Finally 😄 Allan's album

[JamesT]

I've listened to the album once through and I have to say yet again, a great album from Allan. A couple of tracks do sound like they'd have fitted perfectly on Resurgence. Graham's harmonies are supportive and not overpowering (which I had feared). When I saw the musician credits and mention of drum programming and lack of an actual bassist on most of the tracks, I feared for the worst. In my opinion, the programming is not too overpowering, perhaps needing dialed down a tad in a couple of instances. I'd much prefer real players. Quite remarkable material from a legendary artist we'd written off over 20 years ago with his retirement.

A more folk/country/roots vibe to this album where as Resurgence had a fair few rockers.

Great to get the signed art card via Townsend Records, and a signed booklet via Amazon.co.uk

[Tony Wilkinson]

o.k here's my verdict (for what it's worth)..

You need someone to save you - Very good opener
I'll never forget - perfect 2nd track
The presence of you - another good one
Movin' on - very good
When love walked out the room - very good, like it
You shine a light - growing on me, good
You didn't like it - I didn't on first hearing but o.k
Buddy's back - not quite in with the love in with this, guess it took Graham about 5 minutes to write
Let's take this back to bed - o.k, passable
Maybe the next time - def no no, far too repetitive, gets monotonous
Who am I - brilliant, iconic Clarkie, saved the best while last, album worth it just for this track ...

* Good points, there are at least 6 tracks that I will be happy to listen to and Grahams harmonies do work well
* Bad points, for me maybe a couple of duffers in there and overall prefer 'Resurgence' going forward

[Mevrouw Bee]

Sigh...hurry up DHL....

[sandy]

Just out of curiosity, how many members on here have bought/ are going to buy " I'll never forget"?
Do we think it's the majority or less?

[anthony]

Apr 10, 2023 11:00:00 GMT sandy said:

Just out of curiosity, how many members on here have bought/ are going to buy " I'll never forget"?
Do we think it's the majority or less?

Not as keen to rush out to buy it, 

[cameron]

I've only just received my vinyl copy from Allan's website, so I haven't had time to listen to it properly yet and share my thoughts. I'm looking forward to it though, from the bits I've heard over the weekend on Spotify, it's lovely to hear Allan and Graham singing together again. You forget how much the combination of their voices creates a "third voice" that is still very identifiable as being the Hollies. 

To answer the question above; I definitely was keen to buy Allan's solo albums, more so than I would a new studio album from the Hollies. I think 'Resurgence' sounded more like the Hollies than 'Staying Power' or 'Then, Now and Always' do. Replacing Bobby with a drum machine on some tracks is unforgivable. That said, I always felt that 'Resurgence' would have benefitted from a more realistic production in places; either commit to the synth sounds of 'I Don't Know The Reason Why' and go all the way, or get real musicians in to do the job. I've read some of the critiques above, I sort of expected 'I'll Never Forget' to follow the same formula, but kind of hoped that Graham's influence would rub off a bit. I've actually loved Graham's latest batch of solo songs way more than anything he did on 'This Path Tonight', he seems to be returning to his Hollies era in terms of writing a catchy pop song again, and I'm finding them quite joyous and uplifting to listen to compared to his usual folky/introspective/political songs. 

Either way, I'm just so happy to have Allan and Graham back making music together again, it's a true delight to experience new Clarke/Nash material in my lifetime. 

[johnt]

Apr 10, 2023 11:00:00 GMT sandy said:

Just out of curiosity, how many members on here have bought/ are going to buy " I'll never forget"?
Do we think it's the majority or less?

I got mine yesterday from Amazon but haven't had time to listen to it all yet.

[cameron]

Okay, I’ve had a couple of days with the album now, here’s my thoughts:

1. ‘You Need Someone To Save You’ is such a great album opener. It’s full of energy, with a catchy chorus refrain and Graham’s harmonies support Allan so well; I feared that he might be a little overbearing, but this is not the case anywhere on the album and they sound great together still. This song has quite a few contrasting sections and keeps developing as it pushes along. Overall, one of my favourites on the new album despite that cheap sounding keyboard bass.

