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Banjo Joined: 10 Oct 2004 Posts: 48 Location: Nashville Tn

1) Burn Out 20 Clown Service 3) The Day that Curly Billy... 4) Out on the Road(that wah-wah was real cheap sounding sorry Tony) 5)Long Dark Road (go ahead get the missiles ready for this one. Its terrible contructed

OK, I can see why somebody doesn't like Clown Service and I can understand when somebody doesn't like Curly Billy because it is too close to Long Cool Woman, but just because of that point, otherwise I see nothing wrong about it. But the other three??????????????????????????
Long Dark Road is a great track with good harmonica playing, Out On The Road has a fantastic wah-wah guitar sound, it doesn't sound cheap at all. And what's about Burn Out???? That is one of the greatest tracks the Hollies have ever recorded, maybe the last truly great selfwritten song! I can't see anything bad about this one, it's just a fantastic song - I don't understand you...

Banjo Joined: 10 Oct 2004 Posts: 48 Location: Nashville Tn

Distant Light DONT GET FEISTY OR TOO excited now, but looking at from
a musician's perspective, (I play guitar as well as keyboards) There is very LITTLE dynamcs to the way Tony played that repetitive wah. It was if he was told to just play something anything - and thats what he did and didnt do so well with it (sorry) Burn Out - mainly because of ALLEN's phrasing, it was way too fast for the melody and a bit too indistinguable, plus the lyrics are too 50's throwback, and finally the hook sounds WAY to juvenilish as compared to the rest of the album (sorry again) Long Dark Road, signing yourself Distant Light i can see why youre taking offense.
The structure/melody is very bland and possibly, too, the way it was mixed. Also sounded like the entire track was rather under-recorded, lacking the brillance of even say LCW, which technically was a throwaway.
So there it is...till the next...peace

Just goes to show that the diversity of material recorded by The Hollies is such that what one person sees as a 'bad' song is another persons favourite.

What each person 'reads' into a song or the way it is played, recorded or mixed is entirely their perception of it, whatever their background or experience. That does not mean their perception is right, accurate or wrong. It is their perception.

It is good and only right that we all have differing views and no-one can be expected to like every single track the band have ever recorded.

I just like most of them and love the rest. Very Happy

Hi again, Otis!

I'm a musician, too so I think I can judge those things too. I play guitar, drums, a bit keyboard and (as I've mentioned in the other thread) I write songs. Well there are two versions of Out On The Road, the first one with Mikael Rickfors on the album of the same name and the other version on the Hollies 1974 album. I know both but I can only remember the wah wah on the first one and that is played very good. If you mean the other one I would have to listen to it again, but on the first one it's played very well.
To Burn Out; I don't see what you don't like with Allan's phrasing, I think it's great, I love the lyrics, but that depends on your tastes and I think that this album needed such a number because otherwise it would have sounded too slow.
Long Dark Road is just a pop song (and in my opinion a great one) and once again I don't get your point about the structure. I have thought about the under-recording of that song, too some time ago but now I think that they couldn't have added more instruments, I think it's right the way it is.
But I'm critical too, I'm not one of the persons who says that he likes everything the band has ever done, see my review for Hollies Sing Hollies, or Sing Dylan or what I wrote before in this thread.
But I just don't understand you choice, maybe you don't like the Hollies playing Rock'n'Roll (which I think they were the best in).
Have you ever heard You Love 'Cos You Like It?

Banjo Joined: 10 Oct 2004 Posts: 48 Location: Nashville Tn

Distant Light: Never said that I didn't(oops two negatives in a sentence)
like the HOLLIES DOING ROCK AND ROLL. Did You see my favs of Allan's from "Arold" Ruby was axe-kickin sister!!!! Before I go on, its great to be talking to a fellow musician-ooops again lady musician!!!! Look DL, They S-M-O-k-E-D, NO BLEW THE DOORS OFF THE BUILDING with 'YOU GAVE ME LIFE"(from Another Night) That was QUITE AN INNOVATE TRACK for them...the plange/phase shifter sounding guitar throughout the track with a SUBERB ELECTRIC SITAR solo by TONY(I Believe) The reverb to ALLAN'S LEAD VOCAL was INCREDIBLE. That was A STRONG VOCAL PERFORMANCE BY HIM esp at the end when he's singing' YOU GOTTA GIVE ME LIFE...whoa man was he 'ON DELIEVERY'!!! Also thought the way BOBBY's Drums were miked (that skyrocket sound) was totally sonorous and added to the TEXTURE OF THAT TRACK.
It wasn't a cop of LCW...it was TOTALLY FRESH AND IN A DIRECTION they really didnt pursue too much beforehand
As for 'Out on the Road'. Tony's not really a wah=wah player. (THERE HASNT BEEN THAT MANY TRACKS W/THE CRY BABY-as some units are called). It was so linear sounding. WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH,etc NO VARIATION. Wasnt advocating him to do A HENDRJX type passage, but there was no 'depth' in using the sound in a more layered or textured fashion. (One of my favs is MELVIN 'Wah-WAH' REGIN, dont know if you are familar with him? On a lot of R&B toons-good example of his stellar playing is on THE MAIN INGREDIENT's 'ROLLING DOWN THE MOUNTAINSIDE' or THE WHISPERS' "CANT DO WITHOUT YOUR LOVE' the CURTIS MAYFIELD CO-WRITTEN NUMBER. Speaking of CM, HE was quite innovative in his outright texturing of the wah pedal.)
Now looking at a track like, 'CARACUS', there was some depth there, in the vein of MR/CM, that percussive-like 'bend' of the pedal.
As for 'Burn Out' is quite evident, ALLAN IS CUTTING OFF CERTAIN WORDS, at the end of certain lines in the first verse. The melody was a little too 'breakneck' to properly catch the phrasing, plus in the middle of the first verse, Allan was probably (unconsciously?) trying on a slight 50's LINK WRAY/ROBERT GORDON type vocal approach - go to the 'Floozy Sue' section of that verse. Up to that point, Allan's never did that with any previous songs. You ARE CORRECT, 'Burn Out' broke up the 'pace' of the other track's slow tempos. But that phrasing is just too out of synch, sorry DL. As for 'Long Dark Road' what can I say, YES YOU ARE A FAN OF THAT SONG, AND YES IT MEANS A LOT TO YOU, but the mix is not there, it pales to the other mixes on that album. Maybe thats the way they wanted it! The bv's seem to be a bit underecorded or for the matter under-mixed on 'LDR'. (Kind of reminds me of the way alternative groups mix the vocals and I have had several people come thru my studio WHO WANTS IT THAT WAY). Just going back to 'OOTR', the Hicks/Lynch comp, I'm looking at the Hicks/Lynch 'Blue in the Morning' track from Romany. The song of course was not in the style of the former, but again Im quite sure when it was WRITTEN, had the idea(s) of the texturing of the acoustic/electric in a 'layered' format. Tony's 'muted' solo was quite interesting juxposed with the acoustic passage at the point in the song. Simply, 'OOTR' didnt and obviosuly wasnt. But once again, KNOWING what MR. Hicks is/was capable of, the latter was rather insipid. Finally, AND I BELIEVE THIS HAS NEVER BEEN BROUGHT TOO MUCH EITHER IN THESE FORUMS, Has Tony or Allan been 100% SATISFIED with their guitar and vocal performances in the studio, respectively...I would think not....Till the next...Peace to All

