Ninety-seventy five was an incredibly busy year for Who frontman Roger Daltrey.
Besides boasting starring roles in the cinematic adaptation of the Who’s 1969 masterpiece Tommy,” and a film depicting the life of Hungarian musician and composer Franz Liszt called Lisztomania, the Who’s seventh studio album The Who By Numbers also arrived in the bins.
Squeezed in between these events – the month of July, to be exact – Daltrey’s second solo album, Ride a Rock Horse (MCA Records) was issued. The disc was produced by Russ Ballard, who previously held membership in a pair of noted British bands – Unit 4 + 2 and Argent. On Ride a Rock Horse, Ballard also contributed a trio of songs, as well as a good portion of guitar, keyboards and background vocals.
Ride a Rock Horse managed a bit of a tougher edge, compared to Roger Daltrey’s self-titled debut effort from 1973. Daltrey’s distinct and powerful pipes are in peak form here; still, it is unrealistic to expect any of these songs to match the innovation and intensity of the Who. Daltrey’s intent as a solo artist was not to recreate Who-isms, but to pursue more of a commercial pop-rock direction.
The album yielded three singles, beginning with “Come and Get Your Love,” which is not to be confused with the tune of the same name that Redbone scored a hit with in 1974. Authored by Russ Ballard, this track favors a hard-rocking tenor, augmented by pounding piano chords, a chorus of funky female vocals and a stinging guitar solo. Despite its immediate appeal, “Come and Get Your Love” stalled at No. 68 on the charts.
The next single taken from Ride a Rock Horse was a cover of the Rufus Thomas R&B standard, “Walking the Dog,” which reached the No. 52 spot. Roger Daltrey’s version of the regularly rendered song basically sticks to the original blueprint, with the exception of a rather hauntingly repetitious tone slipped into the stew.
The final single pulled from the album was “Oceans Away,” a ballad about a geographically challenged romance that will survive against all odds because the love is strong and true. Navigated by big and sweeping piano movements, the intricately structured song sadly failed to catch on and quickly withered on the vine.
A seething snarl, stabbing hooks and some cool saxophone action constitutes “Proud,” where the poppy “World Over” is breaded with bouncy rhythms and cheery melodies. Bleeding with a sense of urgency, the brawny “Heart’s Right” ripples to a tugging groove, and “I Was Born to Sing Your Song” is an emotionally charged piano-driven ballad.
It is quite baffling that Ride a Rock Horse drew mixed responses when initially released. No doubt expectations simply ran too high, as this is certainly a potent piece of work. Daltrey’s amazing vocals, combined with sympathetic and inspired instrumentation anchor each number.
Had Roger Daltrey been an unknown entity and Ride a Rock Horse marked his maiden vinyl voyage, critics would have probably penned rapturous reviews. Those who wrote this album off the first time around should seriously give it another listen, while those just being introduced to Ride a Rock Horse will be suitably impressed.
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