Patti Smith - Horses

[Copper Feel]

This is largely an overly melodramatic, poorly produced, overblown release. Smith was fine when working within her limitations, straightforward pop songs such as "Redondo Beach" for instance. But when stretching her half spoken/half sung piano pieces over 9 minutes ("Birdland", I'm looking at you!), the paper thin nature of the songs is really exposed.

 

Of course, Smith's reach being longer than her grasp isn't the only problem with Horses, the album is nothing special musically, and, more frustratingly, she will oftentimes attempt to sing in a way that conveys emotion in a rather convoluted manner.

 

Defenders of the album come forth, I am genuinely interested as to why it is held in such high regard.

[Copper Feel]

An aside: the bonus track on my version of the album, her cover of The Who's "My Generation", is by far the worst thing she could possibly have ever recorded.

[Nighthawk]

Any cover of "My Generation" sucks... in fact the original sucks. Maybe Danny Tanner's version was ok.

 

Anyway, I dunno man, a lot of the things you hold the album at fault for are what I like about it. People just seem to hear it at the right time. I myself, heard it very early in my musical explorations. It was significant for its timing and collaborators as well. There are plenty who share your opinion, too.

 

Still, I like Easter best, for better or worse.

[Kinetic]

"Redondo Beach" is good. I liked this album quite a bit a few years ago, but I never have any desire to listen to it anymore. The "My Generation" cover is alarmingly sans stuttering, so what's the point?

[Giuseppe Zangara]

Man, I hate Patti Smith. What a cunt.

[k thx]

I saw her in Barcelona this year. She's still pretty good.

 

I think Horses has aged pretty badly, but it's still a decent album.

[PUT THAT DICK IN MY MOUTH!]

"Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine" is a pretty badass opening line. Too bad everything that follows it sucks.

[Guest Pizza Hut's Game Face]

"Gloria" is pretty good. The rest of it is loathsome. "Redondo Beach" made me puke; the fuck's wrong with you people?

[PLAGIARISM!]

"Nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger" is a line I enjoy as well.

[Copper Feel]

I prefer "Rock 'n' Roll Nigger" to any song on Horses, I came into this expecting angry rebellious Smith, not a piano ponderer of epic proportions.

[Giuseppe Zangara]

The embarassingly misguided appropriation of "nigger" in that song is another reason I hate her. Christ, what a stupid bitch.