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

'Break Me' - I agree that Peter doesn't really the voice for a rocking song, which this one approaches. It's okay, but not much more than that. Nice solo. 3/5

 

Track five from 'Staying Power' is 'Shine On Me'. This starts with a nice guitar introduction followed by a solo vocal in the verses from Peter until the full harmonies kick in on the chorus. Nice guitar work throughout this one, in particular with the catchy chorus. A powerful 'middle eight' followed by a short guitar solo which follows the melody. This one suits Peter's voice well. One of my favourites on the album. Mark Reid had a hand in writing this, along with Cliff Masterson and Robert Hart.

According to Wikipedia (and other websites) Cliff Masterson has worked in both the classical and pop fields. Classical work included being the arranger and producer of Robin Gibb's 'Titanic Requiem'. In films, Doctor Strange and Hacksaw Ridge have included his work. Cliff co-wrote and produced "Destiny" the theme song for the "Mission:Space" attraction at Walt Disney World's EPCOT Center. Cliff has worked as a conductor and orchestrator with orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Studio Orchestra and the world famous Nashville String Machine.
In pop, he has arranged and produced work by Little Mix, Emile Sande, Kylie Minogue, Lionel Richie, Labrynth and Oasis (unplugged) and Cliff Richard. As a songwriter with Charlotte Church, Shayne Ward, Journey South and The Hollies.

Robert Hart (I can find no link online to The Hollies so it might be a different one) Wikipedia tells us he is a vocalist and songwriter. He is currently the lead singer of Manfred Mann's Earth Band. He's also been the lead singer of Bad Company. He has also written several Number 1 hits, and written a number of songs for film soundtracks, whilst being signed to Roy Orbison's Still Working Music, Disney's Hollywood Records, and Island Records.

Quite an impressive pedigree for this song, sadly no live or promo video for this one though. 4.4/5

 

'Shine on Me' - really suits Peter Howarth's voice well. Good song - the refrain is particularly effective. 4/5

 

Track six from 'Staying Power' brings us to 'Suspended Animation'. Written by Rob Davis and Tom Nicholls - both involved in Kylie Minogue's best selling 'Fever' album, it's as pop as pop can be with full use of the 'Cher effect' autotune. It's a very summery sound and catchy. In amongst the froth and sound effects, there's possibly one of the best guitar solos of the album. I'd guess it's one which can divide opinion, but I enjoy it. A fun track. 4.2/5

 

'Suspended Animation' was deemed commercial enough to get a promo video. It could very well have been a hit single if it had been by a young 'boyband' and not The Hollies. Perhaps they should have released under a pseudonym, after all, no one would think "that sounds like The Hollies"...

 

On a general point - and notably for any interested American Hollies fans who might have been going to see them before the USA tour was axed due to covid 19 (hopefully it might happen next year ?) the current 'Howarth' era Hollies live in concert are a bit of a surprise

I have seen them a few times live

Peter Howarth's voice is surprisingly powerful, indeed the recordings don't do his voice justice (much like how Carl Wayne had a hell of a powerful voice that none of The Move's classic hits he sang required at all and gave no indication of how strong Carl's voice actually was)

we know Allan Clarke's voice was mega powerful in his prime but neither Carl or Peter came over on record as powerful as they actually were / are performing live in concerts

also there was now more variety re 'who sang what' than back in the Allan Clarke eras - when only Graham Nash, Tony Hicks , Terry Sylvester, or later Alan Coates would sing the occasional lead solo on a song in concerts and Clarkey took by far the lion's share of the lead vocal work

Steve Lauri has sung 'King Midas in Reverse' and 'I Can't Tell The Bottom From The Top' - while Steve has a falsetto high harmony voice his lead voice has a rather 'American' style about it and reminded me somewhat of the lead vocal style of guitarist Donnie Dacus of Chicago (albums; 'Hot Streets' and 'Street Player') and later The Steve Stills Band

keyboardist Ian Parker has taken lead vocal in concerts on 'We're Through' the 1964 UK hit

Peter Howarth does a solo acoustic guitar spot singing solo versions of Hollies songs 'Sandy' and 'Here I Go Again' (the latter also performed by the full band in more traditional style as well)

while Peter takes a break ex-Mud bass player Ray Stiles (who has sung 'Tiger Feet' that group's UK no.1 with The Hollies in concerts) joins Tony Hicks and Steve Lauri in the frontline to sing a few songs including 'Listen To Me' and Allan Clarke's song 'Hey Willy' - which Bobby Elliott has said they never did live with Allan in the band !

