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Dennis Post subject: "The Long Road Home" Box Set
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Was this a huge disappointment or what? For around a hundred dollar price tag, there was so little of interest to the long-time collector on this thing that it is downright embarrassing. A handful of BBC recordings and a few tracks not previously issued on CD hardly warrants buying it. There were far too many already available on CD tracks taken from their albums, plus the entire '76 live album (minus, of course, the two songs omitted from the original concert, "Boulder to Birmingham" and "Amazing Grace") that we had already heard. I'm not a fan of box sets per se anyway, but "The Long Road Home" was a prime example of how NOT to compile one. Who agrees?
PostPosted:Mon Feb 06, 2006 3:20 am
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Michaelstoker78 Post subject: Re: "The Long Road Home" Box Set
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Dennis wrote:
Was this a huge disappointment or what? For around a hundred dollar price tag, there was so little of interest to the long-time collector on this thing that it is downright embarrassing. A handful of BBC recordings and a few tracks not previously issued on CD hardly warrants buying it. There were far too many already available on CD tracks taken from their albums, plus the entire '76 live album (minus, of course, the two songs omitted from the original concert, "Boulder to Birmingham" and "Amazing Grace") that we had already heard. I'm not a fan of box sets per se anyway, but "The Long Road Home" was a prime example of how NOT to compile one. Who agrees?


At least it had an impressive booklet, but I agree that would be the only reason for me to buy it.
If you have just started as a fan and only had one (!) greatest hits compilations and wanted to go for more material it might have been a good choice as well.

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PostPosted:Mon Feb 06, 2006 10:29 am
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hollies Post subject:


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The Box Set was aimed at the public market - not the relatively few "long time collectors" and it is a shame you feel embarrassed about it.

The Hollies certainly don't feel that way and neither do the many people I have spoken to about it.

Yes, we could all say it should have had this on or that on but in reality, decisions are made on a commercial basis by the people in the "know" at the time.

Overall, the package was excellent for the market it was aimed at.

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PostPosted:Mon Feb 06, 2006 10:54 am
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Michaelstoker78 Post subject:
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hollies wrote:
The Box Set was aimed at the public market - not the relatively few "long time collectors" and it is a shame you feel embarrassed about it.

The Hollies certainly don't feel that way and neither do the many people I have spoken to about it.

Yes, we could all say it should have had this on or that on but in reality, decisions are made on a commercial basis by the people in the "know" at the time.

Overall, the package was excellent for the market it was aimed at.


Yes, Rob, I guess you have got a point there. I remember back in the early 90s when I was 14 years old and a friend played some Hollies songs to me, I instantly fell in love with it. It was just the time when the 30th Anniversary Collection came out and I instantly had to go and buy it. So the Long Road Home box set would have made an even better purchase for me had it come out then.
I do hope that the box set was a success for the band and brought a lot of old and new fans great pleasure.

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PostPosted:Mon Feb 06, 2006 13:47 pm
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James Towill Post subject:
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It is really good to have the unreleased tracks, but the live disc is really the disappointment - so much more could have been made of it.

The book is absolutely brilliant, just what was needed.

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PostPosted:Mon Feb 06, 2006 16:21 pm
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DistantLight Post subject:
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I think that the artwork was really great, a perfect booklet and everything was designed beautifully!

There are some good song choices but all in all a bit more rarities and other lice recordings would have been much better. As many people have pointed out the live CD was a wasted opportunity.
If they had put more unreleased live tracks on the box set instead of the 76 concert I would have been pretty satisfied with the box set, although there are far to few Rickfors songs on it.
As it is I'm also glad it came out and it's great to have!
PostPosted:Mon Feb 06, 2006 16:24 pm
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peterchecksfield Post subject:
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DistantLight wrote:
I think that the artwork was really great, a perfect booklet and everything was designed beautifully!

There are some good song choices but all in all a bit more rarities and other lice recordings would have been much better. As many people have pointed out the live CD was a wasted opportunity.
If they had put more unreleased live tracks on the box set instead of the 76 concert I would have been pretty satisfied with the box set, although there are far to few Rickfors songs on it.
As it is I'm also glad it came out and it's great to have!