2. ‘I’ll Never Forget’ a strong second track, completely contrasting the opener, a more melodramatic track that’s slower in tempo. Again, Graham’s harmonies sound great and Allan sounds quite youthful on this track. It’s got a really great lyric about getting older, and it feels like a bit of an autobiographical song from Graham and Allan about their lives together. It’s got hints of an orchestral backing, which is obviously played on a synthesiser. I know it would have required a bigger budget, but it really deserved some real strings to make this one of Allan’s infamous big ballads.

3. ‘The Presence of You’ is Allan’s love-song to Jenni. It’s a more American/country vibe with slide guitar and hints of harmonica. It’s got one of those really descriptive lyrics that Allan is so well known for with a really beautiful message. Graham sings in tight harmony with Allan pretty much all the way through, but overall I just feel that the arrangement doesn’t quite make the most of the melody and the lyrics, to me, it comes across as a lullaby. But wonderful sentiment nonetheless, the lyrics are spot on.

4. ‘Movin On’ sounds to me like a melodic re-write of ‘I’ll Keep On Walking’ from ‘Resurgence’. The melody is incredibly similar. This song is pretty good, it’s got quite an involved arrangement fleshed out with piano and distorted lead guitar. Graham provides harmonies here too, and Allan’s voice sounds strong. The lyrics are mostly autobiographical too, perhaps a nod to the Hollies in a way, remarking how they played guitar and sang together but there was something missing and they needed to find it.

5. ‘When Love Walked Out the Room’ closes side one of the LP, and it’s a real early 1960s style arrangement and it’s a pretty catchy song. Lots of jangly guitars, “doo-doo-doo” style backing vocals (I don’t think Graham is on this song?) and to me, Allan sounds perhaps his most youthful on this track, particularly in the verses. He’s at the top end of his vocal range where he still has some power, and it’s really nice to hear that unmistakable Clarkey tone.

6. ‘You Shine A Light’ is a slow ballad to open side two of the LP. There’s a whole soulful arrangement going on with hints of organ in the mix. Its almost like some kind of religious song. It’s just too much of a slow burner for me, not one of my favourites. Graham is on harmonies on this, and I think Allan’s lower register vocals suit Graham’s voice more these days. His more recent CSN(Y) vocals can come across a bit nasally and shrill, but consistently on this album Graham sounds more like he used to when he was with the Hollies and that’s a delight to hear. He balances his vocal so well with Allan at all times and they create a kind of magical “third voice” when they sing together.

7. ‘You Didn’t Like It’ and I didn’t really like it! This is a 1950s skiffle arrangement and it’s just not the sort of music that I enjoy listening to. That said, Allan sounds really good here and Graham sounds great with Allan. They’ve overdubbed the harmonies to add in that third harmony in places, so in that respect, it’s very much like the Hollies sound, albeit in a style of song that the Hollies never really did. It’s a bit of a throwaway song, IMO.

8. ‘Buddy’s Back’ I’m assuming if you’ve made it this far, you’ve heard this song already. I actually like it, despite it being in that 1950s skiffle mould like the previous track. It’s another autobiographical song and Graham’s harmonies really soar here. I love the little keyboard counter melodies in to link the verses. This is right back in the mould of early catchy Hollies songs.

9. ‘Let’s Take This Back To Bed’ is another Americana style number with harmonica, a shuffle drum beat, acoustic guitar lines and a bit of a walking bass. Again, not really my sort of thing. I think Allan harmonises with himself here on the choruses, so a bit of a different vocal sound on this track.

10. ‘Maybe the Next Time’ this is more of a return to the rock fold, but still a slow song. Graham sings in close harmony with Allan, though the melody isn’t as strong on this track, I tend to not remember how it goes, even after a few listens. It doesn’t feature the usual progression that Allan’s songs are known for, it’s quite repetitive.

