Ignored             Obscured              Restored

In 1971 — well before the release of her first indie single (“Hey Joe”/”Piss Factory”) or her 1975 debut album Horses — the aspiring poet and author Patti Smith wrote a handful of articles for Creem and Rolling Stone.  One of them was a Rolling Stone review of the album Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren.

Smith was clearly a fan of Rundgren, the former Nazz member, and a vocal champion of his early solo career.  Some sources even claim that Patti was the one who gave him the nickname “Runt,” though that can’t be definitively proven.  She later went on to induct him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.

In her review, Smith raved about the album, singling out one track in particular: “Chain Letter.”

Here’s what she had to say about Rundgren’s song:

“Though he has always created from the best of a pre-formed world, he is slowly enveloping these sources with his personal vision. “Chain Letter” is the cut which most seems to reflect this vision. The lyrics have his typical left-handed optimism and just when they get jaded the track opens up; and multiplies, as “Hey Jude” did. But “Chain Letter” has more balls and goes through several changes while “Hey Jude” never went past spirited repetition.”

Better than the Beatles’ “Hey Jude”?  That is high praise indeed.  Give the song a listen and decide for yourself.

Enjoy… until next week.