Horses

This is a seminal album in rock music history. Forget its importance to the Punk movement, it was a major change in writing and music style. Heard "Gloria" growing up on FM, but never listened to entire album until today. A good listen!

- Tracks longer than 3:59: Yes -Long tracks interesting or special: Nit as far as I’m concern. -Album shorter than 58 minutes: Yes. -Will listen to album again: Not a chance -Overall: I always thought I didn’t like Patty Smith. I’m not 100% sure why, so I figured maybe this was going to be one of those albums that set me straight. It did not; I was right. I usually really try to listen to every song on an album even if I don’t enjoy the first few. With this one I simply couldn’t. Her voice was so grating to my ears I had to stop after track three. Looking at the review stats it looks like I’m in the minority. So be it.

Not really my speed but had some cool moments nonetheless

Not the biggest fan of this. Liked the cover though Specific rating - 3.4 Fav song - free money Least fav - Land:Horses / Land of a thousand Dances

Sympq

no thanks

Awful. What the fuck. Can’t understand anybody listening to that more than once, I barely made it through

TL;DR: One of the greatest albums ever and a foundational work in punk. Truly essential listening. BEFORE: This is an absolute fucking masterpiece. One of the great, singular rock and roll albums. The result here is a foregone conclusion. AFTER: Yes every second of this is still perfect. The lyrics - both Smith's and those she lifts here and there - are unsettling and brilliant. The music is vital and cathartic, from the frenetic Gloria to the languid build of Birdland. It pairs the attitude of punk with virtuoso musicianship, genre experiments and Smith's searing vocals. HIGHLIGHTS: Everything. LOWLIGHTS: None whatsoever. VERDICT: 5 stars.

Wat een vreselijke muziek is dit dan?! Hoe kan je dit voor je plezier luisteren? Want een zeur stem van een dramatisch leven… bah bah bah.

Ik vond de albumcover er veelbelovend uitzien, zeker omdat t niet een een of andere hardrock album leek te zijn. Teleurstelling was daar wel, dat heeft met name met haar stem te maken, tis een beetje zeurderig, een beetje schel en een beetje flets, bij dat een na laatste nummer wat eindeloos lijkt te duren denk je af en toe, hoe je bek is heel ff. Muzikaal gezien vond ik t ook niet heel boeiend. Ook wel artistieke dingen gehoord maar de teksten een beetje langs me heen gegaan doordat ik haar stem dusdanig storend vond. wegens gebrek aan vibe twee sterren.

Didn’t care too much for this album, but her song from another album, Because The Night, is a banger!

patti does weird things and during the three first songs its kind of boring but then it gets really cool. fun listen, dont know if i will come back

Good

dark and intruiging

Patricia Smith, the punk icon!!! Had this album on my radar for a long time now. I love her poetic lyrics and the way she tells a story. The way she uses her voice is incredible, she is so good at bringing out that raw emotion and the spoken word bits add so much. I have her to thank for inspiring some of my favorite artists, namely Florence Welch(+ the Machine) and I can really hear the influence. Florence wrote a song about Patti Smith called "Patricia" that I really like. There's a part in Birdland that I swear Life Without Building was inspired by in the song "The Leanover" (I have no proof). Redondo Beach gets stuck in my head regularly and was in one of my favorite movies ever Perfect Days!!!! Such a fun bass line and great song. <3Redondo Beach, Free Money, Birdland, Break It Up<3

We are so back. I was unfamiliar with Patti's work but sheesh shes so talented and does like every facet of art?? Listened to half of this at work and the other half on my drive to albs and i'm happy to report, its a great soundtrack for work AND driving while anxious. Go off queen. Favs: Gloria, Birdland and Break It Up. Also in the deluxe album, the live version of Gloria & Birdland is fweakin amazing.

top

Excellent punk vibes

This album was fine enough and I enjoyed it but nothing really stuck out to me I don’t feel like I need to listen to this again I do like Patti smiths rugged voice throughout the album 2.5/5 Favorites: Gloria, kimberly

I can see why people love this record, I can see why people hate this record, to me it's uneven but it's of a piece at least. Gloria, Land and the closer stand out, although Land doesn't match the amazing first minute of build up throughout. Birdland did nothing for me, boring enough. It's definitely an album that should be on this list though. 6/10

Klarar inte rösten! Inte alls intressant musikalist heller 1/5

what a debut!

look at me everyone i'm an artist doing art has songs representative of every star rating. depends on just how insufferable she feels like being at any given moment. feels like both a harsh and generous three. idk what else to do with it. it is great, and it sucks, but it’s also mid, good, and bad, too.

