Reviews (page 8 of 12)
I want to give a proper listen to it. Today is not the day. I will give it full marks because why not. Though I remember Johnny Rottens review “Horses? More like horse shite!” .
I've had an awful week. a bunch of 70s rock and a 90s Bob Dylan album which, let's be honest, is pretty much just 70s rock plugged into an amp. So I was *really* hoping for something good today. Imagine my chagrin when I opened the page and found...this. Song 1: As bad as I feared. Song 2: This is worse. Song 3: I hate - HATE her voice. It's weird and nasally and doesn't have a single redeeming quality. Song 3: WTF is this shit? Why is this considered "punk?" The whole album is just bad pop music without the benefit of a good voice. Song 4: They can't all be this bad, right? Song 5: Wrong. Song 6: I just texted my wife, "fuck me this is terrible." I think I undersold it. Song 7: It's almost over. There might be a god after a...IT'S NINE MINUTES LONG?! Honestly, the best song on the album by a MILE Song 8: and we're right back to nasally bullshit. So, this is NOT punk rock. It's bullshit, is what it is. Listen to Land (song 7) and then go on about your day. This should be in the book 1001 Albums To Avoid Until You Die.
Not my favorite; nevertheless happy i listened especially now since I have her signed book
Pretty bad!
I know this is important, and I've tried soooo many times. She seems amazing, but...
A poet who is not a singer
Another shoite album. 1001 shoite albums to make you hate music. Why am I putting myself through this? Every album I can't wait until it's over after the first song.
Not my thing.
Jag hade halvt glömt detta albumet men jag gillar det väldigt mycket också A+++ album cover
I don't like her vocal delivery, but I can't argue with anyone who is a fan. She is a rock god. I prefer her work with The Pretenders.
Honestly just not really my thing and not something I’d choose to put on. Some of the songs were a bit long and I got a bit bored but I don’t think it’s a bad album vocals were good and had a nice vibe
A strange mix of poetry and rock. Punk in spirit, but not sound.
Here's one of those classics I've never quite vibed with. It meanders a bit too long, and I always felt like Smith was one of those songwriters who just likes to hear herself a bit too much, ya know? But as always, don't just listen to me on this one, please go and listen to this album to make up your own mind. Like most others, you'll probably love it.
Giddy up and follow punk's poet laureate as she guides you along a stream of manic creative consciousness flowing forevermore.
did not care for it
mom rock
I liked "Land: Horses" the most and saw value in "Break It Up" but other than that it was kinda just noise to me.
Expectations were low but this album far exceeded them. Kinda reminds me of a female Iggy pop.
More interesting songs, however still majorly singer/songwriter with vocal focus.
Another good album. Great version of Gloria.
I wanted to like this, I like a lot of the other stuff from this time and place. But holy shit this was absolute agony. I get it’s punk, and DIY whatever you want attitude but that doesn’t mean it has to be so obnoxious. 1/5 never again
Reminds me of perfect days
A theatrical voice and interpretation. You almost could feel like you are watching the movements of their body.
Crap. Total waste of time.
I liked her voice a lot and some of the songs but some were really weird.
Wow I thought I used to love this album so much but I don't recognise a lot of the tracks in the middle. I think I must have just hammered Gloria and Redondo beach, which really are standout tracks for me. The long buildup on Gloria makes the surge forward in speed at the drop so electric. But some of the tracks miss the mark: Kimberly was a real lull for me.
A name I've been familiar with but haven't delved into. This is definitely early punk, though, as much as Iggy / the Stooges.
I remember checking this out early in life when I had first learned about and was craving anything associated with punk... This did NOT do it for me then. After another listen 35 years later, my feelings have not changed in the slightest.
A perfect example of modern rock music. Her lyrics and the sharp sound blend perfectly.
Artsy. Dont get the lyrics. Not the biggest fan of the singer. Experimental for sure. Felt like poetry with instruments. Nothing stricked with me too much. Most of the time i just felt like that im not either high enough or fancy enough to understand it.
I listened to it twice, so there was definitely aspects that I liked but it won’t make a regular rotations.
++: Gloria, Redondo Beach, Birdland, Kimberly, Break It Up, Land, Elegie +: Free Money 9,9/10
10/10. Practically the queen of punk.
Very interesting listen. Had a lot of powerful and engaging moments, and definitely not something I'd usually gravitate towards. But I really appreciated the artistry blended into the album, and there is definite passion behind the songs. Top tracks: Redondo Beach, Free Money, Land
The grandmother of punk at the peak of her powers. There are many superb Patti Smith albums, but this one is just unstoppable (just like Easter).
This is probably in that list of 'iconic and revered albums that I've not really knowingly listened to that much'. And yet I knew the vast majority of the songs, and really, really dug it very much. Her voice is an absolutely sledgehammer wrapped in velvet, the musicality is like the very best of someone like Lou Reed, and the whole vibe is extremely cool.
Dug it, those around me, not so much.
I know she’s an icon and everything but I just can’t connect on that level.
Now this is true punk rock. If don't agree then you are wrong. Sorry I don't make the rules. 9/10
My review of Horses may come with a hint of bias—I love Patti Smith, and this album represents her finest hour. From the moment Gloria kicks off the record, it's clear you're in for something electric. It's an explosive opener, full of raw energy and poetic defiance, setting the tone for the rest of the album. That same intensity carries through every track, making Horses feel like a continuous wave of bold, unapologetic artistry. Standouts like Redondo Beach and Land showcase the album's range—from reggae-tinged rhythms to sprawling, spoken-word rock epics. Honestly, every song here feels essential; there's not a single misstep. Favourite track: Gloria is superb, and Land is an absolute masterpiece. Least favourite: Not applicable—there’s no weak link on this album. Album artwork: An iconic and effortlessly cool cover.
This doesn't really feel like it should be characterized as 'punk rock', but I enjoyed this as someone is ignorant of Patti Smith.
Hell yeah, this felt both modern and of a time. I guess that makes it timeless?
I didn't get into Patti Smith until the last few years tbh. She's someone I could tell I would always dig, but has just taken me forever to come around to exploring her work. And I've still only scratched the surface. She kinda reminds me of Nick Cave in a way. Someone who is effortlessly cool and is a legend with a large body of work that I didn't get into until later in life. I hear her books are great too, but once you get into them they just keep getting better. Anyhow, this is a masterpiece in my mind, even if I didn't realize that until somewhat recently.
This album will make you understand why the entire boy's club of early punk fell completely in love with Patti Smith. I go back an forth about whether this or Radio Ethiopia is my favorite - this is more feral, the latter rocks harder - but she was an electromagnetic rock creature radicalizing knuckleheads everywhere.
Like longtime critical and cult favorites including Big Star, the MC5 and the Mekons, who I failed to appreciate or fully understand when I was younger, I'm just now getting around to Patti Smith. This is a terrific album from an artist who must've sounded like a breath of fresh air in 1975. A highlight is "Birdland," which works like an audio poem, buffeted by evocative guitar feedback and piano refrains. I hear her influence in the later work of Nick Cave, another highly literate and multitalented singer-songwriter who brings a strong storytelling element to his work. I need to own this album.
Wide ranging album with a steady river running through it: Patti Smith's no-fucks-needed no fucks given jaunt.
