Post by gee on Oct 14, 2022 23:46:47 GMT
After the look at 'Write On' the second 'forgotten' studio album of 1976 again is worthy of a revisit...
The opening and closing tracks were - in my opinion wrongly - released as the two 'flop' UK singles from this all original Clarke-Hicks-Sylvester penned album - tho' each charted overseas
Terry has said they were specifically writing songs in styles which is arguably a good or not thing but the songs themselves do have their merits notably strong vocals with an interesting stereo mix that put Clarke central and Hicks on one stereo channel, Sylvester the other thus on headphone you can clearly hear who vocally contributed what to the 'Hollies sound'
the opening track 'Wiggle That Wotsit' - which made Bernie Calvert 'cringe' ! may have suffered from naff lyrics but nevertheless charted in four countries as a single, making no.11 in New Zealand, no.19 in Sweden, no.22 in Belgium, and no.23 in Holland....so not quite the 'flop' we all just assume
- it does feature tight harmonies, a strident Clarke lead vocal, funky Hicks guitar, sharp Elliott drumming and a Chicago style guest brass section including Henry Lowther (who played alongside Jack Bruce in Manfred Mann in 1966)
a crunching guitar led rocker '48 Hour Parole' - maybe a wiser choice as a UK 'A' side ? - featured a strong high harmony vocal by Terry Sylvester besides powering Clarke lead vocal and likewise Elliott drums together with rockin' piano by 'sideman' Hans Peter Arnesen
'Thanks For The Memories' features haunting brass over brisk group instrumentation - note Tony Hicks harmony vocal is put to the fore on the chorus lines here
'My Love' is a bit run of the mill as a song but again notable Clarke-Hicks-Sylvester harmonies lift it up, a middle of the road pop number
'Lady Of The Night' is a disco frills styled item notably featuring Jim Jewell on saxophone, which has tight harmonies and better lyrics than 'Wiggle' !
the title track 'Russian Roulette' opened side two, a driving guitar led track with Hicks on form, plus harmonies only by Clarke-Sylvester
'Draggin' My Heels' was a better paced disco styled number with strong percussion, trademark harmonies, A 'cool' Clarke reflective lead vocal, and actually made the 'Contemporary' chart in Canada - it also existed in a longer twelve inch version, but the shorter version here - later maybe wasted as just a UK 'B'side - could perhaps have worked as a UK single in 1976..? - tho' a curious big clue against that was that Bobby Elliott later said he never liked it much ! (possibly I have wondered due to the guest percussionist stealing the honours here ??)
'Draggin' nevertheless remained in their concert show for some time, becoming later keyboardist Denis Haines solo spotlight as he extended it out quite a bit - some Hollies fans actually referred to that as 'Draggin' My Keyboard' (!) - I must admit I prefer the original album track length version which later was perhaps rather wasted as the 'few years old' UK single 'B' side to 'Soldier's Song' later in 1980...
'Louise' is a pounding guitar led rockin' track again with Jim Jewell guesting on featured saxophone and the band in full energy mode (something seldom to be heard on their singles then), Clarke's lead vocal and the three way vocal harmonies - notably Terry Sylvester's high harmony - stand out as does Bobby's drumming
'Be With You' - while 'borrowing' the harmony vocal melody from The Herd's sixties hit 'Paradise Lost' - is a pleasant harmony showcase number (as was 'Stewball' for the 'mark one' Nash era Hollies back in 1966), the track clearly features the three vocalists respective roles in the overall harmony sound well here
'Daddy Don't Mind' - closed the album on a powering guitar led note and despite it's lyrical limitations was a decent enough 'pop/rocker' track full of energy vocally and instrumentally - tho' the trombone solo (well played) does rather disrupt the flow of the number in my view...they did do a storming live version of this on TV at the time while the single did chart in at least three countries overseas, reaching no.21 in Holland, no.26 in Belgium, and no.36 in Germany...so again not a complete 'flop' as a single and they did get two overseas chart singles from this set, plus a Canadian chart entry with 'Draggin' My Heels'
.
the album has plenty of energy and powering playing plus vocals - Hicks guitar is well to the fore on most tracks and Terry Sylvester stands out as a supreme high harmony vocalist here
The album is NOT full of slow, melodramatic ballads at least...!
the group sound united and rarin' to go on the album, and it does sound like a properly constructed album not a 'put together' effort as the following 1978 album sounded to me
The album did chart in Sweden reaching no.36
never given a USA release or indeed a proper remastered CD in the 'Polydor' albums stalled re-issue series a remastered CD version, maybe a vinyl album too plus 'bonus' tracks the non album singles 'B' sides 'C'mon' and 'Corrine' is long overdue and would help put this other 'forgotten' Hollies seventies album properly back in their catalogue....
maybe a 2CD set of; 'Write On. / 'Russian Roulette' could be put out by Warners ?
