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Post by JamesT on Jul 11, 2015 17:36:14 GMT
Really great to have nice 'clean' versions of the tracks in the Changin' Times box set.
A grand album - the Rickfors lineup really settling in. Any thoughts from the panel?
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Post by cameron on Jul 11, 2015 23:24:23 GMT
I was quite content not to buy any CD release of it until I bought the original vinyl, and I'm glad I did! I'd advise anyone to forgo the various poor vinyl rips available on CD. But it was very hard to get, had to buy it from America nonetheless. Once I realised how rare it was, the "Out On The Road binge" started lol. Got three copies now!
My first thoughts were it was a more "Hollies" album than Romany. I adore Romany. It's such a varied mix of high energy rock (Won't You Feel Good That Morning, Slow Down, Delaware Taggett And The Outlaw Boys, Courage Your Convictions), soft rock (Magic Woman Touch, Lizzy The Rainman, Blue In The Morning), beautiful ballads (Jesus Was A Crossmaker, Romany, Down River) and stunning acoustic tracks (Touch and Words Don't Come Easy). All killer and no filler. But it could have been by a new band altogether. It's so well crafted and meticulously out together; you can tell they really took their time with it.
Out On The Road seems like a more average Hollies album to me. Great from start to finish, similar theme/style throughout but it lacks the depth and detail of Romany. There's not loads of overdubs on it and it's quite "back to basics" in approach after Romany. I certainly think it's a very strong album.
1. Out On The Road - the title track is a great opener, great walking bass line from Bernie. Mikael Rickfors sounds more confident and his pronunciation is very clear (contrary to reports at the time). I do think it's way better than the remake that they did with Allan Clarke on Hollies ('74) though.
2. A Better Place - lovely message in this song. Tony's electric banjo (as made famous on "The Baby", but actually appeared as early as "I Shall Be Released" in 1969) makes a reappearance here. You can hear Tony and Terry's backing vocals in their full fore here - no third harmony from Mikael in the mix, showing that they were re-thinking their approach to vocals and their ability to reproduce the record live.
3. They Don't Realise I'm Down - Mikael's voice is beautiful here. You can see why Tony compared him to Scott Walker of the Walker Brothers. It's dark, moody and sang wholeheartedly. A great track.
4. The Last Wind - For me, the highlight of the album. It's as close to CSN as the Hollies ever got. And it's SUBLIME. Gorgeous three-way harmonies throughout, just two guitars and some roaring timpani in the climatic solo lead by Tony's wah-wah guitar. But it's gorgeous from start to finish, one of the Hollies' finest moments I think. It sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it.
5. Mr. Heartbreaker - Terry's solo vocal spot and it's what he does best - a gentle ballad. It's slow, gentle and soft. Listen very carefully for Tony and Mikael's lovely hummed accompaniment in the verses. Some nice piano fills from Bernie. I think Mikael contributes the soulful harmonica fills.
6. Born A Man - a rare solo vocal for Tony here. I actually think it's his best lead vocal on a Hollies recording. It's confident, clear and articulate. It's a great "full" track with drums, bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, organ and piano. The piano part especially drives the verses on nicely - again I believe it to be Bernie playing.
7. Slow Down, Go Down - side two of the album opens up with a very questionable number ("give me a woman that I can trust, and I don't have to beat") BUT it's a very catchy track. It's got a very countrified vibe to it with Tony's finger-picked Banjo part that's very subtly backed up with his electric sitar in the chorus. Some interesting percussion too in the middle-eight section with a guiro (that makes a "scraping: sound, as heard at the start of "Carrie Anne") and some soft maracas and a shaker.
8. Don't Leave The Child Alone - where the album did creep out in Germany, this was lifted as the single. It's another beautiful track with hushed vocals in the verses. A fairly acoustic number with some nice drum fills from Bobby if you listen carefully - possibly inspiring those on "The Air That I Breathe" a year later. Tony's wah-wah peddle makes a return here.
9. Nearer To You - I've always wondered who plays the recorder/piccalo style instrument on this track. Another great bass line from Bernie here. It's possibly the 'poppiest' track on the record. Tony provides some subtle off beat guitar stabs in the verses giving the track an almost reggae feel. The middle-eight section develops further with a piano being added into the mix playing it's own solo part rather than just playing the chords of the song. It's followed by an instrumental break on that recorder/piccalo instrument again. And just when you think the song is over, it drops in key and rolls out with the infectious "another day gone, travelling on, getting nearer to you". Great track overall.
