- Hardcover: 128 pages
- Published: 8/30/11
- IBSN: 9781617750236
- e-IBSN: 9781617750700
- Genre: Art/Music/Pop Culture
Catalog » Browse by Title: T » Two Times Intro: On the Road with Patti Smith
Two Times Intro is Michael Stipe’s intimate and evocative visual diary of Patti Smith’s return to live performance.
“In Stipe’s startling photographs and 12 brief written homages, Patti Smith is depicted as a down-to-earth goddess, a part of and apart from her evolving entourage of musicians, artists, poets (Allen Ginsberg makes an appearance), and friends. This isn’t a traditional book of portraits . . . The overwhelming mood is one of disjunction, claustrophobia, exhaustion, temporariness—and the effect is raw and intimate . . . And [Stipe] is no longer the ‘dork nerd’ teenager, but a fellow musician—and from his proud, caring mien, even a protector.”
—Publishers Weekly
“An energetic and gracious tribute to not only a great artist, but also to a powerful moment in her oeuvre—and to those who contributed to it and shared in it.”
—New York Journal of Books
“Stipe’s personal friendship lends something greater to the overall vision of this book. It isn’t simply a set of snapshots of performances, rather a collection of rare moments. The personal nature of the anthology makes it all the more enticing and enjoyable. Smith, in all her glory and awe-inspiring talent, is portrayed in the truest light.”
—Verbicide Magazine
“A fascinating book . . . including appearances by Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, Tom Verlaine, the members of Sonic Youth and more . . . and the short text tributes to Smith by these people, scattered throughout the manuscript, are well worth your time.”
—Chicago Center for Literature and Photography
With words by William S. Burroughs, Michael Stipe, Oliver Ray, Paul Williams, Jutta Koether, Tom Verlaine, Thurston Moore, Jem Cohen, Lisa Robinson, Lenny Kaye, Kim Gordon, Frances Yauch, and Patti Smith.
Photographer Michael Stipe followed friend and fellow musician Patti Smith on tour for two weeks in 1995. Two Times Intro is his intimate and evocative visual diary of her return to live performance, along with portraits of other cultural celebrities, such as Allen Ginsberg, who appeared with her. From 1975’s Horses to 2007’s Twelve, Smith’s creative vision has been a singular, explosive catalyst for artists and musicians worldwide—including Stipe. As William S. Burroughs writes in the introduction, Patti Smith’s “effect on the audience is electric, comparable to voodoo or umbanda rituals, where the audience members become participants, and are literally lifted out of themselves.”
In addition to text by Stipe (including a brand-new introduction for 2011), William S. Burroughs, and Patti Smith, there is also commentary from Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, Lenny Kaye, Tom Verlaine, and others who have been inspired by Smith’s work.
See below for some sample images from Two Times Intro:
MICHAEL STIPE is a singer, photographer, film producer, and activist. He lives in Athens, Georgia, and New York City. He, Peter Buck, and Mike Mills formed R.E.M. in 1980 in Athens, Georgia. Heralded by Rolling Stone as “America’s Best Rock and Roll Band,” R.E.M. rose from cult college radio status to sell more than seventy million albums worldwide and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. Stipe is the creator of the photo diary Two Times Intro: On the Road with Patti Smith.