Re: Horses/Horses

[L French <lrfrench>]

It's nice that the live Horses is coming out on election day here in the USA, as during MY GENERATION Patti pointedly asks how her Generation could have given us George W. Bush.  
 
Columbia is really doing Patti justice, issuing her second live album, (after the French double disc of Trampin' on CD). Just consider, after spending nearly 30 years at Arista, Patti never really had a live album on that label, althought the fact that Arista/BMG was brought by Sony is what makes this new Horses edition even possible.  As Andrew notes, the deluxe packaging is really a treat, especially after the very simple sleeve that Arista provided for the original Horses Lp. Here we get to see many more Mapplethorpe shots of Patti, and a nice shot of Patti with John Cale taken at Electric Lady studios by RM. It's also nice to finally have the lyrics to all the songs along with the album, even if it took 30 years!   
 
As for Patti's live performance and the recording of it -- both are absolutely staggering. As Andrew points out, the live song titles are not completely accurate though, as they leave out any mention of Patti's spoken intro to Break it up, as well as her reprise of Gloria at the end of Horses. Most of Patti's between song chatter has also been removed, but thankfully they have at least left in Patti's saying "side two" before KIMBERLEY.  
 
ELEGIE also benefits greatly on the live disc, with the addition of a trumpet solo by Flea that closes the song as Patti recites a list of friends who are no longer with us today...  
 
Now, I wonder if Horses / Horses sells well enough, Columbia might be willing to give us anninversary editions of Radio Ethiopia, Easter and Wave over the next three years! Of course, that means Patti would have to do live shows showcasing all the songs on each of those albums. Not such a bad idea...  
 
Here is a snippet from John Rockwell's original review of HORSES: 
 

The Pop Life: Patti Smith's First Album Listens Well 


 By John Rockwell, The New York Times  -  November  7, 1975  
 

Patti Smith's first album Horses, should be in the stores about now. It's an extraordinary disk, and every minute of it is worth repeated rehearings...  

 

Miss Smiths visions arise out of normalcy but then transcend it almost instantly. Devotees of Miss Smith will want to know how honestly and accurately this record captures the feeling of her club performances and the answer ismarvelously! The balance between voice and band is perfect, and big basic sound is the tacky, ricky-tick rock that her quartet produces live. The songs are infused with discreet, subtle touches that enhance them, and the vocal overdubbing in Land is handled brilliantly. Horses may be an eccentricity, but in a way that anything new is eccentric. If you are responsive to its mystical energy, it will shake you and move you as little else can do!   

 

  

 

Andrew F Wilson <andrewfwilson> wrote:I thought the list would already be buzzing with folk listening to the
new album. Perhaps the time difference has given us Europeans an
advantage today.

First impressions are that the packaging looks great, nothing tawdry
or irritating. I might quibble with some details - the original
sleeve notes are included, but not Patti's signature - Land: gets a
colon, but Gloria doesn't - the reprise of Gloria on disc two isn't
mentioned - the track lists on the cover, the discs and the booklet
don't match - the recording date of the 1976 My Generation is missed off. Still looks good though.

My ears aren't sharp enough to say how the sound of this remaster
differs from the LP and the two previous versions. I'll believe it if
they tell me it's better. The live disc sounds great - missing some
chatter and so on, but a great performance and completely real. If I
listen carefully I should be able to hear myself there at the Festival
Hall, clapping in a reserved English way, and smiling for all I'm
worth.

Okay, you've already got a copy of Horses - maybe two. Do you need another one? You most certainly do!

Kind regards


Andrew


		
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