Album Reviews

Truly, you can live without The Hollies' version of "That's How Strong My Love Is," compared to The Rolling Stones' white boy version, which you can also do without once you've heard Otis Redding do it. 

But the hit opener "I Can't Let Go" is everything one expects from a Hollies single: great harmonies, driving beat, crisp guitars and a melodic anchor with echoes of The Beatles and especially The Byrds. 

Truly, you can live without The Hollies' version of "That's How Strong My Love Is," compared to The Rolling Stones' white boy version, which you can also do without once you've heard Otis Redding do it. 

But the hit opener "I Can't Let Go" is everything one expects from a Hollies single: great harmonies, driving beat, crisp guitars and a melodic anchor with echoes of The Beatles and especially The Byrds. 

Do you need another "Taste of Honey?" This one has more Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass than the shweeter Paul's version, but the Everlys-derived harmonies are great. 

The side ends with a "Mr. Moonlight" that's also very different than The Beatles cover. It drives harder and has sharper edges, while at the same time being more retro-big band-ish, even though you're just hearing a quintet. Though it's a cover it demonstrates The Hollies' instrumental and vocal talents.

Side two continues with the same hard-driving, high energy spotlit harmonies that defined the group.

With its tambourine accent on the "1" "Hard Hard Year" takes its cue from "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away," but its  slashing guitar break sets it apart. 

"Take Your Time" alone makes this set worthwile: great harmonies, Buddy Holly reminiscing.

"Fifi The Flea" is a melancholic misstep that takes its melodic cue from "A Taste of Honey" but the set ends where it began with the raucous Merseybeat  by way of Chicago of "I Take What I Want" that leaves you with everything you pulled a Hollies album from the shelf in the first place.

The market today for this stuff is probably limited so thanks to Sundazed for making this available for the fans. The mono sound is full, big, clean and singles-like bright and properly compressed. "Audiophile" this is not, but it's not meant to be.

A silent slab of 180g vinyl and Sundazed's reasonable pricing make this an attractive trifle for Hollies fanatics. For the rest, perhaps a greatest hits package? (Beware of Scorpio's "Greatest Hits" package: their sourcing is suspect).