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Post by anthony on Oct 31, 2022 23:57:15 GMT
Thanks Gee, very well said, gee I would love to hear a bit of a shake up to the set list to, agree a few more songs from the Howard’s era would be great, but the Hollies are playing to a wider audience not just the people here that for some reason know what’s best, gee they wouldn’t make a living if it was for us so called loyal and knowledgeable fans. Thank goodness for the general public that just like to hear great songs. You are right when did the Hollies not do a greatest hits concert, why blame it on this line up when all the other didn’t bother. Funny the Hollies with Allan Clarke in concert has had plenty of empty seats at concerts here in Oz, I remember in 1987 being embarrassed how many empty seats. I know with the so called Nash reunion tour Tony said something like did you come in the one Taxi, so many be the good old days were not that good.
I know I have seen this line up many times in the UK and here in Oz, no empty seats, the audiences seem really pleased with the shows. Ok for us real diehard fans like myself who are totally sick of Yes I will and Sorry Suzanne I’m sure a lot love these songs. Tony and Bobby pull the pin then that’s another blast from the past gone, at least we are seeing two members who were there for the hits, ok Bob is like the Ringo, Brian Bennet came in after the start, Tony has been there from when they started recording found Heavy for the band, wrote the Aussie and NZ hit Too Young to be married. It dumbfounds me why they cop the criticism but then everyone has an option and that’s good. Just wish the one that like to do that give their views on how things could have been done better, what they would have liked.
Funny groups like Sweet and Slade have new lead singers every few months, funny this would be the longest line up the Hollies have ever had, that must hurt the knockers and they are still very popular, no empty seats at their shows
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Post by Tony Wilkinson on Nov 1, 2022 8:23:57 GMT
"Just wish the one that like to do that give their views on how things could have been done better, what they would have liked."
If you are referring to me Anthony and what I would have liked, maybe had they operated as Hicks & Elliot, or Hicks and Elliot sing The Hollies, I don't know It's just when you see the recent released footage from LTAW then there is absolutely no comparison. Maybe i'm right, maybe i'm wrong but thats what a forum is all about yes/no ? an exchange of views, news, opinions and information.. However, you will be pleased to hear that these are my very last words on the matter ...
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Post by anthony on Nov 1, 2022 8:37:09 GMT
"Just wish the one that like to do that give their views on how things could have been done better, what they would have liked." If you are referring to me Anthony and what I would have liked, maybe had they operated as Hicks & Elliot, or Hicks and Elliot sing The Hollies, I don't know It's just when you see the recent released footage from LTAW then there is absolutely no comparison. Maybe i'm right, maybe i'm wrong but thats what a forum is all about yes/no ? an exchange of views, news, opinions and information.. However, you will be pleased to hear that these are my very last words on the matter ... Thanks Tony, good to hear your views, you are spot on, no wrong views, I just like to know what others are thinking.
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Post by johnt on Nov 1, 2022 14:05:47 GMT
Even as recently as 10 years ago, I would have looked forward to seeing the old guys play, but not anymore if it's just hits from 50 years ago. Maybe if I were a lifelong concert goer I would have aged with them, but having never had the access to live performances the rest of you have had, seeing any band for the first time 40-50 years after their hits...I don't know. I'm too tied to the records. I'm one of those lifelong concert goers who has aged with them. I was 15 years old when I attended my first Hollies concert and I'm now in my seventies! I'll keep on going to see them until Tony and Bobby decide to call it a day. I thought it may have been after this year's concert schedule but apparently not. I'm liking all the comments on this thread. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. That's what this forum is for.
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Post by baz on Nov 1, 2022 14:11:19 GMT
It's interesting to see how the current Hollies continue to split fans right down the middle and have been doing so since they recruited Peter Howarth.
All I'll say is my personal interest in The Hollies ends when Allan retired from the band and my interest lies more in their 20th Century legacy than with what has been going down over the last 22 years.
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Post by Stranger on Nov 1, 2022 17:32:09 GMT
I've enjoyed the few Howarth shows I went to but I do think they should have made more of an effort to keep the Hollies harmony sound. With a lead singer and somebody clearly singing above him.
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Post by dirtyfaz on Nov 1, 2022 22:39:34 GMT
This seems to have gotten a long way off topic. My 2 cents worth re the current band and setlist. Hey maybe the simple reason for not changing the set list is that they know it backwards so don't have to rehearse (I think I may have suggested this before). Just get a date and go and do the gig. A no brainer. Earn money and not have to prepare for it.