Ok

Very much like.

5 (Biased)

The live experience is the best, struggle to get into her albums. Some solid numbers in here tho

⭐️Birdland

I enjoyed it but didn't love it. I guess you don't get PJ Harvey without this - and a lot of others. I thought it had nice moments but never really had a hook that grabbed me after the opening of the first song.

I don't know much about Patti Smith. I've always had an inkling she's a bit weird and a bit scary. This album confirmed those suspicions! Interesting in parts, and obviously influential on artists that have followed her, but not one I'll be adding to my playlist. For me, a 2 for enjoyment.

Wasn't a fan of this. I found her voice good, but her vocal delivery grating and trying too hard to show emotions. The whole thing left me pretty cold. 2

Amazing album loved it.

Free money ! , gloria, all album is good. Punk rock 3.5

Pretty bad!

The more times I listen to this album, the more I love it. She’s like the middle-sister between Bruce Springsteen and Iggy Pop!

Even better the second time around; full of emotion and variety of energy.

i used to not rlly love this album but on this relisten i take it back it’s so good

Interesting. Not all songs and not every part of every song, but definitely interesting

I've really tried with this album. This is my 3rd try, and I listened at least two, full times. I still don't get it. First track is great (hence the 2). Rest is a challenge.

This is bad, and if you weren’t old you were supposed to like it, you’d recognize it as a woman who can’t sing yelling for too long about nothing in particular.

This is quite a varied album, and really showcases a strong vision from Patti Smith. At times the album feels cold, and sometimes too bare for me to really love it, but it's a solid album nonetheless.

Да, это определенно было интересно, классные песни, и, не знаю, просто хорошо, буду больше знать о ней и теперь я понимаю насколько разным может быть рок

Having read Patti Smiths book, and never her music, I was intrigued by what this would sound like. It sounds exactly like how the book sounded in my head. Angry, but tender. She is a great story teller, and I really like the female rage of this album. I think it captures that feeling so well. Would listen again, and I am intrigued by her more so as an artist

This was alright, wasn't particularly moved by it.

Masterpiece in my opinion, even though I don't love every song here. The cultural impact and trailblazing ahead of punk and new wave bumps it up from 4 to 5 stars. Love Gloria, Redondo and Land especially.

Not my cuppa tea

Pretty nice.

The reggae beat was interesting Will update

No es mi estilo

Brilliant but something's missing 3.6

I can see why people love this, but I just found it ok. I'm not usually one for pigeonholing genres, but calling this punk rock seems a bit of a stretch. 3*

Nice.

Weird, but good weird. Not good enough that I am likely to revisit.

I liked the first track, but then it got too scream-y for me. I fear this might be a bit too overrated.

A true original. The lyrics are true poetry. Smith’s vocal delivery is pure emotion. I love REM and I can hear how Smith, & particularly this record, influenced Stipe’s delivery. Musically, it is so unique. A remarkable album.

If there is something I have discovered about myself is that I do like a good nasal voice when the instrumental behind it is solid. The intro line? 10/10 definetely a good album lyrically and musically

A very off-putting and irritating album, not least because of Smith's annoying vocal mannerisms. Most of the time, her singing - if you can call it that - sounds like slurred, drunken blabbering, complete with odd vocal tics. The lyrics hold almost no interest for me, so the album falls flat right away since musically speaking it has very little to offer. The instrumentation is bland and monotonous. Apparently, some people actually like this album very much, though I find that hard to fathom.