11. ‘Who Am I?’ Wow. Just wow. This is the real highlight of the album for me. This is the most exciting/adventurous track to come from the Hollies stable for quite some decades! A very powerful lead vocal from Allan, with a bit of an eastern vibe in the orchestral style backing, pushed along with what sounds to be like an Indian tabla drum. It builds such great tension with its arrangement which constantly drops off to nothing and then starts again. The lyrics are very philosophical, pleading in the chorus “is there anybody out there?!” and the melody towards the end of the chorus takes a few twists and turns. It’s instantly catchy, instantly memorable and a superb album closer.

Overall, I’m happy with Allan’s new album, and bringing Graham back to the fold was a really smart move. I’m amazed at how well their voices still gel and how identifiable that “Hollies sound” is with them. I don’t feel overall like this album pushes musical boundaries as hard as ‘Resurgence’ did, perhaps because there’s so many simple Americana/Country/Skiffle tracks here. I can’t stand the low register keyboard bass throughout the album that just has the worst tone to it, and a couple of the tracks with orchestral parts really deserved some real instruments to just make those songs really pop. It also would have been great to have some more real drums to just add a bit of flair in places. I guess all that is more studio time and money. But overall, Allan’s still singing well, still writing wonderful lyrics and still has that ability to write a great and interesting song. We never thought we’d hear Allan and Graham sing together again, so this is an unexpected delight.

Favourite tracks: Who Am I, You Need Someone To Save You, Buddy’s Back, I’ll Never Forget and When Love Walked Out the Room.

I like the album artwork, it’s a great photo of Allan, and the vinyl pressing is really top notch. I ordered it from Allan’s website and it came with an autographed picture card. Superbly packaged and reasonable postage. I urge people to buy from Allan’s website as opposed to third party retailers.

[Tony Wilkinson]

Apr 11, 2023 22:58:52 GMT cameron said:

Okay, I’ve had a couple of days with the album now, here’s my thoughts:

1. ‘You Need Someone To Save You’ is such a great album opener. It’s full of energy, with a catchy chorus refrain and Graham’s harmonies support Allan so well; I feared that he might be a little overbearing, but this is not the case anywhere on the album and they sound great together still. This song has quite a few contrasting sections and keeps developing as it pushes along. Overall, one of my favourites on the new album despite that cheap sounding keyboard bass.

2. ‘I’ll Never Forget’ a strong second track, completely contrasting the opener, a more melodramatic track that’s slower in tempo. Again, Graham’s harmonies sound great and Allan sounds quite youthful on this track. It’s got a really great lyric about getting older, and it feels like a bit of an autobiographical song from Graham and Allan about their lives together. It’s got hints of an orchestral backing, which is obviously played on a synthesiser. I know it would have required a bigger budget, but it really deserved some real strings to make this one of Allan’s infamous big ballads.

3. ‘The Presence of You’ is Allan’s love-song to Jenni. It’s a more American/country vibe with slide guitar and hints of harmonica. It’s got one of those really descriptive lyrics that Allan is so well known for with a really beautiful message. Graham sings in tight harmony with Allan pretty much all the way through, but overall I just feel that the arrangement doesn’t quite make the most of the melody and the lyrics, to me, it comes across as a lullaby. But wonderful sentiment nonetheless, the lyrics are spot on.

4. ‘Movin On’ sounds to me like a melodic re-write of ‘I’ll Keep On Walking’ from ‘Resurgence’. The melody is incredibly similar. This song is pretty good, it’s got quite an involved arrangement fleshed out with piano and distorted lead guitar. Graham provides harmonies here too, and Allan’s voice sounds strong. The lyrics are mostly autobiographical too, perhaps a nod to the Hollies in a way, remarking how they played guitar and sang together but there was something missing and they needed to find it.

