Gone Again

Gone Again is the sixth studio album by American rock musician Patti Smith, released on June 18, 1996, by Arista Records.^[1] The album, recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, spans 55 minutes and 52 seconds across 11 tracks in the alternative rock genre.^[2] It serves as Smith's return to recording after an eight-year hiatus following her 1988 album Dream of Life, during which she focused on family life in Michigan.^[1] The creation of Gone Again was deeply influenced by profound personal losses, including the deaths of Smith's husband Fred "Sonic" Smith in 1994, photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in 1989, pianist Richard Sohl in 1990, her brother Todd in 1994, and musician Kurt Cobain in 1994.^[1] These events imbued the album with themes of grief, mortality, resilience, and renewal, often expressed through poetic imagery of nature, such as birds and fireflies, and reflections on perseverance.^[1] Tracks like "About a Boy," a tribute to Cobain, and "Fireflies," a meditation on Mapplethorpe, exemplify this emotional depth, blending raw vulnerability with Smith's signature punk-infused lyricism.^[3] Produced by Smith alongside her longtime collaborator Lenny Kaye, the album features contributions from notable guests including guitarist Tom Verlaine, organist John Cale, and backing vocals by Jeff Buckley on "Beneath the Southern Cross"—his final studio appearance.^[1] Several songs were co-written with her late husband, incorporating waltz-time structures from his guitar lessons.^[1] Critically, Gone Again received acclaim for its mature artistry and emotional authenticity, earning a 7.8 out of 10 rating from AllMusic, which praised its balance of introspection and rock energy as a poignant evolution from Smith's earlier work like Horses (1975).^[2]

Background

Hiatus and return

Following the release of her 1979 album Wave, Patti Smith retired from the music industry to prioritize family life after the birth of her children, embarking on a 16-year hiatus from live performances. She married Fred "Sonic" Smith, the MC5 guitarist, in 1980 and relocated with him to St. Clair Shores, a suburb near Detroit, Michigan, where they raised their son Jackson (born 1982) and daughter Jesse (born 1987). During this period, Smith largely withdrew from public view, releasing only one album, Dream of Life in 1988, with minimal promotion and no accompanying tour, allowing her to focus on domestic responsibilities.^[4][5] Smith's return to music began in earnest in 1995, shortly after the death of Fred "Sonic" Smith in 1994, which, alongside other personal losses, marked a pivotal shift. Her first full band performance in 16 years took place on July 5, 1995, at Toronto's Phoenix nightclub, where she delivered a set blending classics like "Dancing Barefoot" with new material, accompanied by longtime collaborator Lenny Kaye. This was followed by additional shows, including a July 27, 1995, appearance in New York City's Central Park, signaling her re-entry into the professional music scene. She re-engaged with Arista Records, her longtime label, to resume recording activities.^[4][6] In late 1995, Smith announced plans for her comeback album Gone Again, which she began recording that year with Kaye and other contributors, culminating in its June 18, 1996, release. Reflecting on the process, Smith described it as a rediscovery of her artistic voice, stating that resuming music felt like "coming home" after years of absence, driven by an inner need to create amid life's changes. This return revitalized her career, establishing Gone Again as a testament to her enduring punk-poet ethos.^[6][5]

Personal influences

The creation of Gone Again was deeply shaped by a series of profound personal losses that Patti Smith endured in the late 1980s and early 1990s, which she channeled into the album as a means of emotional resurrection and tribute to those she loved. In 1989, her lifelong friend and artistic collaborator, photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, died from complications related to AIDS at age 42, a loss that profoundly affected Smith amid the broader AIDS crisis ravaging the creative community.^[7] In 1990, Richard Sohl, the Patti Smith Group's original keyboardist and a cherished bandmate, passed away from a heart attack at age 37, further compounding her grief during an era marked by widespread cultural losses from illness and addiction.^[6] The year 1994 brought even greater devastation, with the sudden death of Smith's husband, Fred "Sonic" Smith, from heart failure on November 4, followed a month later by the passing of her brother, Todd Smith, from a stroke on December 4.^[7] Additionally, Smith was struck by the suicide of Kurt Cobain on April 5, 1994, a musician she greatly admired for his poetic intensity and raw artistry, though they had never met.^[1] These events, occurring against the backdrop of the ongoing AIDS epidemic that had already claimed Mapplethorpe and shadowed many in her circle, including the era's toll on figures like Sohl, prompted Smith to return to music as a form of catharsis and renewal.^[7] In interviews around the album's release, Smith described how these tragedies transformed her creative process, turning mourning into a vital artistic force. "When I lost my husband, I felt completely desolate… But after he died, I did the best work I have done in fifteen years. The quality of my singing has strengthened. That’s my legacy from my husband," she reflected, emphasizing music's role in honoring Fred's unfinished contributions to the record.^[7] Regarding her brother, she noted, "After the shock of losing my brother subsided, I felt that my heart… became a beautiful ember… I felt joy. I knew that my brother was in my heart," illustrating her approach to grief as an opening for deeper emotional expression.^[7] For Mapplethorpe, Smith viewed her work—including pieces tied to Gone Again—as a fitting tribute: "That was my way of weeping for Robert… In keeping with our friendship, he would rather have that than tears anyway."^[7] Overall, she articulated sorrow's dual nature, stating, "Sorrow is a gift. You have to treasure it," as it broke her heart open to vulnerability and artistic rebirth.^[7]

