Golden Earring - new boxset "The Complete Studio Recordings"

It took me a while to really ‘get’ these albums, but each has a ton of great material. Switch is my favorite of the three.

 

I simply think it’s an ode to Brenda Lee, hearing her over the car radio. ‘And the newsman sang his same song, one more radar lover gone’ is the giveaway.

 

I find some parts of Switch & To The Hilt difficult to listen to. Too much jazzy keyboard for me at times. You could combine the best tracks to make a great single CD. Contraband is pretty great all the way through, although Con Man is not a favourite.

 

I haven't gone through the entire thread. How is the mastering for Cut?

 

He’s a local where I was born, Volendam, Holland, and that’s an understatement.

 

I prefer GIFAS over NPND to be honest.

Now, there’s a reason why the band gave the back-to-US album the title Cut...
In interviews they said the follow-up album was going to be called Lull.
A Dutch insiders joke.

 

The band was in financial dire straits around the release of The Hole. Lost a lot of money and success in America again leading to nowhere. They almost broke up.

 

Such naughty boys...

Tell me more. This intrigues me!
Somewhere I read that an American tour with one band in particular was the last straw for them. Do you know anything about that?

 

They often work with Bertus Borgers on saxophone, this guy is really good

 

Yes Bertus is excellent .

 

I love all the jazzy keyboards and synths, flute, etc.. When they went to mainstream rock sound...I got bored with the sound.

 

I love the flute playing too. Just not crazy about certain keyboard sounds they use.
Not all, just some.

 

70’s rock star diet.

 

Yeah plenty of vitamins. .

 

Nah... ‘Cut’ is shouted by movie directors at the end of a scene. It was supposed to be a farewell album.
Leave it to the band to twist the truth a little in interviews.

American radio stations couldn’t market the single When The Lady Smiles. The band lacked an identifiable image. Furthermore, the videoclip did them no favours. Two years later The Hole got a negative rep and bad investments and a major tax issue left them as good as bankrupt, until a compilation got them out of trouble.

 

Good job the compilation got them out of trouble would have been a shame for them to have gone under.
Brilliant live band, I thought the Americans would eat them up. Major single success eluding a band in America is nothing new though & you're right the Lady Smiles video clip is a bit non PC.

 

Someone on the forum, apologies I didn't manage to find the post, mentioned that the CD track order is different from the original LP. I tried that order. It is an improvement but I can't get into side 2 now. anyway....... ..........I think I'm done with this one. Onto their other better albums.
What do you guys think of 'Together'?

 

Interesting, I just grabbed my vinyl and my CD and what they did was reverse the sides, never noticed that because never the biggest fan of it.

"Together" - starts off great with All Day Watcher and Avalanche of Love, then kind of gets stuck, not in a bad way, just does not live up to the potential of the first two songs...3.5 out of 5 for me...

"Prisoner of The Night" - here is a title I still pull out and play quite of bit still, not all the way through all of the time, but this album features three of my favorite songs by them...Long Blond Animal, No For An Answer, and Cut 'Em Down To Size, just killer songs! Still have my original Holland import (an import at least for me) that sounds incredible for a CD, have the vinyl as well, but the CD sounds so good, I usually go with that.

Growing up here in the States, I used to scream at my friends trying to get them in to other UK/Foreign acts other than the obvious. Luckily as a kid I grew up with "Melody Maker" and by the time I was 12, already was in to The Move, Family, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Small Faces, Can, well I could go on and on...my early love of music helped me forge a career in the Music Business that lasted 35 years...

Oh how I love Golden Earring though, and for me their music just keeps aging like a fine wine!

 

Hi Scotti, I enjoyed reading your post.
I agree with you about Together, it's good but does seem to fade after a great start. Unbelievable that Moontan came next.
Interesting that you like Prisoner Of The Night, I agree its a good album & I shall play it this weekend as it is a long time since I gave it a spin.

 

My love affair of them began in 1970 when I noticed the infamous "Wall of Dolls" album on the new release wall at one of my local shops. I bought it the same day, based on the cover mind you, and when I put it on, was like, how cool is this! Went back and got Eight Miles High, but never gave much time to the albums from 65-69...could you recommend any of those for me to give a try?

Thanks for your nice response and when you get a chance in regards to POTN, please make sure you check the 3 songs I called out all though I'm sure you know them well.

 

I must admit I also need to pay attention to albums which preceded Eight Miles High. Just giving POTN album its second spin of the weekend. I agree that this is an album crackling with energy, & has several killer songs. Apart from the numbers you mentioned which are belters by the way, I also like the ballady songs like Will & Mercy. Going Crazy Again has a real E-Street Band feel with the almost Born To Run use of tambourine - & sax of course. I'm with Slipkid on the use of horns/brass/reeds GE are one of a few bands I can listen who use saxes. So, POTN is a cool album, next I'll get down to the formative stuff .

 

Quoting myself here, how vain is that?!
Also on the Prisoner Of The Night album I feel that George uses some guitar sounds which David Gilmour of the Floyd used around this era, the time of The Wall such as the dropped 'D' tuning on a number of tracks & some effects to enhance his soaring lead breaks.
So underrated in his own right, George Kooyman never seems to get a mention in guitar player polls but he's fabulous..

 

Miracle Mirror is a great early album. The stuff before that (Just Earrings, Winter Harvest) is a bit more generic mid 60's pop. From the moment Barry Hay joined things got a lot more interesting IMO. Tracks like The Truth About Arthur and I've Just Lost Somebody are great songs.

 

Yes, I've Just Lost Somebody is great! I think Rinus wrote that song, too. I will be checking out that CD shortly .

 

Just saw MOV is releasing Winter Harvest on Limited Yellow Vinyl (1000 copies) in December...I will be getting this and will keep a watch for Miracle Mirror on vinyl...glad you responded!