Genre: rock
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title: Rockin' Horse
Company: RCA Victor
Catalog: APL1-0937
Year: 1975
Country/State: US
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG+
Comments: minor ring and edge wear
Available: 1
Catalog ID: 6140
Price: $18.00
There's at least one other Rockin' Horse outfit - an early-1970s British outfit that showcased the talents of Merseybeat veterans Jimmy Campbell and Billy Kinsey. As far as I can tell there's no connection with this mid-1970s American outfit.
1975's cleverly-titled "Rockin' Horse" featured the talents of former Knack and Chariot drummer Pug Baker, lead singer Daniel Dick, bassist Robbie Levin, lead guitarist Lenny Macaluso, and keyboardist Chuck O'Steen. So here's the funny thing about this album - given the throwaway cover art, bland band name, and non-descript song titles (c'mon how inspired was something like ' I Want You Tonight'), you couldn't be blamed for having fairly low expectations for this outfit. Well, here's another example of the old adage 'don't judge a book by it's cover'. Mind you, there wasn't a single original note or concept on this set, but as the primary songwriters Lenny Macaluso and Daniel Dick had nice tastes when it came to their outside influences, making for what was a surprisingly enjoyable set of mid-1970s AOR.
- 'Step Outta Line (Bordello Song)' opened up with some nice bass work and one of those cheesy Moog patterns that I'm hopelessly addicted to. Slap on a tuneful pop-rock melody, some second rate sax, and add in Dick's sneering lead vocal (you should be able to guess what the song was about), and this one was a guilty pleasure. rating: *** stars
- Okay, I made fun of the title, but 'I Want You Tonight' was actually another great AOR song. With Dick pulling off a credible falsetto and drummer Baker losing all abandon on his hi-hats, the crowning glory came in the form of Macaluso's Allman Brothers-styled lead guitar. Great track. rating: *** stars
- 'What You Gonna Do' was a perfect example of the group's ability to mix rock and pop genres and come up with a winning combination. Driven by a tasty Macaluso guitar pattern (and a blazing mid-song solo), the song included a wonderfully commercial hook in the form of the title track chorus. The track also showcased the band's wonderful harmony vocals. rating: **** stars
- The first disappointment, 'Money Music' was a faceless slice of boogie rock - this one could have easily been mistaken for something out of the Pablo Cruise catalog. rating: ** stars
- Again propelled by a nifty Macaluso performance, 'You're So Good For Me' managed to take a pedestrian AOR song (complete with needless Baker drum solo) and kick it up a notch. I always have to smile when the band kicks into hyperdrive speeding the song up to what sounded like 45 rpm. rating: *** stars
- Ah, the mindless fun of 'Rock and Roll Fever' managed to capture everything that made mid-1970s America such a cultural leader ... Who needed The Ramones when you had this type of social and cultural insight ? rating: *** stars
- 'Been So Long' sported one of the album's most pop-oriented melodies and another great summertime lyric. Hard to believe this one didn't get some airplay. rating: *** stars
- Built on a mini-Moog pattern and a cool Macaluso scratch guitar, 'Dancin' To the Music' was another highly commercial song (that's always reminded me of another song, but I've never been able to nail it down). Mindless fun. rating: **** stars
- Opening up with a jarring Dick scream, 'Love Do Me Right' found the band incorporating Latin percussion, lots of Chuck O'Steen cheesy Moog, and a pseudo-disco feel into the mix. Dick actually sounded a bit like Chicago's Robert Lamm on this one. Not exactly my favorite performance, though Robbie Levin turned in some nice bass on the track. rating: ** stars
- So why not end the album with an uplifting slice of social commentary? Okay, 'Change It for the Better' was the perfect performance. Clearly lyrics like "Too much lying and too much crying" were going to make a massive change to your outlook on life ... Okay, okay that was simply mean-spirited. I'll give the song an extra star for Macaluso's guitar solo. rating: *** stars
In case anyone cared, the album was dedicated to Ron L. Hubbard ...
"Rockin'
Horse" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Step Outta Line (Bordello Song) (Lenny Macaluso) - 4:18
2.) I Want You Tonight (Lenny Macaluso - Daniel Dick) - 4:52
3.) What You Gonna Do (Lenny Macaluso) - 3:57
4.) Money Music (Lenny Macaluso) - 3:06
5.) You're So Good For Me (Lenny Macaluso - Daniel Dick) - 3:57
(side
2)
1.) Rock and Roll Fever (Lenny Macaluso
- Daniel Dick) - 3:51
2.) Been So Long (Lenny Macaluso - Daniel Dick) - 3:32
3.) Dancin' To the Music (Lenny Macaluso) - 2:39
4.) Love Do Me Right (Lenny Macaluso) - 4:43
5.) Change It for the Better (Lenny Macaluso - Daniel Dick) - 4:24