Customer Reviews

Horses

5 star:		(66)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I saw Patti read poetry alone. I saw Patti & Lenny at St. Marks Church. I saw Patti, Lenny & Richard at Max's. I was there at her last gig at the Academy of Music before a long hiatus. I rejoiced at her comeback performance at the Ritz after Fred "Sonic" Smith's passing. I saw Patti so often she once told me at a CCNY poetry reading, "You've seen me more than my manager!" All that I love about rock & roll is embodied in "Horses." When I listen I hear the Shangrilas in her girl-group vocals. Early Stones with Brian Jones in her swagger. Hardly ever do poetry and 3-chord rock marry so seamlessly. When she intones, "Suddenly, Johnny, gets the feeling, he's surrounded by horses, horses, horses...do you know how to pony?" it still makes my heart beat faster. Patti Smith is the original Riot Grrrl. The first woman, after Grace Slick, to not be a "my man done left me" victim. She hit a home run out of the ballpark with this record, uneclipsed even 30 years later. I still listen to everything she records, and see her & the band as often as they play live. She set the bar high. It hasn't dated in all these years.

I am 43. When I first heard this I was 20. It totally shocked me from the very first notes in a friend's bedroom, stayed with me over the years and is still - remarkably - my favourite album for its force, drive, beautiful melancholy sounds, strange poetry, like a door opening on something I never believed could exist until I heard and saw it, and full of a warm compassion for the listener that is absent on all of Patti's influences. I heard someone said that though she was openly influenced by the Stones, the Velvets and the Doors (and Dylan) she also managed to outdo them all... the album is all but perfect... did they resolve the mains hum buzz all through the original vinyl disc? And 'My Generation' (by coincidence my favourite single, from The Who) is scrappy but OK, but why oh why is 'Piss Factory' - one of her best songs from this era - not included? That's the only slight minus in this lovely re-issue. If you have never heard Patti Smith, just get this record and enjoy. A pure gift.

Sheer intensity! One may hear hints of her in a few musicians, but there's only one Patty Smith. She set the standard, yet remains an original.

This is a concept CD, but the concept is musical, rather than lyrical. Beginning with the dissonant chords and long tonal lines of "GLORIA," Patty Smith goes on to punk-ture the rock landscape in about 43 minutes of tone poetry, screaming vocals and snarling guitar. It's the musical equivalent of "Howl."

A few songs, or fragments of songs, are somewhat melodic and playful, almost teasing. While these are "easier" and sound great, the CD is most notable for its shredding power, and the sound of the most original female voice in rock. Great support on guitar and drums. Intense and poetic, yet somehow unaffected and sincere, she makes the spoken/sung lyric not only compelling, but credible.

In many songs it sounds like the rhythm might slip out from under the vocals and go on in an entirely different direction. There's something going on here! Beautifully recorded and mixed, the voicings are distinct, both melodic and dissonant. Someone may observe these days, "that's been done before." It probably has--by Patty Smith. Highly recommended.

How influential is Patti Smith? Let's just say that riot grrrls from Chrissie Hynde to Alanis Morissette would not exist without her. Michael Stipe and Bruce Springsteen are some of her many admirers. And here's why: Horses is a phenomenal album. Smith's poetic creativity pours forth from every track. She deconstructs such landmark soul tracks as Van Morrison's "Gloria" and Wilson Pickett's "Land of 1000 Dances," and in doing so makes them her own. But this is far from an artsy high-brow record. "Redondo Beach" has a nice groove and a couple of other tunes flat out rock, thanks to guitarist Lenny Kaye and the rest of her band. This was a pivotal album for the punk movement, and remains an essential for the alternative generation.

It gives me great pleasure to think that if anyone ever tried to cover any of the songs they would be making a complete joke of themselves. Ironically, "land of a thousand dances", a cover of a song made popular by wilson picket, and van morrisons "gloria" have got patti's guts all over um. If Neil Young was about one thousand times sexier maybe his "down by the river" could be a male equivalent. But, Patti Smith transends any gender issue despite the fact she and janus will never be matched in the female frontman category. If I had to attempt to show anyone the power of rock and roll I would just play "free money" and walk away. Also, the ballad "birdland" despite its 9 minute and 14 second span is probably the most captivating song on the album. She is simply put, fierce and fearless. Too many of our precious baby boomers missed this classic album in 1975 and now they scratch their heads as their own precious little one's slam good charlotte and simple plan into thier sad souls.

Sheer intensity! One may hear hints of her in a few musicians, but there's only one Patti Smith. She set the standard, yet remains an original.

This is a concept CD, but the concept is musical, rather than lyrical. Beginning with the dissonant chords and long tonal lines of "GLORIA," Patti Smith goes on to punk-ture the rock landscape in about 43 minutes of tone poetry, screaming vocals and snarling guitar. It's the musical equivalent of "Howl."

A few songs, or fragments of songs, are somewhat melodic and playful, almost teasing. While these are "easier" and sound great, the CD is most notable for its shredding power, and the sound of the most original female voice in rock. Great support on guitar and drums. Intense and poetic, yet somehow unaffected and sincere, she makes the spoken/sung lyric not only compelling, but credible.

