Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Gloria
2. Redondo Beach
3. Birdland
4. Free Money
5. Kimberley
6. Break It Up
7. Land: Horses / A Thousand Dances / La Mer(de)
8. Elegie
9. My Generation

Disc 2:

1. Gloria (Live)
2. Redondo Beach (Live)
3. Birdland (Live)
4. Free Money (Live)
5. Kimberley (Live)
6. Break It Up (Live)
7. Land: Horses / A Thousand Dances / La Mer(de) (Live)
8. Elegie (Live)
9. My Generation (Live)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #53569 in Music
• Released on: 2005-11-07
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .34 pounds

CD Description
With the exception of Bob Dylan, few rock n' rollers explored poetry within the rock format as thoroughly as Patti Smith. By the mid-70's, Smith had been a regular poetry-reader in New York City clubs for years, and with a deep admiration for The Rolling Stones, it was only natural to set these poems to music. With an exciting rock band to back her up (including renowned music critic Lenny Kaye on guitar), Smith built up a following on the strength of the band's thrilling and trance-inducing live shows. Produced by ex-Velvet Underground bassist John Cale, HORSES was considered 'punk rock' when it was first released, but there was much more to it. Smith had a gift for being able to paint vivid pictures with herprose, as evidenced by a pair of 10-minute long epics, "Birdland" and "Land" (which consisted of 3 sections--"Horses", "Land of A Thousand Dances", and "La Mer"). Other tracks aremore conventional, yet just as gripping--a cover of "Gloria", "Free Money", and "Kimberly", plus a ragged live cover ofThe Who's "My Generation" (included on the '96 remastered CD edition as a bonus track). HORSES is a classic.

Customer Reviews

What a treat!....
The magnificent 'Horses' superbly remastered in crisp, clear sound... just as nature intended.
Plus.... The live 30th Anniversary Meltdown performance, not only historical but even better than the original.
As Patti would say 'Transcend, Transcend'!!
P.S. We know you were filming this concert. When do we get to see the DVD?

The boy looked at Johnny - again!
I was a little apprehensive about the 2nd album in this set but fear not it is a genuine re-creation of the brilliant Horses and not something sounding like it was made by a tribute band. Like a true artist Patti has lived in these songs and like Dylan is not afraid to present her audience with a 'new' version. Sometimes the memory of the past is too great for the new to be entirely successful but there is so much that makes amends for this. My main quibble would be with the audience during Elergy as, while I believe that lives should be celebrated, they seem to be cheering inappropriately at the names of the 'friends who can't be with us today' and the powerful heartfelt beauty of the song and its strong feelings/sentiments are lost. This is a major mixing error.
However what energy she has let alone the band. Buy it, put the volume up to something reasonable like 9 - remember the neighbours - and be prepared for an urgent need to dance round the room!