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Post by cameron on Nov 1, 2022 23:52:31 GMT
I've explained my personal "issue" with the current line up before, but it ties in very well with the original theme of this thread: look how exciting that concert footage from 1971 is! You've got a solid front line of three great singers; Allan's bold lead vocal, Terry's really strong soaring high harmony that cuts through confidently against Allan's powerful vocal, and then Tony joins in with his lower harmony which isn't instantly as identifiable as Allan and Terry's voices, but it's undoubtedly the glue that holds it all together. Just listen to the incredible acapella version of 'Amazing Grace' from the same show (over the closing credits of the LTAW documentary) and Tony coming in on the third verse is what makes the Hollies sound. When they lost Allan and gained Mikael Rickfors a couple of years later, Mikael still had the confident voice like Allan, but they still had Terry's superb high harmony and Tony's dependable lower harmony to tie it all together. The Hollies' trademark sound was sustained because of that wide spread of vocals.
As a side note, you've also got Bobby Elliott who is truly one of the greatest drummers that pop music has ever seen. This live clip from 1971 just goes to show how incredibly talented he was/is. But to me, he is another secret weapon to the Hollies sound. Those earliest recordings with Don Rathbone sound like almost any other beat group from that era. Enter Bobby and add Tony's third harmony to the mix, and suddenly they're a band with an enviable sound that are going somewhere.
So what's the issue with the current line up? For a start, that high harmony has gone. Steve Lauri sings falsetto, which neither Graham Nash, Terry Sylvester or Alan Coates did, they all had genuinely high alto range voices. To say there's now usually four of them singing on stage, that famous Hollies vocal punch just isn't there. That wide-ranging vocal spread has closed up. Peter Howarth has the confidence and power of Allan Clarke or Mikael Rickfors, but the secret to their sound was absolutely that strong two-part vocal mix, because Tony didn't always add his harmony if he was focusing on his lead guitar line. The Hollies have always been about harmony, even if it was just Allan duetting with Graham (like they do in the verses of 'Jennifer Eccles', for example) or Terry (just the two of them sing on 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' for the most part). That is totally gone now to my ears.
I don't for a second expect Bobby to be able to play like he does in this clip from 1971, but I have to admit he left me very impressed when I last saw them live in 2019. Despite his age and "toning down" his style, he is still a phenomenal drummer and, rightly so, they'd pushed his drums up front and centre. His stamina is still incredible and it was still fascinating to watch him play. Tony too you'd expect to not be able to tear up the fret board like he used to, especially as he occasionally references having a bit of arthritis in some recent radio interviews, but again, he's amazing to watch on stage still. One really positive thing I can say about the current line up is that they give Tony the space to play solos and warm the band up into certain songs. His style is so identifiable and exciting, he's also an irreplaceable part of the Hollies' sound.
The issue I have with the Hollies' new studio material from the last 20 years is that it just broadly isn't the same quality as their material was in their peak, but the same can be said for most of their studio material after around 1977/8. For a start, you've got the weak high harmony which is persistently their problem, but on 'Staying Power' they even replaced Bobby with a drum machine on some tracks! What on earth is that about?! He remains their joint main asset along with Tony, so the thought of sidelining him to save a bit of studio time/money is ridiculous. Even the most recent 'Skylarks' doesn't really feature Tony's guitar or Bobby's drums at all, and the production sounds cheap, particularly the synthesised strings on it. I know Bobby wrote most of it, but it doesn't have that "Hollies sound" in the same way that something like 'Then, Now and Always' does.
As for the setlist, I'm also one who wishes they'd dive into some of the older album tracks. Though I understand why they don't because they filled the dancefloor when I saw them last, only to include 'Magic Woman Touch' in the set and promptly clear it apart from about five of us! Then again, the floor also cleared for the Howarth-era material, so go figure.
Ultimately, they're damned if they do and damned if they don't. We all have the free choice to decide how we appreciate our favourite bands. I think the hatred for the current line up amongst some of the die-hard fans mainly stems from the erasure of their past from the official Hollies Fan Club, not wanting to be seen to comment on or promote anything that any former members of the band were doing. It gave some of us the impression that we were forced to accept the current line up as being the "definitive" Hollies. This extended to banning fans from the official forum for saying anything against the current line up and just not allowing many of us on in the first place having read our comments on this forum.