Ah, Patti is so cool. This drags in places just a little bit too much for me to keep this in heavy rotation but it's a phenomenal record.
Influential but not something I return to often.
One of my all time faves. Perfect album. Her take on Gloria is up there with Cash's 'Hurt' where the cover version becomes the definitive version. And Redondo Beach is a song I will never, ever, ever get sick of listening to. She was punk before punk, new wave before new wave. And the album still stands strong some (checks notes...yikes...almost fifty!?) 49 years later.
Perhaps the worst singer I've encountered in almost 500 albums I've reviewed. Came across as an overly self indulgent attempt at being artsy. Even the few somewhat catchy songs are ruined by her wailing.
So cool and still fresh sounding in some ways despite it now being 50! Thought of Kate Bush and Nick Cave. Will be digging deep into Patti’s catalogue soon I think. (4.5 stars)
very fun, smells like fiona apple Would I listen again: i'd let it play on shuffle Deserves to be on this list: yes 3.9
I also didn't enjoy this album. That being said, I can hear the influence of this album throughout. We got some ska, we got some poppier bits. Overall it was a decent listen, but not one I'm like to return to.
The more I listen to old school punk, the more I realize that I don't like old school punk. It feels like how others feel about metal music and screaming, I just don't get it. Not for me. I was glad it was over so that I can move on with my day. During Birdland, my wife said "This sounds like a goat. The album is called Horses? Is she trying to mimic one? maahhhhhh (mimic goat sound)"
That's not my taste in music - But ok
Good subtle listen, made me sleepy
I own this album and I saw PS in concert many years ago. However, this record has not held up well for me in hindsight. I respect Patti as an artist, but I don't find her overwrought vocal style particularly interesting anymore. I'll respectfully give this one a 3. 3/5 Album 22/1001
Voice is an acquired taste, but definitely passionate. Musical accompaniment is competent with a few interesting passages (the guitar on "Gloria", the piano work at the beginning of "Free Money", the bass on "Kimberly"). Highlight: "Gloria" (starts bluesy, but gains a punkish energy as it goes on. Gender bending Van Morrison cover), "Free Money" (another piano-based song, starts slow and builds steam. Seems like the precursor to "Because the Night")
Really good album with some great tracks. On the 5 side of a 4.5.
Pretty cool interesting record. Redondo beach, title track, free money and Gloria are all epic
What I found is it could definitely tell that she influenced other artists into the 70s and 80s it’s not exactly something I can listen to in the morning or something, but I did enjoy it
# Album Name: Horses # Artist: Patti Smith # Rating: 5/5 # Comments: Starts out with a great track - Gloria! Its a banger. Real fun tune. PS has pretty good vocals. I like her style. A cracker of an album! A low 5 from me. # Top Tunes: Listen to the whole thing. Stand outs are Gloria, Redondo beach, free money and horses. # Would I listen to it again? Yes
Favorite Track: Free Money
When theatre kids go punk. A masterclass in how to build to something, but not every song can be a 9 minute buildup and have the same pay off. The production and instrumentation on this album are outstanding (especially the bass playing.) But there are several songs that are beyond self-indulgent and some even verge on annoying. The back half certainly is much stronger than the opening half. Overall there are lots of interesting nuggets and a few truly great songs, unfortunately a few missteps take away from the overall album.
Oh STRONG start. Okay I've been thrown off by birdman being 9 minutes of arty farty shit but it's growing on me. Drawing a line to early pulp maybe? Oh I'm really enjoying this. Simple and complex at the same time? Real variety of song structure, spoken word bits, straightforwardish rock song followed by weird punky mashup. This is banging. See i can like long songs they just need to keep me entertained. I'm gonna keep coming back to this its not like anything I've heard. Easy 5.
I found this quite good and it was clearly influential as I can hear a lot of modern rock stars in this style of singing. Might even listen again!
The kinda music Pheobe from Friends listens to
I enjoyed that a lot more than I expected! I understand Pattis voice may not be for everyone, but I thought she delivered a stellar vocal performance. She voice paired with her poetry tells story's that I want to hear and enjoy. The instrumentation is powerful and has good style. Really no complaints even got stuck in my head a little.
Patti Smith brings the poetic wordsmithing of Dylan and other singer songwriters into the punk world of rock. Very different from all the other punk bands of the era, more like a proto Sleater-Kinney or PJ Harvey in the indie rock scene. Eitherway, it's unbelievably cool. Gloria, Kimberly, and Elegie lead the way as all amazing songs. I also like the spoken poetry tracks like Birdland and Land where the music is kore of a tone setter.
Interesting take on punk, musically like that but there are some profound lyrics throughout the album which is an cool combination. Overall enjoyed but may not come back to a ton
Cool stuff.
Excellent pre-punk album!
I find as I’m getting older that I really appreciate artistic statements like these. Just a singular artist flexing creativity, innovation and charisma. I love the build on these songs, the wild places they end up. Ultimately, this is poetry or theatre experienced in music. 5 stars.
I had expected to not like this, at all. But to my surprise it was tolerable. I like her voice at times. I have not cared for her writings, and previous exposure to her music was not promising. So this 3 rating is kind of a rave from me.
rock and roll poetry, wild and enchanted and heartfelt, desperate to share, to be seen, to enlighten
Terribile
Gloria: In Excelsis Deo Redondo Beach
Gute Album gute sobgs
Raw poetry to punk. It's an important album.
Very artsy. And likely still in with the 1970’s hipster set. It seems to me like Patti’s popularity comes from people that are trying a little too hard to be cool. She was strange back in the 70s, fifty years have passed and this album still is strange. I think the original album ended at Eleigie, live cuts added to the legacy version. (They came across as Broadway numbers to me.) Free Money is the song that I enjoyed the most. Glad I got to experience Horses. (2.9*s)
There's nothing punk about this album, it's pretty blah and mostly annoying. The songs have no hooks or anything that catches you. Her voice doesn't sound authentic, it's like she's putting on too much theater and I can do without all the weird "ah ah" additions. Send it back to Birdland, it's a 1.25 for Patti.
This was a pile of horse shit. I did not like any aspect of this album. Patti Smith rambles about nonsense and the band throws together some weak back up. Makes sense it was produced by a guy from Velvet Underground. Another long song album with some garbage covers thrown in. File this one under hard pass...0.79.
From the very first note and opening lyric of "Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine" I was worried about this. I was pleased to find that I was not in line for a 45 minute gospel album. However, I wasn't thrilled with what I got either. Patti Smith's Horses was a mix of annoying and pretentious poetry rock that was a pain to get through. I get that she attempted to bring a punk rock edge to this but it just didn't work for me. A couple songs were listenable but the majority of the album had me itching for a skip button. Patti is a miss for me. 1.09 stars
Pretty mid, Birdland is trash. It's more like a 2.5.
gloria and redondo beach are bops
1.8 2x
5 out of 5. Great early punk album with spirit.
