Album Review: The Coral Sea [LIVE]
Patti Smith and Kevin Shields
PASK Records
(2008)
***
Patti Smith’s voice cuts through the hushed and darkened theatre of the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London–resolute in delivery. Her elegiac recitation is based off her 1996 book entitled, the Coral Sea. Her subject of grief: the slow and agonizing death of her dear friend, Robert Mapplethorpe , who died in 1989 from complications that arose from AIDS.
Mapplethorpe of flaming green eyes and dark curls and chiseled features became the Lightbearer for the living as he explored the dark crevasses of the afterworld in her elegy. Out of the crevasses of the subconscious, Smith breathes life into her powerful words that form
brush strokes of vibrant colors. His death was a vast dream tableau that she weaved intense imagery using references from Greek Mythology and childhood fantasies. In the middle of this dreamscape she fashioned an ocean liner (as visualized in the backdrop of her performance); while Kevin Shields’ otherwise reclusive personage is amplified through luscious, undulating reverb and distorted guitar chords that lap at the liner. As the ship makes its dark descent into Hades’ gate, Mapplethorpe is at the helm surveying the lands in search of the legendary butterfly from Papua, New Guinea; which he would defiantly tack onto his chest, in the same manner as Peter Pan who tacked his shadow onto his feet. This search for meaning in Mapplethorpe’s beautiful, yet moribund coil during his final days became his last frantic quest for eternal youth.
Those who know Mapplethorpe’s prolific career may well remember him as the agent provacateur whose homoerotic subject matter shed light on the questionable politics of financing in the fine art world. His photography subject matters came to largely represent orchids, music and art celebs like Debbie Harry, Andy Warhol, and young unsheathed men. The latter of which had caused a scandal with conservatives of the time that even led to a temporary denunciation in the galleries where his work was regularly displayed in publicly funded exhibitions. Mapplethorpe had met Smith in 1967 while she was working at a book store with friend and poet, Janet Hamill. Later on, his photographs of her became the memorable cover for the Patti Smith Group LPs, and they remained friends until his death.
The Coral Sea performance could not have the same visceral and gut-wrenching effect had it been delivered by someone other than Patti Smith, the celebrated Godmother of Punk. The commemorative recordings of these two live, sold-out performances, one in June 22, 2005 and the other in September 12, 2006, still carries with it a sweeping emotive force that is as life affirming as it was when recited three years ago. Smith admits that without the amazing support of Kevin Shield’s sonic orchestration, she would not have had the emotional strength to deliver her piece. The Coral Sea recordings is packaged as a double CD in an austere and softly stygian cover art by Xiaofei Zhang. This first official issuing is thoughtfully curated and available on Shield’s and Smith’s own label, PASK Records.
The live set of The Coral Sea recitation at QEH
