Horses

Strong opener

Quite Nice, good guitar lines, made me travel but I wont listen to that everydays

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

I would give this 3.5 if I could, slightly better than average but not up with some of the 4 stars

This was unique and interesting, I’d give it a 3.5 probably. Different is cool

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.

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

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”

A little raw in terms of production but ten track debut albums should all be this good.

Good fun, and lively. I liked it..

Gloria (part one: In Excelsis Deo / part two: Gloria (Version) 4 Redondo Beach 3.8 Birdland 3.3 Free Money 3.4 Kimberly 3.2 Break It Up 3.5 Land (part one: Horses / part two: Land of a Thousand Dances / part three: La Mer (de) 3.5 Elegie 3 Score: 3.4625

Very experimental

3.4

Not a great background listen. I feel like I couldn't really appreciate this in detail. I will have to revisit while looking at lyrics another time. I can see there's a lot going on underneath the surface and the experimental nature of it makes it difficult to judge based on aesthetics. 3 for now as I wasn't captivated, but I will need to come back to it.

Was about to form the opinion that the 70s were a pretty bland decade musically, but this is actually pretty neat.

Didn’t think I was a fan of Patti Smith’s voice but I actually quite enjoyed this. An easy listener, and a cool sounding record for its time.

I listened to this once years ago. None of it sounded familiar when I heard it today. I know critics love it, but I found it just OK. Sort of punk, but not quite energetic enough for my taste. Favorite track: Gloria

Nice enough

Jim Morrison would probably really dig this The arrangements were quite nice and her voice is very pretty, but American prayer already has my heart.

I'm a few steps behind Andy on this one. Admire it for sure. Not quite with it yet.

I appreciate elements of this album, but can't get past Smith's anguished bleat of a voice. The lyrics are superior, the garage rock backing is energising and there are some genuine moments of sublimity here. But when it doesn't click, Horses has the potential to harrow.

This was pretty good overall, but a little uneven. Will probably try to listen to more of her work.

Spoken word over mildly interesting guitar and piano.

I first listened to Horses about two years ago. Patti had once worked at the Strand Bookstore in New York, and so had I about twenty years after, so I felt some sort of arbitrary necessity to become familiar with her music based on that tenuous connection alone. I remember being really enthralled by the album, with the raw power and poetry, the transcendence of Birdland, the mashup of her own poetry with rock classics, like in Gloria. So, I was excited when this came up as my album of the day. Today, though, I must not have been in a receptive mood. What I’d interpreted as transcendence two years ago felt like forced transcendence this time around. Her voice which I’d found interesting last time, grated on me this time. I still enjoyed getting caught up in the surrealistic sweep of Horses (the song), and I understand this album’s place in punk history, but it’s certainly not an album for all occasions. Must the greatest albums be for every mood? No, of course not. But this one involves a patient mind who’s also ready to rock, and I was neither today. Maybe next listen this will be a five? Right now, it’s a three in my book.

Bueno

Patti Smith’s Horses is a compelling testament to raw emotion and musical authenticity. Despite Patti Smith’s unconventional vocal style, which might not be technically perfect, her expressiveness and engaging lyrics command attention. The band’s performance shines throughout and the walls and signal flows of Electric Lady Studios treat them well. The track “Redondo Beach” stands out with its ska/reggae rhythm, adding a dynamic layer to the album. “Birdland” offers a droning, meditative exploration of a simple idea, emerging as a personal highlight with its introspective storytelling. “Free Money” impresses with its Velvet Underground-meets-Neil Young vibe, driven by a chugging three-chord progression that builds to a crescendo. “Kimberly” showcases a more intricate chord structure and benefits from the subtle addition of organ, giving it a thoughtful, well-crafted feel. Richard Sohl’s piano work on “Elegie” is another album highlight, demonstrating impressive skill and emotional depth. Overall, Horses remains a significant and influential work. While it may not be an album I frequently revisit, it continues to offer a profound listening experience and a valuable place in musical history.

This one was alright, but I did get annoyed with the vocals after a few songs. I liked it better when she straight up sang. Birdland and Elegie were favorites.

Well this was sort of challenging. I know I'm supposed to appreciate this, but did I really enjoy it? There were some songs that I enjoyed more than others, like Free Money. When I followed along to the lyrics, I could appreciate the poetry of them. She's an evocative writer. The band was good. Her energy and spirit was punk, kind of wild and feverish, even if the music didn't have a lot in the way of established punk conventions. I suppose in 1975, punk conventions hadn't been well established yet. I didn't enjoy a lot of her singing, although there were times where I didn't mind it. I've heard other songs from her's that I also didn't mind the singing, so I feel like when she pulls back a bit on the vamping and just sings it straight, it's better for me. All in all, I'm glad I made the time to listen to it, because I know this was groundbreaking for its time, and highly influential, so now I have it as a reference point.

I wanted to like this one more

Reminds me of some of the stuff from PJ Harvey. Overall I would say 2.5.

Another overrated NY Art Punk act that was far less about punk… or music, or art. Just yuck. I mean, in the 70’s, New York was such a shit hole, inhabited by overmedicated, self-indulgent brats. Give me California hippies any day of the week over these filthy fakes. Otherwise, not a bad effort.

I can only imagine what it was like to listen to this album back in the mid-’70s when it first came out. It was truly one of a kind. I like this album because it has a laid-back feel overall. Despite being laid back, it has a stripped-down, raw energy that gives it a punk aesthetic. I also love the piano, which definitely adds depth to the music.

It's an okay album. I didn't hate it, but I wish there was more nuance and diversity of sounds. It felt like she was following a similar formula with most of the songs here. The instrumentation was good, and the lyrical content was vast. Although her voice is a bit wild, it adds uniqueness and personality to the album. Best - Gloria: In Excelsis Deo, Redondo Beach, and Land: Horses / Land of a Thousand Dances / La Mer(de) Worst - Kimberly and Break It Up 3.00-3.25/5

I don’t get the appeal

70’s rock

Enjoyed this but not huge.

I had a good time, but I already forgot most of the songs. Good stuff nonetheless.