Lesbian Bob Dylan
If I'm being honest, I really wanted to like this a whole lot more than I did. I know she's a legend. I much prefer her singing voice to her talking, screaming, wailing...or whatever she's doing in "Birdland." There's a consensus amongst my low rated rock/punk albums and it's screeching vocals, I'm just not a fan. It's uncomfortable to listen to, and it's just really not my vibe. "Gloria," "Free Money," and "Kimberly" were all great tracks, and she's definitely a good lyricist. I'm not sure where this lands on a scale of 1-5. I like it more than most of my 2 star ratings so far, but less than my 3 stars. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ If this is her first album, I hope we get a few more from her discography, because I'd love to hear how she progresses. Maybe I'll like it, maybe I won't, but happy to listen.
eh
Bárbaro. Siempre lo digo y siempre lo oigo como la primera vez. Si es Rock o Punk o lo que diablos sea, Patty ha puesto su nombre en la eternidad.
Kudt
Apart from that exceptionally long song - Birdland - this was an amazing album. I love her voice, the discordant notes, the frenetic passion/rage that spills across the songs. It’s not an easy listen, really, and I don’t know how often I’ll go back to it, but it was an impactful album. Also, Patti Smith used to live on my street! I mean, this was years before I was even born, but still a fun little fact.
A masterpiece, Horses is a forever choice in the list of formative albums that shaped my taste in music. I cannot describe how subversive the opening line sounded to me the first time I heard it (and still does, to this day). I attended one of the 40th anniversary concerts where the album was played in its entirety, and time is so ridiculous that somehow it’s already 10 years later and I have tickets for the 50th anniversary concert later this year.
Bien. No tan mi onda pero se deja escuchar y le mete buenos momentos hard y prendedores.
Some heavy hitters on here like Break It Up, Gloria and Land of 1000 dances. I really like this album and admire it for what it's done as an innovator. Don't really have much to say about this one, just a pleasant varied listens that feels a little bit unpolished at times. Whether that's for better or worse.
This one is important, whether you like it or not.
Raw emotion and catchy lyrics
Id give it 3.5 if I could
trash
Crazy influential, love the punk/jam mix. Great bass tones
LETS GO LESBIANS LETS GOOOOOO! i rlly don’t listen to a lot of non contemporary music, esp bc the newer artists i listen to are pretty much all queer women. BUT THIS. i didn’t expect this! i quite love it too
Didn’t like her voice much but lyrics were great
Its a beautiful very sentimental album. Amazing songwriting and a mix of poerty and punk which was probably pretty out there when it was released. I had never given Patti a real opportunity just liked a few songs but this is a great album that I regret not listen to before today.
only on the first song but I can tell this isn't gonna be my jam since this one is the most listened track on the album, ya im good
Artiste connue par son tube 'Because the night' qui passait souvent à la radio et que j'avais beaucoup apprécié à l'époque. C'est avec beaucoup de plaisir anticipé que j'ai entamé l'écoute de cet album. Première déception : même si 'Gloria' est un morceau sympathique (+1) avec une montée en rythme et puissance intéressante, je n'aime pas du tout la façon de chanter de PS ... Redondo beach m'a déçu avec son inspiration reggae, Birdland et ses 9 mn n'a pas relevé le niveau. Les morceaux suivants sont plus ou moins intéressants, les montées en puissance sur certains des morceaux sont bien réalisées mais le chant reste un problème pour moi. Donc c'est plutôt une déception ... =>2/5
Jesus Christ bro, this one was bad. It’s maybe barely better than some of the other god awful albums on here, but only just. Why she singing out of time so much? Why she so screechy? Wtf even is this album? 1 star
The lyrics on Gloria. The reggae-like rhythms of Redondo Beach. The build into the climax on Birdland. The bass line on Free Money. The organ and plinky guitar sound on Kimberly. The use of background vocals and the rawness on Break It Up. The driving rhythms and piano usage in Land. The guitar tone on Elegie. It’s punk but done in a very unique way that feels distinct. Reminded me a lot of the Velvet Underground.
Pretty solid, definitely liked it more on a second listen.
One of my favourites and one of my heroes. I've seen her perfom this live in full and I'll be seeing it again soon! It’s a mini rock opera.
Never much keen on this or Patti Smith
I earnestly think gloria (in excelsis deo) is one of the best songs of all time, am also a big fan of free money, kimberly, land: horses/1000 dances/mer, and her version of my generation were excellent!! massive massive fan of this album; i think shes so brilliant and so raw and was apart of that pantheon of women that really made me feel seen for what i was into and who i wanted to be like (alongside other musicians like pj harvey, fiona apple, justine frischmann, courtney love, tina turner etc etc) all around soo boundary pushing and incredible.
Good solid punk album
I get the cultural subsidence, but Patti has just never been my style.
Gloria was absolute fire. Loved it. But the rest of the album simply did not hold my attention.
Enjoyable but other than one or two songs not particularly memorable.
This is a masterpiece. The two long animal themed songs are just incredible. I'm at a loss for words. Also this album has the best opening line ever, and has other fantastic songs sprinkled about, like "Break It Up"
Whenever I listen to Bob Dylan and other highly-acclaimed musical artists from the 60's and 70's, I always wonder if it is good music or is it the musical equivalent of the emperor's new clothes? I felt that way before I listened to this album. Not sure this is really punk music. It's simpler, in a good way, and not so frenetic. Her singing is unique at times and her lyrics get pretty deep. No song sticks out to me on my first listen, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. I guess in this case I will believe the hype.
Необычный женский вокал
I wish I thought this was greater, but I'm just bored. Sorry.
Never heard, could hear the rawness energy spirtit ...see why she is she
What a record. What an opener. This record is just a masterpiece. Aside from Gloria, and the two epics, you've also got that absolutely majestic piece of guitar work from Tom Verlaine on Break It Up, which I realise I've loved way before I realised how incredible Marquee Moon was. And Free Money. I just love this so much.
I really liked and really hated some of this
I'm glad Patti Smith didn't give up and went on to record "Because the Night". Sorry, the album was okay, and I expected much more from a big name like Patti Smith, but it seemed she hadn't quite figured it out in '75 yet. It was a bit more tolerable after a second listen, yet I only somewhat enjoyed "Break It Up".
This woman is a freak
I'm not quite sure what to call this style of singing, but I hate it
I've heard a lot ABOUT this album, but have never actually listened to it myself. Patti Smith's poetic background really shines in the songwriting throughout "Horses". Featuring more spoken word song construction and simply being much more artsier compared to the mainstream punk rock scene from around this time. Definitely an original concept for 1975 and still today honestly. This album might need to "warm up" a bit for some people (which was also the case for myself), but many will recognize its impact and influence by the end of it all. If not, then that's OK too!
I know this album was influential on many in the 80s and 90s… but it just doesn’t do anything for me.
There were many precursors to punk, and this is certainly not the most important of them. Half these songs feel like Bob Dylan blues hell holes and the other half are grandiose leviathans of uncertain vision. Almost every song is way too long. Nothing is terrible here, but there’s also not a damn thing my life will suffer for to never hear again. Yes, yes, the first line is great and then you either can’t understand or don’t care to try for the next 40 or so minutes. A good line every now and then isn’t enough to make an album matter. Intent and cultural influence aren’t enough to make an album worth listening to.
i didn’t really like it but it was undeniably cool so you gotta give it credit
She's a preformer, more spoken word than singing. It's like poetry.
