Search - Hollies :: 20 Golden Greats

Golden harmonies

gary seppa | unionville, ontario Canada | 01/22/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have just, recently, acquired this disc and I must say that sonically I am most impressed.It enjoys tremendous clarity and solid definition. To my experience, these are rare qualities for a Hollies disc which have historically been, to my dismay, very thin in regards to sound. My hat is off to those responsible for this achievement .... for it has long been overdue and the Hollies are most deserving of a sound which befits their marvelous harmonies.In terms of song selection, I do have a few concerns. While there are a number of truly classic tunes here, unfortunately, the producers of this disc has also included some tunes whcih are not necessary representative of the Hollies finer work ..... and this in the end serves only to compromise the quality of the disc as a total listening experience. The Hollies created some absolutely wonderful, timeless tunes. However, their writing did get a bit thin at times resulting in what I can only consider to be rather awkward and somewhat foolish lyrics all in the name of rhyme. The producers are to be applauded for their efforts but unfortunately their good intentions do not favourably alter the outcome. That being said, I am very happy to have this disc in my collection and I am sure that it will bring endless hours of listening pleasure as I merrily sing along with their golden harmonies."

The essential British chart hits

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 10/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Hollies had more than twenty hits in their UK homeland, but the big ones can all be found here including all those that reached the top ten. The proof of their continuing popularity in Britain is that many of these songs turn up regularly on various artists compilation albums. The most popular is He ain't heavy he's my brother, which is not a surprise as it was a top three hit in the sixties and a number one hit in the eighties following its use in a TV commercial. The air that I breathe, Carrie Anne, Bus stop, I'm alive and Just one look seem to be the most popular of the others. Less common are Jennifer Eccles, Sorry Suzanne, On a Carousel, Stop stop stop and Look through any window, but these were all huge UK hits for the Hollies. If you just want a single Hollies CD containing all the essentials from the sixties and seventies, this will satisfy your needs. If you are looking for other excellent but less successful (in the UK) songs like If I needed someone and King Midas in reverse, or you want songs that were successful in other countries but not the UK, you can find them on more comprehensive collections, particularly the Greatest hits double CD released in 2003, which contains all these songs and which I've already reviewed."

Great CD !

peterfromkanata | Kanata, Ontario Canada | 08/21/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Serious Hollies' fans will, of course, want more than this--but for the casual listener of great pop music, this is an essential CD. Most of the really big hits from their long career are here, and the variety of songs is striking.

While very few groups are in the same league as the Hollies for harmony, lead singer, Allan Clarke, should be mentioned--distinctive, powerful, and strangely under-rated, Allan was the driving force of the Hollies' sound.

Except for the Beatles, not many groups had as many hits as the Hollies--yet they are still not in the "Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame", a glaring omission as this CD proves.



A very happy footnote dated 15 December 2009--at long last the Hollies will be inducted into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame ! Long overdue !"