That's undoubtedly a classic that deserves its place on this list. However, I have a hard time getting into Patti Smith's music. I love her attitude and delivery, but the music isn't doing anything to me.

Interesting, but not amazing. Reminiscent of Siouxsie and the Banshees - she must have been a big influence on them.

She is pretty badass, but her music really isn’t for me.

This will be a lame review because I heard the album 2-3 days ago so I don't remember it that well. On the whole it was fine but didn't grab me especially.

Glad I listened to this, even though it felt too spoken word to really be my thing. And I appreciate the through line to other artists I appreciate, like PJ Harvey.

interesting minimalistic album. Enjoyed the edginess of it.

i like her energy and her style is certainly unique but unfortunately i think her songwriting is mediocre. 6/10

Went much harder than I had anticipated.

A bit country but not bad.

She's so cool. Her band is amazing. I really appreciate this, but I'm probably not going to grab it for a casual listen. I don't have much of a penchant for the dark, goth-y punk sound.

It's clever and controversial and raw. All the things I usually love. But I've always intellectually loved this album, but been emotionally cool on it

Because the Night!

Fine

Energetic music, but not really a fan of Patti's voice

Had some nice moments

Pattismith is ahead of her time, her music is unique and provocative and outspoken.

Soft, smokey, cool sound right to start, and great first lyrics. I've never listened to Patti Smith but she's been in the pop media world right now. I don't know the details but something about some wildly popular pop star saying that she loves Patti Smith and then Taylor Swift comes out with a record and name drops Patti Smith, in some kind of crazy cult fan base speculative antagonistic way towards the other pop star? I don't care to know the details but I know there's drama going on and I wonder if Patti Smith would have humored that mindless bs back in her day? Just by hearing her sound I can tell she has a cool devil-may-care attitude; one that wouldn't give a damn about the trivialities of today's pop music drama. There's something about her delivery that makes it hard for me to connect with and really understand unless I'm very actively listening. It's almost like some of the songs have music that is repetitive and laid back ("Redondo Beach", "Birdland"), but her vocals don't necessarily match that and are more in-your-face and edgy. It's not a bad thing, but something I noticed.

Mér finnst ekkert mikið til Patti Smith koma. Hún er allt í lagi en mér finnst alltaf talað um hana eins og hún sé í guðatölu. Þetta var allt í lagi albúm sem ég gæti hlustað á aftur en ég mun líklegast alltaf velja mér sjálfur eitthvað annað til að hlusta á af því að ég mun gleyma Patti og þessari plötu.

It’s a good album, and an iconic sleeve. Some great tracks but I feel the album got a bigger reputation than it deserves.

Refreshingly ambitious, while a little unpolished. Regardless, he punk-style belting is a fun mix with the light accompaniment of instruments. Stripped to bear essentials, this is a powerful expression. Worth a revisit.

I've had high hopes for this album, and I'll be honest, I'm not totally sure why. Perhaps because I like the album cover, or the outfit Patti Smith is wearing, but I hardly knew anything about the music itself. So, going in and realizing it wasn't totally my cup of tea did hurt a little, as I really wanted to like this, but it never really grabbed me, save for a manic display of songwriting power here and there. It is good though, I can recognize that, it really does feel like "stream of consciousness" the album, and that can be a blessing, and a curse. However, as someone who generally fails to get passed the intial barrier of entry for proto-punk, you can do a lot worse than this.

As punk as slam poetry [read: not very punk]. A younger version of me may have been more convinced by this, but sometimes, an album comes into your life too late. My frontal lobe is too developed to fall for this, although there's moment that I do understand her role and her importance, and I can't help but bob my head, especially "Gloria" in its second half. Mostly, though, this album is a chore. Ironic, because on the surface, a punk queen who claims she's "beyond gender" would be my style, and maybe with time, it'll grow on me. But for now, smack dab in the middle for me.

Rock on

What an interesting album. I'm not sure I'd say I love it, but I respect the heck out of what I just listened to. It's pretty all over the place both lyrically and musically, but it's incredibly well-done. It's not something that'll go into my regular listen rotation, but I'm glad I got to listen through it. It was a pretty unique experience.

Different.

Super cool. I’ve never listened to Patti Smith before. I really love her voice.

There were some pretty good tunes on here. Thought it would be more folky but it wasn’t. This album album probably better with context.

C'était correct, j'ai clairement manqué le délire culturel associé.

Overall, I didn't enjoy this. I did get into the last track, but I outright hated 2 & 3. I'd give it a 2.5 if I could, so I'm rounding up today

At one point it felt like “Patti Smith sings angry versions of other people’s songs”, but that’s OK. Thats the charm and the allure. Not really my thing so only three stars but I totally get why so many love this record. Glad I finally listened to the whole thing.

I really hate Birdland, which goes on (and on) for 9 minutes. The album is saved by the other 9-minute piece.

Horses is the debut album by American musician Patti Smith. This early punk/art rock album uses a bit of improv on its songs and features a minimalist aesthetic that made it an average commercial & critical success. Patti Smith's unique vocals could bounce from singing to spoken word and the backing music matched her vibes perfectly. The fact that the lead singer of a rock band (in 1975 during the blossoming of punk rock) was a woman also gained popularity points for this album. In the years since Horses has received more acclaim - appearing on many best of lists, inducted into the US's National Recording Registry in 2009 & the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2021, and being certified gold in Australia & the UK. This was a beautifully artistic album of early punk rock music. Figuratively and literally, Horses hit all the right notes and made for a great listening experience. Listeners will not be disappointed with this.

This was ok.

Solid

Yeah its one of those albums that every grown up indie kid is supposed to like. But is a bit of a slog of uninteresting music behind a poet throwing religious imagery around. Mmmm...3

Never really understood who Patti Smith was or why she was so revered. Supposedly punk rock, but it doesn't sound like it. Feels like something that could only come out of late 70s NYC. Not something I'd often listen to, but I get it. 3.2

Solid album, good vocals and piano/guitar. Nice storytelling and lyrics. Sometimes a bit crazy

Excellent lyrics and her voice, oh my. Would love to see her sing with Melissa Etheridge, those two voices would rock.