I knew the name but maybe had been very listened to her music before. Not sure. I liked it tho. Good cooking dinner album
Otra imprescindible por calidad, actitud e influencia. Todas querían ser como ella (incluso Debbie Harry, que tenía un injusto complejo de inferioridad). Este es su disco más aclamado, furia, fuerza y muchos quilates. Sus 5 primeros álbumes son igualmente recomendables. La apertura es un clásico. El Gloria de los Them, que tiene historia para aburrir: La usó como base Ray Sharpe con la King Curtis Orchestra en "Help Me", donde toca un tal Jimmy James (AKA Jimi Hendrix). Luego la grabó Aretha Franklin con junto con su hermana Carolyn, y le agregó su propia letra y melodía transformando por completo la canción. Se incluyó en su clásico álbum de 1967 "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You", y la canción se ha convertido en un clásico por derecho propio. Desafortunadamente, si bien esa versión utilizó la pista de acompañamiento en la que tocó Hendrix, su solo fue eliminado de la versión final. Patty hace una versión mucho más calmada pero igualmente llene de fuerza. Redondo beach podría encajar en Blondie. Kimberly le sale mejor. Birdland baja revoluciones pero no intensidad, bajo la obvia influencia de Heroin de The Velvet Underground (sin su calidad). Free Money tiene esa base velvetiana que le sienta tan bien al disco. Colaboran la guitarra de Allen Lanier (Blue Öyster Cult) en Elegie y otro aún no ilustre: Tom Verlaine de Television (grupo que por entonces grabaría su primer single pero que hasta 1977 no publicaría su primer e imprescindible disco Marquee Moon) en Break it up. 5/5 por muchas razones.
I really wanted to like this…
p348. 1975. 3 stars. Hugely influential album for punk and a whole generation of female singer/songwriters - but it's not aged well, and there is a LOT of filler. No-one needs multiple 9+ minute tracks.
Energetic and innovative. Love the tying in classic rock and soul with the poetry and avant garde shit. Didn't realize break it up wasn't a television song. Didn't realize the blue oyster cult guy was on this and that he and big Tom Verlaine were kind of feuding. Good stuff.
I liked some elements: her voice and the lyrics are good. The music isn't massively complicated but builds with some nice intensity in places and apparently massively influenced the formative punk genre. Gloria is a really strong opener Don't like other things: in particular lack of hooks, a lot of tracks just happen without me remembering much. Her typical structure seems to build to a big outro which I don't find too appealing. Also Birdland is annoying 3* for a mixed bag seems fair
Upbeat 70’s classic rock.
idk en lyriikoita taas vaan lempeiltiin sointuja... Ihania sointuja...
Not for me
This album was solid overall. Her voice annoyed me at parts but the songs I like, she’s incredible on them.
Not what I'd call punk, but perhaps for the attitude. I did not pay attention to the lyrics, which might hide something. Musically, it just fine. 6/10
This is better than it should be considering Patti Smith ripped everyone else off and has very little talent of her own. The reimagined Gloria is interesting and exciting. Redondo Beach is like a frightening dream. Some other songs are decent enough that I can’t completely hate it even though I want to.
7/10 I like it, but not for everything and not all the time, but when I like it...whoo boy
One of the most overrated artists of all-time. The most well-known track (and only single) from this album is a poorly-executed cover of a great song.
Not really my cup of tea. Certainly an interesting album and glad I heard it but probably won't listen again.
I appreciate Patti Smith was groundbreaking and this is probably one of those albums that you're supposed to love, but I didn't. I just thought it was alright. I'm not sure I'll ever "get" it. The tracks do tend to go on a bit, at times it sounds a bit like spoken poetry that happens to have background music and I'm entirely convinced Patti Smith is singing irritatingly on purpose just to piss me off. Listen to 'Birdland' and tell me that you don't want to just punch her and her annoying, whiny yodelling voice. Despite this though, I gave it a second listen and enjoyed it slightly more. Regardless of how annoyed I was with Patti's vocals, musically this album had its moments. It's probably not something I would listen to again but I wouldn't say I outright enjoyed it.
Ok
I get it, but then again, I don’t
Not quite my sort of sound, but it's interesting.
the idea of something being Influential is often less interesting to me as the creation of specific ideas that are iterated on than it is as something that just kinda kicks open ur conception of what's even Possible...a blueprint to be filled in with ur own materials or endlessly futzed with until it becomes something even more new. obviously patti smith did this here for equal parts punks and bohemians, a pretty impressive crossection! rly rly great maybe even better than i remembered...what really leaps out at me this time is that the record feels intensely singular and personal despite the fact that patti almost never writes explicitly from her own perspective. she assumes the guise of multiple characters from books she likes, a lesbian in california, her own mother, and uh van morrison ig HFJFHS. every role she chooses to inhabit Does feel like it speaks to something about her...maybe only she can know for sure in some cases, but its still a rich feeling. and john cale/her band 100% killed it on the production/playing...the arrangements are effortlessly intuitive and emotive and create memorable Shapes to the songs that have made them stick in my brain for years and years without many traditional "hooks" at all. birdland was my fave back then and probably remains so...probably the best example of patti and the instruments around her naturally morphing to suit her words, creating this just ridiculously moving monolith of delirious unprocessed grief...appropriately makes me feel like im slowly ascending but never quite reaching what im going for, more about the fantasy of going up than being able to actually do it. p much every song is a coherent and memorable little Artsy Theatre Production in ur ears but thats always been the one thats stuck with me the most...tho man free money is rly fugking good too huh. and land. and kimberly. all of them HFJKHFSJK
Couldn’t do it. Sorry.
2.5 This twist on Blues-rock was still too blues-rocky for me. The non-stop lyrics kept me from turning my brain off,which is the way I get into a groove listening to avant garde music. It's cool that it was a shock to the system at the time. I didn't enjoy listening to it all that much
Love the punky vibe. What a groundbreaker.
This is like a random museum piece for me—cool to see it once and know it exists, but not an exhibit I need to return to.
I can see it although likely won’t go into regular rotation for me.
Earnest. Honest. Passionate. Poetry.
Nah bruh
Pretty cool
A few nice moments here and there but otherwise dull
A cool record that does tend to overstay it's welcome
She is a very good lyricist, and songwriter; a lot of these songs have really cool climaxes and energy. Not much else to say about this one, just a very solid album. Mid 4.
I love Patti and her badass rock poetry will never get old
She has cool imagery but not my cup of tea sonically
This is one of those albums that you're SUPPOSED to love, but I don't. It's just not enjoyable to listen to. I appreciate Patti Smith and her lyrics and voice and that she was groundbreaking in the punk scene, so I feel like I must give it a 3, but all I really want to hear from her is Because the Night and Dancing Barefoot.
This did grow on me, even though it wasn’t quite the level of “punk” I expected or hoped for. I suppose the slower parts have their place, but the effect they have is that the album starts and ends on a bit of a sour note, although it becomes something much better.
"Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine" will forever go down as the hardest opening lyric to an album in music history.
Glorious
It was fine.
2,5
2.5 stars. Art punk rock. The two covers ("Gloria: In Excelsis Deo" and "Land of A Thousand Dances") were interesting but didn't care for the rest of this, as influential it may have been.
