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Post by stuball on Oct 1, 2015 15:12:43 GMT
Last week while rummaging, I came across an old cassette from '88 - Hollies' Rarities. Still possessing a workable player, I slipped it into the old drawer and attentively listened to these old tracks for the first time in probably 20 years. Of course, most of the songs have long since appeared in CD form, but one that has not, at least not to my knowledge, is 'Here In My Dreams'.
If ever there was a track that illustrated what was ailing The Hollies recordings post '75, this is it. Not that this number is in itself lacking potential: Allan Clarke's lead vocal is heartfelt and sincere. The harmonies are, as usual, top notch. And the instrumental tracks are, as would be expected, quite competent. But that's where the positives end. In a pattern that would be repeated ad nauseum in the coming years, the song is safe, slow and, dare I say it, boring. Where are the hooks that used to make a Hollies song 3 minutes of magic? No guitar leads, or catchy drum fills. Even the sax solo (provided by Jim Jewell I suspect) is dull and meandering, devoid of any inspiration. However, in Jim's defense, his solo fits the lacklustre tone of the performance to a tee. No wonder one wag from the late 70's declared this era 'The Hollies with mid-riff bulge'.
'Here In My Dreams' could be the poster child for what went wrong musically for the group late in their career: a song devoid of life, pace and above all, inspiration. Come to think of it, this unreleased cure for insomnia would have fit perfectly on the 'A Crazy Steal' LP, where The Hollies appeared to be struggling to come up with enough tracks to pad out the album. But perhaps in an LP already top-heavy with morose, downbeat ballads, the group thought better of it. Whatever the case, the track lay buried for a dozen years and that was probably for the best.
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Post by dirtyfaz on Oct 3, 2015 23:18:33 GMT
Here In My Dreams is available on CD.
Obviously the CD version of the cassette you mention Rarities
It is also used as a bonus track on the Magic Records CD issue of Russian Roulette.
Seems like the Hollies didn't like it much either as the track hasn't been used on any of the later collections yet.
Maybe it will appear if they do a followup CD set to the CHN years and Changin' Times.
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Post by stuball on Oct 4, 2015 18:05:26 GMT
Seems like the Hollies didn't like it much either as the track hasn't been used on any of the later collections yet. Maybe it will appear if they do a followup CD set to the CHN years and Changin' Times. Yes, hopefully there will be a followup to Changin' Times. Obviously the CHN Years sold well enough to warrant the release of Changin' Times. And fingers crossed, perhaps CT will sell enough copies to justify a new CD of the later Hollies material. Don't know how sales have been in Australia, or Britain for that matter, but over here there has been no domestic release of Changin' Times, solely the British import. And a recent experience, although admittedly only anecdotal, leads me to doubt the release of a third collection. This summer I went into my local record shop(dating myself, I should say CD, DVD, multi-media store) and asked a very pleasant young lady whether they might be bringing in said CD. She replied that sure, they often order imports. She led me to a computer and asked the name of the CD and the group. "Changin' Times......by The Hollies" I blurted out. "By the who??" she queried. That should have been my first clue. "By The Hollies" I repeated. "H...O..double L..." "Got it" she exclaimed, still gazing at her screen. Then she looked up at me with an apologetic frown and delivered the blow. "Sorry, we do bring in imports of popular acts but I'm afraid not by cult artists. No demand for that kind of stuff. You really should order it over the internet." Which is what I immediately did upon returning home. But I'm still processing the thought that my favourite group has now been reduced in the general public eye, to cult status! |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 5, 2015 6:34:01 GMT
Yes, hopefully there will be a followup to Changin' Times. Obviously the CSN Years sold well enough to warrant the release of Changin' Times...... ......But I'm still processing the thought that my favourite group has now been reduced in the general public eye, to cult status! To be fair even you called the first box-set "The CSN Years"...  |
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Post by stuball on Oct 5, 2015 11:25:50 GMT
Good eye Peter, for pointing out that incorrect initialism! I've corrected it above.
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Post by cameron on Oct 6, 2015 6:22:09 GMT
I was in HMV yesterday and they had a special section within the Hollies section for Changin Times and it was also featured on their stand of "recommended reissues" so that's something positive!
I doubt there will be a third set too. Where would they stop - with "What Goes Around"? Or "Buddy Holly"? Or even tag along tracks up until 1995 or so with the Buddy Holly tribute track? Either way, it seriously lacks commercial appeal, so I'm not holding my breath. There'd only be one hit "The Air That I Breathe" and the rest would be the dreary ballad period!
As much as I love the Hollies, I don't care for anything after Russian Roulette really. They really dropped the ball after that and I'm not sure why. They had so many opportunities but failed miserably. Especially on the Nash reunion album - a whole album of covers and tracks not written by the legendary Clarke-Hicks-Nash writing team and laden with a synthesiser, are you kidding me?!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2015 7:45:58 GMT
Especially on the Nash reunion album - a whole album of covers and tracks not written by the legendary Clarke-Hicks-Nash writing team and laden with a synthesiser, are you kidding me?! I've yet to see any Hollies fans really praise this album (though feel free to prove me wrong anyone). Mediocre songs, over-modernised arrangements (that quickly dated), and no originals (wasn't even Nash writing anymore?), they clearly forgot what had made them great in the first place. I do quite like 'Stop! In The Name Of Love', but imagine how good that could've sounded with a more organic arrangement. |
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Post by cameron on Oct 6, 2015 11:25:09 GMT
I think Stop In The Name Of Love and Take My Love And Run are the only two tracks that I like. CSN had just released an album before the Hollies LP with songs like Wasted On The Way and Just A Song Before I Go, showing that Nash was still capable of writing a good tune. And I think the Hollies' version of Wasted On The Way from the Reunion/Archive Alive album is better than CSN's!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2015 12:24:32 GMT
And I think the Hollies' version of Wasted On The Way from the Reunion/Archive Alive album is better than CSN's! Agreed, it's superb! |
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