Michael Stipe

Book Title: "Two Times Intro: On the Road with Patti Smith"
Author: Michael Stipe
Published By: Akashic Books
Age Recommended: 17 +
Reviewed By: Kitty Bullard
Raven Rating: 5

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Review: I am always fascinated by books of photography and some of my favorites are those that catch the famous in times of normalcy. This book by Michael Stipe of REM is one such book. Not only devoted to his great love of one of the most amazing female artists of all time, but also a phenomenal capturing of photographs taken throughout the tour; all the behind the scenes awesomeness that you rarely get the chance to see.

This book also contains some of the best memories from some of Patti’s greatest fans and peers. A great coffee table book and one that can bring back some of your own memories of Patti Smith and where you may have been the first time she captured your soul with her shamanic prescience as it drift through the speakers of a nearby radio on a hot summer day.

Synopsis: This book comprises Michael Stipe's intimate and evocative photos of Patti Smith, on tour in 1995, along with other cultural celebrities who appeared with her, such as Allen Ginsberg. In addition to text by Stipe, William Burroughs, and Patti Smith, there is also commentary from Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, Lenny Kaye, Tom Verlaine, and more.

Read more: http://www.greatmindsthinkaloud.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board...… (más)

(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)

For those who don't know, the great small press Akashic Books was actually started by famed rock musician Johnny Temple; and so despite its more literary offerings as of late, this has kept Akashic still dedicated to putting out books by other musicians on a regular basis too. For example, take the photography book Two Times Intro: On the Road with Patti Smith, originally put out in 1998 by REM frontman Michael Stipe with another publisher, and just now being re-released in a gorgeous new oversized format, which consists basically of casual images shot by him during Smith's 1995 US tour with Bob Dylan, literally the first time she had been on the road since 1979. To tell you the truth, the photos themselves are merely serviceable at best -- lots of blurry black-and-white shots of exhausted-looking hipsters in florescent-lit back hallways of various music venues, not really anything you would even pay much attention to if not for all the famous people associated with it -- but that said, it's certainly a fascinating book precisely because of all the famous people associated with it (including appearances by Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, Tom Verlaine, the members of Sonic Youth and more, all of whom showed up backstage at various stops on this tour), and the short text tributes to Smith by these people, scattered throughout the manuscript, are well worth your time too. Not really something to pick up unless you're an existing fan of Smith, but definitely an interesting acquisition if you are.

Out of 10: 8.2… (más)

The seven writers that spent a year sending haiku's to one another, collected in this book, Haiku Year, did a wonderful job of showing the versatility of the haiku. These small poems range the gamut from funny to sad to love and hate. There is a lot of emotional depth, but then also simple matter of fact poems about modern day life. Michael Stipe and Grant Lee Phillips are arguably the most well-known of the writers in this book, but everyone made solid contributions to the collection. Overall, this is a nice little volume of haikus that ends up being inspiring by illustrating what the haiku genre is capable of.… (más)

This book is essential for any R.E.M. fan. It is a bit light on text to accompany the photographs, but it provides insight into the band nevertheless.

The amount and quality of the photographs seem superficial. Too many of the photos are taken while the band is on stage. Fans already get to see this side of R.E.M., so the pages would have been better spent with showing the band that typical fans don't see. As they are, too few photos go beyond snapshot quality.

As a photographer myself, I have no doubt I could have produced better images that capture the spirit of R.E.M.. The poetry of their music deserves higher quality art. So while this book provides a taste of the band, it fails to really capture their soul and artistry.… (más)