Music Menu: Patti Smith, War, Jonathan Fire*Eater, Atari Teenage Riot (Creative Loafing)

Patti Smith That Patti Smith (or Dylan, Ginsberg or Burroughs before her) could firebrand a generation’s collective consciousness with simply the sheer intoxicating force of words is a remarkable feat. However, it’s those very words (and her continuing desire to repeat them) that have made Smith as much of a relic as both the aforementioned poets and the arena rock dinosaurs still roaming the earth. I know, it’s a sad thing to admit, but really, who out there under 30 has been truly deeply affected by Patti Smith’s last two albums? That’s what I thought. And how many people over 30 have? Quite a few, I imagine. Yet, nonetheless, the “kids” (as it were) insist on trying to make Smith their (meaning “our,” to clarify) cultural icon. But she’s not. She speaks from a place that most people my age have never been. And therefore, we just don’t get it. We try, because we respect her. We try, because we see the effect she has on people we respect. We try, because we realize that she was probably the poet laureate of the ’70s white counterculture. But we just don’t get it. Because we think her music’s a little stale, her voice a little disconcerting and her words a little foreign. So, rather than trying to grab ahold of something that’s not even ours, maybe we should be less concerned with pretending to worship Patti Smith and get on with trying to produce something better than Patti Smith. But, for those of you out there older than I am who do get it, you surely won’t be disappointed. (Variety Playhouse, Dec. 20)

War Recently, Rhino released a War compilation called Colleccion Latina, which, as you may have guessed, is comprised of this East L.A. collective’s Spanish-language hits. And that’s all fine and good (and certainly timed well, given the recent rock en espanol fuss). But, the coolest thing about it was the fact that the cover was one of those 3-D motion covers (like Tool or Tribe Called Quest or even Rhino’s deluxe reissue of the Velvet’s Loaded) that pictured a low rider (natch) bouncing up and down. Now, how fucking cool (and totally stereotypical) is that? Whether this group still has the cojones to equal that cool some 20 years down the road is yet to be determined, but needless to say, it’ll be a party. (House of Blues, Dec. 19)

Jonathan Fire*Eater “Hey guys, great set! Man, I really dig the way you guys manage to combine heroin chic, intraband scuffling, downtown posturing and absolute lack of songs into one boring, headlong dive into rock mediocrity. I do A&R for a musically confused new label with a lot of money, and I just got a memo that said I needed to sign the most overhyped, but below-average band in America so we can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on them for a tax write off at the end of the year. Perhaps we can get you some radio play in between Third Eye Blind and Tonic — you’ll be just the ‘dark edge’ that modern rock radio needs — but if we don’t, oh well, we still managed to spend tons of money on yet another band that just doesn’t matter. Are you guys up for it? Great. Sign here.” (Point, Dec. 18)

Atari Teenage Riot I tell you those Beastie Boys sure are funny guys. I mean, you’d think that with all their money, they’d be content with putting out a stupid magazine, selling stupid clothes and hanging out with Claire Danes. But no, they’ve gotta go and get subversive. They’ve gotta go and have a record label that not only reissues Liquid Liquid records (Liquid Liquid! Jesus, what’s next, a No Trend revival?) but gives an American home to the utterly outrageous Alec Empire empire. To be clear, I’ve come to realize that this stuff sucks and sounds like gabber techno crossed with Crass, but neither as fun nor as potent. However, for once, something different is actually cool. Like, “I’m down with ‘Shadrach’ and, oh yeah, you heard this anti-fascist, electro-hardcore caterwauling shit? I’m down with it too.” How cool is that? It’s unbridled fury and power and, though certainly not painted with many different shades, it’s undoubtedly real …. to somebody. Their shows are known to be brutal fiascos, with audience members left equally stunned and inspired, and, with fellow Digital Hardcore-ers Shizuo and EC8OR (who up ATR’s ante quite a few notches) on board for the show, it’s sure to be an angry little night. (Masquerade, Dec. 18)

First appeared in the Dec. 12, 1997 issue of Creative Loafing.