I think fans would be happier if more was done to celebrate their legacy and that too would take the heat off criticisms of "20 Golden Greats Live". In an ideal world, Tony and Bobby would make peace with Allan, Graham and Terry (and Bernie too, though there's no hard feelings there I'm sure), actively support an effort to tidy up their back catalogue and get it all available once more to fans old and new and find a new high harmony singer to give their vocal blend a much needed kick up the backside live. With Allan's return to the studio, Graham still being out on the road and Terry recently getting sober and taking some accountability, they are ripe for perhaps doing something special. There's also the small matter of a 60th anniversary to think about. They're the last major British Invasion act to have two out of three key line-ups survive completely and be in a position to still make music! If they actually did something together again, it would truly shake the music world to the core with their completely unique standing in the music industry. In the same way that Joni Mitchell recently made a triumphant emotional return to the stage at the Newport Jazz Festival this summer, we're at the point where these ageing music legends have earned the right to not be as perfect as they were in their heyday because we are just so grateful that they're still with us and still celebrating their legacy.
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Post by Mevrouw Bee on Nov 2, 2022 13:28:03 GMT
Even as recently as 10 years ago, I would have looked forward to seeing the old guys play, but not anymore if it's just hits from 50 years ago. Maybe if I were a lifelong concert goer I would have aged with them, but having never had the access to live performances the rest of you have had, seeing any band for the first time 40-50 years after their hits...I don't know. I'm too tied to the records. I'm one of those lifelong concert goers who has aged with them. I was 15 years old when I attended my first Hollies concert and I'm now in my seventies! I'll keep on going to see them until Tony and Bobby decide to call it a day. I thought it may have been after this year's concert schedule but apparently not. I'm liking all the comments on this thread. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. That's what this forum is for. Yeah, I'll fully admit I'm the outlier from Thunder Bay, Ontario where one concert a year is an event.
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Post by Mevrouw Bee on Nov 2, 2022 13:31:25 GMT
I've enjoyed the few Howarth shows I went to but I do think they should have made more of an effort to keep the Hollies harmony sound. With a lead singer and somebody clearly singing above him. A unique sound I doubt is easily doable without an outstanding lead singer. No disrespect to Peter, but few can fill Allan's shoes (or even Carl's) that way. Those who attend the concerts seem to be happy so meh.
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Post by Mevrouw Bee on Nov 2, 2022 13:35:33 GMT
I've explained my personal "issue" with the current line up before, but it ties in very well with the original theme of this thread: look how exciting that concert footage from 1971 is! You've got a solid front line of three great singers; Allan's bold lead vocal, Terry's really strong soaring high harmony that cuts through confidently against Allan's powerful vocal, and then Tony joins in with his lower harmony which isn't instantly as identifiable as Allan and Terry's voices, but it's undoubtedly the glue that holds it all together. Just listen to the incredible acapella version of 'Amazing Grace' from the same show (over the closing credits of the LTAW documentary) and Tony coming in on the third verse is what makes the Hollies sound. When they lost Allan and gained Mikael Rickfors a couple of years later, Mikael still had the confident voice like Allan, but they still had Terry's superb high harmony and Tony's dependable lower harmony to tie it all together. The Hollies' trademark sound was sustained because of that wide spread of vocals. As a side note, you've also got Bobby Elliott who is truly one of the greatest drummers that pop music has ever seen. This live clip from 1971 just goes to show how incredibly talented he was/is. But to me, he is another secret weapon to the Hollies sound. Those earliest recordings with Don Rathbone sound like almost any other beat group from that era. Enter Bobby and add Tony's third harmony to the mix, and suddenly they're a band with an enviable sound that are going somewhere. So what's the issue with the current line up? For a start, that high harmony has gone. Steve Lauri sings falsetto, which neither Graham Nash, Terry Sylvester or Alan Coates did, they all had genuinely high alto range voices. To say there's now usually four of them singing on stage, that famous Hollies vocal punch just isn't there. That wide-ranging vocal spread has closed up. Peter Howarth has the confidence and power of Allan Clarke or Mikael Rickfors, but the secret to their sound was absolutely that strong two-part vocal mix, because Tony didn't always add his harmony if he was focusing on his lead guitar line. The Hollies have always been about harmony, even if it was just Allan duetting with Graham (like they do in the verses of 'Jennifer Eccles', for example) or Terry (just the two of them sing on 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' for the most part). That is totally gone now to my ears. I don't for a second expect Bobby to be able to play like he does in this clip from 1971, but I have to admit he left me very impressed when I last saw them live in 2019. Despite his age and "toning