The opening and closing tracks were - in my opinion wrongly - released as the two 'flop' UK singles from this all original Clarke-Hicks-Sylvester penned album - tho' each charted overseas
Terry has said they were specifically writing songs in styles which is arguably a good or not thing but the songs themselves do have their merits notably strong vocals with an interesting stereo mix that put Clarke central and Hicks on one stereo channel, Sylvester the other thus on headphone you can clearly hear who vocally contributed what to the 'Hollies sound'
the opening track 'Wiggle That Wotsit' - which made Bernie Calvert 'cringe' ! may have suffered from naff lyrics but nevertheless charted in four countries as a single, making no.11 in New Zealand, no.19 in Sweden, no.22 in Belgium, and no.23 in Holland....so not quite the 'flop' we all just assume
- it does feature tight harmonies, a strident Clarke lead vocal, funky Hicks guitar, sharp Elliott drumming and a Chicago style guest brass section including Henry Lowther (who played alongside Jack Bruce in Manfred Mann in 1966)
a crunching guitar led rocker '48 Hour Parole' - maybe a wiser choice as a UK 'A' side ? - featured a strong high harmony vocal by Terry Sylvester besides powering Clarke lead vocal and likewise Elliott drums together with rockin' piano by 'sideman' Hans Peter Arnesen
'Thanks For The Memories' features haunting brass over brisk group instrumentation - note Tony Hicks harmony vocal is put to the fore on the chorus lines here
'My Love' is a bit run of the mill as a song but again notable Clarke-Hicks-Sylvester harmonies lift it up, a middle of the road pop number
'Lady Of The Night' is a disco frills styled item notably featuring Jim Jewell on saxophone, which has tight harmonies and better lyrics than 'Wiggle' !
the title track 'Russian Roulette' opened side two, a driving guitar led track with Hicks on form, plus harmonies only by Clarke-Sylvester
'Draggin' My Heels' was a better paced disco styled number with strong percussion, trademark harmonies, A 'cool' Clarke reflective lead vocal, and actually made the 'Contemporary' chart in Canada - it also existed in a longer twelve inch version, but the shorter version here - later maybe wasted as just a UK 'B'side - could perhaps have worked as a UK single in 1976..? - tho' a curious big clue against that was that Bobby Elliott later said he never liked it much ! (possibly I have wondered due to the guest percussionist stealing the honours here ??)
'Draggin' nevertheless remained in their concert show for some time, becoming later keyboardist Denis Haines solo spotlight as he extended it out quite a bit - some Hollies fans actually referred to that as 'Draggin' My Keyboard' (!) - I must admit I prefer the original album track length version which later was perhaps rather wasted as the 'few years old' UK single 'B' side to 'Soldier's Song' later in 1980...
'Louise' is a pounding guitar led rockin' track again with Jim Jewell guesting on featured saxophone and the band in full energy mode (something seldom to be heard on their singles then), Clarke's lead vocal and the three way vocal harmonies - notably Terry Sylvester's high harmony - stand out as does Bobby's drumming
'Be With You' - while 'borrowing' the harmony vocal melody from The Herd's sixties hit 'Paradise Lost' - is a pleasant harmony showcase number (as was 'Stewball' for the 'mark one' Nash era Hollies back in 1966), the track clearly features the three vocalists respective roles in the overall harmony sound well here
'Daddy Don't Mind' - closed the album on a powering guitar led note and despite it's lyrical limitations was a decent enough 'pop/rocker' track full of energy vocally and instrumentally - tho' the trombone solo (well played) does rather disrupt the flow of the number in my view...they did do a storming live version of this on TV at the time while the single did chart in at least three countries overseas, reaching no.21 in Holland, no.26 in Belgium, and no.36 in Germany...so again not a complete 'flop' as a single and they did get two overseas chart singles from this set, plus a Canadian chart entry with 'Draggin' My Heels'
.
the album has plenty of energy and powering playing plus vocals - Hicks guitar is well to the fore on most tracks and Terry Sylvester stands out as a supreme high harmony vocalist here
The album is NOT full of slow, melodramatic ballads at least...!
the group sound united and rarin' to go on the album, and it does sound like a properly constructed album not a 'put together' effort as the following 1978 album sounded to me
The album did chart in Sweden reaching no.36
never given a USA release or indeed a proper remastered CD in the 'Polydor' albums stalled re-issue series a remastered CD version, maybe a vinyl album too plus 'bonus' tracks the non album singles 'B' sides 'C'mon' and 'Corrine' is long overdue and would help put this other 'forgotten' Hollies seventies album properly back in their catalogue....
maybe a 2CD set of; 'Write On. / 'Russian Roulette' could be put out by Warners ?