Patti Smith’s Tell It Like It Is is a 1997 album that wants to be a statement of purpose. After years of quiet, the record finds her returning to the stage with a set list built around covers and new songs, and it plays like a mission: she is here to remind us why she matters.
Opening With “Wing”
The album opens with “Wing,” a gentle start that sets the tone for the record’s reflective mood. Then “People Have the Power” arrives, and it’s the track that defines this whole project. It’s a cover that feels like a mission statement dressed as a protest anthem.
The Middle Stretch
“Dancing Barefoot” follows, a song about freedom and movement that carries a lightness the record needs. “Summer Cannibals” and “Wicked Messenger” keep the energy up, both songs working as mid-tempo pieces that don’t quite reach the heights of the earlier tracks.
“Ghost Dancer” and “Redondo Beach” slow things down, quieter moments that let the record breathe between the big statements. Neither is a standout, but neither drags either.
“Crystal Ship” is a cover that fits snugly into the collection, a familiar song that sounds exactly as it should. “When Doves Cry” is a Prince cover, and it works because Smith treats it with respect rather than trying to remake it in her own image.
The Spoken Word Interlude
“Wild Leaves” closes the main body of the record with a song about growth and change, a fitting end to the album’s middle stretch. Then comes the real oddity: “People Have the Power (Poem),” a spoken-word version of the title track’s lyrics. It’s a strange detour, but it lands as a reminder that Smith’s work always sits at the intersection of poetry and rock.
Closing With “Gone Again”
“Gone Again” picks the pace back up, a strong track that shows off Smith’s range without reaching the heights of the album’s best moments. The record ends with “Because the Night,” a cover that closes things on a high note, a song about staying alive through the dark hours.
If there is a problem with Tell It Like It Is, it’s that the middle section drags. “Ghost Dancer,” “Redondo Beach,” “Crystal Ship,” and “When Doves Cry” form a stretch where the record coasts rather than pushes forward. They are competent, but they are also the weakest part of the album.
What saves it is the sequencing. The record opens with “Wing” and “People Have the Power,” then eases into the covers, then hits the spoken-word poem, then closes with “Gone Again” and “Because the Night.” That structure gives the album a shape, and it’s the reason the weaker tracks feel less like filler and more like transitions.
Here’s how the record’s best moments rank against each other:
- “People Have the Power” — the mission statement that defines the album.
- “Dancing Barefoot” — the light, joyful centerpiece of the middle stretch.
- “Gone Again” — a strong closer that picks up the pace.
- “Because the Night” — a perfect ending, a song about staying alive through the dark hours.
Smith has spent nearly three decades building a career on literary elegance rather than commercial appeal, and Tell It Like It Is is a reminder of that. This is an artist who knows exactly what she is doing, even when the record itself doesn’t fully match her intentions.
The best tracks here — “People Have the Power,” “Dancing Barefoot,” “Gone Again,” “Because the Night” — are worth the price of admission alone. The rest is solid but unremarkable, a necessary context rather than a reason to return.
| # | Track |
|---|---|
| 1 | Wing |
| 2 | People Have the Power |
| 3 | Dancing Barefoot |
| 4 | Summer Cannibals |
| 5 | Wicked Messenger |
| 6 | Ghost Dancer |
| 7 | Redondo Beach |
| 8 | Crystal Ship |
| 9 | When Doves Cry |
| 10 | Wild Leaves |
| 11 | People Have the Power (Poem) |
| 12 | Gone Again |
| 13 | Because the Night |
Tell It Like It Is is a record of peaks and valleys, with the peaks far more memorable than the valleys. It’s a worthy addition to Smith’s catalog, and a reminder of why she remains a relevant, inspiring, beloved icon of rabble-rousing artistry and individuality.
The verdict: 7 of 10.
- Wing
- People Have the Power
- Dancing Barefoot
- Summer Cannibals
- Wicked Messenger
- Ghost Dancer
- Redondo Beach
- Crystal Ship
- When Doves Cry
- Wild Leaves
- People Have the Power (Poem)
- Gone Again
- Because the Night
