When Patti Smith released the fabulous Gung Ho in 2000, many including myself, figured that it might very well be the last we would ever hear from her. Considering her penchant for retiring at the drop of a hat, and the fact that her long standing contract with Arista had finally run its course. The time seemed right for her to take her final bow. But with the problems in the Iraq, Afghanistan, and a political climate reaching an absolute boiling point, the time seems even more perfect for a new Patti Smith record. Thank goodness she's seen fit to bestow upon us Trampin', her Columbia Records debut, and probably her finest album since 1978's Easter.

The best Patti Smith songs have always dealt with empowerment and revolution like Dream of Life's "The People Have the Power," and Trampin' has its own revolutionary tale on the track "Ghandi." With scorching yarns like "Long live revolution!" and "Hit em' with the numbers!" and "Awake from your slumber!" the sense of urgency is felt in Smith's delivery. The spoken word narratives of the 12-minute plus "Radio Baghdad" is also quite tenacious with Lenny Kaye's blistering guitar work being sprinkled around Smith's hypnotic tale of Iraq's capitol city.

As scorchingly gorgeous as the raging tales of Smith's are though, surprisingly it's the somber tunes such as "Mother Rose" and the self titled track's duet with her daughter Jesse that works best here. Smith shows that along with getting older and more irate, beauty and elegance also suit her to a tee. Hopefully, Trampin' is just the beginning of a new era of Patti Smith records. But if it ends up being her last, at least she's gone out of here with a righteous bang.