Never listened to Patti Smith for some reason so I had no expectations. This album was a real rollercoaster. I liked the experimental aspects of it, but probably need to listen to it a few more times when I am in a more receptive mood to find out if I could love it.

The album is neither fish nor fowl and certainly not something I would associate with punk rock.

7/10

not really my thing, sounds unfinished

Eat your vegetables 3-4-4

Not bad, but the songs and her style didn’t connect with me.

Bah, no me a encantado. Un poco igual y gritona sin ritmo.

Listened to this while playing Under Falling Skies. I lost. I had heard Patti Smith's name before, but honestly was expecting a folk sound...not Rolling Stones-esque ramblings. I enjoyed the album only somewhat. The opening line is fantastic and sets the stage, but there were a number of times where the lyrics just didn't work for me.

Read one of her autobiographies but never listened to this album specifically. Groundbreaking punkish.

Sounds like a punk album with a softer side. Love it

really prefer this style delivered in shorter form tracks but i am very alphabet mafia about punk rock girls four stars

Idk. Thought I would love it more bc I like what this album influenced. Perhaps I’ll give it another listen one day.

B- Gloria (part one: "In Excelsis Deo" / part two: "Gloria (Version)") 3 Redondo Beach 3 Birdland 3 Free Money 3 Kimberly 3 Break It Up 3 Land (part one: "Horses" / part two: "Land of a Thousand Dances" / part three: "La Mer(de)") 3 Elegie 4 When I saw Sophie Gindi on the cover, I didn't know how to feel, but this was actually really good.

First time listening to Patti Smith and I wasn’t disappointed, but don’t necessarily listen much of her in the future either

Some I loved, some I didn’t

i like it.

No. 55/1001 Gloria 3/5 Redondo Beach 2/5 Birdland 2/5 Free Money 3/5 Kimberley 3/5 Break It Up 4/5 Land: Horses 3/5 Elegie 3/5 Average: 2,89 Felt like she would have been a better poet than a musician.

It's literally named horses and Patti Smith sounds like a really really cool woman I'm so disappointed in myself that I didn't really like the album. I'm sorry Patti I'm gonna work on myself it's not you it's me

Kind of bad voice. Enjoyed it mostly. 2nd and 3rd song were my least favorite. 3.5.

less annoying than it should be on paper. better than everything bob dylan ever did.

Pretty good, I like the intensity of her voice. 3.5

Alan olla vakuuttunut, että tämä on ainakin kolmonen, ehkä parempikin. Musiikki kasvaa minimalismissaan aitoon tehokkuuteen, vaikka sen paras koukku onkin lainattu Van Morrisonilta, ja Smith - jumalauta mikä laulaja. Toisaalta levyllä on hetkiä, kun yksinkertaisesti "zone outaan", enkä voi hallita huomioni heikentymistä. En myöskään ylenpalttisesti innostu biisien yllä virtaavasta runoudesta silloin, kun onnistun keskittymään siihen.

different. i liked some songs, other songs seemed a little too long.

This album has a kind of garage rock/punk meets beat poet sensibility, with a little avant garde for a flourish. Great lyrics, for me her voice takes a little getting used to. I'll have to say her longer pieces Birdland and Land: Horses/Land of a Thousand Dances are ones that don't resonate with me on first listen. The rest of the album is all good though. Kimberly and Break It up are my favorites.

Okay. I know it’s classic and people love her, but like…okay.

I don't know how to describe this album, it's says punk but I wouldn't call it that. "Redondo Beach" has a significant reggae influence. The opener, "Gloria" set the tone for this album, it was different, unexpected. Free Money, and Kimberly were also good tracks. Overall it was good, not what I expected

Birdland: this song style has been parodied too much for me to take it seriously

I really don't know with this one. One moment it feels classic punk, but then Patti sounds like a female Thom Yorke and some weird stuff is happening. I love Radiohead and all, but they way she uses her voice here doesn't click with me as well as Radiohead does. This is like strong 5/light 6 but if I had some more listens I think the rating would change.

Not my cup of tea but I did enjoy it more than I expected. I'd give it another half star if I could.

Slightly punky rock

It was alright, a lot more crooning vocals than I would have liked though.

An interesting blend of poetry and punk rock. Not all hits though but every now and then got The Doors vibes.

punky rocky

patti smith is an artist i respect greatly. historically i haven't been a huge fan of her or her voice, but i did enjoy horses. her debut album didn't quite sound like her later music; it was very close but her signature vocal sound wasn't quite there. her lyrics seem to be right on the mark, though. i LOVE smith's medleys. they were full of creativity! it's fascinating what her and her group were able to do with the covers. if it's one thing i admire, it's creating covers that challenge the original song. smith defined punk at this time. while i'm not rating the album cover, it gives off such punk androgyous vibes that can't be ignored. musically, the album contains punk, but with history's context, sure, she doesn't go as hard as other punk bands in the late seventies or early eighties, but that wasn't a common sound in 1975. and punk is about defying expectations, which is why i absolutely love the inclusion of reggae in "redondo beach." if that song doesn't add to the beach feeling, then i don't know what does.

Yet another example of an artist making a strong impact right out the gate with their debut. While I wouldn't exactly call this album "punk", I can definitely hear and feel Patti Smith's punk spirit here. She wanted to shake up the music industry after what she perceived as music being "too peaceful" throughout the 60s. Patti Smith has always kind of reminded me of a grittier, less bluesy. Joni Mitchell. Patti's songs are often a bit (or a lot) autobiographical, and her lyrics tend to have a poetic lean to them, as if they were spoken words put to music. While I don't think this is Patti's best album, it is a noteworthy inclusion due to her very specific niche she carved out for herself from the beginning. Patti's rendition of "Gloria" is probably the biggest standout here, the opening track of the album where she very quickly shows people who she is is via a less polished version of this song with both spoken and sung word.

Her voice is slightly not to my taste. The music is straightforward. Land:Horses is a pretty wild bit of psychadelic poetry, repeated pataphorical steps, but sex

Few great songs, others feel like they fall behind in an attempt to diversify the album’s sound, though from the great songs Patti Smith really delivers excellent structure in her songs and great punk rock vocals

It's punk, it's rock, it's reggae, it's Patti Smith. Definite Velvet Underground vibes here.