Recording and production

Sessions and locations

The recording sessions for Gone Again primarily took place at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, with mixing handled at both Electric Lady Studios and RPM Studios.^[8] These sessions commenced in late 1995, following Patti Smith's return to performing after an extended hiatus, and extended into early 1996, encompassing roughly six months of work before the album's completion.^[6] The production emphasized a live-in-the-studio feel to harness the band's collective energy, employing minimal overdubs to retain the authentic, unpolished emotional intensity of the performances.^[9] Among the logistical hurdles were Smith's ongoing vocal recovery from years away from the stage, where her voice emerged with renewed power and maturity, as well as the process of incorporating new members like bassist Tony Shanahan and guitarist Oliver Ray alongside veterans Lenny Kaye and Jay Dee Daugherty to rebuild band chemistry post-hiatus.^[1][6]

Key contributors

The production of Gone Again was handled by Malcolm Burn and Lenny Kaye, with Burn also handling engineering duties and contributing subtle instrumentation like dulcimer on select tracks, bringing a raw, organic sound to the album that aligned with Patti Smith's vision of emotional authenticity following personal losses.^[3][2][6] The core band featured longtime collaborator Lenny Kaye on guitar, providing rhythmic and lead elements that grounded the album's rock foundation.^[3] Bassist Tony Shanahan, a relative newcomer to Smith's circle, delivered steady low-end support across the record, while drummer Jay Dee Daugherty returned to supply dynamic percussion that echoed the intensity of Smith's classic era.^[10][3] Patti Smith handled lead vocals and occasional acoustic guitar, her performances central to the album's introspective tone.^[2] Guest musicians were chosen through personal networks to infuse the project with fresh yet sympathetic energies, emphasizing Smith's desire for collaborators who could evoke themes of grief and renewal without overpowering her narrative.^[6] Tom Verlaine contributed guitar to several tracks, including "Gone Again" and "Fireflies," his angular style adding textural depth drawn from his Television roots.^[10][3] Oliver Ray provided guitar on tracks like "About a Boy," bringing a youthful edge that complemented the band's established sound.^[10] Jeff Buckley's backing vocals on "Beneath the Southern Cross" and esraj on "Fireflies" marked his final studio recording, selected after Verlaine introduced him to Smith during sessions at Electric Lady Studios, where his ethereal voice enhanced the song's haunting quality.^[11][3] Additional contributions came from Luis Resto on keyboards for atmospheric layers and John Cale on organ for "Beneath the Southern Cross," both chosen for their avant-garde sensibilities that resonated with Smith's poetic approach.^[3][10] Engineering was overseen by Malcolm Burn, with assistance from house engineer Brian Sperber at Electric Lady Studios, ensuring a live-in-the-room feel that captured the improvisational spirit of the recordings.^[3] The album's visual design was crafted by Angela Skouras, whose minimalist aesthetic reflected the record's themes of absence and resurgence.^[3]