5. ‘When Love Walked Out the Room’ closes side one of the LP, and it’s a real early 1960s style arrangement and it’s a pretty catchy song. Lots of jangly guitars, “doo-doo-doo” style backing vocals (I don’t think Graham is on this song?) and to me, Allan sounds perhaps his most youthful on this track, particularly in the verses. He’s at the top end of his vocal range where he still has some power, and it’s really nice to hear that unmistakable Clarkey tone.

6. ‘You Shine A Light’ is a slow ballad to open side two of the LP. There’s a whole soulful arrangement going on with hints of organ in the mix. Its almost like some kind of religious song. It’s just too much of a slow burner for me, not one of my favourites. Graham is on harmonies on this, and I think Allan’s lower register vocals suit Graham’s voice more these days. His more recent CSN(Y) vocals can come across a bit nasally and shrill, but consistently on this album Graham sounds more like he used to when he was with the Hollies and that’s a delight to hear. He balances his vocal so well with Allan at all times and they create a kind of magical “third voice” when they sing together.

7. ‘You Didn’t Like It’ and I didn’t really like it! This is a 1950s skiffle arrangement and it’s just not the sort of music that I enjoy listening to. That said, Allan sounds really good here and Graham sounds great with Allan. They’ve overdubbed the harmonies to add in that third harmony in places, so in that respect, it’s very much like the Hollies sound, albeit in a style of song that the Hollies never really did. It’s a bit of a throwaway song, IMO.

8. ‘Buddy’s Back’ I’m assuming if you’ve made it this far, you’ve heard this song already. I actually like it, despite it being in that 1950s skiffle mould like the previous track. It’s another autobiographical song and Graham’s harmonies really soar here. I love the little keyboard counter melodies in to link the verses. This is right back in the mould of early catchy Hollies songs.

9. ‘Let’s Take This Back To Bed’ is another Americana style number with harmonica, a shuffle drum beat, acoustic guitar lines and a bit of a walking bass. Again, not really my sort of thing. I think Allan harmonises with himself here on the choruses, so a bit of a different vocal sound on this track.

10. ‘Maybe the Next Time’ this is more of a return to the rock fold, but still a slow song. Graham sings in close harmony with Allan, though the melody isn’t as strong on this track, I tend to not remember how it goes, even after a few listens. It doesn’t feature the usual progression that Allan’s songs are known for, it’s quite repetitive.

11. ‘Who Am I?’ Wow. Just wow. This is the real highlight of the album for me. This is the most exciting/adventurous track to come from the Hollies stable for quite some decades! A very powerful lead vocal from Allan, with a bit of an eastern vibe in the orchestral style backing, pushed along with what sounds to be like an Indian tabla drum. It builds such great tension with its arrangement which constantly drops off to nothing and then starts again. The lyrics are very philosophical, pleading in the chorus “is there anybody out there?!” and the melody towards the end of the chorus takes a few twists and turns. It’s instantly catchy, instantly memorable and a superb album closer.

Overall, I’m happy with Allan’s new album, and bringing Graham back to the fold was a really smart move. I’m amazed at how well their voices still gel and how identifiable that “Hollies sound” is with them. I don’t feel overall like this album pushes musical boundaries as hard as ‘Resurgence’ did, perhaps because there’s so many simple Americana/Country/Skiffle tracks here. I can’t stand the low register keyboard bass throughout the album that just has the worst tone to it, and a couple of the tracks with orchestral parts really deserved some real instruments to just make those songs really pop. It also would have been great to have some more real drums to just add a bit of flair in places. I guess all that is more studio time and money. But overall, Allan’s still singing well, still writing wonderful lyrics and still has that ability to write a great and interesting song. We never thought we’d hear Allan and Graham sing together again, so this is an unexpected delight.

Favourite tracks: Who Am I, You Need Someone To Save You, Buddy’s Back, I’ll Never Forget and When Love Walked Out the Room.

I like the album artwork, it’s a great photo of Allan, and the vinyl pressing is really top notch. I ordered it from Allan’s website and it came with an autographed picture card. Superbly packaged and reasonable postage. I urge people to buy from Allan’s website as opposed to third party retailers.

