Patti Smith Group - So You Want To Be A Rock n Roll Star

Review by SizzlingStock Picks

So You Want To Be A Rock ‘n’ Roll Star by Patti Smith Group: Punk Meets Poetry, 1979 Style Alright, let’s cut to the chase. If you’re looking for an album that feels like a caffeinated poetry slam crashing headfirst into a wall of gritty guitars, So You Want To Be A Rock ‘n’ Roll Star is your jam. Released in ’79 under Arista Records, this record straddles punk and classic rock with all the grace of someone stumbling out of CBGB at 3 AM—messy but unforgettable. First up, we gotta talk about “A Fire Of Unknown Origin.” Yeah, it’s listed twice on the tracklist (somebody dropped the ball there), but hey, maybe they just wanted to make sure you didn’t miss how fire-y it is. And fire-y it is! The song kicks off with a riff sharp enough to slice bread, then dives into lyrics so vivid they feel like Patti’s reading your diary while yelling through a megaphone. It’s chaotic, raw, and somehow still catchy as hell. You’ll find yourself humming it later, even if you can’t quite figure out what she’s saying. That’s the magic of Patti Smith—she doesn’t need to make sense; she just needs to make noise. Then there’s the title track, “So You Want To Be (A Rock ‘n’ Roll Star).” Spoiler alert: it ain’t exactly handing out participation trophies. This tune skewers the whole rockstar fantasy with biting wit and Todd Rundgren’s slick production on the B-side version. Listening to it feels like getting roasted by someone who genuinely cares about saving you from yourself. By the time the chorus hits, you’ll either be laughing or questioning every life choice that led you here. Maybe both. The credits are kinda wild too. Co-producers include PSG (the band itself!) and Thom Panunzio, which honestly sounds like two dudes arguing over coffee before deciding, “Yeah, let’s roll with it.” Joe Brescio mastered and lacquer-cut the thing, so props to him for making chaos sound crisp. Oh, and shoutout to Carl Cornell engineering those fiery riffs—he deserves a raise or at least a free lunch. What sticks with me most about this album isn’t just its sound—it’s the attitude. Patti doesn’t care if you think she’s cool. She knows she’s cool, and she’s gonna tell you why, whether you like it or not. That mix of arrogance and vulnerability? Pure gold. Final thought: Listening to this album feels like watching a fireworks display where half the rockets explode mid-air and the other half hit bystanders. Messy? Sure. But also kind of beautiful. Now go listen—but don’t blame me when you start quoting Patti at parties. P.S. Did anyone else notice the repeated tracks, or was that just my brain glitching?

Download Patti Smith Group - So You Want To Be A Rock n Roll Star

Artist: Patti Smith Group
Album: So You Want To Be A Rock n Roll Star

Rock

1979

Rating: 5.0

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Filename: patti-smith-group-so-you-want-to-be-a-rock-n-roll-star.zip

MP3 size: 34.5 mb
FLAC size: 225 mb

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Tracks

Track	Duration	Preview
So You Want To Be (A Rock 'n' Roll Star)	3:56
5-4-3-2-1	2:41
A Fire of Unknown Origin	2:07
A Fire Of Unknown Origin	2:07
So You Want to Be ( A Rock 'n Roll Star)	4:18

Video

Patti Smith Group So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star on Vinyl with Lyrics in Description

PATTI SMITH GROUP - 5-4-3-2-1 Live, 1979,NYC - from Wave CD bonus track #ÑÆ£¹ß¹ #manfredmann

Patti SMITH fire of unknown origin

Images

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Catalog Numbers

AS 0453

Labels

Arista

Listen online

escuchar en línea
online luisteren
ascolta in linea
lyssna på nätet
lytte på nettet
kuunnella verkossa
online anhören
écouter en ligne
ouvir online

Formats

Vinyl
7"
45 RPM
Single
Promo
Stereo
Terre Haute pressing

Companies

Role	Company
Phonographic Copyright (p)	Arista Records, Inc.
Published By	Tickson Music Co.
Mastered At	Master Cutting Room
Lacquer Cut At	Master Cutting Room
Pressed By	Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Terre Haute