I think I listened to this one before but it was better than I remembered this time. More punky.

Decent album, wasn't really matching my taste but the poetry mixed with rock was very interesting.

Decent outing. A bit overrated though. Too much spoken word diatribes for my liking. Gloria is a standout. I think I was expecting more gnarly punk than poetry. Still, it's worth a listen and I do think it's inclusion in the book is valid.

interesting album. i've never really listened to patti smith beyond her covers and because the night (amazing song) so it was cool to hear her sort of proto-punk roots. with that said, i wish i had liked these songs more :D it was kinda like riot grrrl vocals over piano instrumentals... bikini kill-y joel. lyrics were great though favorites: free money, my generation (live) (from the legacy edition of the album)

Clever lyrics, very raw sounding- you can really hear some punk influence. I wasn’t familiar with Patti Smith - fun listen even if it’s not my every day kind of listen.

rough/raw rock, lyrics are probably ok. might be attiring for a late teenager-early 20s person.

Can see why it's a classic.

1 point for ‘Birdland’. 1 point for ‘Kimberly’ and ‘Break It Up’. 1 point for the word ‘coagulated’ being successfully used in a song lyric. Never heard an artist do that before!

Seeing this was produced by John Cale, I was expecting a Velvet Underground style and I was not disappointed. First, I enjoyed her singing style and thought her delivery was great. First song Gloria was a unique twist and can say I liked this version better than the original. The 2 9 minute songs are definitely a Velvet influence. I was thinking of Heroine while listening to Birdland. I thought this album was pretty solid. Definitely enjoyed the listen with a number of songs I felt were pretty good. Gloria, Birdland, Kimberly and Land: Horses all pretty good headbanger. I can hear the Velvet influence in songs and song structure. Nothing great, but solid for me. 3

Again I misjudged an album based on assumptions. I figured this would be like Carole King but it was more punk than that. I don't have a ton to say about this but there was some cool stuff on here. I don't know if I'll ever go back to much of it though. Lyrics were sometimes cringey - like the part where it sounded like she was beating her chest while saying them or largely spoken 9 minute songs. I give it an above average 'meh'. 3

3.5 “Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine.” First impression - great opening lyric. Second impression - it’s clear that Patti was hanging around the same late ‘70s CBGB scene that gave us groups like The Ramones, The Talking Heads, and most noticeably, Television. Like, tell me this doesn’t sound just like Marquee Moon but with a gender-swapped singer. That’s probably not totally fair to say though, because I actually enjoyed this quite a bit more than Marquee Moon - in many ways, this is what I wanted that album to be. Musically and vocally I found this to be much more interesting and high-energy, though perhaps more importantly, I feel like I can actually hear the foundations of punk here instead of whatever artsy, twinkly, Talking Heads-esque stuff was going on in MM. Gloria was a great opener, and even though it borrows heavily from the Van Morrison song of the same name, I really like how Patti put a new spin on the track instead of doing a full-on cover, which she does again to similar effect by incorporating the late ‘60s tune Land of a Thousand Dances on Land. It’s a great reminder how much punk owes to garage rock of the era, and overall is a really fun take on each, resulting in those two songs probably being my favorites here. Unfortunately, Gloria segues into what are probably my two least favorites in Redondo Beach and Birdland - I didn’t really care for the slower reggae/piano stuff she was going for on those tracks, and in some ways they reminded me of how grating I find the Talking Heads when they lean into their funk sound. Fortunately, I think the album picks back up with Free Money and leads to a strong finish from there. Overall, pretty enjoyable listen. I know my Dad is going to groan reading this, but in many ways I feel like this is the natural evolution of the sound of The Velvet Underground and just as influential. I’ve established I’m not grading based on influence, but man, the number of artists that have pointed to this album as inspiring them to take up music - what a lineup: Siouxsie Sioux, Michael Stipe, Morrissey, Johnny Marr, PJ Harvey, Courtney Love (to a lesser extent). She probably won’t be getting lumped into any of my punk stuff I have saved on Spotify, but shoutout to Patti for helping lead the charge, and most importantly, for ensuring The Talking Heads weren’t the only group that inspired new wave.

Wish I could be a Patti smith girl but unfortunately It just bounces right off me

6/10

Good album. I do feel it kind of drifts by but I enjoy the music nonetheless

Helt krill

I don't get it. It's not bad, and the lyrics are good, but even Bob Dylan (the master of lyrics) wrote better tunes. I guess there's the historical aspect, which will give it an extra half star, so that would make it a 3.5. A piece of art deserves credit for its influence, but it also matters if it sounds good. It doesn't sound bad, but it doesn't sound great either.

The beginning is dull, later on it becomes better. Or maybe it just took some getting used to. Favorite song: Kimberly.

-oh no big deal just a LEGEND -mfing patti smith! -these songs are really clever and groovy -idk if this is super my thing sadly -birdland was so long and some parts of it were really spot on but some felt a little dull -overall im giving this a three because i don’t not like it but idk if i would listen to it a lot/again

good listen

Solid rockin vibes and emotion packed in

interesting, really hated birdcall or whatever

Meia boca, nada de mais

Not as good as I had expected expected, given the reputation, but still pretty solid. A great voice, odd songs, strange but interesting production. One I would have loved to have had more time with, to listen a bunch more times

This fits a particular mood I’m not in rn

Interesting album from the formative years of punk. "Horses" begins with the shedding of religion and being queer on "Gloria," then experiences and processes the death of a loved one with tracks "Redondo Beach" and "Birdland." On "Free Money" Smith expresses a desire to be a provider, while also sharing a desire to be a caregiver on "Kimberly." On "Break it Up" Smith explores the revelation of discovering oneself as a spiritual entity outside of her physical self. "Elegie" mourns the loss of someone who sacrificed themselves for something virtuous. "Land" really stumped me and I'm curious to see what ideas you guys come up with. But I could also be incredibly smooth brained, who knows. Subjectively its mostly not my flavor. I can see a lot of people being turned off by Smith's delivery. However, "Horses" succeeds in its mission to be an authentic and vulnerable experience, and even now in 2023, remains eclectic in its taste. For that I'll give it a 3.

