Patti Smith, 'Banga' - One of the best albums of 2012

This choice may be a bit biased but I love Patti Smith. ‘Horses’ (her 1975 debut) is a masterpiece and let’s be honest, Smith will NEVER top it. However since then she has continued to release fantastic albums and her latest, ‘Banga’, is no exception. Smith’s poetic and literary genius continues to flourish, a fact proven by the sprawling 10 minute epic ‘Constantine’s Dream’. Fully improvised, the song builds and builds with the band accompanying Smith’s spoken word delivery perfectly until it climaxes with her raving about humanity, nature and art. It is truly astonishing. The album also harks back to her punk days with rockers like ‘Fuji-San’ and the extraordinary title track full of howling guitars (listen out for the dog imitations). Although in her mid-sixties, Smith is sounding as youthful as ever in the carefree romance of ‘April Fool’ and littered throughout are some really beautiful numbers including a swooning tribute ballad to the late Amy Winehouse (‘This Is the Girl’) and the heart-wrenching ‘Maria’.  The album closes with a poignant piano-led cover of Neil Young’s ‘After the Gold Rush’ in which Smith tweaks the lyric to address the 21^st century.  The choir of children reciting the refrain makes the impact even greater and affecting – a perfect close to a great album. I was also lucky enough to hear some of these songs live when I saw a fantastic performance by Patti Smith at the Troxy in London. A subtle mix of all the best bits about Patti Smith definitely makes ‘Banga’ a highpoint of 2012.