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Hollies, The

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Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Russian Roulette Company: Polydor Catalog: 2383 421 Year: 1976 Grade (cover/record): VG/VG+ Comments: clear tape along top edge Available: 2 Price: $10.00	Ending their longstanding partnership with producer Ron Richards, 1976's "Russian Roulette" found the band handling production themselves. While it may have been their third studio release in a year, to us the results sounded pretty good. Packed full of ringing harmonies and strong melodies, nothing here stood as a major departure from their established catalog. Interestingly, the band sounded at their best on atypical hard rock numbers such as the title track and "48 Hour Parole". Literally any one of these originals would have made a dandy top-40 single. Ironically, that may have killed the set's sales. Released amidst the public's growing infatuation with disco madness and punk aggression, tracks such as "Wiggle That Wotsit", "My Love" and "Dragging My Heels" almost sounded quaint. That may also explain why the album sold poorly in England and didn't even see an American release. "Russian Roulette" track listing: 1.) Wiggle That Wotsit (Allan Clarke - Tony Sylvester - Tony Hicks) - 2.) 48 Hour Parole (Allan Clarke - Tony Sylvester - Tony Hicks) - 3.) Thanks for the Memories (Allan Clarke - Tony Sylvester - Tony Hicks) - 4.) My Love (Allan Clarke - Tony Sylvester - Tony Hicks) - 5.) Lady of the Night (Allan Clarke - Tony Sylvester - Tony Hicks) - 6.) Russian Roulette (Allan Clarke - Tony Sylvester - Tony Hicks) - 7.) Draggin' My Heels (Allan Clarke - Tony Sylvester - Tony Hicks) - 8.) Louise (Allan Clarke - Tony Sylvester - Tony Hicks) - 9.) Be with You (Allan Clarke - Tony Sylvester - Tony Hicks) - 10.) Daddy Don't Mind (Allan Clarke - Tony Sylvester - Tony Hicks) -

Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Write On Company: Polydor Catalog: 2442 121 Year: 1976 Grade (cover/record): VG/VG Comments: minor seam split on side; minor ring wear; original inner sleeve; UK pressing Available: 1 Price: $10.00	These guys have put out album after album of classic pop; much of their mid-'70s and later catalog falling victim to ever changing public tastes. 1976's self-produced "Write On" is a perfect example. As chief songwriters Clarke, Hicks and Sylvester turned in another sterling set of top-40 pop. Great harmonies and sweet harmonies making tracks such as "Star" and the country-flavored "Write On" an undiscovered pleasure. Elsewhere, until it hits the lame ballads "My Island" and "There's Always Goodbye", the flip side may be one of the strongest strings on material they've written ("Narida", "Stranger" and "Crocodile Woman (She Bites)"). "Write On" track listing: 1.) Star (Allan Clarke - Tony Sylvester - Tony Hicks) - 2.) Write On (Allan Clarke - Tony Sylvester - Tony Hicks) - 3.) Sweet Country Calling (Allan Clarke - Tony Sylvester - Tony Hicks) - 4.) Love Is the Thing (Allan Clarke - Tony Sylvester - Tony Hicks) - 5.) Narida (Allan Clarke - Tony Sylvester - Tony Hicks) - 6.) Stranger (Allan Clarke - Tony Sylvester - Tony Hicks) - 7.) Crocodile Woman (She Bites) (Allan Clarke - Tony Sylvester - Tony Hicks) - 8.) My Island (Allan Clarke - Tony Sylvester - Tony Hicks) - 9.) There's Always Goodbye (Allan Clarke - Tony Sylvester - Tony Hicks) -



Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: 5317704 Company: Polydor Catalog: 2442 160 Year: 1979 Grade (cover/record): VG/VG Comments: original inner sleeve; UK pressing Available: 1 Price: $10.00

Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Buddy Holly Company: Polydor Catalog: POLTV 12 Year: 1980 Grade (cover/record): VG/VG+ Comments: UK pressing Available: 1 Price: $10.00	Having earlier taken on Dylan, it probably made sense for the band to turn in an album of covers from namesake Buddy Holly. Unfortunately, how do you improve on material that's already classic? Those concerns apart, 1980's self-produced "Buddy Holly" proved surprisingly impressive. Sure, none of the 16 covers is exactly earth shattering, but tracks such as the flamenco-flavored "Love Makes a Fool of You" and a gentle "Heartbeat" were all arranged and performed with due reverence and enthusiasm. Not everything here worked - a droning "Peggy Sue", a Hollified "Tell Me How" and a reggaefied "Peggy Sue Got Married" were simply dull. On the other hand, highlights included a sweet countrified "I'm Gonna Love You Too" and ""Wishing". Certainly not the year's most original set, but surprisingly impressive (miles ahead of Paul McCartney's "Holly Days"). For whatever reason, the album never saw an American release. It also marked the end of the longstanding line up. Within a matter of months of the LP's release Clarke and Sylvester found themselves at odds. Sylvester quit, followed in short order by Calvert, leaving the band as a trio (Clarke, Elliott and Hicks). "Buddy Holly" track listing: 1.) Peggy Sue (Buddy Holly - Allison - Petty) - 2:43 2.) Wishing (Buddy Holly - Montgomery) - 3:35 3.) Love Makes a Fool of You (Buddy Holly - Montgomery) - 3:18 4.) Take Your Time (Buddy Holly - Petty) - 3:18 5.) Heartbeat (Montgomery - Petty) - 3:38 6.) Tell Me How (Hardison - Allison - Petty) - 3:22 7.) Think It Over (Buddy Holly - Petty - Allison) - 3:22 8.) Maybe Baby (Buddy Holly - Petty) - 3:09 9.) Midnight Shift (Lee - Ainsworth) - 2:23 10.) I'm Gonna Love You Too (Mauldin - Petty - Sullivan) - 3:03 11.) Peggy Sue Got Married (Buddy Holly) - 2:57 12.) What To Do (Buddy Holly) - 3:28 13.) That'll Be the Day (Buddy Holly - Allison) - 3:22 14.) It Doesn't Matter Anymore (Paul Anka) - 3:15 15.) Everyday (Hardin - Petty) - 4:16 16.) Reprise - 2:50

Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: All the Hits & More - The Definitive Collection Company: EMI Catalog: 1301 Year: 1986 Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: UK pressing; minor edge and corner wear; double album; gatefold sleeve Available: 1 Price: $15.00	Hollies compilations are literally a cottage industry, but one of the better items is EMI's UK-only 1988 "All the Hits & More - the Definitive Collection". In an interesting collision between art and commerce, EMI apparently decided to release the retrospective on the heels of the band's commercial reemergence via a beer ad. Used as part of a Miller Lite beer ad, "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" was reissued as a single, providing the band with it's second UK #1 single. EMI wasted no time jumping on the bandwagon. A double album, 36 track retrospective, the title pretty much covers it. Covering a slew of material between 1963's "Just Like Me" through 1981's "Take My Love and Run", it's the perfect set for casual fans and the curious. An entertaining mix of singles, album cuts, live tracks ("Too Young To Be Married") and a couple of obscurities, made for an excellent career overview. Original drummer Billy Elliott's song-by-song liner notes were also pretty entertaining. (The album was originally released with a gatefold sleeve.) "All the Hits & More - the Definitive Collection" track listing: 1.) Just Like Me (Carroll - Guy) - 2.) Searchin' (Lieber - Stoller) - 3.) Stay (Williams) 4.) Just One Look (Payne - Carroll) - 5.) Here I Go Again (Mort Schuman - CliveWestlake) - 6.) We're Through (Ransfield - aka Allan Clarke - Graham Nash - Tony Hicks) - 7.) Yes I Will (Carole Goffin - Titleman) - 8.) I'm Alive (Clint Ballard Jr.) - 9.) Look Through Any Window (Graham Gouldman - Silverman) - 10.) If I Needed Someone (George Harrison) - 11.) I Can't Let Go (Chip Taylor - Gorgoni) - 12.) Bus Stop (Graham Gouldman) - 13.) Stop Stop Stop (Allan Clarke - Graham Nash - Tony Hicks) - 14.) Pay You Back with Interest (Allan Clarke - Graham Nash - Tony Hicks) - 15.) On a Carousel (Allan Clarke - Graham Nash - Tony Hicks) - 16.) Carrie Anne (Allan Clarke - Graham Nash - Tony Hicks) - 17.) King Midas In Reverse (Allan Clarke - Graham Nash - Tony Hicks) - 18.) Dear Eloise (Allan Clarke - Graham Nash - Tony Hicks) - 19.) Jennifer Eccles (Allan Clarke - Graham Nash - Tony Hicks) - 20.) Listen To Me (Hazzard) - 21.) Sorry Suzanne (Geoff A. Stephens - Tony Macaulay) - 22.) He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother (A. Russell - L. Scott) - 23.) I Can't Tell the Bottom from the Top (Fletcher - Fleet) - 24.) Gasoline Alley Breed (Tony Macaulay - Roger Cook - Roger Greenaway) - 25.) Hey Willy (Allan Clarke - Roger Cook - Roger Greenaway) - 26.) Long Cool Woman In a Black Dress (Allan Clarke - Roger Cook - Roger Greenaway) - 27.) The Baby (Chip Tayor) - 28.) The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee (Allan Clarke) - 29.) Air That I Breathe (Albert Hammond - Hazlewood) - 30.) Sandy (Bruce Springsteen) - 31.) I'm Down (Allan Clarke - Tony Hicks - Terry Sylvester) - 32.) Daddy Don't Mind (Allan Clarke - Tony Hicks - Terry Sylvester) - 33.) Too Young To Be Married (Tony Hicks) - 34.) Soldier's Song (Mike Batt) - 35.) If the Lights Go Out (Mike Batt) - 36.) Take My Love and Run (Brian Chatton - Black) -

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