A unique and original work, rightly regarded as a classic of its time. But its age is showing.

Interesting folky link project, not here best but a worth while listen

no lo había escuchado nunca entero a pesar de saber de siempre que estaba ahí y está chulo, pero un poquito sin más mi fav: free money

Meandering punky poetry rock

avant-garde mainittu wikipediassa, nostetaan pykälällä. en tiedä vieläkään mitä se oikeastaan tarkoittaa. ''the music press loved her in the 70s, which was always a bad sign'' tämä henkilö against the grain heh...ja abbey road 5...eli ihan samanlain aivopesty heh... break it up

I know it's classics, but to me it was kinda underwhelming. Gloria and the two following tracks were great, but overall it was a little bit boring.

not first listen I don't love this album, despite it being such a trailblazer for future artists I like such as Alanis Morissette, PJ Harvey & Fiona Apple (among many others). I sometimes get lost in stream-of-consciousness lyrics, and some of the tracks sprawl and meander. However Horses has enough strong moments (eg. the build & accelerando in "Gloria") that I can appreciate its inclusion here. HL: "Break it Up", "Gloria", "Land" July 28th 2023

Neigh (but this is a good album)

Unfortunately didn't have time to listen to the whole thing yesterday. In general, I thought there were moments of genius, but again, a lot of it felt disorganized to me--e.g., there was a song with just random guitar licks (not played very well I thought). Perhaps I've just gotten too used to modern productions which are more clean, but I had mixed feelings about this one. Would like to give it another spin though and listen to it from end-to-end in one setting with my full attention.

Punk poetry. I get the hype haha. Laid back at times, but had got a fire and energy underneath that wears it's creativity on its sleeve. Not bad

I know she’s a legend but I have never listened to more than a couple of her songs. This was pretty good, I thought it would be slower.

Heard before, around the time I heard she was coming to my town for a concert. It's okay and quite entertaining, but no earworm material for me for now.

I want to like it more than I do because I want to be cool. Gloria is a banger. The rest is fine.

Raw, harsh at times.

good

прикладываю особые усилия чтобы полюбить Патти, но чё-то пока не идёт

good

This one is challenging. It took me about a song and a half to realize I had listened to this album before in a previous album listening project. I had given it a 5.4/10, which at first I thought would be way too low, but may have been just right. The first two songs are easily the most captivating of the whole album, especially the excellent opener. While I am so impressed with her songwriting, there weren't really any songs that emotionally resonated with me or that I would be quick to listen to again. Perhaps part of that is because I tend to like abstract lyrics, but the delivery here was often too quick and incoherent to appreciate. Ultimately, I think this deserves to be on this list, but I can't say I loved it or even *really* liked it. Several good songs and one great track, but most others I found myself waiting eagerly for them to end. Maybe I'm just not smart enough for this.

Didn’t listen to all the lyrics but I quite enjoyed this one. She has a distinctive tone of voice

beautiful vocals, interesting lyrics, different and expressive. The album felt like an intimate small club show.

Bah, no me ha encantado. Un poco igual y gritona sin ritmo.

Can’t quite pick where I land on this one. Something about her singing voice didn’t resonate for me and the songs are too long imo. However, I love the music and the way her voice goes with the music. I enjoy this sort of bluesey folksy rock and it’s really well executed

Verkar good voice, gloria and horse very good songs but the rest of the songs mayby not so strong.

Weird.

First couple songs had me not liking the album at all, but the next 4 were fantastic

I didn't know what to expect with this album, I've only heard of Patti Smith's name and that's about it. I liked that the punk-ness of the songs didn't overshadow her voice. It would be really easy for this to be yet another screamy punk album, but it was more singing than anything.

This is certainly an influential album, both in terms of the punk/new wave records that followed, and also in Patti's vocal style which can be heard in Debbie Harry's singing, among others. That said, I didn't hear much here that was particularly captivating and certainly nothing to match the majestic Because the Night. while the cover of Gloria was different, I didn't feel it was a patch on the original

This didn't really float my boat.

Some good songs, definitely influenced a lot of bands

Gloria is a classic and the energy palpable. But I just don’t like her voice. The music is really good and the lyrics are fine. I can even take some of the spoken word, but nope, I just don’t like her vocals. I get why this is on the list though.

It was better then i expected.

Call it a 3.49. Gloria, Free Money, and Land are absolutely perfect. The rest... eh.

This was very artsy. Which is often code for, I am not really sure if I fully get it. And honestly, I not a big lyrics guy. There are songs that I have heard 100 times that I don't know the lyrics of. My simple brain just pays more attention to the music than the lyrics. This album is lyrics forward and tells a troubled story. I just wasn't able to follow along while doing my work and I hope to be able to go back and listen again being able to focus on the lyrics. All that being said, I can most definitely hear inspiration for music that followed, which is seriously something.

Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine. What a great line. Just from the first song you see where all the female artists from the 90's got their inspiration. It all sounds like musical theater. As a theater guy you figure I would like it more.

Allt í lagi en náði mér ekki við fyrstu hlustun. Áhugaverðar pælingar, vil hlusta aftur

I never got into patti smith. I know I'm supposed to like her. I just don't. I've tried many times. 'break it up' is good.

This was bit of a rollercoaster for me. Still can't decide if I like it or not but I can totally see how a lot of people were influenced by this record if that's a thing that happened. 2.5 really...