говнище
Un álbum increíblemente influyente en el punk (femenino) que estaría por venir. Llevaba muchísimo tiempo queriendo escucharlo. Y, visto desde una perspectiva actual, sigue siendo muy bueno. Grupos que hoy en día están entre mis favoritos, como The Organ, no hubieran sido posibles sin Patti Smith. Los temas no llegan a ser punk per se, más bien folk, pero un folk muy crudo, donde prima más la poesía que la música. Solo por su impacto en estilos que me encantan, merece notaza.
DNF. Made it three songs in. Not sure ill ever be able to slog through this. Not as unpleasant as waits
Wow, what a brilliant record!
Good album
Some excellent songs but unfortunately some arty-farty-poems miscasts too for me...
Maybe her greatest album, many great songs here, Money-'I'll by you things you never had.' The build up-it is one of the great rock and roll songs.
278/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
Album - Horses Artist - Patti Smith Release - 1975 Genre - Punk Rock/Art Punk/Garage Rock Heard it before? - N Heard OF it before? - Y The poetry was a lot better integrated than I expected, but I just cannot encode what she's saying. Lyrics have never been my strong suit to be honest. I don't know. Like I love Television, but I love them for the guitar interplay and jazzy atmosphere they create, despite still being simple. The lyrics about doing drugs in Manhattan are just a bonus to me. Television has hooks. The Velvet Underground have hooks. Patti doesn't. [Horses] has it's moments of almost-punk-but-not-like-proto-punk-and-there's-a-piano for sure, but unless you really like the poetry you probably won't get that much out of this one. 6/10
Horses is Patti Smith's debut album, and is often thought of as the first punk album. The album was very well received critically, but only found limited commercial success. Over time, Horses has come to be regarded as one of the best album ever recorded; it helped define the early part of punk and new wave, and influenced generations of musicians. Smith made raw, edgy rock songs, with a minimalist feeling that became the norm in early punk. She added thoughtful, inciteful lyrics, adding a depth rarely seen in punk and most rock - an "art punk." Smith made raw, minimal, edgy rock songs
I only knew Patti from the song Because The Night (which isn't on this album) going into this one. I like the raw, stripped down sound as it suits her voice and lyrics. It's easy to see the influence this had on what would become punk. Generally a really good album with a few flat spots.
A very mediocrely alright album. There weren’t really any stand out songs for me, I just had it on in the background and it wizzed by.
Quite enjoyed this album tbh. It’s not my normal taste so I’m quite happy I liked it tbh. Some tracks were still a bit mid tho unfortunately. I enjoyed Land: Horses quite a bit but then it became story time. Might possibly listen to this album again idk. Think I’ll def listen to some more Patti
For me, Patti Smith is one of those artists that really grows on you the more you listen, and that has defninitely been the case for me over the last couple of years. Have always been a fan of Gloria and some of the more popular songs that came in later albums, but lost interest with some of her lesser known tracks. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this album - she has a very unique voice and all her songs have a pretty distinctive (raw?) feel in this album. Gloria takes the cake but also a big fan of Redondo beach and Free money. Fav song: Gloria
Really not a fan of the vocals or the intense, dour music
Jesus, that was a long 43 minutes. Parts of it sounded like the rantings of a mad woman. It might be musical genius, but unfortunately, I just don't get it. I giving a bonus star because I do like Patti Smith, just not this album!
I wanted to like this more than I actually did - pretty good but I found her voice a bit grating at times
Loved it . Gloria
Patti Smith is cooler than you
Liked it a lot. Wasnt terribly familiar with Patti Smith until this album.
Good poetry but not good music. I get why it's on here, but I didn't enjoy it.
Not quite what I thought. Good, a less soft voice, but got boring after a while
This is the 13th album I’m rating. I’ve heard a lot of good things about this album and that cover is iconic. However, I know nothing about her, the album, or what genre this is. So I’m going into this almost completely blind. I’m guessing that this is either country, folk, or bluegrass. Gloria: In Excelsis Deo - Adding to my Playlist. I’m thinking this is country. Redondo Beach - Adding to my Playlist. I’m thinking I’m wrong. I just thought that with a name like Horses and Patti Smith it would be country. Birdland - Not Adding to my Playlist. Way too long for my taste. Free Money - Not Adding to my Playlist. The vocals are a bit repetitive. Kimberly - Not Adding to my Playlist. I don’t like the singing. Break It Up - Not Adding to my Playlist. I thought it was a little boring. Land: Horses/Land of a Thousand Dances/La Mer - Not Adding to my Playlist. This is too long and kinda annoying. Elegie - Adding to my Playlist. This sounds pretty good. All in all I liked 3/8 songs. This wasn’t that great and I would say it is about as good as Opus Dei.
Very unusual style but there's something that truly captivated me. Her vocals, especially. I'll definitely listen to this again. I might change my rating in the future.
1/16/24. First time diving into Patti Smith, I like her sound. Very interesing lyrics too, poetry driven!
Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine.
I think this is pretty great. Hard to pin down the style, but it's creative and cool. It's kind of art rock without being too noisy. It sounds good. It's just a cool expression and it lands. Great debut.
This is like if the Clash wanted to be poets instead of musicians. The first two songs (one of which is a cover) are actually pretty good. The rest of it is spoken word with a crescendo/decrescendo pattern over and over. Birdland just doesn't end. Land: Horses... just goes on and on and on. I'm just not in to it. I cant' give this a 3 because I decidedly did not like it, but it's more of a 2.5 than a 2. I realize this probably influenced a lot of albums and artists that I do like but you can say the same thing about a lot of music that sucks.
This was an easy listen. Really interesting. Kinda punk, kinda classic rock, kinda folk. Someone should tell her songs don't need to be 9 minutes long but other than that enjoyable. Seems ahead of the times for what it is.
I know of Patti Smith and this album, but I’ve never listened to any of Patti Smith’s work before. I know Horses is supposed to be incredibly influential and groundbreaking, so I’ve been looking forward to the chance to review it. Here’s hoping that it will blow my socks off! Well, my socks are still firmly on my feet, but I did enjoy this album. I think Horses did a great job of pushing against the preconceived notions of what punk rock can be, and it was really interesting to listen to. The two longer songs, “Birdland” and “Land,” were really well written, and it was really cool to see longform storytelling be adapted to punk music in this way. Even though the songs were long, I didn’t find them boring. I think Patti Smith’s usage of creating peaks and valleys in the tempo of the music really helped keep these longer songs interesting and engaging. I really loved how “Gloria” built to a really chaotic crescendo towards its end. The backing vocals and Patti’s chants of ‘G-L-O-R-I-A’ were incredibly energetic and one of my favorite parts of the whole album. Patti’s ability to control the energy and tempo was probably her biggest asset on Horses, and she used it well throughout the course of the album. In my opinion, Horses is one of those albums where the sum of the parts works much better than the individual pieces; it would be hard for me to enjoy a lot of these songs without having the context of the sound of the whole album. While I wasn’t blown away by this, I thought that it was really good from an objective standpoint. I don’t know that I’d be quick to return to this album, but I wouldn’t mind checking out more of Patti Smith’s work.
