There are some inspired moments and some utterly dispensable ones on this album, cut during a period when the convergence of psychedelic music and soul were starting to squeeze anyone working in the realm of generic rock music.
The Ventures rose to the challenge with this entertaining, if not exactly groundbreaking or earth-shattering, album. There are
Buckinghams-style horns (arranged by
George Tipton and Warren Barker) throughout
The Horse, which isn't too distracting from the nicely jagged lead guitar (no telling if it's
Nokie Edwards or
Gerry McGee). What is distracting is the cover of "Tip-Toe Thru the Tulips" (which, luckily, comes last, and may just be silly enough to close out an album in a "Gonna Buy Me a Dog" kind of way), but "Soul Breeze," the title track, and the nicely raw run-through of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" are worthy moments. [
Horse was reissued on One Way in 1997 as part of remastered package along with the
New Testament LP and three bonus tracks. There was also an import version of
Horse floating around, renamed
On the Scene and released through See for Miles.] ~ Bruce Eder