It was good but nothing that notable about it. I didn’t like birdland unfortunately. Wouldn’t bring to island with me

Highlights: "Elegie," "Redondo Beach," "Break It Up" Depending on how you count it, it's way way ahead of its time. Something about the production as well as the 'minimalism' is the kind of thing that would get anachronistically called post-punk or new wave. The case against that is to look back at Velvet Underground, which also has a lot of that going for it in 1967 -- the dry, ungospelled Warhol Factory vamping. Smith's main "contribution" to that is to take away the cold, understated observational lyricism of Reed and replace it with a rumpus fusion of Captain Beefheart and Yoko Ono. The lyricism has this promising scene-setting and characterization that rapidly degrades over the course of the vamp. Maybe what's good in it mostly owes to the source material, because she's usually cribbing. No wonder critics vaunt this circle-jerk hero worship: one's about Jim Morrison, one's about Hendrix, one's about Burroughs, one's about a book on psychoanalysis. Rimbaud has to keep hearing beatniks use his name to dignify unedited transcripts of LSD-induced free-association. I don't get much out of her saying her baby sister's soul is a network of spittle and glass balls in streams of cold logic that she's waiting for lightning to crack open. I don't think it warrants the degree of repetitive fixation it gets. But she has to do that because that's the generic convention she's set for herself. "Experimentalism" is as much a convention here as any bestselling Serious Novel about a stuffy academic's sordid affair. But if we ask ourselves "what was the Library of Congress thinking inducting this," I think this was the period where po-mo naivete was most justifiable, and Smith is readily able to *account for* and *expound on* her artistic choices, which is all a postmodern artist needs to be taken seriously. Any incoherent or ridiculous idea in a song can be explained away as occupying another point of view or redeeming from the pawnshop of pop culture or simply exploring the limits of language. The question is who's still buying that.

I didn't expect this from the punk and rock tags but I still liked it. Every song was unique and seldom boring. The first lyric in the first track blew me away. The anatomy imagery in Land was also pretty interesting, in a good way. Also cool album cover. Fave track(s): Free Money, Kimberly

I heard this once a long time ago and I honestly forgot what it sounded like. I'm glad I got to revisit this, though. It has this singer/songwriter style that's a little artsy, but also kinda punk. It's very unique. It wasn't entirely great for me, but I did enjoy a good chunk of it

Patti Smith is punk as fuck

I like this album, but didn't love it

Lyrics and songwriting are so great. I love Patti smith as a writer and artist, she’s so cool and so creative. I enjoyed listening to the album but wasn’t really moved by much of the music. I’m usually not super into punk or folk and I feel like this is simultaneously both of those things

2.5

Not bad but not for me

I like the album, her voice is nice and it has a punk kind of melody. I like the way she experiments with her lyrics but its hard to understand a bit. I think its cool so many artists were inspired by her, and I feel like I would listen to this album more.

Can tell this is a trailblazing album for female vocals and rock in general. Nothing catchy, lots of deep lyrics. Could be worth a relisten when feeling like following along with the lyrics.

This was interesting. It's certainly a creative album, and Smith's got a great voice, which is why I was a little disappointed by how much of the album was closer to spoken word poetry than actual singing. Nevertheless, the album certainly belongs on the list, and I suspect I'll be seeing more of her, which I'm totally okay with.

Solid album in MOR 70's style

Never listened, despite all the accolades. Turns out its ok, just not my lane really

Amazing opening track, the rest of the album is a little inconsistent but it's still very good.

3/5. Okay respect the originality and the straightforwardness of it. In your face yet complex and smart. However, not a listenable album really. Definitely an experience and may be better the more I listen to it. But from the get go, hard to not switch at some points.

I liked three of the songs (Gloria, Redondo Beach, Land) but didn't care for the rest.

i love horses, best of all the animals, i love horses, they're my friends! https://youtu.be/lA13V84zOPI

A thunderclap of mediocrity

Had a lot of hopes with the first track. Clear voice, right amount of instruments. Then the next 5 tracks sounded just like track 1... Nothing memorable

Good groove but I really dislike her style of singing

what an interesting album. i didn't really have much time to listen to it as it was a busy day, but i managed to squeeze it in at the end of the day while doing my physiotherapy for my fucked up knee. that doesn't really have anything to do with the album though does it. this girl has a fantastic voice. beautiful, especially with the poetic nature of the lyrics as well. i really enjoy this vibe. gotta say though, not ALL of these songs did it for me. it was a it hit or miss - good enough that i think it averages out to a 3/5, which is fine. a bit hard to follow some of these tracks since they don't always get broken up in the way you would expect a song to, they just sort of go on and on and on. i don't hate that! i actually really like the ones that get a bit structurally weird. like the one called "Land: Horses / Land of a Thousand Dances / La Mer(de)", which just seems to involve her rattling of lines of a poem for almost 10 minutes while someone pumps a bass underneath it. no fucking clue what it's actually about, i'm sure it's something cool lmao. according to wikipedia this album has 8 tracks, plus one bonus track from a cd reissue, plus an entire additional bonus disk with the same 9 songs but performed live this time. i didn't really have time to listen to the bonus tracks unfortunately, so i guess i'm basing this just off of the original 8 tracks. hope that's not a faux pas of some sort. oh well. fave track here is Break It Up.

This album really wasn’t my thing, but I can see how it would have a big impact on the early punk movement. I put this on twice, hoping that it hit me a little more the second time around but no such luck. I kind of liked “Redondo Beach” and “Free Money” so I’ll be generous and give this a 3-star rating since there wasn’t anything I really hated about the record.

Some cool songs, others not so cool - 3 stars

This was a strange listen. I couldn't tell if this was derivative or ground breakingly original.

Not half as punk as I thought it would be. Some cool moments but mostly not my bag.

Interesting, weird but emotive. Not life changing but goes somewhere. Has great examples of vocal chord versatility. Solid 3 :)

Patti is an icon but I dont like this album that much

Patti SMITTTH G L o R i Aa

Blah

Good blend of genres

Well I have to admit I don't know Patti Smith that much and whilst I enjoyed a good section of this, I have to say I didn't some of it. I guess I could see where it was going and the style but it just wasn't all my bag. Maybe it needs a relisten. Soz James don't @ me

I've never heard of this album before not really my kind of thing but i can respect it feels like it could of been made today

Some great highlights and some below parity.

Very experimental with good energy in places.

-S Tier- Birdland -A Tier- Gloria Free Money -B Tier- Kimberly Break It Up Elegie -C Tier- Redondo Beach Land: Horses AVG SCORE: 3.25 / 5 - - - Patti’s voice is just haunting. Birdland brought me to tears.

Weinerliche Stimme

I like her vibes and her politics but jesus you can smell the condescending arrogant "I'm cleverer than you" new york art scene of the 70s bullshit dripping off every one of her tracks.

