Roger daltrey ride a rock horse6/8/2023 It's the kind of song that probably would have the been the Townshend vocal showcase on a Who album, but it allows Daltrey to show that he, too, can convey sensitivity and vulnerability in his singing as well as Townshend can. The man had a lovely voice that could do so much more than just the famous screams of "Won't Fooled Again." That's one of the main reasons my favorite solo track is "Oceans Away" - Daltrey does a beautiful job of selling a delicate ballad on that track. Roger was always fated to suffer in the songwriting credibility sweepstakes when compared to Townshend, in almost the same way that Mike Love suffers in comparison to Brian Wilson - both Daltrey and Love are, fairly or unfairly, perceived as just the mouthpiece for the visionary songwriter in their original band.īut if one can put aside thoughts of the Who and focus on the actual music that Daltrey recorded as a solo artist, Daltrey's solo career was quite credible, up to and including Under a Raging a Moon. 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.Click to expand.As I stated in my previous post, that's just not the case. Had Roger Daltrey been an unknown entity and Ride a Rock Horse marked his maiden vinyl voyage, critics would have probably penned rapturous reviews. Daltrey’s amazing vocals, combined with sympathetic and inspired instrumentation anchor each number. No doubt expectations simply ran too high, as this is certainly a potent piece of work. It is quite baffling that Ride a Rock Horse drew mixed responses when initially released. 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. Navigated by big and sweeping piano movements, the intricately structured song sadly failed to catch on and quickly withered on the vine.Ī seething snarl, stabbing hooks and some cool saxophone action constitutes “Proud,” where the poppy “World Over” is breaded with bouncy rhythms and cheery melodies. 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. 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 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. Despite its immediate appeal, “Come and Get Your Love” stalled at No. 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. 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. Daltrey’s intent as a solo artist was not to recreate Who-isms, but to pursue more of a commercial pop-rock direction. 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. Ride a Rock Horse managed a bit of a tougher edge, compared to Roger Daltrey’s self-titled debut effort from 1973. On Ride a Rock Horse, Ballard also contributed a trio of songs, as well as a good portion of guitar, keyboards and background vocals. The disc was produced by Russ Ballard, who previously held membership in a pair of noted British bands – Unit 4 + 2 and Argent. 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. His first three solo albums are all underrated, imho. My favorite Rog solo track is 'Oceans Away' from Ride a Rock Horse. Ninety-seventy five was an incredibly busy year for Who frontman Roger Daltrey.īesides 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. His best solo song, IMHO, is 'Giving It All Away', though I'm not sure on which LP or CD it is in its best sound.
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