THE HOLLIES import compilations on compact disc: Steve's recommended versions..

Let's have a review then!

 

20 Golden Greats (Smokestack) is still on catalogue over here so getting it is real easy and is often discounted.

 

That Raven disc has been reviewed on another thread...I will tell you that the 3CD set "At Abbey Road" is the source of most of the tracks from this disc and some of the later ones were taken from the recent "The Hollies Greatest Hits" (2CD set...white cover blue clouds).
I'll stick with the older less futzed with masterings.

JF

 

Joe - or anyone else - do you have the 80s BGO CDs? I've not gotten a few of them now and I'm very pleased with the sound. I'm a little frustrated that Would You Believe is the stereo version and surprisingly the volume on that one is very low but overall it seems the BGOs may be the only source for the Hollies albums.

If my hunch is correct that all of the BGOs are unfutzed with (so far the ones I've gotten sound that way) then it's possible to collect all of the Hollies 60s output in unfutzed with digital:

Singles: All the Hits and More/Epic Anthology (Steve's recommendation)
B-sides: Other Side of... (See for Miles)
EPs: EP Collection (See for Miles, Steve's recommendation)
Albums: Hollies Style, Stay, Hollies, Believe, Evolution, Butterfly, Sing Dylan, Sing Hollies, (BGO 89/90 CDs**)
Rarities: So far only Wings on Not the Hits Again (Steve's recommendation). Other sources are NR and/or remixed????

** Given that the BGO's only present the albums in one format stereo or mono there doesn't seem to be a good digital option for both versions. So far I know is that Would You Believe, Butterfly and Evolution were only released by BGO in stereo. In the Hollies Style was released in mono. More info as I get them.

 

For Certain Because was released on CD by BGO in *both* the mono and stereo mixes. The mono came first, and then 3-4 years later they "secretly" remastered it using the original stereo mix. I have both if you need any other info. BTW, the BGO vinyl of FCB is the stereo mix.

The BGO CD's, while "unfutzed" with, were mostly made from copy tapes. Some sound better than others, IMO. Butterfly and Confessions Of The Mind come to mind as sounding fairly close to their Sundazed counterparts (the applicable tracks of the Dear Eloise/King Midas In Reverse and Moving Finger CD's for the Sundazed counterparts, that is).

 

Thanks for the info David. So far I'm pretty happy with Hollies Style and Would You Believe. I just realized that on the various comps I already have mono versions of some of the Believe tracks so having the stereo is nice.

 

The two tracks I was looking forward to being remixed (Carrie Anne and King Midas In Reverse), because of their wide separation with no center info, end up not being able to be remixed on the 30th Annivesary set!!!

Still, a great set and my introduction to the Hollies. At least the original mixes AND remixes are both available, so everyone is happy

 

Two monos

I'm confused between the two mono issues.





These have different song listings. Do they contain the same mastering?

 

They're totally different CDs. EP Collection is on See For Miles and was originally issued in 1987 on LP then 1989 on CD. It contains EP tracks minus a few. The other is an EMI release containing singles and EP tracks. The mastering would be different because the See For Mile CD came before the use of No Noise.

I had the A's, B's, EPs release and it annoyed me mostly because it was copy protected. I ditched it.

 

I used to have the BGO of the stereo "For Certain Because" and I remember it sounding kind harsh and tinny - that's why I ditched it when I read about the EMI remasters coming out. You can't win 'em all!

 

My CD copy of "Evolution" on BGO is a mono copy...I have no complaints about the sound on it..."Confessions..." also sounds good on BGO. I'll echo Davids feelings on the BGO discs overall. Only if BGO could have done what EMI did later on...with the mono/stereo re-issues....they would have sounded nice with no NR....but then again EMI could have done that too!!!!
I did not know "For Certain Because" was issued on both mono and stereo on BGO(always learn something here..thanks David)..anyway,I have "Evolution" in mono was that also re-issued in stereo?

JF

 

A few other things...Great Deceiver brings up a great point,it would have be nice to have both "Carrie Anne" and "King Midas" remixed on the 30th Anniv. Collection...that vocals/music mix of "Carrie Anne" is not very enjoyable. A while back Ron Furmanek said he did a remix of "King Midas" but the band rejected it,and the recent 2CD Hollies Greatest Hits has what sounds like a narrowed mix of what could have been Ron's remix for "Carrie Anne",he did comment on that track also but I can't remember what he said about it. It would be nice if he could update us on those 2.
I also went back and listened to The Hollies "20 Years" another early Polydor Cd compilation. It has a mono mix of "Carrie Anne" do we know if it's a fold down or original mono mix....I can't trust the "At Abbey Road" series as a comparison cause we know they have used fold downs on there. Anyone care to comment on that one?
And why would "Running Through The Night" (b-side of "I Can't Let Go")be in stereo on the CD "The Other Side Of The Hollies" when it's from 1966 and all the other b-sides on that compilation are in mono up till 1970? Just a few random thoughts about some Hollies things.