The 'Rickfors' Hollies are saluted too with versions of 'The Baby' and more recently 'Magic Woman Touch'

Apparently it seems that Allan Clarke refused to sing any 'Rickfors' Hollies songs live - it was Carl Wayne who woke up 'The Baby' for live shows as he loved the song and the 1972 Hollies hit version and it has been retained in their live show since




many Hollies hits feature - they have even delved right back into the sixties Nash era with songs such as 'Very Last Day' and 'Too Many People' from 1965...

the concerts are surprisingly 'rocky' too - that extended re-arranged version of 'Look Through Any Window' with dual guitar solos done as say Lynyrd Skynyrd might have covered the song (!) is evidence of how guitar led the concerts are tho' most hits are performed in a pretty faithful to the originals style overall

the 'Howarth' Hollies concerts I saw were all far more 'rocky' in style than the album 'Staying Power' might suggest

just thought I'd let anyone who might be considering seeing them live in the future know this

 

King Midas in Reverse live - lead vocal; Steve Lauri with Peter Howarth & Tony Hicks



a very different feel to the voice of Graham Nash with Allan Clarke & Tony Hicks we all know so well...

 

while Steve Lauri was taking lead vocal on 'I Can't Tell The Bottom From The Top' it has more recently been featured live as part of Peter Howarth's solo acoustic spot

 

Didn’t realize that Dacus did anything significant after his stint with Chicago. I learn so much here!

 

Closer To You - Steve Stills with Donnie Dacus

 

'Suspended Animation' - I like this one too. Peter Howarth is quite a good singer. I hadn't heard him before you started all this. 4.1/5

 

Track seven from 'Staying Power' is 'Touch Me', another cover of a song previously recorded by Enrique Iglesias on his '7' album. By the same composers as 'Break Me', its very similar in style (perhaps too similar), and suffers in the same way, after a nice opening few seconds, there's the keyboards over-doing it. However, like 'Break Me', 'Touch Me' is a lively number underpinned by a crunchy guitar sound, and I think Peter sounds more assured on this one. 3.2/5
No promotional clip, and as far as I'm aware it was never performed live.

 

We will have to make do with Latin heart-throb Enrique giving the song 'The Way You Touch Me' an airing in a TV studio. And to be fair, it suits him better than it does The Hollies. From the 2003 album '7', which reached No. 13 in the UK gaining a gold disc ( a very big drop off from his previous album 'Escape' which was a Number 1 Hit, and a five-times platinum seller). In the US, '7' stalled at No. 31. The Hollies bring nothing new to this, covering note-for-note. Perhaps The Hollies would have been better covering 'Hero' from 'Escape' instead...

 

Peter Howarth sings all the harmony vocals parts on 'Touch Me' besides taking the lead vocal

so every voice on this track is Howarth's as later on 'If You See Her'

shades of Graham Nash back in the sixties taking all the chorus harmony vocals on 'Carrie Anne' and all his own harmonies on songs such as 'Away Away Away', 'Postcard', 'Everything is Sunshine', 'Relax' etc...

 

'Touch Me' - love the guitars, hate the keyboards. Again, a good vocal by Peter Howarth. Overall, it's all right. 3/5

 

Track eight from 'Staying Power' is 'Emotions'. Composed by regular Rob Davis, but on this occasion with the legendary Lamont Dozier. It would of course take up several pages to list all of his songwriting achievements, but as a co-composer/producer with 14 US and 4 UK number one hits, he certainly knows how to write a song or two. I'd suggest visiting his website if you want to find out more. Lamont Dozier Home

Starting with some nice acoustic guitar, and a guitar solo introduction from Tony Hicks of the sort you'd get with 'The Air That I Breathe'. Peter excells with the vocals too on this one. Keyboards are understated and suited to the track. This one plays to their strengths. For me, the best song on the album. 4.5/5

 

'Emotions' from 'Staying Power' has pretty much been in the setlist since release. Here's a live version from the DVD 'Special Live Edition', at the 'Cafe de Paris.

