Patti Smith’s Horses: When Poetry Met Punk Rock
In 1975, Patti Smith’s “Horses” was one of the first albums to drop from the newly burgeoning CBGB scene. This debut fused poetry, punk, and rock into something entirely new. Recorded at Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios and produced by John Cale of The Velvet Underground, the album channeled the raw energy of New York’s CBGB scene into artful rebellion. Its opening line—“Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine”—set the tone for a record that rejected guilt and convention, blurring the lines between literature and rock performance. With songs like “Gloria” and “Land,” and an androgynous cover photo by Robert Mapplethorpe, Horses redefined what a rock artist could be: intellectual, spiritual, and unapologetically free. It’s time to look at the story behind “Horses,” dig into its cover (shot by Robert Mapplethorpe), explore the songs within, and look at its lasting legacy.
👉 Subscribe for More Videos: https://youtube.com/c/AndyFenstermaker/?sub_confirmation=1
✉️ Read the transcript & hear the music on the Poetic Wax Substack: https://poeticwax.substack.com
WATCH NEXT:
✓ The Failed Television & Brian Eno Demo Sessions: https://youtu.be/tGWKqeSjNN4
✓ The Fall of the Mercer Arts Center: https://youtu.be/GxkZ8dQp51E
✓ How the Velvet Underground Met Andy Warhol: https://youtu.be/s1L8-BHh64g
🎥 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLylroYWVYWWXL84MH1T4Qr0wrRzjwlGMR
Get Horses on Vinyl 🎧
✓ Regular Pressing: https://amzn.to/4oNpQWD
✓ 50th Anniversary Edition: https://amzn.to/4oNpQWD
Poetic Wax is hosted by Andy Fenstermaker.
CHAPTERS:
0:00 The Story of Patti Smith’s Horses
1:27 From Poet to Punk Pioneer
4:51 The Iconic Album Cover Through Mapplethorpe’s Lens
7:57 Recording at Electric Lady Under Hendrix’s Watchful Spirit
11:10 Exploring The Music of Horses
17:02 Rimbaud, Burroughs, and Rock Heroes
#pattismith #johncale #1975 #cbgb #classicalbum #1970srock #vinylcommunity #vinylrecords #vinylcollection #andyfenstermaker #fensepost #vinylchannel #poeticwax #musicessay #musicstory #albumstory #musichistory #albumhistory #musicdocumentary
@outtathyme5679
March 9, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Gloria: Van Morrison via the doors
@markcarey67
March 9, 2026 at 6:45 pm
John Cale has his fingerprints on more than a couple of the best first albums in history, from the Velvets to The Stooges to this stone cold classic.
@lamper2
March 9, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Never realized before my google search just now she was wearing a horse pin on her jacket given to her as a gift : Patti Smith wears a small horse-shaped pin on the lapel of the black jacket slung over her shoulder on the cover of her 1975 album Horses. The pin was a gift from her1970s partner and musician, Allen Lanier of Blue Öyster Cult. (from Google Ai). I gotta believe it was the Shadows of Knight's version of Gloria that she was inluenced by more than THEM. You could warm your hands over that 45's beautiful mix! And I'm SURE she stared at that DUNWICH colored label reading its "IT'S DUNWICH MAN" for hours!
@blanchefan
March 9, 2026 at 6:45 pm
This is excellent–thank you!!
@JeremyKeighley-s9m
March 9, 2026 at 6:45 pm
did you forget Free Money? BTW Rimbaud is pronounced RAMBOW, As in "go Rimbaud, go Johnny go"
@tiyanawilliams5070
March 9, 2026 at 6:45 pm
🔥🙌🏾
@MrTar333
March 9, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Just saw her live in LA last night. Art and poetry in motion. Patti is a true trailblazer. Appreciate your insights bro!
@cirquedude123
March 9, 2026 at 6:45 pm
This is gotta be one of my favorite albums ever
@rogerbranton1752
March 9, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Every so often, I put Horses on the platter and give it a spin. I know this album so well yet it never fails to amaze & delight me!
@willieluncheonette5843
March 9, 2026 at 6:45 pm
she has some punky feeling but her music does not sound like punk at all. Same with the New York Dolls and The Dictators and maybe even Television.
@danielkrueger3827
March 9, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Dude you're alright. I'm super glad you get it.
@richierugs6544
March 9, 2026 at 6:45 pm
there was a bunch of us hard core fans fans that HAD to see her wherever she played, because it was an evolving event–i have many tapes of her at cbgbs, still so good and raw–i helped promote her a little bit by making the coolest t-shirt ever (with her signature and little horse) and I gave her 20 bucks and told her I made them, she thanked me, then a year later I gave her another 20, she took it but told me not to give her any more money–I don't think I made more than a hundred of them–haha, I don't even have one now!
@tomjamison5934
March 9, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Thanks Andy for another Awesome video. I'm a little late in watching this one. 🌟
@SkinnyEatWorld95
March 9, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Hey Andy, I have a question. What do you mean by "punk before Punk"?
Also excellent analysis man. Another underappreciated artist!
@willharvey1514
March 9, 2026 at 6:45 pm
This is extraordinary. The analysis is so well researched and beautifully understanding of the context and important history of this great album. I bought this when it came out knowing it would be iconic and so so powerful for all time. Lovely to see Marquee Moon behind you… the only thing I've ever won in a competition!
Comments are closed.