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Full of slow burning passion and emotion, Twelve is magnificent.
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Alternative PressWhile Twelve's not an unlistenable record by any stretch of the imagination, it just begs the question: What's the point? [Jun 2007, p.158]
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It's not a particularly dazzling array of songs, and she seldom veers from form.
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BillboardSmith and her trusty band largely strip arrangements bare, lyrical and emotional content taking center stage. [28 Apr 2007]
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BlenderAll too earnest. [May 2007, p.105]
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Captivating.
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Entertainment WeeklyAlmost nothing here evokes Smith's old "Go, Rimbaud!" chutzpah. [27 Apr 2007, p.139]
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Twelve is a solid enough collection, but one can’t help wondering if it would’ve been better had she made like Fellini and called it 8 1/2.
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A bluesy, psychedelic witches' brew that feels like one long, complex incantation to keep us safe, to make us see there is indeed some kinda way out of here.
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MojoAlthough the album is marred by its over-consistent tone, almost any one of these songs taken in isolation--played of the closing credits of The Sopranos, say--would rightfully be hailed as a lost classic. [May 2007, p.118]
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She sounds more relevant on these songs than she has in years.
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Not everything dazzles, but it’s truly shocking what does.
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It appears Patti Smith could've benefited from an outside observer when choosing songs.
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Smith's rock poet muse is certainly alive on most cuts, her deep voice declaiming, yipping, soaring, and investing old lyrics with fresh dignity and rhythm.
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Paste MagazineMore Pete Seeger than Cat Power, her interpretations sometimes feel too internalized to startle. [May 2007, p.61]
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The problem with Twelve isn't the staid song selection so much as this dogged insistence on staying faithful to the originals.
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It may not be revolutionary—in fact, if anything, it’s too safe to feel any impulse to disagree with it—but Smith’s conviction is apparent, and her commitment is respectable.
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Q MagazineHer most purely enjoyable album since 1978's Easter. [May 2007, p.120]
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It's somewhat hit-or-miss. But when Smith hits, it isn't just a bull's-eye -- the arrow splits the apple and then brings down the bad guy hiding behind the tree.
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These songs are rendered so faithfully they may as well be karaoke.
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SpinPatti Smith misplaces her fearless edge. [May 2007, p.90]
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There is nothing radical or daring about the faithfully rendered tunes we find on Twelve.
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Remember that concept album Tori Amos did that was supposed to reclaim all those male-oriented anthems from their blowhard XY carriers? Smith paints over Amos’ tedious version and executes the idea so much better, without even bragging that she’s doing it.
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At worst, Smith sounds like a bar singer bashing out oldies for the Saturday-night crowd. But at best, she pours herself into the songs.
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UncutSeveral of the songs seem performed out of affection rather than any sense of artistic adventure. [May 2007, p.90]
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Smith shifts much of her focus subtly away from the instrumentation and toward a song's intention and lyrics, with often revelatory results.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 13 out of 14
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Mixed: 0 out of 14
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Negative: 1 out of 14
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RayPJul 29, 2007
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andymMay 2, 2007
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JohnPApr 23, 2007Beyond good, absolutely fascinating. Not just a covers record, but something so alive and wonderful it could be the best album of 2007.