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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 was 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. Reissued on One Way during 1997 with excellent sound. ~ Bruce Eder
