The Hollies :: View topic

Rythym Guitar Joined: 08 Jun 2006 Posts: 293

I don't think you have understood my point.
At some other point and topic I might ask about whether you like The Bee Gees or not. It's just that some people might like falsetto voices and The Bee Gees and The Four Seasons and I don't like the harsh tone you use.
And, by the way, The Bee Gees had with their disco material a great influence on the bands of the 1970s. I'm sure that on "Russian Roulette" album there is some Bee Gees influence (although I totally disagree that The Hollies were like The Bee Gees around that time).
But I must admit that I also like their 1960s material more.

Rythym Guitar Joined: 08 Jun 2006 Posts: 293

Yes, you're absolutely right. Although it's not one of their best ones I like the "Russian Roulette" album. Good for having a party.
Oh, and I don't want my last post to be misunderstood. I like the 1960s material by The Bee Gees more than their 1970s material. I did not mean The Hollies because I love The Hollies in EVERY decade. Very Happy

Rythym Guitar Joined: 08 Jun 2006 Posts: 293

That was my point. Criticism is ok but in a much more kinder way, please.
Thanks, Vrinda Very Happy

Rythym Guitar Joined: 26 Aug 2007 Posts: 486 Location: UK

That's actually a bit disappointing! Smile

But thanks for the info. Will check out his version!

Or rather the Aretha Franklin version? Check YouTube for her version from Stockholm.

Well, it's WAY different from the Dylan original and from the ultra-hit from Peter Paul & Mary, so that's the big thing in that respect. And however Clarke's phrasing on that one line may have been influenced by others, overall the Hollies' version is absolutely unlike any other, with a very different arrangement.

Whether anyone else thinks it's a good or bad song (or whether the Dylan album is good or bad as a whole, for that matter), I've always enjoyed it and still play it now and then. For me, that's the test of an album: whether or not I want to give it repeated listenings. The album passes that test with flying colors.

Yes I would agree Scott.

For me I have always enjoyed this album, probably because of the fact that some of the songs are rather sparse in their instrumentation. This keeps it simple. This album would easily rate in my top 5 favourite of Hollies albums, it regularly gets played by me.

Cheers
Ray

Hollies Sing Dylan was the first album I purchased by The band. I think all the covers are performed in The Hollies own inimitable style. They always seem to take a song ( not necessarily their own) and make a damn good job on it and make it their own. My favourite is"This Wheels On Fire". Allan's vocals are superb and the musicianship is beyond compare !!

Rythym Guitar Joined: 16 Jan 2007 Posts: 486

The idea was do do one of the very FIRST Tribute sets devoted to just the one artist

Rythym Guitar Joined: 08 Jun 2006 Posts: 293

Graham wasn't a real big fan of the Dylan project in general, was he ?
But maybe it is not the actual album. I think The Hollies could have done something else and he wouldn't have liked it. He was too much into something else in 1968. He preferred folk, country and rock sounds of what he did then with Crosby, Stills and Young. Big band or beat music didn't seem to be of interest for him anymore.
Although The Hollies also did this kind of Americana style music they never would have liked to see themselves being restricted to it, I think.
When I listen to the Dylan album being the first project without Graham and the first CSN album compared to it it gets quite clear that Graham really wanted to go into another musical direction.

Regarding the Dylan album, as of the time if its release, how many of the 12 songs were very well known to the typical recordbuyer in early 1969?

In the US? In the UK?

All I Really Want To Do, The Mighty Quinn, Blowin' In The Wind, and Times They Are A-Changin' certainly had popular covers by other artists. OK, maybe I've heard the Byrds do My Back Pages, as well.

But what about the other tracks? None of the other songs jump out at me as being overly familiar. Let me put it this way: I don't ever hear cover versions of the other songs performed by anyone on the oldies stations that I listen to.

I was too young to know about Dylan then, so I'm curious as to what people thought of the songs chosen by the band back when it was a new release.

Personally, I think that mixing familiar Dylan songs along with some lesser known tracks from Dylan's catalog was the best way to do things. Who knows, it probably prompted some Hollies fans to explore some of Dylan's albums.