JF

 

Not that I know of Joe (though take that for what it's worth...not much...lol).

Regarding For Certain Because:

My guess is that they re-did it to match their vinyl version, which was issued using the stereo mix. Evolution was mono with their vinyl issue, so perhaps they left that CD "as is" for this very reason. BTW, the easiest way to identify the stereo BGO version of FCB is by a notation at the bottom of the actual disc (i.e. "remastered by so and so Studios"). Unfortunately, the outer packaging is identical for both. On a related note, I also know that some of the BGO's were pressed in France *and* the UK for select titles (e.g. Confessions). So, I don't know if that would have any further bearing on something like a stray FCB pressing.

It really would be great if EMI would can their No-Noise policy and give us fresh issues of these. At least their hearts were in the right places (i.e. nice packaging, mono/stereo). The BGO's certainly aren't the last word and have their own sonic issues, as others here have noted. The BGO of Distant Light, while tonally benign, sounds like it's (at least) a generation or two down. Pretty mushy and mediocre.

Distant Light is an album that I actually wish Steve could take a crack at (yes, I know it's controlled by EMI). It's a unique production - slathered in reverb/echo, with an ethereal and (no pun intended) somewhat distant sound character. But, it had two bona-fide hits here in the US -- one really recognizable -- and I think a gentle remastering would be nice...and a pretty decent seller too!

 

Mono Hollies

Thanks, Mark. The LP version of the EP collection is prone to inner groove distortion, and the EMI CD is a bit shrill. Perhaps the CD of EP Collection would be a happy medium.

 

I haven't scanned this entire thread, so forgive me if it's been mentioned already, but both The EP Collection and The Other Side Collection first made their appearance on EMI/Parlophone LP in the late 70's. Before their slightly reconfigured See For Miles LP and CD releases.

 

When I ordered the first batch of EMI stereo/mono remasters, I wasn't really aware of their "No-Noise" campaign, and when they arrived, I was bummed, to say the least. I thought the "tonal" aspect of the CDs was pretty good, but the NR ruined the overall sound. They could have been much better...

 

And also on Ron Furmanek's 3-CD EMI compilation...but it first turned up on a vinyl import comp, '80s vintage, IIRC. The song's terrible, though, so if you never hear the stereo, no big loss...

 

Agree. I compared the BGO For Certain Because to other sources including the EMI remaster and David is right, it's a trade off. I can't say I'd ditch the remaster for the BGO but the BGO is not No Noised.

Now my frustration is that the Would You Believe mono/stereo remaster has disappeared in favor of the two-fer.

 

With A's, B's and Rarities on my system, it takes just the very slightest turn to the left on the treble control to bring the 'brilliance' under control. Otherwise I'm happy with it.

 

Is this the Vic Anesini one? Later stuff... so it's not complete? So if I get this, which is the best compliment to it for the earlier stuff?

I am turning into a big Anesini fan - I just got a lot of Byrds stuff (and I'm not crazy about them) JUST because he did it.

BTW, for anyone in LA, there is an entire load of Buddy Holly Master Tape comp CDs mastered by SH right now for like $8 each at Amoeba - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! OK, so this is the wrong thread for that...

Jeff

 

I would say "All The Hits and More" or "20 Golden Greats" would be the best to accompany the Epic Anthology. The Epic Anthology It is the Anesini disc and sounds great.

 

My copy has the foam cushions too.

 

You could also try The Best Volume 1 (EMI Manhattan 1988) - this has the hits up to 1967 and sounds pretty good (pre NR).

 

Hey I got the EP Collection and Not the Hits Again! and I'm loving them! I had 20 golden greats before. Thanks for the recommendations!

Now here is a question: where is a good place to get kind midas in reverse and carrie anne in mono on CD? Like good SQ, no EMI NR and other bad stuff

bonus if it has Bus Stop and Stop Stop Stop also in mono or you know another place to get them with good SQ

thanks!

 

"Do The Best You Can" by The Hollies is a terrible song? Hmmm. Let me think on that one for a moment. I would say it sounds like something that was thrown together in a hurry, and that the lyrics don't make a lot of sense. But it has that banjo that worked well on some of their other songs, and the Nash sung bridge is a nice mellow touch. Not in the same class as "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", obviously, but a typically cheery and upbeat Hollies ditty. To call it terrible is being a bit brutal, don't you think?