Credits

Role	Credit
Co-producer	P.S.G. (tracks: A, B1), Thom Panunzio (tracks: A, B1)
Engineer	Carl Cornell (tracks: A, B1)
Lacquer Cut By	Joe Brescio
Mastered By	Joe Brescio
Producer	Todd Rundgren (tracks: B2)

Notes

Label variation with small star on top left side of A-Side label
Mastering at Master Cutting Room by Joe Brescio indicated by "MCR Joe" in run outs.
Track A: Tickson Music BMI; Live in N.Y. 23/5/79
Track B1: Al Gallico Music Corp. (BMI); Live in N.Y. 23/5/79
Track B2: Ninja Music (ASCAP)
Live in N.Y. 23/5/79

Barcodes

Matrix / Runout (Label Side A): AS 453-SAF
Matrix / Runout (Label Side B): AS 0453-SB
Matrix / Runout (Scribed Side A): AS-0453.SAF-1D MCR Joe
Matrix / Runout (Scribed Side B): AS:0453-SB-1D MCR Joe TII
Rights Society: BMI
Rights Society: ASCAP
Matrix / Runout (Label Side A): AS 0453-SAF
Matrix / Runout (Scribed Side A): AS.0453.SAF-1B MCR Joe
Matrix / Runout (Scribed Side B): AS.0453.SAB-1A MCR Joe
Matrix / Runout (Label Matrix A Side): AS 0453-SA
Matrix / Runout (Runout A Side): AS-0453-SA-1C MCR SOL (T1 inverted) T
Matrix / Runout (Runout B Side): AS 0453-SB-1D MCR SOL (T11 inverted)
Matrix / Runout (Label Matrix B Side): AS 0453-SB

About Patti Smith Group

lataa albumi Patti Smith Group - So You Want To Be A Rock n Roll Star

American punk band, 1976-1979.

Name Vars

P. Smith Group
P.S.G.
PSG
Patti Smith
Patty Smith Group
Smith Group
The Patti Smith Group

Members

Ivan Kral
Patti Smith
Lenny Kaye
Bruce Brody
Richard Sohl
Jay Dee Daugherty

Interesting fact about Album

Did you know? Patti Smith's album *So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star* is a bit of a puzzle. It includes two versions of the same song, "A Fire of Unknown Origin," and even lists it twice in the tracklist. The album blends punk and classic rock, with Todd Rundgren stepping in as producer for one track. Funny enough, both versions of the song made the final cut, like they couldn’t decide which one to keep. Classic punk vibe, right?

Comments

aylasavanna

2025-03-13

I like tom Petty's version. But Patti's version blows it away.

autarquicas2017blog

2025-03-12

L'ultima zampata di una sacerdotessa..a patto di non confrontarla con Horses e Radio Ethiopia...

pontatanpo1014

2025-03-12

Unlike The Byrds' version - which was great, but tongue in cheek and ironic - this version really ROCKS.
Which kind of makes it even more ironic.

Cheers to J. D. Daugherty, Lenny Kaye and the rest of the band!

globolocalnews

2025-03-12

Perdimos el contacto con Ed, pero una década después estuvo conmigo de una forma inesperada. Cuando me acerqué al micrófono con mi guitarra eléctrica y canté «So You Want to Be a Rock 'N' Roll Star», recordé sus palabras. Pequeñas profecías.
Sacado del libro biografico de Patti Smith. "Eramos unos niños"

universeunleashed

2025-03-12

Cool song

jerrymyboo33

2025-03-12

this is the greatest version, punky version, of the Byrds song. Thank you Patti (and the group)

enrikepardo

2025-03-12

So glad I was there...music today sucks

aliakaydin3451

2025-03-12

I bought this 45 just for the drumming, wow!

stephenmcglynn1

2025-03-12

Everything just goes up in one unity. A basic nice tune lifted by Heavy bass, explosive drums, guitars seeking for more, an organ pushing on and add one of the best female rock vocals - and strangely also everything in control - Wow - even 40 years after release.