down" his style, he is still a phenomenal drummer and, rightly so, they'd pushed his drums up front and centre. His stamina is still incredible and it was still fascinating to watch him play. Tony too you'd expect to not be able to tear up the fret board like he used to, especially as he occasionally references having a bit of arthritis in some recent radio interviews, but again, he's amazing to watch on stage still. One really positive thing I can say about the current line up is that they give Tony the space to play solos and warm the band up into certain songs. His style is so identifiable and exciting, he's also an irreplaceable part of the Hollies' sound. The issue I have with the Hollies' new studio material from the last 20 years is that it just broadly isn't the same quality as their material was in their peak, but the same can be said for most of their studio material after around 1977/8. For a start, you've got the weak high harmony which is persistently their problem, but on 'Staying Power' they even replaced Bobby with a drum machine on some tracks! What on earth is that about?! He remains their joint main asset along with Tony, so the thought of sidelining him to save a bit of studio time/money is ridiculous. Even the most recent 'Skylarks' doesn't really feature Tony's guitar or Bobby's drums at all, and the production sounds cheap, particularly the synthesised strings on it. I know Bobby wrote most of it, but it doesn't have that "Hollies sound" in the same way that something like 'Then, Now and Always' does. As for the setlist, I'm also one who wishes they'd dive into some of the older album tracks. Though I understand why they don't because they filled the dancefloor when I saw them last, only to include 'Magic Woman Touch' in the set and promptly clear it apart from about five of us! Then again, the floor also cleared for the Howarth-era material, so go figure. Ultimately, they're damned if they do and damned if they don't. We all have the free choice to decide how we appreciate our favourite bands. I think the hatred for the current line up amongst some of the die-hard fans mainly stems from the erasure of their past from the official Hollies Fan Club, not wanting to be seen to comment on or promote anything that any former members of the band were doing. It gave some of us the impression that we were forced to accept the current line up as being the "definitive" Hollies. This extended to banning fans from the official forum for saying anything against the current line up and just not allowing many of us on in the first place having read our comments on this forum. I think fans would be happier if more was done to celebrate their legacy and that too would take the heat off criticisms of "20 Golden Greats Live". In an ideal world, Tony and Bobby would make peace with Allan, Graham and Terry (and Bernie too, though there's no hard feelings there I'm sure), actively support an effort to tidy up their back catalogue and get it all available once more to fans old and new and find a new high harmony singer to give their vocal blend a much needed kick up the backside live. With Allan's return to the studio, Graham still being out on the road and Terry recently getting sober and taking some accountability, they are ripe for perhaps doing something special. There's also the small matter of a 60th anniversary to think about. They're the last major British Invasion act to have two out of three key line-ups survive completely and be in a position to still make music! If they actually did something together again, it would truly shake the music world to the core with their completely unique standing in the music industry. In the same way that Joni Mitchell recently made a triumphant emotional return to the stage at the Newport Jazz Festival this summer, we're at the point where these ageing music legends have earned the right to not be as perfect as they were in their heyday because we are just so grateful that they're still with us and still celebrating their legacy. Well said, Cameron.
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Post by thejanitor on Nov 2, 2022 21:20:43 GMT
Sorry I'm a few days late to the party, I only came across this video on my YouTube recommended just now! 😅 Amazing energy from all the boys and some really great closeups of Bobby in particular. Knowing how much the Don't Get Sunburnt special has been discussed here over the years, I knew you guys would be very pleased lol 🙂
I don't seem to recognize the song playing in the background of the driving segment just before He Ain't Heavy. Can someone please enlighten me?
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Post by The Dude on Nov 4, 2022 16:10:28 GMT
It's interesting to see how the current Hollies continue to split fans right down the middle and have been doing so since they recruited Peter Howarth. My problem with Peter Howarth is, that I think he is a good harmony singer, but not a lead vocalist. His voice lacks the body, power and delivery that Allan, Mikael and Carl had (and Allan and Mikael still have, albeit in lower registers)... And I'm not too impressed by Alan Coates' replacement Steve Lauri either... I have no problem with Ian Parker and Ray Stiles though, whom have been in the band for over 25 years... Whereas the songlist is concerned, they could do witn a bit more attention to album tracks, be they old or recent and a little less of the 20 Golden Greats list... But that's just my opinion...
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Post by Stranger on Nov 6, 2022 14:15:18 GMT
Heading for 40,000 views after 1 week. There's interest in the old Hollies yet!
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