I wonder why they're so reluctant to release more from the Lewisham '68 concert? That one song we have (especially in stereo) is really superb, both as a performance & in sound quality.

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PostPosted:Mon Feb 06, 2006 17:25 pm
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Dennis Post subject:
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hollies wrote:
The Box Set was aimed at the public market - not the relatively few "long time collectors" and it is a shame you feel embarrassed about it.

The Hollies certainly don't feel that way and neither do the many people I have spoken to about it.

Yes, we could all say it should have had this on or that on but in reality, decisions are made on a commercial basis by the people in the "know" at the time.

Overall, the package was excellent for the market it was aimed at.


Compare "The Long Road Home" to The Posies' 4 CD Box Set, consisting totally of unreleased demos, live recordings, and rare tracks, and you see how a box set should be assembled; for the true blue fan. A Box Set should enhance an artist's catalogue, not duplicate it. I feel that TLRH was something of a kick in the pants to the fans who have stuck with them for all these years. I for one refuse to be marginalized like that. Your arguement doesn't hold water because Joe Average Fan wouldn't shell out $100 for a Hollies box set anyway. There is no way of justifying this box set as anything but an unnecessary and forgettable affair.
PostPosted:Mon Feb 06, 2006 21:29 pm
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hollies Post subject:


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That's your opinion Dennis but lots of others I know love the set and many do treasure it as a collectors item. Not everyone is so heavily into the whys and wherefores and just love the music.

However, both The Hollies and EMI have more to think about than a few "true blue fans"

As I said previously, this product was aimed at the mass market and contrary to your asssertion that "Joe Average Fan wouldn't shell out $100" for it, it has actually sold quite well and is still selling over here at £59 (around $100).

It is also available from many websites so it must still be selling or they would remove it.

It might surprise you to know that Hollies greatest hits compilations are still selling in every music shop in the UK and there are generally three or four different ones to choose from. Also check out the main music websites at what is for sale.

As a collector, I would certainly like something different or unusual but I do accept that decisions are made on a commercial basis and it is not for you or I to dictate to the band or the record companies what they should or should not do.

Unfortunately, it's like favourite songs, line-ups or personnel, everyone sees and hears the same things but differently.

That's what makes following this band 'So Damn Beautiful'. (Rolling Eyes sorry)

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PostPosted:Mon Feb 06, 2006 22:29 pm
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MichealC Post subject:
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Joined: 12 May 2004
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I think the boxset is very nice indeed, far from perfect but very nice! I bought it as an elaborately expanded greatest hits and it served me well as a guide to the band and the different album. The package and the booklet are great too.

I hope in the future, maybe for the 50th, they do a more defnitive boxset with more rarities/demos and live, bits more of a history than a general market thing. I think The Band's new boxset is almost perfect ion terms of how it plots out their history. It would be a good model for the group next time around. The only trouble with The Hollies is that they have too much material and they are still creating. If this line up makes a couple more albums they will need two boxsets to try and cover everything. Maybe a box set per decade!


Michael
PostPosted:Tue Feb 07, 2006 0:00 am
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Chirpy Post subject:
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The way I see it is this....when the decision was made to release a box set, there were 2 main options :

1) Release it as a totally commercial enterprise and feature most singles/album/live tracks that are readily available

2) Release it as a box set for 'the fans' and forget the mainstream material that most fans have and include some 'gems' for us Hollies stalwarts.

The result was a mixture that leant heavily towards number 1), although the failure to include some of the major A-sides (well, in England, anyway), and the decision to include some unreleased songs, shows that they were trying in some way to lean towards point no 2).

The major bugbear I have (and it's not just me, it has been commented on in the thread) is the live CD. The Live Hits from '76 have been easy to pick up, whether a Hollies devotee or a member of Joe Public.
Members of the commercial audience hearing the '76 concert for the first time I assume will be thrilled, mainstream fans, confused at it's reappearance.

