Patti Smith Group – Radio Ethiopia

Radio Ethiopia was the followup record to Smith’s widely acclaimed debut Horses. In interviews accompanying the album’s release, Smith often said that she wanted "Radio Ethiopia" to be a hit and chose Jack Douglas as a producer accordingly. The music was noticeably different from Horses in that songs such as "Ask the Angels" and "Pumping (My Heart)" sounded and were structured like mainstream rock music of the time (Both songs have been likened to songs by The Rolling Stones, one of Smith’s favorite bands). However, while some of the album’s songs were accessible, others such as "Ain’t It Strange" and "Poppies" were less conventional, with Smith declaring the latter as the predecessor to "Land".
The title track of the album is one of Smith’s most notorious songs, almost legendary for appearing to be "10 minutes of noise". Critics often described live renditions of the song as negative moments of Smith’s concerts. Patti herself spoke highly of the track and of how the lyrics refer to Arthur Rimbaud’s dying wishes. Arguments both for and against the song have been advanced by critics, fans and music listeners over whether the song truly is an example of the Patti Smith Group’s boundary-pushing or merely self-indulgence.
The album’s cover photograph is by Judy Linn, the back of the album features a photo by Lynn Goldsmith. The album was dedicated to Arthur Rimbaud and Constantin Brâncuşi. The back cover of the album bears the legend: "Free Wayne Kramer", who at the time was incarcerated in Kentucky following his conviction for dealing cocaine. "Pissing in a River" was released as a single same year. It was also featured in the 1980 movie Times Square. In 2001, the album listed in Mojo’s "Ultimate CD Buyers Guide".[1]
[edit]Track listing

All songs were written by Patti Smith and Ivan Kral, except where noted.
[edit]Side one
"Ask the Angels" – 3:07
"Ain’t It Strange" – 6:35
"Poppies" (Smith, Richard Sohl) – 7:05
"Pissing in a River" – 4:41
[edit]Side two
"Pumping (My Heart)" (Smith, Kral, Jay Dee Daugherty) – 3:20
"Distant Fingers" (Smith, Allen Lanier) – 4:17
"Radio Ethiopia" (Smith, Lenny Kaye) – 10:00
"Abyssinia" (Smith, Kaye, Sohl) – 2:10
[edit]Bonus track (CD reissue)
"Chiklets" – 6:23
[edit]Personnel

Band
Patti Smith – vocals, guitar (Fender Duo-sonic), design
Lenny Kaye – guitar (Fender Stratocaster), bass, vocals, mixing
Jay Dee Daugherty – drums, percussion, mixing, consultant
Ivan Kral – bass, guitar
Richard Sohl – keyboards, synthesizer, piano