Customer Reviews

Rockinghorse

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Alannah Myles returns with a somewhat darker and grimmer-toned album. Yes, the familiar bluesy-hard rock is still present, but she's expanded her talents and the songs are better.

"Our World Our Times" is a grim night in the city track, somewhat reminding me of the Cult's "Witch" in theme. Alannah recites the first couple of songs in a monologue before the familiar bluesy-hard rock guitar riffs that characterized her debut album kicks in with intensity matching the harshness of the urban life. One line seems in tune with the current climate: "These times are like dynamite a head-on with history/Some fool's bound to burn it all down don't care about you and me."

"Make Me Happy" has a tempo akin to Def Leppard's "Woman", a Leppardish sound, and with some funky overtones. Love that bass in the song's intro.

"Sonny Say You Will," a plea for an unforgettable moment that will last forever, is one of the two killer ballads here, opening with a sun-coming up synthesizer. It blares into power ballad mode in the verse before the chorus, where it quiets down. One of my favourite songs.

"Tumbleweed" is back to that chugging blues-rock that's in the same manner as "Still Got This Thing For You" from her previous album. It's about a man gambling on dice who could be either a tumbleweed or a rolling stone. With Alannah singing "Looks like I'll be driving home tonight", guess what happens to him?

The blues guitar on the lazy "Livin' On A Memory" sets the tone and is another urban night life song on crime: "Hiding from the light/Running from my destiny/Haunted by a flame/Lying low livin' on a memory."

My favourite song here begins with some forlorn and tragic strings, which is later accompanied by acoustic guitar. "Song Instead Of A Kiss" is "to all of you who wait so long and need so much." That this didn't become a single is sheer criminality, as there's a universal appeal in this song. This is even better than "Black Velvet."

The mid-paced "Love In The Big Town" is yet another night life song, but in a smaller setting. The alienation, glitter, false smiles and people wanting money are still there. It's like a slowed down version of "Kick Start My Heart."

The flight of a troubadour who was looking for some piece of mind, wanting to fly instead of holding on to shaky ground is the story behind "The Last Time I Saw William." Clearly he was burned out from "hurtin' songs", what with that "long line of loneliness in the corner of his eye."

"Lies and Rumours" sounds like Bon Jovi, or a variation of "Love Is" and "Kick Start." The intense skiffle-blues of the title track closes the album.

Most of the songs were written by Christopher Ward and David Tyson, and the selection was well-chosen. Why this album hit the bargain bin after a year I don't know, as it deserved way better.

I have purchased copies of this Album/CD's in the Clearance rack just to give to my friends. Not only did I like this album better than her first one, I thought it was the best complete album of songs by any artist in the last 20 years. Unfortunately her next two albums really fell off in the quality of material, but this set would be included in any collection I would choose for a long stay on a deserted island. Try it!

I picked this up when it first came out. I recall that "Make Me Happy" actually got some airplay, although I don't think it's the best track here.

In general there seems to be a theme of frustration, longing, and tension on many of the tracks here. The mood of the album seems to culminate on "Livin on a Memory" that has possibly some of the most strung-out sounding lyrics you'll ever likely to hear. "The street light calls, into a devil hotel...Isn't life a crime, on a bed of stone, when the devil calls, you better walk alone..." and one of my favorite verses of all time "...the bugs still bite, and the breezes blow, between your dreams, right through your clothes..". The verses are backed by a wonderful acoustic guitar played bottleneck style, while the choruses really kick in with full instrumentation. An incredible slow paced rocker that really burns.

The opener on what was "side 2" "Song Instead of a Kiss" is an incredible power ballad which again teeters on the brink of restraint and chaos. The strings here are very effectively arranged, and the tune - and Alannah's voice - just soar. The verses are backed by simple acoustic guitar and what sounds like three flutes playing a beautiful minor key harmony a la "Stairway to Heaven". The sentiment here, Alannah offering this song to the interminably frustrated lovers - just as the chorus states: "It (this song) is for those who like to cling, it is to those I sing. Here is a song instead of a clutch, instead of a moon, instead of a soothing touch in the afternoon". Well done, and then some.

Listen, just the 2 songs above are worth the price of the cd. However, there are a number of solid rockers including Tumbleweed, Love in the Big Town (a great anthemic rocker), Our World Our Time, and oh yes, the title track, although it's just Alannah's (nasty) voice and a (well played) acoustic guitar.

I was surprised to find some of the other reviewers found "Sonny Say You Will" and "Last Time I Saw William" as quality songs. I find them both plodding, contrived, unconvincing, uninteresting, and totally unlistenable. It's not that Alannah's voice is ineffective, but there is no way anyone can infuse these 2 klunkers with any genuine emotion. Thus 4 stars.

