Unlikely as it may have seemed at the time, new Hollies harmony vocalist Terry Sylvester-of Liverpool's Escorts and Swinging Blue Jeans-when paired up with soaring lead singer Allan Clarke, may have been an improvement ove... more »r the departed Graham Nash, off to the States in 1969 to form Crosby, Stills and Nash. Certainly the Everly Brothers-inspired vocal tapestry never sounded crisper than on "Survival Of The Fittest" or "Confessions Of A Mind". Underrated guitarist Tony Hicks gets a little elbow room at last, and drummer Bobby Elliott shows once again why those in the know consider him one of the best trapsmen ever. As Sylvester recalls in our exclusive interview, Nash revealed to Clarke at the time: "These are great things you're doing. This is great stuff." Again, this Sundazed release marks the first domestic issue of the album, complete with tracks included only on the original UK version, and exclusive interview with Terry Sylvester, original liner notes, and rare photos!« less
Unlikely as it may have seemed at the time, new Hollies harmony vocalist Terry Sylvester-of Liverpool's Escorts and Swinging Blue Jeans-when paired up with soaring lead singer Allan Clarke, may have been an improvement over the departed Graham Nash, off to the States in 1969 to form Crosby, Stills and Nash. Certainly the Everly Brothers-inspired vocal tapestry never sounded crisper than on "Survival Of The Fittest" or "Confessions Of A Mind". Underrated guitarist Tony Hicks gets a little elbow room at last, and drummer Bobby Elliott shows once again why those in the know consider him one of the best trapsmen ever. As Sylvester recalls in our exclusive interview, Nash revealed to Clarke at the time: "These are great things you're doing. This is great stuff." Again, this Sundazed release marks the first domestic issue of the album, complete with tracks included only on the original UK version, and exclusive interview with Terry Sylvester, original liner notes, and rare photos!
CD Reviews
Don't let the lack of hits dissuade you
Paul Grant | Sun City Center, FL | 10/09/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"While there are no top twenty US hits on this album (the American version of the UK release Confessions of a Mind), there is a lot to recommend this set. First of, there are two UK hits "Too Youbng to Be Married" a somewhat sappy but still touching mini Soap Opera, and the incredibly catchy "Gasoline Alley Bred" whichis a real great sing along number. Then there are a lot of choice album cuts. "Man Without a Heart" is just about perfect. "Frightened Lady" is an impassione ant-war number. "Little Girl" has some heartfelt countrified harmony. The only real clunker is "Marigold; Gloria Swansong", a leftover from the Butterfly album that tries hard to be Eleanor Rigny but misses by a mile. Listen closelyto Tony Hicks's guitar work throughout. He gets a lot of different ellects out of his various axes, from the raw to the sublime.This is one of the better post-Graham Nash workouts, and we;; worth a listen."
Though inconsistent, this is still a good Hollies album.
Paul Grant | 03/20/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I only own the original LP, so I am not familiar with the last four tracks. As is typical when the Hollies write their own material, it is inconsistent. The Hollies appear to be attempting to expand within their basic pop format, and are successful at times. The strings and horns on Man Without a Heart work extremely well, and that track, I believe, ranks among their best ever. Survival of the Fittest has a tight instrumental section that is very impressive, yet is within the 3-minute pop song that is typical of the Hollies. The vocals on the album, as usual, are impeccable. The playing is also quite impressive. Tony Hicks tackles some difficult lead lines, and Bobby Elliot's solid drumming is often overlooked. The horn and string arrangement on Too Young To Be Married doesn't fit in, as it makes the song come across as overly dramatic. If you are a Hollies fan and have liked most of their hits, this album won't disappoint much. But those who are more discerning will find both high and low points, though there are no obviously bad moments on it."
The always harmonious Hollies on an obscure album
Paul Grant | 02/16/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I found this album once in a library and it seemed to have limited release since no one seems to have heard of it. It has some great songs on it, especially if you have always liked the Hollies vocal harmonies. My personal favorites were Confessions of a Mind, Too Young to be Married, Isn't It Nice and Gasoline Alley Bred. I think this particular album may have been too ballady for its time since earlier Hollies hits seem to be shorter and poppier. The songs on this album seem almost like an experiment for them but if you are a diehard Hollies fan you will really like this album."
More sophisticated sounds
Fredric A. Cooper | Los Angeles, CA | 11/01/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Opening with "Survival of the Fittest", a Clarke/Hicks/Nash leftover that the band finally recorded properly and placed on an album, this original 11 track collection, culled from the UK "Confessions of the Mind" LP, actually improves on the import version by including the band's fabulous single "Gasoline Alley Bred" as a spectacular closer. Of course this CD adds 4 tracks, including the 2 that were omitted from "Confessions", plus 2 single B-sides. "Too Young To Be Married" was a No. 1 in New Zealand, and it remains a mystery why it wasn't released as an A-side elsewhere (the closest it came was as a B-side in Germany, to "Frightened Lady"). The title track is quite involved, with 3 different sections, all adding up to an intriguing mix. As usual, the band's harmonies carry the tunes even when the songwriting is a bit undernourished. Nothing really subpar here, but the followup album, "Distant Light", is where the band really showed what they were capable of, in terms of writing depth and variety of sounds."
Track Listings (15) - Disc #1