Stop! Stop! Stop! Started It All

Although no one else noticed, two events took place in the short span of December 25, 1966 and January 28, 1967 that would change my life for the better. On Christmas day, I received the Hear! Here! album by The Hollies as an added bonus to the “Stop Stop Stop” 45 rpm single I had wished for from Santa. It was the first album I ever owned and I liked every song on it. A little over a month later, a blizzard blanketed the Chicago area with 23 inches of snow. After earning $3.00 the next day for shoveling a neighbor’s sidewalk, I knew exactly what to do with the money. Buy an album.

To this day, I know people who’ll only purchase greatest hits albums to ensure they’ll like every track. I’ve been more adventurous since that first time I shelled out my own money for an LP. I only knew the title track of Stop! Stop! Stop! by The Hollies (For Certain Because in England) but that didn’t keep me from taking the plunge. Once again, I liked every track, but the major benefit of Stop! Stop! Stop! was that it sparked an interest in the art of songwriting. It was the first album by The Hollies on which every track was composed by band members Graham Nash, Allan Clarke, and Tony Hicks. As much as I had enjoyed Hear! Here!, this was more impressive.

As the liner notes by Richard Oliver on the back cover stated, there was “a blending of moods both in lyric and musical content.” “Clown” and “Crusader” which he credited to Nash, took a more introspective approach, while Hicks underscored the confusion of first love with his catchy “Peculiar Situation.” “What’s Wrong With The Way I Live” celebrated individuality, and The Hollies seemed to be channeling Bob Dylan on “Suspicious Look In Your Eyes” and “Don’t Even Think About Changing.” “Tell Me To My Face” was sheer pop perfection spiced with an exotic arrangement. And then there were the two Top 40 hits “Stop Stop Stop” and “Pay You Back With Interest.”

I not only enjoyed the music on Stop! Stop! Stop!, I developed an awareness of how it was created. I started writing my own lyrics, stories, and parodies. It wasn’t long before I moved on to reviews and feature stories. I’m still hoping to get one of my novels published. It’s been a long ride, and it’s still a great deal of fun.