The glorious sound of Manchester finest.
Yeah, I love the Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Small Faces etc....but how often do the Hollies get the recognition they surely deserve? If one band deserve to be up there with the above its the five musical geniuses from Manchester, and this is the best way to find out why. Originally released in 1978, the CD does what it says on the tin, 20 tracks of excellently played hits, superb vocals, irresistable harmonies, top notch songwriting, it's all here.
The Hollies first came to the fore in 1963, on the coat-tails of the Mersey beat boom when any man (and woman) between the age of 15 - 23 with a pulse was given a guitar or drum kit and formed a band. The majority were bad, but quality always rises to the top. First singles (not included here)'(Aint that) just like me' and 'Searchin' were small hits but the first biggie came in the shape of a radically changed beat version of Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs 'Stay'. The first single release in 1964 was "Just one look" another cover, this time of the Doris Troy soul classic. They then embarked on a near perfect assault on the charts with top ten hit after another, culminating in their first number one, 'I'm alive' in 1965.
What has always been underestimated is the quality of the songwriting that messrs. Clarke, Nash, and Hicks were capable. Some of the non 45 tracks like 'Dear Eloise', 'Pay you back with interest' and 'Hard hard year' are among the classiest tracks of the 1960's and certainly would have been massive hits if released as 45s (some were in Europe).
After a lacklustre Beatles cover in 1965, 1966 started with perhaps my favourite Hollies 45 "I cant let go", just check the harmonies in this recording, it'll give you goosebumps. More top ten hits followed, then in 1967 with psychedelia blooming in this country, Graham Nash embraced the new culture particularily. One of the finest moments EVER pressed on a 45, and boasting a beautiful EMI Abbey Road kitchen sink production 'King midas in reverse' was released to a lukewarm reception, to this day I still don't know how it never made number one. What makes it worse is that EMI thought able not to include it on this CD, a travesty!
The record and accompanying album "Butterfly" were relative flops and the end of the band as I love it was nigh. Graham jumped ship in 1968 to join Crosby, Stills and Young, just listen to unreleased masterpiece "Tomorrow when it comes" to hear what could have been (on a out-of-print 1988 LP 'Rarities'). To get back in the charts the boys reverted to the big pop hits that had made them their name, the last big hitter being "He aint heavy, he's my brother" which hit the top ten in late 1969. As the seventies approached the hits dried up, but the Hollies still today draw a crowd and released an album a couple of years back, they even had a second number one hit with the re-released 'He ain't heavy' in 1988, complete with Graham appearing on Top of the pops!
So anyway, if you've clicked on here, chances are you know how great this band were. If you haven't heard the Hollies before I implore you to click on the buy-it-now button, purchase this little beauty and place it in your CD player, then sit back and 'Relax'. You'll be transported to a place of perfect POP music, how it should be made. And if you then feel tempted to buy more, and they become your favourite group, don't thank me, thank Graham, Tony, Allan, Eric and Bobby.....I present to you, one of England's finest ever groups, THE HOLLIES.Read full review
