The Hollies :: View topic

This is Hollies related but I think it belongs in this forum because I don't want to name particular albums. I'm being more general. Also, there is a crazy element on forum which makes me know it's not worth saying I don't like a particular album because certain people won't be able to handle it.

Anyway, the point is this: Do you find your tastes in Hollies albums shifting over the years?

I for one know there are albums I really liked when I first heard them, liked them even more after a while but now find that I never listen to them. Not that I have anything against them but I just don't like them all that much. Then there are other albums I find very good but am not that compelled to listen to either.

I do think one needs a lot of time with an album to get to know it and really decide how you feel about it, which is different to a book say, normally one decides on a book immediately. I think I need maybe two years with an album before I can really make sense of it. Does anybody agree?

Or is it that my two year opinion is just another bit of shifting sand and I'll have a different opinion in another two years?

Michael

Good call, Michael.

I do agree that albums do require a certain 'bedding-in' period, however, sometimes some come along that are just that special that they are instantly accepted.

In relation to the Hollies, one which I wasn't that keen on when I first heard it (11 years ago) was Russian Roulette. I would say that over time, I have come to enjoy it a good bit more, although it is still far from my favourite. Distant Light was one of the albums which I instantly liked, and I continue to treasure it to this day. To an extent, it is a similar scenario with Romany and Out On The Road.

Much was said of Staying Power - for me it certainly requires a good while to digest, but attitudes may change slightly with time. Others instantly accepted it. Probably the same thing was said about What Goes Around at the time.

The great thing about music is that what you want to listen to is governed so much by your mood.

Very interesting topic! I don't think that it takes two years to "understand" an album - it's more like you said that in maybe two more years you'll again think different about it.

What I think is that the more albums and bands you know, the more "mature" your musical taste gets your tastes shift. As James said, albums like "Distant Light", "Romany" and "Out On The Road" are albums that I always loved and will always love (I think) because they are to a certain extent more fully realized than others.

Maybe you'll like the early simpler albums like "Stay With The Hollies" etc. more when you don't know that much other stuff; when your mucial taste is more innocent.

And there are albums that I didn't like that much when I first heard them but they grew on me like "For A Certain Because", "Evolution" and "Butterfly".

Dear Friends, Lady's ore Gents
yes indeed a good point you have mentioned
Me personally think that on every album from the sixties until these day's do have their numbers ore tracks in wich you have favorites that makes it the album ,but related to that time from the early day's rockin and developing in music scills growing in to music.
So what is the point and said before, you're mood where you in at a time when listening to any album.
and there are time s when i listen to the sixties ore whenever a track was made ,after not hearing some time i found on different tracks some new things aldo heard many time before and then sometimes a track become s very interresting again .
but what counts is you listening and have a good time by hearing the music .
and for now wishing you all a very happy christmas and a very new good year .
greetings Bernard

Rythym Guitar Joined: 08 Jun 2006 Posts: 293

I certainly agree with Distant Light. Some albums I loved from my first listening to them. Those were "Butterfly", "Confessions Of The Mind", "Distant Light", "Out On The Road", "Hollies 1974" and "5317704". Those are my favourite Hollies albums.
Except for "Hollies Sing Dylan" and "Buddy Holly" there are no Hollies album I don't like today.
The album that took me time to "learn" to like it was "Russian Roulette". First I found it boring because of the similarity of all the tracks with its disco, latin and rock fusion. Today some of my favourite tracks like "48 Hour Parole", "Draggin My Heels" and "Louise" are on it. They really rock and sound great. I really would like to see them perform "Louise" live. But as far as they don't seem to care much about their own album tracks on stage today this won't come true, I think.