Great Songs: Gloria, Land Good Songs: Redondo Beach, Birdland, Free Money, Kimberly, Break It Up, Elegie Mid Songs: Bad Songs:

A beautifully chaotic album that bridges the gap between garage rock and punk and with a sprinkling of spoken word that she was known for. The fantastic production from John Cale is spacious, perfectly platforming her voice and doesn't lose any clarity when as it threatens to fall apart. Despite owning this, it's not an album I play often but that may change after hearing it again here.

Almost an experimental album, disconnected songs, and not a fluid listen through.

I think this somehow slipped through the cracks for me, likely because I had a preconceived notion of what it was and figured it wasn't for me, but I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting more Joni Mitchell but it was closer to Velvet Underground. Definitely something I'll put into the rotation.

Really enjoyable listen, loved it

Punk

Enjoyed this. Girl rock of the 70s

I had a work from home day today, took this down from the wall and listened to it on vinyl. I don’t know why Punk is my lowest rated category despite me liking this well enough to have it on a wall

One of those that I'm supposed to like more so than I actually did. I can see why it was notable when it was released, but wouldn't seek this out or put it on by choice if not for this project.

Nice

I know she's hugely influential but for the life of me I've never been able to get into her. I guess I can appreciate her artistry and I don't blame people for liking her but it does nothing for me.

I’ve read one of her autobiographies and know the song Because the Night. The album is pretty much what I expected based on my limited knowledge of the artist. Most of the arrangements were pretty tight. Some of the songs strayed on the wrong side of shouty slam poetry for my taste but still I enjoyed the overall experience without being blown away.

I think one of the best pieces of advice I got regarding listening to this album was that despite Patti Smith's influence on punk "Horses" is not a punk album. I think that helped me appreciate this album more. If I went into it expecting a punk album I would have been disappointed when in reality I enjoyed this album a lot. "Gloria" is one of the best album openers I've heard and does set you up to think the rest of the album will be in a similar vein. Even though its not, you can hear the things that artists that came after her were influenced by. I don't know if its fair to call her the female Iggy Pop (complimentary) but that was the only comp I could think of while listening to this album. 4/5

This was a pretty good album, never realized that she was more of a punk type person and I found it very good

Engasjerende, energisk og kult.

Det som faen

Klassiker. Gode tekster, variert musikk, hver låt er unik. Plata holder seg godt.

Ok, is OK.

Powerwomen!

Never again.

another thanks to this project for getting me to finally listen to an album that i've always meant to check out but neglected for whatever reason. solid 70's NYC vibez man

I really liked the listening session for this one. Patti Smith is a name that I see regularly, but didn't really connect the dots with that she was an early punkster. Now I'm gonna grave more into the discography of her.