But listen, there is more than enough good stuff here to get your rock-groove on. And once "Livin On a Memory" burns through your ears and penetrates your bones, you will be ready to really really rock, believe me. Just turn it up a little and let that edgy, tension filled mood take you in.

I bought this because a) I heard she had a good voice and b) Buzzy Feiten was listed as a guitarist on the disc. The ONLY song he appears on you can BARELY make out that there is guitar on the song.....VERY wasteful of his immense talent.

There aren't much rocking female artists in my CD collection, but Alannah is an exception. For many years now I've owned her first album, which contains her most known song "Black Velvet". For many years I have not listened to her. Recently, I took out that CD and listened again, and I liked so much what I heared, that I had to look out for other efforts by her. Happily, I found out she's not a one hit wonder - she has four more albums and two compilation of hits to her name.
Last week I got her second album, "Rocking horse" from 1992, and I found out it's even better than her first one! Alaanah's got a raw voice, but strong - and she really shows emotions through it. Every song on "Rocking horse" rocks, in the straight sense of the word. Not a weak one in the whole set.
There are lovely engergetic songs here, like 'Make me happy' and 'Tumbleweed' and soulful and touching ballads like 'Sonny Say You Will' and 'Song Instead Of A Kiss'. Actually, I was surprised how many songs I recognized here, like I've heard them once on the radio and never knew who the singer is... This album is more bluesy the the previous one, but still has a great beat, and there is a lonely and wandering feeling to it. I will listened to this album again in the future, she really is a great rocker who should get more recognition than she does. Hopefully, she'll continue recording music and not give up on what she has to deliver to listeners around the globe... Even the sleeve on this album is interesting - I like the front picture with the horse. It feels almost provocative, but it's not, it's kind of arstistic really. On the bottom line, buy it. You'll be happy you did, she's a wonderful addition to any eclectic music collection.

Alannah Myles is something special. Here voice is mysterious and carismatic. This is "sword and sorscery" rock & roll. Track 1 Our world our time in it`s light form with it`s "heavy metal" inspired riffs certainly kicks this "middel age" inspired melody right into your soul. Trembling good rock and roll with devilish dark vocal from Alannah Myles. Track 2 Make me happy is more in the "funky blues" territory". Anyway it`s screamin`good , with it`s very steady,ready,go go beat. Track 3 Sonny say you will it`s the quality ballad on the CD. Here vocal is very disciplined on this one, but here "hurting quality vocal" shines all over. Make you shakin` when you listen to it.
Track 4 Tumbelweed is straight rock & roll . Straight forward ,but it swings and shakes in quality directions all trough.
Track 5 Livin on a memory sounds like early Bon Jovi, but when Allanha Myles starts to sing, she put`s here unique vision on it, and makes it here own. Track 6 Song instead of a Kiss is the symphonic track on the CD. It doesn`t grip me.
It`s a stream of cliches, and Myles voice is too "polished" and it doesn`t fit here at all. The weak one, this track. Track 7 Love in the big town, we are back in the "light heavy metal landscape" and it works ok, but nothing special. Track 8 The last time i saw William is the "pop song" on the CD. It`s "humming"and simpel. It doesn`t have any extraordinary qualitys. Track 9 Lies and Rumours is back in business with it`s light heavy metal touch, and effective guitar riffs puts inbetween here and there. An effective refrain on the melody. Track 10 Rockinhorse is the one that realy goes back to the "blues roots" with a very effective finger picking acoustic guitar play that lifts this one above average. Allanha Myles is one of the few female vocal`s that has a "magic touch" that rocks all over. In other words "she`s got it".

Rockinghorse is forty-nine minutes and forty-nine seconds and was released in 1992. Rockinghorse did not chart in the United States and neither did any of the songs. Alannah Myles performs in music of Canadian country gritty rock style. All of the songs seem to have a light dark side to them. I did not have a favorite song; I sort of like them all equally. The one thing I really love was that nude picture of her on the cover. I am giving Rockinghorse an A+.

Side One

Our World Our Times
Make Me Happy
Sonny Say You Will
Tumbleweed
Livin' On a Memory

Side Two

Song Instead of a Kiss
Love in the Big Town
The Last Time I Saw William
Lies and Rumours
Rockinghorse

This is very solid debut from Alannah Myles. It's not quite as great as her first album, so I couldn't give it 5 stars. She doesn't rock as much in this album as in the first; there's more slower, softer stuff [although her voice comes accross nice on them]. There's also sufficient rocking tunes though, which I like, because Myles is one of the best solo female rockers. She has a hard edge and great rock attitude but without being excessively noisy. It's like it comes naturally to her. A worthy follow-up record.

This one really is Alannah's best album. Her voice sounds the bestand the sonds are good.

IMO her vocals on this album and her name album are great. I am not a super big fan of her most recent album. The most recent one seems to lack a bit of the edge. Guess U cannot do killer vocals for long and not impact the vocal cords.