C’est moyen pour etre franc. Precurseur du punk… pascertain. 3

Pleasant

Enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. Giving it a 3.5, but reckon further listens would bump it to a 4/4.5.

Horse Girl Rock - twisted

This was good, 3*

Okay some speak singing stuff and fun guitar stuff. but I am not as into the abstract stuff without really interesting instrumentals.

Not bad by any means but it really didn't impress me much

Straight-up overrated, though the great opening line raised expectations perhaps unfairly. Being ironic about things like "Gloria" and "NIght of a Thousand Dances" really isn't that ironic, much less arch; and if it's a deconstruction exercise, is it worth the time? How this is an advancement on punk is just not clear. Would we feel differently about all this if Mapplethorpe hadn't shot the cover? Passion and commitment only get you so far.

Dark and lively, jivey kind-of-goth. Emotional to bits.

Patti Smith is a fascinating artist. This album showed her punk and gentle sides, which I thought was cool. The album had a definitive late 80s and 90s vibe.

I really want to like this one. Patti is a serious rocker, and a couple of tracks (Gloria) show that off. Nevertheless, most of the material here is simply not for me. I don't understand most of them. Why is Land of 1000 Dances done this way? No idea.

Yeah aight

I rocking little number!

I prefer music that is less atonal. It works as it is intended and it makes sense that it is included here. Just not my taste.

Punky Patti has a pretty keen poetic vision that translates loudly and proudly on her debut produced by the great John Cale. I prefer the more structured bits over the long two-chord rambles.

I was excited to finally give this a listen, but ended up respecting it more than really loving it. Somehow it stands apart from the music came before it (despite not really introducing any new sounds), and had a massive influence on what came after (despite not really sounding like what ‘punk’ eventually became). It also very clearly inspired Razorlight - make of that what you will. I like the energy and there are some thrilling moments but also lots of meandering in between. I don’t feel compelled to keep returning to this album. 3 / 3.5 for influence or whatever.

Eh

You gotta really be ok with Patti Smith's voice to get through the entire album. I prefer it over Janis Joplin, but I can understand a similar criticism. Notable tracks: "Gloria", "Redondo Beach", and "Free Money".

I can hear a lot of bands that came after Patti in this album.

What can I say? It's grunge, it's passionate, it's noise, it's sometimes tuneless wailing. At its best it's deep and meaningful, at its worst it makes you think about opening a vein.

I see why it's a classic, but it didn't hold my interest all the way through.

there’s something compelling here, but i found it hard to focus on the lyrics and didnt love the production.

Cut like 12 minutes off the runtime and this is at least a 4. Too many of these songs drag on way too long. Even still, a very good record

6/28/2022 - ALBUM #152 Today's Album: "Horses" by Patti Smith - This is hailed as a pioneer for it's influence in the history of punk rock music and it's avantgarde approach to songwriting and I have to agree with that report. This album did not impress me upon first listen. The simple chord progressions and eclectic vocals made the first song feel like a strange amalgamation of dramatic country and cracked up Alanis Morrissette. However, once I learned this was produced by The Velvet Underground's John Cale, I took the time to really listen to this album deeply and appreciate the subtle minimalism of this punk album. The way many of these songs start with dramatic and rich piano chords, but build with sailing guitars and melodic bass make each song have this punching impact that is only pushed further by her cracking and whining vocals. The track Birdland demonstrates this very well by telling this extremely strange story of a boy seeing his dead father in the belly of a ship and wanting to crawl inside of it. It's a really long experimental piece that is quite frankly hard to listen to, but it has such this chaotic and impressive build to it. I do think sometimes her vocals don't completely live up to the sound she is going for, but I think that also sometimes adds to the experience. I think the thing with punk rock it I would really like it more if there were absolutely any vocal effects added, but I believe it's part of the genre to have very raw vocals. It's something I really wish I could accept more than I do, but it does take away from many of these tracks that I just have to sort of tune out her singing to really enjoy it. The band is going absolutely insane on many of these tracks and as much as I would try to give that credit to John Cale's production, I think a lot of the fun of this album is found within the songwriting, which is all Smith. I love the soundscapes that Smith builds. though, with the end of Free Money ranking pretty highly in that regard. I like the sailing guitar lines on the track Break it Up as well and some of the percussive hits before the last chorus are captivating. I do think the track Land: Horses... is very impressive, but I also think it goes on just a tad long to be very enjoyable on an attentive listen. It's definitely more of something you put on in the background to observe casually. This album is pretty lucky that My Generation - Live is included on the first disk, because I think it acts as a way more exciting closer than the track Elegie, which kind of just ends the album on more of a shrug. My Generation is an incredibly fun and lively cover of The Who's My Generation and I think it exceeds the original by a lot. It's a great way to end this ultimately mixed punk album. Overall, this was a very good exercise in tolerating some pretty difficult, yet rewarding music. If you have the time to give this album a listen, maybe try to give it a few more spins if you don't immediately like it. It seems very clunky and awkward at first, but by my third listen I really have grown to respect what this album is going for and trying to accomplish. Give this one a listen if you want a challenge. Highlights: Gloria in Excelsis Duo, Redondo Beach, Free Money, My Generation - Live Score: 7/10 A strange and awkward punk album that grew on me over time

1975 - Punk rock; art punk; garage rock

Ihan semi ok levy ja toisena päivänä olis vaan 2* mutta tällä kertaa taipuu kolmoseen.

Pattitudee, ihan jeekkis levy

It's alright 3

a bit whiny, have to like it

This might be a fun live show, but as an album, it falls flat. Honestly, I wanted to hate this more than I actually did. Best track: Kimberly

Can women rock? Yes they can.

proto prunk proetry

Uuujee tykkään kyllä! Hieno kokonaisuus joka antaa tilaa sille mitä on tulossa tämän levyn jälkeen! 3/5

Musta on hienoa, että Patti Smith on olemassa ja yleisesti tykkään kyllä sen musasta. Tässä levyssä ihan siistejä juttuja, ja ehkä tulevaisuudessa nousee arvosana mutta toistaiseksi 3/5

This is quite an audacious debut album and I think her rendition of Gloria surpasses Van Morrison’s in terms of passion and emotion.

