The Hollies: "Head Out Of Dreams" track by track discussion thread

Thanks to everyone who participated in the two preceding threads that covered "The Complete Hollies" box sets, "Clarke Hicks & Nash Years, April 1963 – October 1968" and "Changin’ Times, January 1969 – March 1973."

Let’s continue the trilogy by going over the third and final box set in this series, "Head Out Of Dreams, August 1973 - May 1988." This is a six-disc, 120 song compilation, which was released in March 2017.

We will be evaluating (and appreciating) almost fifteen years of the Hollies’ recordings in about four months’ time, so let’s get started!

 

‘The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee’ (disc one, track #1 of 20) – this first song was written by lead singer Allan Clarke, his first contribution since returning to the Hollies after a brief solo career. Mikael Rickfors had parted ways with the Hollies by this time, making way for Clarke's return. It is very similar to their recent smash-hit, ‘Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress.’ Recorded in August 1973 and released as an A-side, it is also was the closing track of their second eponymous LP, Hollies, released in 1974. The group had also released a S/T LP in 1965. The single returned the Hollies to the UK Top 30, and also was a minor chart entry in Australia and Germany. It was a major hit in reliable Hollies markets like New Zealand (top ten) and the Netherlands (#1!). This number rocks pretty insistently. The drumming from Bobby Elliott sounds a bit brittle – I really like his style on this one. The song features super harmonies, and great guitar interplay between Tony Hicks and Terry Sylvester. A good way to kick things off!

4.46/5

 

For those who wish to begin at the beginning, you can find the first box set thread at the link below:

The Hollies: The Clarke, Hicks & Nash Years track by track discussion thread

 

And the second box set thread may be located at this link:

The Hollies: "Changin' Times" Track By Track Discussion Thread

 

Just as with "Courage of Your Convictions," this song would be easier to like if it didn't lean so heavily on "Long Cool Woman (in a Black Dress)." I can't think of any other instances in which The Hollies repeated themselves so blatantly.

This one does at least have the benefit of full Hollies harmonies, unlike its ancestor. But overall, I think they should have left "Long Cool Woman" to stand proudly alone. Atypical though it may be, it's a true classic.

 

Marvellous! Thanks for continuing!! It will be interesting to see if we re-appraise those late-seventies albums which tend to get a bad press. WRITE ON!

 

A really good rocking number, one that out-performed 'Long Cool Woman' in the UK charts. The band have quite often opened their show with this one, since Allan Clarke retired anyway. It's one that suits Clarke's vocals best though, and in my opinion, certainly didn't suit Carl Wayne. A blatant copy to try and replicate the earlier success though. 4.5/5

 

Actually the dense guitarwork is Allan Clarke and Tony Hicks on guitars, Tony also playing his guitar/sitar rather lower in the mix, Terry Sylvester on rhythm guitar, Bernie Calvert on bass guitar and Bobby Elliott on drums

while in some ways 'Curly Billy' could be seen as 'Long Cool Woman' - part 2 it's very thick guitar sound plus guitar/sitar and full vocal harmonies make it a very different sound to the very 'lean' echoed solo vocal and stripped guitars/bass/drums sound of LCW

here they are performing 'Curly Billy' on BBC's 'Top of The Pops' on 27 September 1973



While of course Curly Billy and Crazy Sam McGee were actual historical figures of the old West

 

Oh man, so grateful this era is getting a thread. I purchased the box set featuring Another Night, Crazy Steal, Russian Roulette & Buddy Holly upon release and have always had a special place for this period. Bring it on!

 

I also have the box set, as well as the second one covering that period. I had these albums before most of the ones from the '60s. The other box would be Hollies 74, Romany, Write On and 5317704.

 

‘Mexico Gold’ (disc one, track #2 of 20) – this composition is credited to Alexander/Campbell/Overton (not sure who these folks are - information about them is hard to come by). Recorded in August 1973, this number finally turned up on the Rarities LP & CD in 1988. It is a good, thumping number that features a great arrangement, with a nice guitar riff and an urgent vocal by Allan Clarke. He is complemented very well by the usual Hollies harmonies. I like the way the instruments come in one at a time in the beginning - guitar, bass, harmonica, drums, then vocals. Bottom line: this recording works quite well. It's a shame that it didn't come out for fifteen years!