10. Pick Up The Pieces - this very version was included on Hollies ('74) and is a solo vocal from Terry. It's lovely and moody with Tony's wailing electric sitar playing throughout and I believe he pushes it through his wah-wah peddle for the accompaniment.
11. Trans-Atlantic Westbound Jet - co-written by Bobby making his first appearance with a writing credit since 1964's "Keep Off Of That Friend Of Mine". It starts simply with acoustic guitar, then bass, and gradually adds drums, electric guitar, organ and builds and builds. Again, definitely better than the remake for Hollies ('74), it rocks harder and has bigger contrasts in dynamics making it a moody piece. Great album closer.
In all, I think it's a great Hollies LP. Not quite in the same league as Romany, but I was not disappointed when I first heard it. Can't wait to receive my copy of "Changin' Times" to get a clear version of it. Although from the quick listen I had on Spotify, my vinyl rip packs a bit more punch!
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Post by gee on Jul 12, 2015 8:47:15 GMT
Nice review
I read somewhere it was Hans Peter Arnesen on woodwinds on 'Nearer to You'
Terry has said he re-cut 'Pick up The Pieces Again' for 'Hollies' (1974) - I think it's the same basic track remixed with maybe the odd bit of additional instrumentation added - The Hollies recording sessions do list the song as first recorded on 26 February 1973 for OOTR album...and again over 15-19 October 1973 for 'Hollies' (1974) album.
'Slow Down Go Down' (which charted - just - in Australia as a single reaching No.73) does include that controversial line, but I suspect it's a deliberate play on words
does it mean - a woman you can put your complete trust in without fear of having to compete with, outdo, face a challenge from in any way (hopefully the meaning of the line !)
or simply not 'clobber her' ! (I suspect & would hope it meant the former not the latter)
you would get plays on words often done in sheer mischief
John Lennon typically added a line to Paul's 1967 song 'Getting Better': 'I used to be cruel to my woman I BEAT her and kept her apart from the things that she loved...' - (that clearly referred to domestic violence) but at the time nobody seemed to object ! (John's 'Run For Your Life' was another rather stark song)
'Out on The Road' - like 'In The Hollies Style' and 'Hollies Sing Hollies' saw them emerge as prolific songwriters which was a recurring feature on the 'second' album made by the first, second, and third incarnation of The Hollies respectively after first recording a (largely if not complete) debut album of covers ('Stay With...', 'Sing Dylan', 'Romany') - they wrote just over half of 'Hollies Style' and ALL of 'Sing Hollies' & 'OOTR'
Interesting the various songwriting team ups too - 'Sylvester-Rickfors', 'Elliott-Sylvester' besides the established 'Hicks-Lynch' team and Terry & Mike solo,
while 'Mr. Heartbreaker' - yes featuring Mike on harmonica - a very different song yet curiously it's lyrics echoing Graham Nash's sentiments on 'Clown' back in 1966 - was penned by Terry and Dean Ford of Marmalade who also recorded the song on his 1975 solo album on EMI Records.
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Post by Stranger on Jul 12, 2015 12:11:29 GMT
while 'Mr. Heartbreaker' - yes featuring Mike on harmonica - a very different song yet curiously it's lyrics echoing Graham Nash's sentiments on 'Clown' back in 1966 - was penned by Terry and Dean Ford of Marmalade who also recorded the song on his 1975 solo album on EMI Records. I often wonder if this was more of a Dean Ford song as he recorded it at least 3 times, so, he seems to have had some special regard for it. Marmalade recorded but never released it in or around 1971/2. They then recorded and released a different version on their '74 album before Dean Ford released his solo version the following year. That solo version was produced by Alan Parsons, who of course has a strong connection with the Hollies.
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Post by dirtyfaz on Jul 12, 2015 13:44:16 GMT
Isn't there a demo version on disc 2 of Rainbow - The Decca Years 1969-1972. There is another version on Kaleidoscope that maybe sometimes is called Ultimate Marmalade. I just had a listen and they are both the same versions. I see the Parsons connection and I sometimes wonder is writing credits are not what they really are. Maybe Terry got some credit for writing the song because he got it onto a Hollies LP even if it was withdrawn in the UK before issue. This sort of thing was rife in the US through the 60's so I wonder if it also occurred in the UK.
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