Not bad but for today's ears, the revolutionary and groundbreaking aspect of her music style has disappeared. A decent album without any real highlights

I can see how this influenced a lot of music, but it just wasn’t listenable enough for me to come back to in the future

3.5/5. Gets better every time I hear it.

leuk als achtergrond

Just alright

Reminds me a bit of early Nick Cave, though I'm sure that's the wrong way around. Highlight: Kimberly.

There are parts that are kind of cool, and parts that I hate. Birdland is a good example. Lyrics seem cool. I hate the singing parts - the style of barely forming words with your mouth and just making noises. I like the instrumental parts of Gloria, but I hate the way she spits out words like the worst kind of punk and/or grunge, especially in the first half of the song. This is also how I feel about the album in general: I like the instrumental parts and most lyrics, but I don't much like the vocal style. In the end, I feel like it's very close to something I would like. Parts of it remind of like...PJ Harvey or something (who can be extremely good).

da familia smith e tals

It's fine but not my favorite

3, was a nice listen

Not bad not bad 6/10

Eh.

I can understand the influence this had and the songwriting is unique, but it was not pulling me in on first listen. Could definitely be a grower though.

One of those albums I felt so familiar with the existence of, it made me feel like I knew the album itself, but on listening realized I was slightly familiar with the first song and not at all with anything else. Honesty didn't care for it that much. The vocals are so absolutely the defiant "I'm not part of your system" arrogance of youth and I'm just too old for that shit anymore.

My go-to Patti Smith albums for enjoyable listening are Wave and Gone Again; Horses was new to me and I found it a harder listen. It's just so raw, so visceral. Which is true of the albums I know as well, and maybe it's just a result of being better acquainted with them idk, but Horses was a less melodic listen somehow. Ultimately, like others have said Patti is more edgy poet than musician, especially here, and some level of discomfort is perhaps the point. The standout tracks for me were Free Money and Birdland. I'll definitely listen to this one again.

Unique. I like a lot of it but it's not sub-genre of punk I'm excited about. Probably should have listened to the lyrics harder

A classy classic. And I really like the album cover

very simple punk rock

Bah, no me a encantado. Un poco igual y gritona sin ritmo.

Its okay. I get the feeling this didn't age well, but it feels like the kind of album that would be acceptable to make brunch to. Giving it 2 stars feels and equating it to the flaming lips feels sort of harsh, so if 2.5 were an option that's where I'd go on this one. Might give the live version a listen

decent creative album, very unique

Patti Smith's distinctive voice works perfectly with some pretty haunting lyrical themes. I found the album an ok listen.

listened

This isn’t my favorite style of music, but I can see the influence on future work and artists. This must have been jarring at the time.

decent rock album

It's hard to rate this one. I'm glad I heard it, because it's unique. I like the variation between tracks, the edginess, and the poetic lyrics. I especially liked the pretty piano contrasting the grungy sound. That said, the overall sound is not pleasing enough to put on repeat, but I might come back when I want a lady to yell musical poetry at me.

Interesting - one of those albums I've known about for a long time, but never actually listened to from beginning to end.

I didn't dislike it. I didn't know what to expect. It had hints of Stevie Nicks and maybe influenced The Motels. Birdland was way, way, way waaaaay too long. Didn't add.

Weird, avant-garde proto-punk rock. I appreciate the songwriting, even if I'm not a big fan of the music. Favorite Track: Redondo Beach Relisten: No

Varied and interesting, really enjoyed listening to it in its entirety, not something I had done before. Top tracks: Gloria, Land: Horses

7.5/10. Solid album. Definitely something I could turn on to chill or drive. I think I really liked Birdland.

Interesting and diverse sounds, some of the vocals sound rather rough

So much of this feels like an inside joke. Like you had to be there to get it. Either that or I'm just not stoned enough. Beyond that, great lyricist. Not a fan of the music though.

Damn, people really wanted to be Dylan

I'm surprised I've never heard of her before, especially after reading how much influence she supposedly had on a lot of people. She influenced the punk rock scene with this debut which I can definitely see. She mixes the punk singing style with 70s rock and poetry which is alright. I enjoyed this album but it didn't really stick with me.

An album loved by first year sixth form college lit students. I'm sure they think if they quote this or get a bad lyric tattoo that it would be something they cherish for ever. Bang on average. Best Tracks: Gloria: In Exclesis Dio; Free Money; Kimberly

Worth to listen again!

Really looking forward to this. I don't know anything about her music. There is no way the "ay-ay-ay-ay-ay" in "Gloria" wasn't an influence for the vocals in Talking Heads's "Psycho Killer" a couple years later. Right? Anyway, I like Patti's vocal delivery. It's always braver for a female singer to not be "good." She did this really well. I mean, she's a good singer. But before her, "good" meant "angelic or soulful or both." She rewrote those rules. I also like the sound of this record. Like a band with mics in front of everything. That's all. Also appreciate the reggae elements happening here. I'd like to learn more about how reggae rhythms ended up in NYC punk music.

I thought I would dislike this album (not a big Smiths/Patti Smith fan) - but, overall, I enjoyed it. Smith's mumbly, squeeky, talk-singing gets old after a while, but it's definitely unique and (the good parts of it) clearly influenced some female vocalists of the 80s (Pet Benatar, Joan Jett, etc.) - so I'll give her credit there. It was the band that held this together for me. I really liked the music (even when I didn't like the vocals). Redondo Beach was the standout track for me.

3/5 Creative, love the arty direction while keeping the only good thing from the punk-genre; the energy. Enjoyed it, though none of the songs specifically piqued my interest.

Very good, loved her voice.

Fun album

Another album I am supposed to like but doesn't do much for me

At first - harder work than I’d hope from a classic album. Perhaps I’ve not the patience, as it’s sounding pedestrian (and perhaps even indulgent). As the record warms up, I begin to hear the artists who must owe Patti and incredible debt: Pat Benatar, Kate Bush, Kathleen Hanna. By the time “Free Money” is done I’m several shades more optimistic about the record.

So so strange. In the best way.

Poesi til punk musik... På den måde jeg synes er lidt træls. Hvis jeg lyttede efter tekster tror jeg den ville være god