I have to give this a 5 admittedly it's not just for this particular album, it's for the artist. In one word... authentic. You really feel like it's the artist communicating to you. Musically, it's good (nice song writing, some punk-like emotions), lyrics are great, but the combination surpasses both. Also definitely a "must hear" album because of its legacy.
A minor classic. Still rocks !
I have heard of Patti Smith before... pretty strange but einzigartig so far this might be my first 3/10 or 4/10 lmao just not my type of music at 6AM I only listened to 2 songs, sorry, was busy
Quite strange. I wasn’t expecting this punkish vibe or harsh vocal delivery. Not for me.
Bra, fiilis album. Kräver vidare lyssning
Suena como un inicio del female punk qué eventualmente se vuelve blondie. Gran album
Love this album - definitely a good collection of songs :) Gloria being a stand out
Gloria definitely the stand out. Rest is ok.
Wow! You can see why this is always on the list of greatest albums.
The lyrics are awesome. Female-fronted punk music is epic. This is an influential album.
I like this album, eventhough it took 2 listens for me to really get it, and 1 more for me to vaguely enjoy Land. Patti Smith's voice is unique and very punky. Starting your career with "Jesus died for somebody' sin but not mine" is crazy tho. Fun story is that I had to look up if she's into women after that first song, and I was very disappointed to find out she isn't. But dear God, this album cover changed my brain chemistry forever. Fav track: Gloria (I love this one so much), Redondo Beach, Birdland, Break It Up 4/5
Nice
Cool, un peu gossant sur les bords, mais correctement punk tout de même
Wow. I have been missing out! I had of course heard of Patti Smith and I guess knew she was someone I should get around to listening to but just never had. This one will be added to the rotation, that's for sure!
Classic
Il y a des disques qui sont des photographies. Pas celles qu'on prend avec un appareil, mais celles qui capturent l'âme d'une époque, l'énergie d'une ville, la naissance d'un mouvement. "Horses", le premier album de Patti Smith, est l'une de ces photographies. C'est le cliché en noir et blanc, granuleux et sublime, du New York de 1975 : fauché, crasseux, dangereux, mais vibrant d'une créativité électrique qui allait bientôt mettre le feu au monde sous le nom de "punk rock". Avant "Horses", le rock était encore largement une affaire d'hommes, de guitar heroes et de chanteurs à la virilité plus ou moins affirmée. Et puis Patti est arrivée, ce n'était pas une chanteuse, mais une poétesse. Une artiste chétive à la dégaine androgyne, qui a pris le rock'n'roll par le col et l'a forcé à écouter de la poésie, à lire du Rimbaud. Elle n'a pas demandé la permission, elle a défoncé la porte. Et quelle entrée en matière ! L'album s'ouvre sur les quelques notes de piano de "Gloria", et la voix de Smith, tranchante comme un rasoir, qui déclame : "Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine". "Jésus est mort pour les péchés de quelqu'un, mais pas les miens". La messe est dite. En une phrase, elle balaye des décennies de conventions rock et religieuses. Le morceau explose ensuite en une reprise sauvage du standard de Them, transformé en un hymne à la libération sexuelle et spirituelle. C'est ça, la magie de "Horses". C'est un mélange de poésie, de spoken word et d'énergie musicale brute. Produit par le grand John Cale du Velvet Underground – et ce n'est pas un hasard, car on sent ici l'héritage direct du chaos arty du Velvet –, l'album a un son primitif, urgent. C'est le son d'un groupe de garage qui aurait répété dans une bibliothèque. Les thèmes abordés sont crus : le sexe, la religion, la mort, l'aliénation. Patti Smith ne chante pas, elle prêche, elle crache, elle incante. L'album est un voyage et on passe du reggae funèbre de "Redondo Beach", qui raconte une histoire de suicide, à la transe épique de "Land", un morceau en trois parties qui monte, qui monte, jusqu'à une explosion quasi hendrixienne. C'est un disque qui prend des risques, qui n'a pas peur d'être déroutant ou même un peu bancal par moments. Et c'est peut-être là que se situe la petite réserve qui justifie le 4 sur 5. "Horses" est un album d'une importance capitale, un marqueur dans l'histoire du rock. Mais est-ce un album parfait ? Pas tout à fait. Son côté brut et sa structure parfois très libre, où le poème prend le pas sur la chanson, peuvent le rendre un peu ardu. C'est un disque plus cérébral que physique. On l'écoute avec une admiration intellectuelle pour son audace et son intelligence, mais il n'a pas toujours l'efficacité mélodique immédiate d'autres classiques. C'est un album que je respecte plus qu'un album que j'écoute en boucle pour le plaisir. Quand je l'ai découvert, adolescent, bien après sa sortie, il m'a fasciné. C'était la clé pour comprendre d'où venait tout ce que j'aimais dans le post-punk. C'était le chaînon manquant entre le Velvet Underground et Television. Mais je dois avouer qu'il m'a fallu du temps pour l'apprivoiser complètement. Un beau 4 sur 5, c'est la note d'un album majeur, un disque qui a changé les règles du jeu et a ouvert la voie à d'innombrables artistes. C'est le son d'une révolution, capturé à l'état brut. Il n'est peut-être pas parfait sur la forme, mais son esprit, lui, est d'une pureté absolue. Un disque essentiel pour comprendre que le rock'n'roll peut aussi être de la grande littérature.
✔️
Wat een raar album weer... Het begint echt lekker, Gloria is vol met energie en een stevige rockplaat, maar Birdland klinkt alsof Patti in paniek raakt, met de muziek er achteraan. Altijd fijn een paniekaanval die is opgenomen en op een album terecht komt! Gelukkig herpakt Patt zich weer met Free Money dat gewoon een lekker nummer is , beetje Blondie achtig? Zelfs een klein beetje Fleetwood Mac dat je er in hoort! FAVO: Gloria, Free Money, Land Horses
Love how this sounds
Still love the opener, plenty of intriguing tracks but never been an album Inreturn to regularly
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This album had great feeling. Patti Smith knew how to evoke emotion with her music.
patti🩵 so good, cant not give 5stars
Must have been pretty forgettable. Here we are 20 hours after listening to it and I don't remember much.
This album's amazing. That's the start of the review. I'm running out of ways to start these things. This is Patti Smith's 1975 debut album Horses. I love it. This is definitely a landmark album in some ways. The fact that an album like this was released in 1975 is astonishing in the best way possible. The sound is excellent. The general feel is consistent, but each song's theming is distinct in a way to make each song stand out. Speaking of which, the writing of these songs is really good. The enjoyable sound is balanced by personal writing about things like growing up poor in the song "Free Money" or her younger sister in the song "Kimberly." The album's opener "Gloria" is just great. The singing is quite good. The progression of the album is perfect. As far as 70s debut albums from art punk acts that got their start at CBGB, I do prefer Television's Marquee Moon just a smidge, but there's no denying that Horses is an amazing first showing and an excellent proto-punk album that really stands out in a list like this. Horses is great. 5/5.
Nahhh
Patti’s class mind, enjoyed returning to this record after a long time away.
Wow I actually really like this, why have I never listened to Patti Smith before?? Land is my favourite.
A stable effort
I've nothing to add. This is a permanent one.
I wasn't too impressed by this album.