 

'Emotions' - good song. Another first-rate vocal from Peter Howarth. Love Tony's lead. 4/5

 

Track Nine from 'Staying Power' is 'Weakness'. Another Rob Davis effort, this time with Chris Braide. There is a Chris Braide, songwriter who has worked with lots of pop acts, but I can find no link to both The Hollies and Rob Davis anywhere online, so it could well be a different person. The Hollies are not mentioned on his own website. He has worked with the likes of Kylie Minogue, as has Rob Davis, so it's possible, but the only other album I can find both Rob Davis and Chris Braide working on another release is on Gareth Gates 2003 release 'Go Your Own Way'.

'Weakness' starts with a keyboard introduction and has an assured strong vocal from Peter Howarth. It soon develops into a guitar led pop song. I wish that the harmonies sounded more like The Hollies, but it's another good enough song, and popular enough to remain in the live setlist to this day. It sounds fine in concert too, having heard it many times! The studio recording sounds a bit generic and bland on repeated listening. 3.8/5

 

Here's 'Weakness' in a German TV Studio performance, and you get the bonus of 'The Air That I Breathe' first! The comments on YouTube range from very positive, with the occasional predictable 'No Allan - No Hollies' type.

For example: "This guy is fantastic. Does Allen justice and then some. Great sound. I would pay to see them in a heartbeat." to "A frankly bland Cliff Richard backing singer has taken a great band down the middle of the road and made them entirely forgettable I`m afraid. I saw Allan many times and Carl once but Howarth is chicken in the basket entertainment. Yawn. I dont know if he would have been up for it but it`s a shame they didnt look up Mikael Rickford when Carl died."

I've not corrected the YouTube poster's spelling mistakes and as such a huge fan, the former lead singer's name... These negative types do seem to enjoy posting similar comments on any Hollies with Howarth tracks though. As has been mentioned on here though, sold out concerts throughout Europe (and other continents) show a more realistic story of where The Hollies are at.

 

AC/DC stole this song for their oeuvre.
Perhaps stepping stone.

 

New song better live ( tv performance), tunes a bit Bon Jovi esqe.. new singer is good.

Is Tony Hicks, Dorian Gray?

 

Agree that it sounds better in the live performance, the harmonies are 'more' Hollies than on the studio version. And as for Anthony 'Dorian Gray' Hicks, whatever it is that he's on, I want some!

 

Not only does he look sixteen, but he still has his barnet.

 

Weakness - which might have made a decent single - has been one of the (maybe too few ?) Howarth era songs included in their live concert set list for some time

I feel by now a few of the earlier very 'pop' sixties songs so associated with Clarke/Nash like say; 'Yes I Will', 'We're Through', 'Stay', even 'Jennifer Eccles' and Sylvester's debut 'Sorry Suzanne' (ALL of which The Hollies with Clarke/Sylvester had dropped in the seventies shows !) might now be rested to keep the concerts a bit more 'later Hollies' with besides 'Just One Look', 'Here I Go Again' from 1964 no other pre 1965 songs used and in turn maybe a few more Clarke with Nash/Sylvester album tracks, another Rickfors number or two and at least four Howarth sung Hollies numbers featuring in the concerts

I think once a band gets a 'Twenty Golden Greats' compilation it can become something of a concert millstone around their necks turning them too much into just nostalgic hits acts thereafter...

back on 'Hollies Live Hits' in 1976 the 'mark 2' Hollies of Clarke-Hicks-Sylvester were heavily featuring tracks from the last couple of albums besides hits in their live show and by now with a very different vocal sound they could be gradually reducing the very old sixties pop hits everyone has heard so many times in favor of a few more album tracks from Clarke, Rickfors, and Howarth eras to update things a bit more, while of course retaining many of the major 1965 onwards hits people expect to hear...

re some of the unpleasant remarks aimed at Peter Howarth - Mike Rickfors faced this back in 1972 also - this is largely from a small but very vocal group of people who repeatedly make such remarks forever attempting to pass off their own bigoted opinions as being facts presumably under the delusion if they 'throw enough mud some at least must stick' ...and they will get some influence in changing public opinion to that of what THEY desire...

which considering Howarth has successfully fronted The Hollies as a international touring band for some sixteen years now since August 2004 appearing on two studio albums and a live album with regular strong concert attendances and an intended return to the USA on the cards pre covid (hopefully next year ?) does rather suggest these small but very vocal group of people have had NO influence whatsoever on anything...