Lady musician?

I still don't know which version of Out On The Road you are talking of...

OK, I will listen to Burn Out again as you explained very precise what you mean.

OK, as you run a studio I accept what you say about Long Dark Road and agree to certain points but in general about your disfavourites: This thread is called Worst Songs, so even if it is mixed or recorded bad it doesn't mean it is a bad song, same goes for OOTR, just because of that wah wah, it's not bad, even if this isn't played well, as you've said.

I was just very surprised that you've mentioned all these songs that I really love and left out prime crap just like You Love 'Cos You Like it...

Banjo Joined: 10 Oct 2004 Posts: 48 Location: Nashville Tn

Distant Light: Sorry about the lady musician. I didnt know. (People dont know that im mixed with Spanish/Black inside, but dont get offended if they dont) . Im confused about what you say. The thread is worst songs, Im giving an explanation of why. You have stressed that you enjoy these songs. GREAT! Im not going to assume why either. However , I read your review on the dylan thing, Now see if Im wrong, didnt you mentioned that on certain songs you DISLIKED the horns and such. And you didnt think there was enough TERRY AND TONY On guitar. Bobby's drums are tinny. What's that then? Youre letting others know, which is super, its critical thinking, but I guess people like myself cant-oh well.
til the next...peace to all...

Banjo Joined: 10 Oct 2004 Posts: 48 Location: Nashville Tn

"MY SINCERE CONGRATULATIONS GO OUT TO EVERYONE INVOLVED IN CONCEIVING OF THE PRODUCING OF THIS PROJECT. SONGS THAT 'I WASNT PARTICULARLY FOND OF' HAVE BEEN BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE IN A VERY REAL WAY. I ESPECIALLY ENJOYED "E's" VERSION OF JENNIFER ECCLES. 'I CAN LISTEN TO IT AGAIN' WITH A FRESH PERSPECITVE!

So are we going to say, Well I cant see why...when the person digs those songs that GRAHAM NASH said he didnt care for - their earlier things.
There are reasons- his - which can be MANY. Is this not valid?

Otis,

I wrote that (with the horns, the guitar and drums) in the reviews section and not under the topic Worst Songs.

In this topic I wrote that some songs are only ruined by the horns but that doesn't mean the songs are bad. But I don't want to argue about that, it's OK when you don't like the songs. A bad horn section for me can ruin a song completely, a bad played wah wah can't, but that's just my tastes so it doesn't really matter.

To the Dylan album again, you said you run a record studio, so I would like to hear your opinion about the sound and the album in general, if you posess it.

Banjo Joined: 10 Oct 2004 Posts: 48 Location: Nashville Tn

Go Productions Recording Studio. 24 track analog/digitial. Why should it matter if I have a take on The Dylan album or not? Its not going to be to your liking. One thing I will say is that technology had rapidly advanced between the late 60's to the early 70' s...meaning 1968 to 1972. Correct me if Im wrong, The Dylan thingy was recorded I believe in early 69. Distant Light in Late 71. That in itself says something there. More is to be expected. I also admire your choice of words, If i possess it. Have a great day my young friend....till the next...peace

It was recorded (the instruments) in late 1968, but that should not make a big difference.
Why do you think that I wouldn't like your opinion on the Dylan album?

And to the technical improvement of the recording technology, I don't know much about studios and such things but what you've said is exactly what I think.

And what was wrong with my choice of words? I don't know if you've got every single album the Hollies ever released so I don't know if you've got this one.

So have a great day to my old friend...

Gee, I like most of the songs listed above in this thread.

However, "You Know The Score" always makes me want to skip ahead to the next track.

I'm not keen on that weird vocal effect on 'Lullaby For Tim'! Otherwise, I find 'Purple Rain' a bit embarrasing (it's a good song, but The Hollies add nothing to it, & I feel it was a mistake to copy the reverb on the vocals).

Peter