Composition

Musical style

Gone Again marks a stylistic return to Patti Smith's punk rock roots, blending them with folk and hard rock elements to evoke the raw intensity of her 1970s work while incorporating a more mature, introspective edge. The album's sound draws on proto-punk energy tempered by acoustic introspection, as seen in tracks like "Beneath the Southern Cross," where Lenny Kaye's insistent acoustic guitar drives the rhythm alongside Tom Verlaine's weaving electric embellishments reminiscent of his Television-era riffs. This fusion creates a sparse, organic texture that prioritizes emotional resonance over bombast, contrasting the polished, overproduced rock prevalent in the mid-1990s.^[1] Instrumentation emphasizes prominent guitars and driving yet restrained rhythms, with contributions from longtime collaborator Lenny Kaye on acoustic and electric guitar, Jay Dee Daugherty's dynamic drumming, and guest appearances adding depth—such as John Cale's subtle organ providing a backbone of color and Tom Verlaine's feedback-laced solos on tracks like "Wing." Arrangements remain minimalistic, allowing Smith's vocals to take center stage amid folk-inflected melodies and occasional hard rock surges, as in the Bo Diddley beat of "Summer Cannibals." These choices highlight a communal, live-band feel, with elements like mandolin and piano enhancing the album's waltz-time structures and dreamy, elegiac tones.^[1]

Lyrical themes

The lyrics of Gone Again revolve around the central theme of grief intertwined with redemption, portraying loss as a catalyst for spiritual renewal and resilience in the face of profound sorrow. This duality is evident across the album, where mourning evolves into a testament of perseverance, as Smith channels personal devastation into expressions of hope and continuity.^[1][12] Tracks such as "Gone Again" and "About a Boy" function as intimate tributes to departed figures, with the title song evoking a ritualistic farewell through lines like "grateful soul he's gone again," and the latter serving as an elegy to Kurt Cobain, lamenting "from a chaos, rich and sweet" amid a void of emptiness. These pieces underscore the album's exploration of death's finality while seeking solace in memory's enduring power.^[1][13][14] Recurring motifs of fire, flight, and resurrection symbolize the alchemical transformation of grief, with fire appearing in imagery of burning planes to represent purification through destruction, flight evoked in avian symbols of transcendence like birds and fireflies, and resurrection implied in cycles of rebirth amid desolation. Smith's poetic approach blends stream-of-consciousness prose-poetry with personal narrative, incorporating biblical and literary allusions—such as ravens as harbingers of mortality in "Ravens"—to deepen the emotional and symbolic layers.^[1][14][15] Adaptations of cover songs further highlight these themes: Bob Dylan's "Wicked Messenger" is reinterpreted with a searing punk edge that amplifies its prophetic urgency, while "Ravens" retains a folk-infused melancholy, its mandolin-driven melody meditating on impermanence and omens.^[16][1]

Release and promotion

Commercial release

Gone Again was released on June 18, 1996, by Arista Records in multiple formats, including compact disc, vinyl LP, and cassette tape.^[2][3] The album debuted and peaked at number 55 on the US Billboard 200 chart. Internationally, it reached number 44 on the UK Albums Chart and number 18 on the Swedish Albums Chart.^[17][18] The record achieved stronger performance in Europe, bolstered by Patti Smith's festival appearances and tour dates across the continent during promotion.^[19]

Singles

The lead single from Gone Again, "Summer Cannibals", was released in 1996 ahead of the album's launch. The accompanying music video was directed by Robert Frank and featured Patti Smith performing in an intimate, raw setting near the Bowery. CD single formats included B-sides such as "Come Back Little Sheba" and a cover of Robert Johnson's "Come On In My Kitchen," providing fans with additional tracks from Smith's catalog.^[20][21][22] The second single, the title track "Gone Again", followed in late 1996 as a promotional release, primarily in CD format for radio and industry use. It garnered some radio airplay but achieved limited commercial chart success, reflecting the album's niche appeal in the mid-1990s rock landscape.^[23] Both singles were issued in various CD configurations, often bundling the main track with alternate versions, non-album cuts, or live recordings to support Smith's extensive tour schedule that year, which helped reintroduce her to audiences after a long hiatus.^[20][24] Critics highlighted "Summer Cannibals" for its energetic, punk-infused drive, with co-writer Fred "Sonic" Smith's contributions adding a raw, explosive edge that generated early buzz for the album's themes of resilience and loss.^[12]