8/10 Patti Smith is obviously a hugely influential artist, and this record is one that I do revisit from time to time, so it was nice to give it a fresh spin to look at it in closer details. The oddest thing about this record is that, to this day, it seems to be loosely categorised as punk. I don’t know whether that has anything to do with her residency at CBGB in the year it was released, or just the fact that she was active in the scene with a load of punk bands. But I’d never class this as punk. Perhaps in attitude it is, but in terms of the sonic character of it, it’s 100% art rock. Now it’s been a while since I last listened to this. but straight from the off, I settled right in with the attitude and personality that Patti presents in her performances. She alternates between sung and spoken lyrics in such a natural and organic way that it doesn’t jar at all and really helps to blend further swagger to her musical storytelling approach. She also has a great ear for a melody, which she typically uses with restraint, as little motifs pop in and out of songs. That technique is given all the more power when combined with that spoken/sung style, because it means even when she’s dealing in verses and choruses, sometimes the melody is present and others not. It’s a very cool effect. What she also does really well is to develop her songs as they progress, so that the orchestration or production creates an overarching narrative or flow that isn’t restricted to verse/chorus/verse structures. There are moments when things feel a little less developed in that regard, but for me they’re the weakest parts of the record, with tracks like Redondo Beach which, while still very good, doesn’t quite have the staying power or range that the best songs on the record do. She builds fantastic rhythms and also seems happy to toy with slightly more avant-garde sonics in places too, something that was probably helped along by having the Velvet Underground’s John Cale in the producer’s chair. With Cale in mind, what this record most conjures up in my head by way of comparison is a half way point between the Velvet Underground and Kate Bush, which is a really interesting midpoint in which to stand. It’s experimental in places, melodically lush in others, and tells a delightful tale pretty much from start to finish. One thing that did bug me now and again was how loud Patti’s vocal was in the mix, because it felt like it overwhelmed the rest of the band from time to time. I also found the songs that were a bit more developmentally simple did cause slight lulls in the record. Despite that, this is still a great album, and one that I’ll no doubt be back to in future and I’m glad to have had it put back on my radar today. Gloria: In Excelsis Deo / Gloria - There’s such great swagger and attitude to this, to go with some quality melodic writing. I love the rhythmic switch at around 1:45 and the general evolving style of composition is brilliantly engaging. She does call back to various motifs throughout, but there’s an almost relentless forward momentum and pace that drag the listener along. It’s pretty ferocious, but with a relatively clean sound palette, which is a cool blend. Great opener that’s completely stuffed full of personality. Redondo Beach - Now we’re pretty much straight into a reggae track. It’s got more of that characteristic swagger and attitude, running with some solid grooves. This does feel a little more basic and developmentally limited, but it’s still decent. I could probably do with her vocal being a bit lower in the mix, but the general vibe is great and the bass line is worthy of particular note, as it punches well and drags the momentum of the track forward. Birdland - The dynamic range of this is fantastic, and the subtle and controlled musical development takes us on a real journey. There’s some excellent sound design and atmosphere building as the track progresses. It feels kind of like a halfway house between the Velvet Underground and Kate Bush in some ways. The swagger and punky attitude continues, and the build and fall in intensity is really well produced. For me, it’s probably a little bit on the long side, but it’s still very good. Free Money - The way the groove builds and shifts through the first minute or so of this song is brilliant. In fact, the grooves and rhythms all the way through this are fantastic. It’s intense and fiery, but also has a subtlety to some elements that give it great range. The melodic work is well written, but the way Patti flits between the more conversational delivery and the more melodically focused is really nice. It’s a stonking track and the best on the record thus far for me. Kimberly - Again, the grooves are great, as is the bass work from Ivan Král. The emphasis change between verse and chorus is excellent, and I love the way Patti so smoothly transitions between conversational and sung vocal delivery. I think the way she dangles in hooks, but rarely overdoes them is one of the great musical strengths of this record, and she does it again here. The blend of tones makes for a texturally interesting listening experience too. Break It Up - Now we drop to something atmospheric and sonically powerful. The punching thump of the groove is very cool, because it’s brought in and out and then you get an echo of it when she does that weird chopping vocal thing half way through. The dynamic range of this is again excellent and the swagger and emotiveness of Patti’s delivery is strong. At its core, there’s nothing overly complex to this, but the range and interest is all added via the orchestration and production, which create an engaging ebb and flow of intensity that works very well. Land: Horses / Land, Of A Thousand Dances / La Mer(de) - We’re back in groove land. There’s more fire and drive to this and the piano performance is particularly strong. Rhythmically, this is beautifully compelling and Patti almost feels like she’s controlling the dynamic of the band with her performance, although she does become a bit too loud on a couple of occasions. The ebb and flow of the production is a cool technique, and we get bucket loads more personality and swagger to the vocal delivery, particularly through the middle section with the overlapping vocal parts. Things get a bit weird in places and she plays with background dissonance, which is cool, and the changing atmosphere of the production is very cool too. It’s a really interesting and engaging piece of music and fully justifies its nine minute length. Very cool stuff. Elegie - A cool, artsy and atmospheric closer now. There’s a creepy restraint to this and the forward, in your face vocal production is really effective in that context. It threads the line between being very pretty and having a creeping sense of dread and disorientation to it, which is a brilliant achievement. It’s a really wonderful track and a beautiful way to close.