Excelente
I like the live version better. Not sure I totally get it but I see how it kickstarted the alt rock of the rest of the 70s
While I like "Because the Night," there isn't a single song on this album that even comes close to it. Not my jam.
I did not care much for this album. I am running out of novel things to say, so I can’t really say anything but that her voice is offputting
I liked the Van Morrison cover, but I’m not really a fan of Patti’s singing style.
I'm a "music-first, lyrics-later" person, and accordingly, I've always had trouble enjoying the most theatrical and conceptual cuts on this album (like "Land" or "Birdland"), whether as background music or even as in more focused listening sessions -- probably because harmonically speaking, the music is very linear, or not very sophisticated when it comes to the chord sequences. After all, the first section of "Land" is basically a rehash of the album's opener, and it's not particularly striking music on paper. Likewise, Patti's voice can be grating if you're not entirely focusing on her lyrics. I've just played it while we were eating as a family tonight. And it was more static in our ears than a provider of an enticing mood for everyone involved. But maybe that's all for the best that this music still sounds inadequate in a bourgeois or "normative" setting decades after it's release. Because when you *do* listen to Patti's words and performance, oh boy, it becomes a one-of-a-kind epic, poetic adventure. Rare are the albums when the difference between the two listening approaches is so telling. And then, as far as the music is only concerned, the one on opener "In Excelsior Deo" (which I mentioned earlier), followed by the iconic cover of Van Morrison's "Gloria", definitely manages to equal the original source of inspiration, which is no small feat. Because as "unoriginal" as this music is, it also displays an energy that sounds like no other one on Earth. And so does the one of "Free Money" or "Break It Up". There, what might sound annoying or even grating on casual listens becomes a mystical experience. Especially Patti Smith's fascinating vocal performance. I mean, the line opening the album says it all, doesn't it? And so do the last moments of eerie closer "Elegie", filled with a sense of dread about the dead that borders on mysticism as well. Here was a new sort of prophetess, and you just can't deny that what Smith attempted to do on this debut was bound to be high art first or never exist at all. So yeah, maybe this record has been a tad bit overrated by the "critics" when it came out. But it's still so distinctive, and such a harbinger of so many great things to come -- mostly for female-fronted rock and punk bands -- that absolutely, it's got to be in this list. And also mine, I guess. 4.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 5. 9.5/10 for more general purposes (5 + 4.5) Number of albums left to review: around a hundred, as I've gone over the 1000 line and this generator is including albums from all editions of the book Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 441 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 260 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 319
I've listened through this album probably 4 times now and I respect it more than I enjoy it. It's basically spoken word poetry with musical backing. It gets an extra star for historical importance and the cover.
medium debut
Vanguard music for it’s time
Was not into it at first but as it went on I appreciated it more. Still not my thing but I totally see the hype.
second best album with a black and white cover that came out in 1975 (may end up regretting this and decide it's third best lol)
Unique, interesting sound, love the poetic lyrics too
Maan i love the 70s
I did not expect to find her singing so insufferable. Stand-out: Break It Up
I think I had preconceived ideas about the talent of Patti Smith as all I knew was the name. But I’m not sure. I quite enjoyed
By all metrics i should love this album. It ticks so many boxes as punky, poetic and honest. The opening track is a classic and i found the rest of the album seemed to be perfectly respectable, but i did a foothold to go from mild appreciation into the heart of the album. Ill be coming back to it when i can to see what ive missed.
I've listened to this before and I'm not quite sure why I haven't listened to it more. The album starts off really strong and doesn't get much weaker after that. Gloria and Land are the stand out tracks, but it's all good.
Strong opener
Such a sensational album, can't believe I'd never heard of it before!
Quite Nice, good guitar lines, made me travel but I wont listen to that everydays
Tell me that someone else can replicate even half of the frantic creative energy that Patti Smith put into this album and I’ll know you’re lying. She wears her influences on her sleeve and outdoes them in the process
A masterpiece of underground rock! Every song builds up to a utopic climax of singing, and guitar. Favorite Track: "Gloria".
Nein. Nichts besonderes.
Was excited for Patti Smith but really was just giving “OIL SPILL OIL SPILL” vibes the whole time
As addictive to listen to as (what I imagine) sticking a needle of heroin into your arm or doing a shot of cocaine is like. Album is banger after banger, Gloria, free money, land and break it up are my favourites. Birdland I’d call the most notable track but it’s not a favourite as of yet. Not a bad song tho 5/5
I’ve tried to like Patty Smith…I know she’s really influential in the punk scene and all that stuff. She just doesn’t do it for me. Some of this was ok, some definitely not.
2.5
Horses. Horses. Horses. Horses. The emergence of an important voice. Patti Smith is a human treasure.
Some okay songs
I would give this 3.5 if I could, slightly better than average but not up with some of the 4 stars
the name of the game is attitude. by no musical standpoint would i really consider Horses to be an actual punk record -- the guitars are pretty conventional for their time, the vocals aren't harsh, and the closest thing i'd say it has to a contemporary is Television, who had one song out at the time, and neither Television nor Smith sound like they're inventing what we know to be punk. really, what i think people find punk about Patti Smith is her combining of surrealist, rebellious poetry with an evolution of frat rock -- you can't imagine Them breaking into rants about girls humping parking meters or anyone who covers "Land of a Thousand Dances" slipping into imagery of slitting your own throat, and its this juxtaposition that makes the record such a pioneer in its genre. what is punk if not making the rock of the past utterly hideous? i don't think i'd play any track from "Horses" in the car with my family. good. it's not for the car. it's not for anyone, except maybe animated helium ravens.
Not a fan. Very 'whiney' with her timbre. Instrumentally unimpressed as well. Don't love the spoken word parts. Fav Track: Gloria: In Excelsis Deo
Schöne Stimme, gefällt mir
This was unique and interesting, I’d give it a 3.5 probably. Different is cool
Hmmmm. Either genius or garbage. Her biggest selling song was written by ‘much easier to get a handle on’ Bruce Springsteen. The best track on this is the cover of Them’s Gloria - clearly worked up over hundreds of bar gigs. The other best track is the cover of land of 1000 dances. Which for someone who is supposed to be a songwriter might be an issue. The originals. Ummm. The band is good. It doesn’t help that so much wadical wevolutionary bullshit has been attached to this album. Gag me with a spoon. Zappa gets justifiably criticised for his adolescent attitudes. Yet Patti gets praised. Maybe that’s a strike for feminism. * and also to be fair one can’t blame the artist for what is said about them. On the plus side - a strong woman using her voice in a male dominated industry. On the negative side - I don’t think it’s very good. ‘Jesus died for somebody’s sins/but not mine’. What does that mean? She believes in sin but is not a Christian? She’s a Christian who doesn’t think she’s saved? Or she’s a pretentious blowhard whose depth would struggle to get wet in a small puddle? It is a must hear. If only to understand the so called punk or new wave movement in New York at the time. But once is probably enough. It has a cult following so if that’s you, go to it and continue enjoying it and digging out the nuances and love every tape squeak and breath and all of it. It ain’t me babe. Poets. God save us. * this is not meant to be an anti feminist creed. I try to support feminism as best as my social cultural and political habitus allows.
