Few groups in the mid-sixties had the kind of success The Hollies had. This album collects their best-loved songs in one package. Although I still think greatest hits packages are kind of cheating in classic album lists, this is a fantastic record.
As you'd expect, it's loaded with the Hollies' peppy pop rock hits. It's hard not to like a record that contains songs like "I Can't Let Go," "Bus Stop," "Look Through Any Window," "Stop Stop Stop," "Jennifer Eccles, and my personal favorites, "On A Carousel" and "Carrie Anne." It's no wonder this album spent seven weeks atop the British charts. (Remember, the list we're using for these reviews is in a book published in Britain.) There are also several songs that are less familiar, at least on this side of the pond, like the catchy, Beatlesque "We're Through" and "Here I Go Again," songs that were big in Britain before the group's US chart success began in 1966.
I really don't have much more to say about this. It didn't break new ground. It didn't change the face of popular music. It's a greatest hits album, full of the group's grooviest pop hits, mostly songs I know very well and have loved for many years. I'm looking forward to Brad's review. I suspect many of these songs will be new to him, and that he's going to dig this. I'm just going to kick back and sing along. You don't want to share in that experience, believe me, so I'll just end my review here.
Brad's Take:
Normally, when writing a review on here, I listen to the album all the way through without ever skipping songs or going back to other songs or anything like that. But half way through the first track, "I Can't Let Go," I knew that I was going to have to listen to that song at least two more times before continuing on with the rest of The Hollies hits. That song just totally hit me hard and made me grin like when a burrito is sitting in front of me. The back and forth vocals reminds me of a lot of the more current bands that I love. Just listen to this song if you're wishy-washy about listening to the band. You'll want to hear more. Guaranteed.
Like my dad said though, The Hollies didn't really bring anything new to the table. They just did the whole pop music thing really well. Even their cover of "Stay" by Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs is great. For being so poppy, The Hollies never sound or feel too gimmicky, like The Monkees did at times.
There are things I love in every single song on this collection. Some songs have more awesomeness than others though, but there isn't a bad song on here. The mega-poppy vocal melodies and harmonies really carry each of their songs.
Dad, I'm kind of mad at you. Maybe you played them around the house or in the car here and there, but you should have engraved this band into my head, like you did with The Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, and Dr. Demento. This stuff ruuuules! Now I need to collect all things Hollies.
2 comments:
Very nice review and very unusual blog, I mean, dad and son takes their visions over the same album? That's really new to me and I just loved it.
Every time I see something written about the Hollies I'll just go crazy looking for some reference to 'Stop right there' (one of my favorite pop songs) but I never ever find any. Have some of you listened to it? If not, it's in their 'Evolution' album of 1967 if I'm not mistaken, you should probably give it a listen.
My regards and greetings from Brazil.
Thanks for dropping by, Valladão, and thanks for the . "Stop Right good words about the blog concept. There" is a great song, with possibly the most psychedelic violin solo ever.
Post a Comment