4.63/5

 

A really, really good song, unbelievable that it was shelved until Rarities. Could have been a hit single in my opinion. 4.8/5

 

'Out on the Road' (disc one, track #3 of 20) - this is a Tony Hicks/Kenny Lynch composition from their 1974 LP, Hollies. A previously recorded version, featuring vocals by Mikael Rickfors, had previously surfaced on their 1973 German LP, also entitled Out on the Road. This is a great rocking song with a nice groove, very much in the mid-Seventies style. It features a great lead vocal from Allan Clarke and soaring lead guitar (with ample wah-wah) from Hicks. Boy, is he ever underrated among the guitarists of his time!

4.76/5

 

Compare and contrast - here is the 1973 version with Mikael Rickfors on lead vocal.

 

some always rate the original 'looser' Rickfors version to be better however I have never agreed with that view, Clarke's supreme voice carries the song better for me plus this second version has a tighter production with a more commercial arrangement notably the repeating calls of 'I wasn't there...' by Hicks-Sylvester which harks right back to the sixties Hollies style on songs such as 'It's in Her Kiss' and 'Mickey's Monkey' etc

Hicks guitarwork is terrific here too and this second 'Clarke version' really builds up to a great conclusion - in retrospect maybe this should have been the follow up single to 'The Air That I Breathe' instead of the low key 'Rotten Gambler' ?

 

Out on the Road is one of my favorite Hollies tracks. In my top ten for sure.
I love the 70's period Hollies, so Head Out of Dreams is my favorite Hollies collection.

Good stuff.

 

I prefer this second version of OUT ON THE ROAD, with Allan Clarke's vocal. It would certainly have been a contrasting choice of single after THE AIR THAT I BREATHE. Great guitar work (as usual).
In Germany, it almost was a single after AIR, but it was the original Rickfors version. With a change of record company to Polydor from Hansa, the older label put out a couple more singles which interspersed with the new Polydor ones, so (from 45CAT website) the lucky Germans in 1974 got:
THE AIR THAT I BREATHE (March)
LONG DARK ROAD (April)
SON OF A ROTTEN GAMBLER (June)
OUT ON THE ROAD (December)

That's as well as some other interesting choices in the preceding couple of years, with FRIGHTENED LADY, DON'T LEAVE THE CHILD ALONE and JESUS WAS A CROSSMAKER getting single release in Germany, none of which were released in the UK. They managed quite a few more later on too, well into the very late '80s, which I'm sure we'll discuss in the next few months.

 

'Born a Man' (disc one, track #4 of 20) - this is another Tony Hicks/Kenny Lynch song from their 1974 LP, Hollies. It had been released on their 1973 German LP, Out on the Road, with the title 'I Was Born a Man,' using a very similar arrangement. This song features a rare Tony Hicks lead vocal. As I said in the previous thread, it's too bad we didn't have more lead vocals from Hicks, as this one is very effective. Surely he could have had one per album! Organ and piano are featured prominently here, and there are several tasty lead breaks.

4.37/5

 

Here is the 1973 version ('I Was Born a Man'). Mikael Rickfors sings in the background on this one. Not very much different than the later version.

 

A great track, but really, a PRO-POT song as a single in 1974? Are you for real? 4/5.

 

So on this one, I wonder if only the track with the background vocals was re-recorded. Apart from that (and the mix), it's really difficult for me to discern any other differences.

 

Well, here's a "pro-pot" song that got to #7 on the Billboard charts in 1974.

I grant you that it's a novelty tune, but still!

 

Never heard of this. Never got played on NYC top 40 stations, probably only played on country stations here (well, maybe on the one country station we had). One Toke Over The Line got played, but that's the only one l ever remember.

 

'Pick Up the Pieces Again' (disc one, track #5 of 20) - this is a Terry Sylvester composition from their 1974 LP, Hollies. It had previously been released on their 1973 German LP, Out on the Road, with the title 'Pick Up The Pieces,' using a very similar arrangement.

Terry takes the lead vocal on this song. Like the originally released version, it has a nice, gentle pace to it with plenty of electric sitar and superb harmonies.

4.22/5

 

Here is the 1973 version ('Pick Up the Pieces'). Mikael Rickfors sings in the background on this one. Not very much different than the later version.