It's hard to believe that Patti Smith was the first CBGB artist to get a major label deal. 'Horses' is the first proper full-length document of the New York punk scene. In the early 90s I picked up a copy of 'Shots from the Hip', a collection of Charles Shaar Murray's journalism from the 70s, which was pretty influential on some of my musical opinions, even when he was comically wrong. He published a few pieces on the New York punk scene in 1975, including "1975: A scuzz odyssey" (https://archive.org/details/shotsfromhip0000murr/page/124/mode/2up), in which he surveys a bunch of CBGB's bands (Blondie: cute but no star power; Johnny Thunders: might actually be a terrible guitar player, but he's so stoned that nobody can really tell; Talking Heads: Tina Weymouth is awesome; The Ramones: best band on the scene but nobody will ever give them a recording contract). And he totally digs Patti Smith (https://archive.org/details/shotsfromhip0000murr/page/92/mode/2up): "Patti Smith has an aura that'd probably show up under ultraviolet light. She can generate more intensity with a single movement of one hand than most rock performers can produce in an entire set. On the face of it, it's an unlikely act... A lady poet, backed by a band who don't even have a drummer, sounds like an improbable expression for any kind of definitive rock consciousness. But Patti Smith is in the rock and roll marketplace and she knows the ground rules. More important, she knows how it works." This record has a lot of aspects that I really like in rock and roll: it's a dangerous and unpolished performance that could go horribly wrong at any moment, but doesn't (cheers to producer, John Cale, who keeps it just on the right side of disaster). I think it exemplifies the school of 'low technique, high IQ' rock and roll that I really dig. It's smart and visceral, alive and poetic, a bit dangerous, and not fussy or over rehearsed, which was pretty revolutionary at the time. Have other people done it better since? Well, yeah, including Patti herself. Truth be told, I prefer her Easter album (because it's louder). So, really, this is probably a three star album for pure listening experience but I love the doors this album opened for punks, for women, for poets, for musicians with something to say but not a lot of chops. I'm giving it an extra star for that. Post script: Patti Smith's memoir 'Kids' is the best written book by a rock musician ever. It is a beautiful memory of her youth in New York City and relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe. Highly recommended, go read it.
I think it's kind of overrated but I still like it. It's got it's time and it's place.
Starts off slow then gets a bit shouty (x8). Not for me
This is yet another artist that I’d certainly heard of, but hadn’t actually listened to before. If nothing else, I’m thankful to this project because it exposes me to a lot of artists that I should’ve listened to, but have not yet. In any event, I did enjoy this album somewhat, But at times, I’m not crazy about Patti Smith’s vocals. Sometimes they are just a bit too out there for me. But all in all, I found this album to be an enjoyable experience. I’ll give it three stars.
It's alright. Maybe in the right mood I would want to listen to it. But just was never the biggest Patti Smith fan, but that's just my opinion!
There’s a bit of smoke and mirrors at work here. But you can’t deny the energy at work here.
A really good album, so many good songs My favorites were Birdland and Elegie.
Hit or miss throughout. Sometimes it was really annoying.
Classic album and it influenced a lot of artists that came after her. A lot like Velvet Underground it hits fairly empty for me. I enjoyed quite a few songs on here but I don't know if I would listen to this one again. Some of the songs are just too long and may have felt more revolutionary at the time. I would give it five stars based just on influence, but I'm not sure I can do that since it was mostly just "good" for me. This is another album I think those who were directly influenced by it are going to say they liked just because they are supposed to like it.
Started out strong but got a little too artsy for me. She seems cool af though
Love CBGB era music, but Patti Smith ain't it for me. 2/5
Just really plain and boring.
One of the all time greats. Beautiful. Uses voice very creatively, like an instrument. Punk and avant-garde apparently. Some songs are quite theatrical. Very varied album, high re-listenability factor. Every song is different and interesting, twist and turns. Theatrical, surprising.
Interesting combo of lyrics and sound. Not just an artist with a shit backing band. Thoroughly enjoyed, by not sure what situation would warrant a relisten.
Although I’d heard of Patti Smith, I’d never listened to one of her albums and didn’t know what to expect. I’m having a hard time summarizing my thoughts on the album, but it was very interesting and I enjoyed it overall. One to revisit. Favorite: Land
Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine. I love Patti Smith, especially Redondo Beach
Impactful. Not my favorite overall, but you can hear influences back in time and how she has influenced others.
One of my all time favorites. It’s big and theatrical and crisp as much as it is chaotic and messy. I love it.
This was a decent album, but nothing to get excited about.
“You’re not Dylan Thomas, I’m not Patti Smith. This ain’t the Chelsea Hotel, we’re modern idiots”
Overall I thought this was really good, I'm a fan of Lou Reed and I feel like she was similar to him. I'll go find more Patti Smith to listen to, apparently Because the Night is popular of hers, but not on this album. I liked: Gloria Birdland Free Money Land: Horses/Land of a Thousand Dancse/La Merde Pretty solid 4 star album for me.
Reminded me a lot of Lou Reed. Her voice was generally more pleasant to listen to than Lou Reed, but the album was still an unpleasant listen. I'll give it 2 stars since it's better than Lou Reed's "Transformer" that came up a while ago.
A little raw in terms of production but ten track debut albums should all be this good.
Good fun, and lively. I liked it..
Day285 - real raw rock and roll
"Young Parisians are so French They love Patti Smith ..." And so do I. Thank goodness for the Patti spirit: feedom; expression; poetry. Where would we be without the souls that decide to do their own thing? An album that actually doesn't fit a time, place or thing. So just listen and enjoy the shape of things it moves. A kaleidoscope. I will listen to this more an more.
Literate, original, impassioned, imaginative, intelligent, compelling, beautiful, challenging, brave, rambling, fluid, spontaneous, unabashed, unique, influential. What a great album. Who else was doing anything like this in 1975? I knew I loved 'Because The Night'. I knew I liked 'Gloria' and 'Dancing Barefoot', I knew lots of the artists I love were influenced by her but somehow I'd never heard this before. I had to play it twice, read the lyrics, read about their meaning. In 1975 (for context) punk hadn't kicked off, the most popular poet, and one of the most popular 'entertainers' in England was Pam Ayres. Thankfully people like Patti Smith provide an alternative to all the shite.
Eek. I’m with Sam on this one. I’ll give it points for clearly having a creative spark behind it, and not being soulless, but for the most part this was pretty unlistenable. The song about someone’s Dad passing just didn’t come across as in good taste at all to me, the use of so many strange ways of delivering the vocals really devalued the significance of the story. I won’t listen to this album again, that’s for sure.
It’s not completely unlistenable but I honestly couldn’t name a single thing I liked about this album.
No, this is not for me. My brain just doesn't do 'poetry' and the very intense and very serious and very theatrical spoken word-ish presentation doesn't help. I like songs and melodies. Not endless freakrock work-outs with caterwauling vocals. I am a bit puzzled why this is always classified as punk. Apart from the shout-y vocals, it doesn't really sound that punk. The band just sounds like any sixties or seventies rock band. Maybe a bit wilder than average, but not that much.
Not for me
Groundbreaking
Totally had Patti Smith and Patti Labelle mixed up. This was not what I was expecting in the best possible way! This might be the best find of this project so far (around 400 albums in). 4.9