A masterpiece — and previously a Waxx Lyrical Record of the Month — Horses stands as one of the most important debuts in rock history. Released in 1975 and produced by John Cale, it announced Patti Smith as a fearless new voice: poet, punk, provocateur.
Songs like ‘Gloria,’ ‘Redondo Beach,’ and ‘Break It Up’ still resonate in her live sets today, carrying the raw energy of CBGB straight into the present. Ranked in the Top 50 of Rolling Stone’s “500 Most Influential Albums,” Horses remains a benchmark for what happens when poetry collides with rock ’n’ roll.
 
Patti Smith — godmother of US punk, political activist, and uncompromising artist — was the very first CBGB figure to land a major label deal, blazing a trail that even The Ramones would follow.
 
File under: proto-punk / poetry & protest / essential debuts.
 
TRACKS:
SIDE A
1. Gloria: In Excelsis Deo / Gloria (Version)
2. Redondo Beach
3. Birdland
4. Free Money
 
SIDE B
1. Kimberly
2. Break It Up
3. Medley: Land/horses/land Of A Thousand Dances/la Mer (De)
4. Elegie