Patti Smith and Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine) have just released a two-disc set of readings from Patti's 1996 poetry book, The Coral Sea, dedicated to Robert Mapplethorpe. The audio CD version of The Coral Sea is released on Patti's own label, not Columbia, so it's a bit hard to find. She does not read the book in two parts across the two discs; instead, these are two distinctly different readings from 2005 and 2006, both at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. The 2005 performance is crisp and minimalist, with each syllable emphasized and Kevin's backing more ambient, while the 2006 performance has louder, swirling performances from Kevin, while Patti sounds lush, almost slurring.Patti's liner notes speak for themselves:
"My great friend, the artist Robert Mapplethorpe, died of complications from AIDS on March 9, 1989. His mortal suffering was so profound that I wept through much of the illness. After his death I wanted to give him something other than tears, so I wrote The Coral Sea.
I had tried to read it publicly, but could never sustain reading the entire piece. Performing with Kevin Shields gave me an all-encompassing landscape in which I could explore the emotions that drove me to write it. It was a privilege working with Kevin, a gifted, humble, and extremely confident musician. I believe we produced together a fitting memorial to Robert, who was, when I was young, my bloody valentine."