In many songs it sounds like the rhythm might slip out from under the vocals and go on in an entirely different direction. There's something going on here! Beautifully recorded and mixed, the voicings are distinct, both melodic and dissonant. Someone may observe these days, "that's been done before." It probably has--by Patti Smith. Highly recommended.

This is one of the greatest debuts of all time, Patti Smith is a true legend, despite no RIAA certified albums and one charting single. She has shaped much of the female music we hear today, everyone from Alanis Morissette to PJ Harvey have obvious influences from her music and prescence in the industry.

"Horses" released in 1975 saw the dawn of the angsty alternative female 'persona' and music scene. This album was widely praised for it's innovation and progression even though it was only a minor hit.

"Horses" is a defined classic in every right, from the cover photo to the songs everything is unique and special.

The album opens with "Gloria", the best song on the album. The song is a rock track firstly but has gospel influences in the chorus with a choir chanting "Gloria". Patti's voice is really raw and pure, making the song that much more believeable.

"Redondo Beach" is a reggae-ska influenced track that sounds similar to No Doubt's early work. I loved the synth arrangement, it really works wonders alongside Patti's beautiful voice.

"Birdland" is the first of two tracks that run over nine minutes. To do that is potentially fatal to an album as it can easily bore a listener and is hard to right a song that long. This song has nothing boring about it and I found myself thoroughly enjoying it.

"Free Money" starts with a lovely piano opening and continues in a vein of a mid-tempo ballad until... the chorus when it goes into pure rock. This track sound like a classic mosh-pit song.

"Kimberly" is another beautiful track that has everything, Patti's beautiful voice, catchy guitar riffs and a beautiful subtle background synth. The song sounds a tiny bit like "Redondo Beach" with it's synth although it's much subtler here.

"Break It Up" is a great anthem like song that has a lovely soaring lead guitar from Tom Verlaine of Television fame. I really love the hook in this song. It's one of my favourites and it contains some nice vocal textures from Patti.

"Land" is the last of the two nine minute epics. In my opinion this one is far better than "Birdland". It's a mixture of spoken poetry and full blown rock. The guitar really is a feature of this song. Long, but well worth the listen.

"Elegie" is a short haunting track with another guest guitarist, Allen Lanier of Blue Oyster Cult. It's a nice eerie track. Patti's voice is more subdued here, surprisingly.

A bonus track on the re-issue is a live version of "My Generation" recorded live in 1976 at The Agora in Cleveland, Ohio. This song rocks the live feel is one of immense energy and stage presence I would love to see video footage of it. Patti's voice is so raw and bare here proving she sounds just as good live as she does on CD.

Overall, this is an essential for any female music lover, this is the first emergence that women could compete in the rock and alternative music fields. Patti created, crafted this classic which many generations can now love and appreciate. I just hope the Hall Of Fame & GRAMMY borads realise her importance in the industry and recognise her talents.

Originally better known as a beat-style poet of the New York avant guard, in the 1970s Smith began to offer public readings with music--and quickly developed into an iconoclastic artist of remarkable intensity. HORSES, a collection that slaps the listener from explosive ferocity to lotus-like lyricism and then back again, is her debut album.

This is not your grandmother's rock and roll. Smith opens HORSES with a hard-rocking and revamped version of the old standard "Gloria"--and reinterprets the piece into a determined, deliberate, and defiant bit of blasphemy calculated to snap even a non-believer's head back. The shock of "Gloria" sets the tone for the rest of the album: no boundries tolerated. And Smith and her band actually manage to follow through, with pieces that encompass subjects ranging from dreams of aliens to homosexual rape to suicide. Smith's voice can be quite melodic, but for HORSES she emphasises vocal authority, growling, dragging, and sometimes even throwing away all tonal quality entirely.

HORSES is rather loosely structured, and some of the tracks work better than others--but even by today's standards the album retains its cutting edge. And its an edge Smith knows how to use. The album is an essential, but brace yourself: it is a demanding ride.

Released alsmost 10 years before I was born. This LP must have been fresh at the time (and still is). This LP is indeed a must have in your cd collection. The 90's angry rock females wouldn't have existed without Patti Smith and this album shows it a mix of raw rock , 70's punk and late 60's rock (Jimi Hendrix, doors, velvet undground). This album stands out as one of the best albums by a female artist. She is angry And agressive. A woman who has a raw voice and guts to tell it like it is. For every music lover get a copy of this album. Cause this album is a gem and patti Smith rocks.

Before the Millenium season ender, I simply never thought of Patti Smith beyond her one hit "Because the Night". But after hearing her music promminently featured on my favorite tv show (one extended scene actually plays like a music video) I decided to pick up Horses. Wow. Starting with the often covered "Gloria" and ending with a another cover("My Generation", exclusive to this edition), Patti rocks. I can see why the professional rock media went nuts for this album back in '75. It has a certain *energy*, for lack of a better term, that rock was missing in the mid-seventies, and seems to be losing again. Anyone who wants a *real* "alternative" should get this CD.