Search - Hollies :: 30th Anniversary Collection

The Essential Antho of Their 60s Period

Randall E. Adams | Los Angeles, CA United States | 01/24/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This superb collection culls together all of the Hollies' A and B sides from their singles through the end of their original EMI contract in 1970. A relative handful of later tracks are also included.Virtually all of the early 2,3 and 4 track recordings are remixed with the result that these songs are presented for the first time in plausible stereo. You will find that you can hear things that were obscured in the original mixes. Fear not--the essential Hollies sound is not lost in this exercise as the sound effects were all printed onto the original tracks and therefore remain. Most of the four track masters allocated two tracks to the vocals (usually double-tracked as was common in the 60s)and two tracks to the instruments. The remixing allows the spreading of the vocals across the entire stereo image and the rhythm section is usually placed in the middle where it belongs. As a result, the songs are vastly more listenable in the context of a modern sound system. It is now very obvious just how much the backings were based upon Bobby Elliot's imaginative and eventful drums.The Hollies made their money on the basis of their singles. Because of this, both the A & B sides were the object of great concentration. The B sides were always originals even when the A sides were written by outsiders. Many of the B sides rival their better-known top decks in terms of quality. A choice handful of unreleased tracks are included. The best are surely "She Gives Me Everything I Want" from 1965 which might have been shelved due to its "seems like they don't give a damn" line and "Man With No Expression" from 1968 proving just how good the Hollies were at executing Graham Nash' vision. It's a shame that he left. Possibly all of the band's completed material from 1968 is included which benefits from the advent of 8 track studios and clearly shows the group's maturation. This portion of the set is truly magical. The overlooked singles from the early years with Terry Sylvester are nicely gathered together. Allan Clarke's "Not That Way At All" is a particularly emphatic demonstration of Nash' lingering influence on the band. Unlike some other writers, I do not knock the Hollies' 1970s material. But it is clearly of another era and its virtual banishment from this collection allows the 1960s material to be collected so much more comprehensively. Rest assured that there is much more of great value by this band, but this is absolutely the very best place to hear the famous singles up through 1970 and I strongly recommend that buyers pick up a copy."

4 1/2 Stars

Randall E. Adams | 04/17/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This three-CD, 57-track box set does a good if imperfect job
of encapsulating the legacy of one of the British Invasion's better bands. This includes all of the Hollies' singles, A- and B-sides, from the '60s, as well as five previously unreleased tunes. The hits -- "I'm Alive," "Bus Stop," "On a Carousel," and others -- contain some of the finest beat harmonizing not done by the Beatles. The B-sides -- many of them originals, some of them
never before available in the United States -- are often nearly
equal in quality to the classic material. The compilation wisely
touches upon only the essentials of their post-1970 singles
"Long Cool Woman" and "The Air That I Breathe"), and closes with three forgettable tracks from the early '90s. Don't be misled, however, that this box contains all of their best material -- their early albums, though inconsistent, featured a fair number of strong original tunes which remain little known beyond collector circles. It's a good set, with an excellent booklet and thoroughly annotated discography, but not definitive. -- Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide"

One of the greats!

E. Joy | Texas, USA | 05/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Hollies are one of the greats of pop music. How they have been overlooked for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is one of the great unanswered questions. This set includes all of their great hits of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. This is a must buy for lovers of great harmonies and great musicianship. The Hollies were, in my opinion, only overshadowed by The Beatles as originators of what is now know as power pop music."