I know the Patti Smith song everyone knows - ‘Because the Night’, and it’s a great song. Never have I listened to an entire album. One of a handful of poet singer-songwriters (yes, I know songs are basically poems set to music, but some songs feel like more poems than others, which means that some songwriters are more like poets than others). Mash together some Jim Morrison, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, and Bruce, and I think Patti is what comes out, at least on this album.

Such a powerful voice, and a powerful production. This album blends so many different influences, from gritty rockabilly punk to R&B dance crazes, from reggae to operatic glam. I was going to compare the record to those made by Smith’s peers (Ramones, Television, Elvis Costello) but then I learned that this album came out a year (or two) before these acts started making albums, so why even diminish it with such comparisons?

Yet another album I wish I was around for at the time of it's release.... Was there poetry being preformed in this manner, with such emotion and musical expression? Yes. Were they 9 minutes long? Yes. Did they have the same sense of flow and loose construction that Birdland or Land do? I'm not sure.... "Horses" takes beautiful expression in word and sound and promotes harmonious chaos over the span of 43 minutes.

a little bit of a slow burn for me, but wow. so frenetic. basically every song has me bopping my head or tapping my feet. I've heard of the album for ages, but never listened until now. 5/5.

I have formed a habit of reading one star reviews of albums that will prove my theories about the people who don’t like these records. I don’t know if I’ve accomplished anything but, I do know this… everybody loves OutKast. I do too, but this is about Patti Smith. What I read quite a bit in those one star zingers is, something along the lines of “this isn’t punk”… it’s not?! It seems to me we have a fundamental misunderstanding of what punk means. I hate to pull the credit card but, just for perspective’s sake, I am old enough to remember a world before punk existed. Patti Smith is punk AF. Patti Smith was post punk before punk. Punk before punk existed. Patti Smith defined punk. It’s like saying Iggy isn’t punk. It’s insane. Garage Rock Rimbaud?! What’s the worst you can say about that? “Sounds like a female Jim Morrison!” Wait. That actually sounds kind of cool. Garage rock with surrealist poetry?! Does that not sound like punk?! Remember, this is 1975. Before The Clash and Sex Pistols put out their first albums. And that band? Come on! The first line on this album… Jesus died for somebody’s sins but not mine… how much more rebellious and anti-establishment do you need something to be?! Punk is any ethos. Its an alternative to the mainstream. It’s not just sonic three 3chord thrash. That’s just one branch on the tree. Sometimes it’s not even music. It’s journalism or film or protest. You might not like it, but Patti Smith is punk. To her essence. To her core.

Lots of character in the voice. More spoken in places than I'd usually like but interesting.

I can see this album's influence, but it's not for me.

I like most of this album

I think this is the first time I've listened to it all the way through. Liked it without getting over excited about it, probably an album that needs a few more listens. Worth the effort I feel.

Por el nombre del disco pensé que no me iba a gustar. Al principio me sorprendió y pensé que me había equivocado. Después, rápidamente, arrancó a ser aburrido, así que no me equivoqué tanto.

Not for me

Very enjoyable album, Gloria is such a banger

(6 estrellas)

282. not bad

This is yet another person in this genre from this time. It's got their heads so far. Up their ass that they think they're the most important part. Then the music is just literally background noise. The whole album is just look at me and how cool I am

Not punk so much as art rock/heavier Bob Dylan. Highlights are Gloria and Free Money

Didn't really like her vocals and don't remember the tunes.

Do I like music? I'm starting to wonder, because so much on this generator is not at all what I enjoy listening to. Maybe I don't like music and what I do like is a fluke. What makes me like something vs not like something? I am starting to struggle to identify that. Maybe it is magic. There is something here that I think I could like but the problem is I don't. I'd never listen to any of these songs again by choice, but there is certainly a lot of emotion conveyed here. I dunno. I have a headache after this. Land:Horses/Land of a Thousand Dances/Le Mer(de), despite being over 9 minutes long, was the best on the album. Is it three songs in one? Why is the title like that? I am questioning my sanity at this point.

A personal fave ever since my young mind saw The Time Is Now. Horses is a fucking classic from start to finish and I adore it.

Not my jam. A couple of good songs but wasn’t my thing.