute album featuring many local groups performing their own versions of the 27 star-crossed tracks. Fuzztone on!



PATTI LIVE AT MONTREUX DVD



To play the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland on the shores of Lake Geneva is to perform at one of the great venues of the world. In the year 2005, Patti Smith and Her Band did just that. Augmented by Tom Verlaine on guitar, the show was preserved for posterity and has now been released on DVD and Blu-Ray; the first of our long career to officially capture us live. Included in the dozen songs in that evening's set list are such favorites as "Redondo Beach," "Beneath The Southern Cross," "Ain't It Strange," a jazz-inflected "Seven Ways of Going," "Free Money," a cover of "Like A Rolling Stone," "Peaceable Kingdom," and a rousing "People Have The Power."

LITERATURE

It’s time to catch up on eMusic, for which I faithfully write something each month. One of the best download sites in terms of expanse and editorial, it is always a pleasure to journey into the cornucopia of recorded sound past, present and future that they have on offer. During 2012 I’ve been able to:

Delve into the catalog of Jamie Records and their associated labels, covering everything from Duane Eddy to the Fantastic Johnny C.

Visit Nico at her resting place and think of how she remains with us still and evermore.

Celebrate Johnny Cash and his walk o’ the line.

Take a trip back to the year of 1972 to see how it looks from the vantage point of four decades later.

Remember my friend and compatriot Joey Ramone on the occasion of his newest album.

Remember my friend and compatriot Joe Strummer on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday.

Muse on the life and art of Chet Baker, he of the mournful trumpet and romantic song.

ELVIS AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

I was there, and in a 5,000 word essay enclosed with the 40th anniversary commemorative edition, remember and ruminate on where this epic 1972 concert falls on The King's lifeline as well as mine. The boxed set of two CDs, one each from the Saturday afternoon and evening shows, also features a DVD containing a large portion of the pre-show press conference, twenty minutes of fan-audience video footage synched up to the audio, and a modern remix from the original master tapes, along with much contemporary ephemera. "Prince From Another Planet" will be available on October 30.

HIVE ALIVE
Every so often the long trail of one's life flashes by, and you can only watch in wonder as your journey unfolds before your eyes. Thanks, Douglas...
MTV Hive

PATTI SMITH & BAND Album/Tour
Yes, the long-awaited moment is upon us. The newest album by Patti Smith and Her Band, Banga, arrives on June 5 at your local record emporium and on-the-download.
The twelve tracks are: Amerigo, April Fool, Fuji-San, This Is The Girl, Banga, Maria, Mosaic, Tartovsky (The Second Stop Is Jupiter), 9, Seneca, Constantine’s Dream, and a version of Neil Young’s After The Gold Rush. Recorded over a three-year period at New York’s Electric Lady and Weehawken’s Hobo Sound, it features guest appearances by Tom Verlaine, Jackson Smith, Jesse Smith, and the musicians of Italy’s Casa Del Vento.
A European tour begins on June 23 in Bergen, Norway, and continues throughout the summer. For further details and venues, visit pattismith.net.

KEVN KINNEY WRITES A POEM
About me! It’s not often that I get semi-iambic pentameter in a stream-of-consciousness scribed in my behalf, or is it beholden; but Kevn, one of the most imspirational musicians I know, has done me the honors in a recent Magnet piece. And do return the favor by checking out Kevn’s latest album, A Good Country Mile, backed by Anton Fier and various Golden Palaminos.

CELEBRATING BOOKS AND RECORDS
There is no better place to roam amidst the fields of creativity than a book or record store. On April 21, on Independent Record Store Day, I’ll be appearing solo at my “local,” the Main Street Jukebox in Stroudsburg, Pa. My set begins at 5:15 and will celebrate the pleasures of vinyl obsession, including a rendition of a song I haven’t played since the 1980s: “Record Collector,” and the social circles that go round and round and round….
On April 23, on World Book Night, I’ll be appearing at Barnes and Noble on the north end of Union Square in New York City at 7 p.m. I’m not sure what the programme will be, but I might cut-and-paste a medley of “Book of Love” and “Can’t Judge A Book By Looking At The Cover.” Just a-readin’ and a-rockin’….