Happy Birthday, Graham!

Today’s post is a celebration of Graham Nash’s birthday involving some of the items from my rock and roll memorabilia collection.

The Graham Nash figure is a soft sculpture I had custom made by an artist I met at The Wells Street Art Fair a few years back. It appeared in three episodes of Manchester Gallery, the comedy series my wife Pam and I created for the Sunday Morning Coffee With Jeff Internet show.

The framed autographed photo of The Hollies in their very early days was a gift from a fellow Hollies fan for my 50th birthday.

The third item is a book of rare photographs called Through The Ages - Volume 1, which was put together by Hollies drummer Bobby Elliott from his archives. It's available from the band's official website. I recently e-mailed Mr. Elliott to tell him I had reviewed his book on my blog (see Archives, December 2010) and he was kind enough to write back and thank me. He added that he hopes to create a Through The Ages - Volume 2 soon.

A few years ago, I had the honor of interviewing Graham Nash (see December, 2009) for the Illinois Entertainer and he mentioned a new CD of 1960s cover tunes that he was going to be recording with Stephen Stills and David Crosby. That CD hasn’t been released yet, but reportedly, it’s moving closer toward completion.

So here’s a birthday wish to Graham Nash, a true star of the original British Invasion, and architect of the California rock sound. May we always enjoy his music.

CD Review: VARIOUS ARTISTS - Be Yourself - A Tribute To Graham Nash’s Songs For Beginners

Note: This review originally ran in the Illinois Entertainer.

The concept of various indie rock artists covering Graham Nash’s 1971 solo debut Songs For Beginners isn’t that much of a stretch considering the genre’s current obsession with introspective songs and pedal steel guitar. It would have been fun to hear someone infuse one of Nash’s hippie reflections with mega watts of punk intensity, but there’s none of that going on here. For the most part, the various artists on Be Yourself establish their own identify without straying too far from the original material.

Nash’s daughter Nile put the CD together and contributes a stark version of “Wounded Bird.” Brendan Benson of The Raconteurs and Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes offer enjoyable acoustic takes on “Better Days” and “Be Yourself” respectively, while the San Francisco based band Vetiver captures the angst of the elaborate “I Used To Be A King.” Bonnie “Prince” Billy translates “Simple Man” into Spanish and tinkers with the melody but the result is a bit of a siesta. Sleepy Sun gives “Chicago” a harder edged, theatrical feel reminiscent of Hair, and Nile Nash returns for the spirited “We Can Change The World (Reprise).” Be Yourself exudes a community spirit that’s well suited to Graham Nash’s peace and love image.

DVD Review: The Hollies - The Dutch Collection

Released by EMI in 2007, The Hollies - The Dutch Collection is a CD/DVD import from Holland. The audio half of this set is the usual collection of hits, from “Here I Go Again” to “The Air That I Breathe,” plus (for some unfathomable reason) the band’s shameful attempt at disco, “Wiggle That Wotsit.” It’s the other disc that serves up something Hollies fans have been praying for years: An official visual documentation of the band’s career, including live performances, TV appearances, interviews, and what amount to rock videos years before the dawn of MTV.

When I talked to Hollies guitarist-vocalist Terry Sylvester at the Fest For Beatles Fans in Chicago a few years back, I mentioned The Dutch Collection and he agreed it was great that this material was finally being made available. Unfortunately, the DVD is in the PAL format, so it’s not compatible with many players in the U.S. I have a portable model by Insignia that does accept PAL, but I’d love to see The Dutch Collection on a big screen.

Surprisingly, The Hollies were making promotional films for their songs as early as 1965, as evidenced by the clip for “I Can’t Let Go,” which shows the musicians lip-synching on a dock that presumably overlooks The Thames. “Stop Stop Stop” gives the lads a chance to engage in some Beatlesque silliness as they hang out in a local pub, tossing darts and downing pints. The best part is guitarist Tony Hicks winding up the key on top of a limo shortly before the band is driven away. The antics are reminiscent of The Monkees, but it’s quite possible this clip pre-dates that TV show.