I guess what I am trying to say is that there is no way that everyone will be happy with the Box Set - but short of compiling a 12 CD box set that appeals to a commercial audience AND Hollies fans, I'd go as far as saying the Hollies appear to have been 'victims' of their 43 year reign due to the enormity/volume of music they have consistently produced to a high standard.

With 6 CDs, it can't do justice to everyone...

Ho hum...
Chirpy.
PostPosted:Wed Feb 08, 2006 0:01 am
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Dennis Post subject:
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Chirpy wrote:
The way I see it is this....when the decision was made to release a box set, there were 2 main options :

1) Release it as a totally commercial enterprise and feature most singles/album/live tracks that are readily available

2) Release it as a box set for 'the fans' and forget the mainstream material that most fans have and include some 'gems' for us Hollies stalwarts.

The result was a mixture that leant heavily towards number 1), although the failure to include some of the major A-sides (well, in England, anyway), and the decision to include some unreleased songs, shows that they were trying in some way to lean towards point no 2).

The major bugbear I have (and it's not just me, it has been commented on in the thread) is the live CD. The Live Hits from '76 have been easy to pick up, whether a Hollies devotee or a member of Joe Public.
Members of the commercial audience hearing the '76 concert for the first time I assume will be thrilled, mainstream fans, confused at it's reappearance.

I guess what I am trying to say is that there is no way that everyone will be happy with the Box Set - but short of compiling a 12 CD box set that appeals to a commercial audience AND Hollies fans, I'd go as far as saying the Hollies appear to have been 'victims' of their 43 year reign due to the enormity/volume of music they have consistently produced to a high standard.

With 6 CDs, it can't do justice to everyone...

Ho hum...
Chirpy.


Just my point. With SIX bloody CDs, it should have appeased the fans who have been supporting them for decades now. And what about a Rarities Vol. 2? The rare &/or unreleased tracks on the Box Set could have all been compiled on a single CD and sold separately, avoiding this arguement entirely. If I want to hear the band's album tracks, I'll listen to the original albums, all available on CD (with the glaring exception of "Out On the Road", which begs the question of why wasn't that album included?). I would not listen to them via the Box Set. So the redundancy of having over 75% of the Box Set already available (and previously purchased by fans with a more than passing interest in the group's music) is more than annoying. In the words of Marc Bolan, It's a Rip-off. Oh, and by the way, I did not purchase the Box Set, for the reasons stated above.
PostPosted:Wed Feb 08, 2006 1:27 am
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James Towill Post subject:
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There would definitely be a market for a 'Rarities Volume 2' release*. As well as no material from 'Out On The Road', there's none from 'What Goes Around' including the big US hit of 'Stop! In The Name Of Love'. Maybe this was due to licensing problems? To my mind, the best Hollies releases in the past few years were the 'At Abbey Road' series which balanced the material already out there with some previously unreleased material.

*There was a great article a few years back in 'Carousel' suggesting a possible tracklisting - including the longer version of 'Curly Billy' and the Sylvester version of 'Oh Granny', two tracks I'd love to hear! Wink Very Happy

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PostPosted:Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:50 am
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Hope2005 Post subject:
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I bought it a couple of years ago and I loved it, as I had only heard the hits I enjoyed hearing B sides, album tracks,Out takes,Live tracks. I really enjoyed CD 5 as the 80's material is so good and I hadn't heard those before, it has encouraged me to check out their albums.

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PostPosted:Sat Feb 11, 2006 18:50 pm
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Susie Hewett Post subject:
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Joined: 17 Jan 2004
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Location: Australia

I bought the Long Road Home 6CD boxed set about 18 months ago and I love it. I have heard most of the tracks but there are also songs on the CD's that I haven't heard. The Boxed set is worth the $86 I paid for it and I will always treasure it and the book that came with it.

By the way Dennis, I respect your views and opinion but The Long Road Home boxed set IS NOT a Rip-Off as I am sure that others here would agree.

Best Wishes

Susie

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PostPosted:Wed Feb 15, 2006 3:35 am
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