Your assessment of this album mirrors mine exactly, I agree with every word, let's see what others might think now ...

[Mevrouw Bee]

I think I really loathe DHL...

[The Dude]

Apr 12, 2023 8:22:32 GMT Mevrouw Bee said:

I think I really loathe DHL...

Don't let on, but I used to work for them...

Anyway, the album arrived today, including the autographed card, but excluding the CD, which we also ordered. Apparently an oversight on the seller's part; it will be in, in the next couple of days... and, no, that surprisingly is NOT DHL's fault... (which is quite unusual...)

[calvertbesseralseric]

Allan's in at #6 in this week's UK indie albums charts! Resurgence didn't even make the top 20, so this is a good showing for him. He also made it into the upper reaches of the sales, download, physical charts (around #20 in all).

[sandy]

Apr 16, 2023 13:35:45 GMT calvertbesseralseric said:

Allan's in at #6 in this week's UK indie albums charts! Resurgence didn't even make the top 20, so this is a good showing for him. He also made it into the upper reaches of the sales, download, physical charts (around #20 in all).

That's fantastic 😊😊

[sandy]

Apr 11, 2023 22:58:52 GMT cameron said:

Okay, I’ve had a couple of days with the album now, here’s my thoughts:

1. ‘You Need Someone To Save You’ is such a great album opener. It’s full of energy, with a catchy chorus refrain and Graham’s harmonies support Allan so well; I feared that he might be a little overbearing, but this is not the case anywhere on the album and they sound great together still. This song has quite a few contrasting sections and keeps developing as it pushes along. Overall, one of my favourites on the new album despite that cheap sounding keyboard bass.

2. ‘I’ll Never Forget’ a strong second track, completely contrasting the opener, a more melodramatic track that’s slower in tempo. Again, Graham’s harmonies sound great and Allan sounds quite youthful on this track. It’s got a really great lyric about getting older, and it feels like a bit of an autobiographical song from Graham and Allan about their lives together. It’s got hints of an orchestral backing, which is obviously played on a synthesiser. I know it would have required a bigger budget, but it really deserved some real strings to make this one of Allan’s infamous big ballads.

3. ‘The Presence of You’ is Allan’s love-song to Jenni. It’s a more American/country vibe with slide guitar and hints of harmonica. It’s got one of those really descriptive lyrics that Allan is so well known for with a really beautiful message. Graham sings in tight harmony with Allan pretty much all the way through, but overall I just feel that the arrangement doesn’t quite make the most of the melody and the lyrics, to me, it comes across as a lullaby. But wonderful sentiment nonetheless, the lyrics are spot on.

4. ‘Movin On’ sounds to me like a melodic re-write of ‘I’ll Keep On Walking’ from ‘Resurgence’. The melody is incredibly similar. This song is pretty good, it’s got quite an involved arrangement fleshed out with piano and distorted lead guitar. Graham provides harmonies here too, and Allan’s voice sounds strong. The lyrics are mostly autobiographical too, perhaps a nod to the Hollies in a way, remarking how they played guitar and sang together but there was something missing and they needed to find it.

5. ‘When Love Walked Out the Room’ closes side one of the LP, and it’s a real early 1960s style arrangement and it’s a pretty catchy song. Lots of jangly guitars, “doo-doo-doo” style backing vocals (I don’t think Graham is on this song?) and to me, Allan sounds perhaps his most youthful on this track, particularly in the verses. He’s at the top end of his vocal range where he still has some power, and it’s really nice to hear that unmistakable Clarkey tone.

6. ‘You Shine A Light’ is a slow ballad to open side two of the LP. There’s a whole soulful arrangement going on with hints of organ in the mix. Its almost like some kind of religious song. It’s just too much of a slow burner for me, not one of my favourites. Graham is on harmonies on this, and I think Allan’s lower register vocals suit Graham’s voice more these days. His more recent CSN(Y) vocals can come across a bit nasally and shrill, but consistently on this album Graham sounds more like he used to when he was with the Hollies and that’s a delight to hear. He balances his vocal so well with Allan at all times and they create a kind of magical “third voice” when they sing together.

