|
Post by irelandcalling4 on Aug 4, 2015 13:55:39 GMT
'Another Night' - the only Hollie album up to 1979 I had not given a proper listen to; after an initial listen last year when I first got it, I felt it wasn't quite as interesting as the records preceeding and following it.
However, over the weekend, I gave it quite a few spins; I read quite a few reviews also and this one seems to be a favourite of many.
I always felt 'Hollies' (1974) and 'Russian Roulette' were the strongest of the 1974-1983 albums, but I must say I really enjoyed 'Another Night' and I would put it on a same level as 'Write On' and maybe also 'Hollies'.
The title track, 'Sandy', 'You Gave Me Life', 'Second Hand Hang Ups', and even 'Time Machine Jive' I find all very good. Perhaps 'Look Out Johnny' may be a lesser though still decent track; overall, it's a quality album. With some very high points indeed.
'Hello Lady Goodbye' is a good B Side also I must say.
My version (Magic Records methinks) has 'Why Don't You Call' - an Allan Clarke track I believe; I have a query also on another of the Bonus Tracks, the fantastic version of Bruce's 'Born To Run' - is this the Hollies or Clarke solo?
|
|
|
Post by cameron on Aug 4, 2015 16:06:47 GMT
The Magic version has Allan Clarke's solo version of Born To Run included BUT the Hollies did record it before he did and it's another Marrakesh Express escapade - some say the Hollies' version is just a backing track, some say it only has Allan's solo vocal (like the Faces used to play on Rod Stewart's solo records) and others say it's complete. Whatever the case, it remains under lock and key in the vaults. I guess we may find out one day...
I really like Allan's version of Born To Run, I think it's better than Brice Springsteen's!
|
|
|
Post by irelandcalling4 on Aug 6, 2015 9:55:30 GMT
Agreed, Allan's version of 'Born to Run' is even better that Bruce's original; it really is an excellent cover version.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2015 10:18:43 GMT
Agreed, Allan's version of 'Born to Run' is even better that Bruce's original; it really is an excellent cover version. The kinda material The Hollies should've been releasing as singles during the latter half of the 70s, at least some of the time!
|
|
|
Post by cameron on Aug 7, 2015 10:01:16 GMT
Allan's solo albums weren't always perfect, but generally had a clearer direction to that which the Hollies' albums were going in. If the Hollies had issued 'Legendary Heros' instead of 'Buddy Holly', I think they'd have faired a lot better. 'Slipstream' is still one of my favourite songs. It's so infectiously catchy. Sadly, Allan Clarke had come from a famously faceless band (to the general public, at least) and was trying to launch a solo career off the back of this. It's a shame it never worked for him as he deserved it as much as anyone who "went solo" in any band. But I guess it wasn't to be.
Back to 'Another Night', the album was actually recorded to try and "break" America with it. It picks up quite nicely where 'Romany' left off I think. 'Hollies '74' was a bit more eclectic and typical of the Hollies studio albums, whereas 'Another Night' has that conscious polish to it like 'Romany' with the multiple overdubs and intricate arrangements. It's a very good album. But amazingly, they took it to their American record label, Epic, and they declined to release it! All that effort for nothing. That was the beginning of the end for them I feel. 'Hollies '74' was a good seller in America, so I can't see the logic behind Epic's decision. It would be another two years in America before American fans got another Hollies LP officially with the bastardised 'Clarke, Sylvester, Hicks, Elliott, Calvert' in 1977 which was a mash-up of 'Write On' and 'Russian Roulette'. Luckily, American fans were more dedicated than British fans and often went to seek out their UK LPs as imports. But the general public was cheated out of their Hollies fix in the US from then on.
|
|
|
Post by irelandcalling4 on Aug 7, 2015 13:18:57 GMT
Thanks for that information Cameron; I can certainly see where the 'breaking America' bit comes in to the sound and mood of 'Another Night'.
As I mentioned initially, not an album I'd given much time to when discovering it, but over this past week, I'm really coming to like it a lot. I think it's better than 'Hollies '74' and even 'Write On'. Fine albums though they are, I think 'Another Night' has an extra spark to it; I'm only a week in thus far, but, 'tis a good one for sure.
PS 'Why Don't You Call' - Clarke solo, bonus track; trying to find where this comes from. Was it a B-Side? It's another good track.
|
|
|
Post by Stranger on Aug 7, 2015 14:18:44 GMT
I thought Another Night was released in the US and got a big push with TV appearances and some special concert dates at the Bottom Line etc. but that it didn't perform well despite this and that's what really hurt their relationship with Epic.
|
|
|
Post by stuball on Aug 7, 2015 15:16:39 GMT
Yes Stranger, you're 100% correct! 'Another Night' was released in the US and Canada in May 1975. Epic put a lot of promotional push, by Hollies standards, behind the LP. Ads were placed in all the pop mags, and The Hollies appeared for 4 nights in New York and then a further 4 in Los Angeles. The album was reviewed extremely positively in nearly every major magazine, and the group was interviewed in the pop papers. The Hollies also appeared on late night TV shows performing 'Sandy' and 'Another Night', the two singles from the LP. That the LP rose only to #123 on the Billboard album charts, was not for want of trying. However, directly after its mediocre chart performance, Epic thought The Hollies a lost cause and basically abandoned the group, subsequently releasing very little with zero promotion, essentially riding out their contract until its 1979 expiry.
Don't know where this rumour began that AN wasn't released over here, but it's hogwash. The Epic release however, was different from the Brit LP in that it didn't have the gatesleeve format. You had to figure out the lyrics by yourself!
|
|
|
Post by roots66 on Aug 7, 2015 18:55:04 GMT
I think my favorite track on it is "Give Me Time." The lush production and swoonerific performance are enough to make one forgive the caddish subject matter.
|
|