Reception

Critical response

Upon its release, Gone Again received widespread critical acclaim for marking Patti Smith's powerful return to music after an eight-year absence, often hailed as a triumphant and deeply personal work grappling with loss and renewal. Rolling Stone awarded the album four out of five stars, praising its exploration of the "cycle of life, death and rebirth" and the "generosity of energy and warmth" Smith infuses into her expressions of grief.^[12] AllMusic rated it 7.8 out of 10, commending its emotional depth as a "sober but strengthening listen—this is healing optimistic music," while noting how the songs blend poetic introspection with resilient optimism, reminiscent of Smith's earlier punk-infused maturity.^[2] Some reviews offered mixed assessments, balancing praise for the lyrical intensity with reservations about its sonic choices. NME gave it a score of 6 out of 10, critiquing the production for feeling somewhat dated amid the album's somber tone, though acknowledging Smith's commanding presence.^[25] The Guardian rated it 80 out of 100, lauding the raw power of the lyrics and their balance of punk energy with newfound maturity, drawing comparisons to the visceral drive of Smith's 1978 album Easter.^[25] Key contemporary commentary emphasized themes of resurrection and perseverance; for instance, reviewers highlighted how the album transforms personal tragedy into a broader meditation on survival, with the Boston Globe noting its "resurrection theme" as a testament to Smith's unyielding spirit amid mourning her husband, brother, and friend Robert Mapplethorpe.^[26] Retrospectively, in the 2000s and beyond, Gone Again has been recognized in lists of essential '90s rock albums, such as the Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics' poll where it ranked highly for its enduring impact on alternative rock.^[27] A 2021 PopMatters reassessment reinforced this view, describing it as a cornerstone of resilience that "rebuilt the world" through themes of renewal in the face of profound loss.^[1]

Accolades and legacy

Gone Again earned notable recognition for its role in revitalizing Patti Smith's career during the 1990s. In 1999, Rolling Stone included the album on its list of "The Essential Recordings of the '90s," highlighting its artistic importance amid the decade's diverse musical output.^[28] Although the album did not secure any Grammy nominations, its critical acclaim underscored Smith's enduring influence without formal award wins. The album's legacy lies in its function as a profound comeback following personal tragedies, paving the way for Smith's later works like Peace and Noise (1997), which built on its themes of resilience and renewal.^[1] This resurgence contributed to her 2007 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where Gone Again was cited as a key part of her post-hiatus catalog that reaffirmed her pioneering status in rock.^[29] Culturally, Gone Again's meditation on loss—tributes to figures like Kurt Cobain in "About a Boy"—has inspired broader discussions of grief and perseverance in rock music, emphasizing renewal over despair.^[1] A 2007 reissue added bonus tracks, extending its accessibility and impact for new generations.^[3] By fusing 1970s punk's raw poetry with 1990s alternative rock's introspective depth, the album bridged generational sounds, solidifying Smith's transitional role in rock evolution.^[30]

Musical content

Track listing

All tracks are written by Patti Smith, except where noted.^[3] The standard edition has a total runtime of 55:47.^[31] No major samples are used across the tracks.^[3]

Personnel

The album Gone Again features Patti Smith as the lead vocalist and acoustic guitarist, supported by her longtime collaborator Lenny Kaye on acoustic and electric guitars, Tony Shanahan on bass guitar, and Jay Dee Daugherty on drums, forming the core lineup for the recording.^[32][33] Additional musicians

• Oliver Ray – electric guitar (track 1), feedback (track 3), whistle (track 6), acoustic guitar (track 10)^[32]
• Eileen Ivers – fiddle (track 1)^[32][33]
• Tom Verlaine – electric guitar (tracks 2, 5, 7, 10)^[32][10]
• John Cale – organ (track 2)^[32][10]
• Jeff Buckley – backing vocals (track 2), esraj (track 10)^[32][3][34]
• Luis Resto – keyboards (track 4)^[33]
• Sperbs – guitar (track 5)^[32][35]
• Rick Kiernan – musical saw (track 5)^[32][35]
• Malcolm Burn – guitar, dulcimer (track 6)^[32]
• Whit Smith – lead guitar (track 6)^[32]
• Kimberly Smith – mandolin (track 8)^[32]
• César Diaz – electric guitar (track 9)^[32]
• Hearn Gadbois – percussion (track 10)^[32]
• Jane Scarpantoni – cello (track 3)^[35]

Production and technical staff

• Malcolm Burn – producer, recording engineer, mixing engineer^[32][36]
• Lenny Kaye – producer^[36][37]
• Greg Calbi – mastering engineer^[3]

Artwork

• Angela Skouras – design^[36][32]
• Annie Leibovitz – photography^[3][32]