7. ‘You Didn’t Like It’ and I didn’t really like it! This is a 1950s skiffle arrangement and it’s just not the sort of music that I enjoy listening to. That said, Allan sounds really good here and Graham sounds great with Allan. They’ve overdubbed the harmonies to add in that third harmony in places, so in that respect, it’s very much like the Hollies sound, albeit in a style of song that the Hollies never really did. It’s a bit of a throwaway song, IMO.

8. ‘Buddy’s Back’ I’m assuming if you’ve made it this far, you’ve heard this song already. I actually like it, despite it being in that 1950s skiffle mould like the previous track. It’s another autobiographical song and Graham’s harmonies really soar here. I love the little keyboard counter melodies in to link the verses. This is right back in the mould of early catchy Hollies songs.

9. ‘Let’s Take This Back To Bed’ is another Americana style number with harmonica, a shuffle drum beat, acoustic guitar lines and a bit of a walking bass. Again, not really my sort of thing. I think Allan harmonises with himself here on the choruses, so a bit of a different vocal sound on this track.

10. ‘Maybe the Next Time’ this is more of a return to the rock fold, but still a slow song. Graham sings in close harmony with Allan, though the melody isn’t as strong on this track, I tend to not remember how it goes, even after a few listens. It doesn’t feature the usual progression that Allan’s songs are known for, it’s quite repetitive.

11. ‘Who Am I?’ Wow. Just wow. This is the real highlight of the album for me. This is the most exciting/adventurous track to come from the Hollies stable for quite some decades! A very powerful lead vocal from Allan, with a bit of an eastern vibe in the orchestral style backing, pushed along with what sounds to be like an Indian tabla drum. It builds such great tension with its arrangement which constantly drops off to nothing and then starts again. The lyrics are very philosophical, pleading in the chorus “is there anybody out there?!” and the melody towards the end of the chorus takes a few twists and turns. It’s instantly catchy, instantly memorable and a superb album closer.

Overall, I’m happy with Allan’s new album, and bringing Graham back to the fold was a really smart move. I’m amazed at how well their voices still gel and how identifiable that “Hollies sound” is with them. I don’t feel overall like this album pushes musical boundaries as hard as ‘Resurgence’ did, perhaps because there’s so many simple Americana/Country/Skiffle tracks here. I can’t stand the low register keyboard bass throughout the album that just has the worst tone to it, and a couple of the tracks with orchestral parts really deserved some real instruments to just make those songs really pop. It also would have been great to have some more real drums to just add a bit of flair in places. I guess all that is more studio time and money. But overall, Allan’s still singing well, still writing wonderful lyrics and still has that ability to write a great and interesting song. We never thought we’d hear Allan and Graham sing together again, so this is an unexpected delight.

Favourite tracks: Who Am I, You Need Someone To Save You, Buddy’s Back, I’ll Never Forget and When Love Walked Out the Room.

I like the album artwork, it’s a great photo of Allan, and the vinyl pressing is really top notch. I ordered it from Allan’s website and it came with an autographed picture card. Superbly packaged and reasonable postage. I urge people to buy from Allan’s website as opposed to third party retailers.

🙂Agree with pretty much everything too.
Really moving to hear Allan and Graham singing their life story in many of the songs.
The opening and closing tracks just blew my mind?!? Absolutely wonderful, and credit to Francis who brings all these ideas to life.
Title track, " I'll never forget" gets very similar treatment,in my opinion, to Glen Campbell's cover of The Foo Fighters ' " Times like these", and is a gem too.

And straight to number 6 in Indie album charts is just so deserved. 👌🎶

[baz]

Kinda funny... new albums from Allan, Graham and Mikael Rickfors.

As for the band which made them famous...