I remember seeing a clip for “Carrie Anne” on a local UHF TV show hosted by WLS DJ Art Roberts back in 1967, and I had been trying to find a copy of it for years. It’s on The Dutch Collection, and it’s just as wacky as I remembered. Graham Nash frolics in an open field wearing a kaftan, bassist Bernie Calvert wakes up by a pool surrounded by beautiful women, and lead vocalist Allan Clarke dresses up as cowboy and shoots his doppelganger in a duel. The clip for “Dear Eloise,” which was filmed outdoors around a gazebo, is more straight forward. When I interviewed Nash for the Illinois Entertainer (see Archives, December 2009) he acknowledged that it was unusual for bands back then to create rock videos. He explained that The Hollies had no real say in the creative aspect of these clips; they pretty much did as they were told.

Two of the clips, “On A Carousel,” and the much later “Magic Woman Touch,” featuring Clarke’s short-term replacement Mikael Rikfors, offer an interesting peek at The Hollies at work in the recording studio. By far, the worst clip is the one for “Blowin’ In The Wind,” which mixes footage of the band lip-synching the Dylan tune with footage of a what looks like a guy and his girlfriend making an amateur porn film. Nothing explicit, but very cheesy in way that would have been funny as a Monty Python’s Flying Circus bit. In fact, Monty Python did do something quite similar.

The Dutch Collection also offers a few short, vintage interviews conducted in Holland with band members at various point in the 1960s, as well as an appearance by Hicks and Sylvester on a 1970s English TV show. The disc is more interesting early on, with The Hollies appearing on Top Of The Pops and at a New Musical Express sponsored event. Later TV performances of songs like “Hey Willy,” “The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee,” and “Daddy Don’t Mind” only illustrate how lackluster the band’s material could be in the late 1970s.

The reunion of Nash, Clarke, Hicks, drummer Bobby Elliott, and original bassist Eric Haydock singing the hits medley “Holliedaze” on Top Of The Pops in the early 1980s, ends The Dutch Collection on a happy note.

CD Review: Graham Nash - Songs For Beginners

Note: This review originally appeared in the Illinois Entertainer.

Graham Nash recorded Songs For Beginners in 1971, when CSY&N were still a hot new item but were already embroiled in one of their numerous feuds. It was his first solo album, after years of sharing the spotlight with Crosby, Stills, and Young, as well as his first band, The Hollies. Not that Nash was alone on this effort; guest musicians included Jerry Garcia, Rita Coolidge, and Neil Young, performing under the pseudonym Joe Yankee.

Recently released in a remastered version that includes a DVD with an interview as well as lyrics and some of Nash’s photos, Songs For Beginners serves as a template for much of his work. The album strikes a balance between homespun reflections and political rabble rousing. “Military Madness” and “Chicago” still resonate, while the acoustic “Simple Man” and more elaborate “I Used To Be A King” deal with his troubled relationship with Joni Mitchell. Some of Songs For Beginners, especially “There’s Only One,” seems locked in the 1970s, but this new edition should please Nash’s fans.

Slumgullion #16

Photo from The Ellen DeGeneres Show website.

Ellen DeGeneres’s recent announcement that she’s forming a record company called eleveneleven brought me back to last November, when she landed the cover of Oprah Winfrey’s O Magazine. I did a post back then suggesting her next goal should be sharing the cover of Rolling Stone or Mojo with Little Steven Van Zandt. DeGeneres had recently created her own Internet music page, and I hoped she would use it to become an avid supporter of power pop and garage rock. To get the ball rolling, I started an Ellen Fans Who Love Power Pop group on her website. I soon abandoned it, accepting that I just couldn’t compete with Ellen Fans Who Love Justin Bieber.

But 2010 has seen The Ellen DeGeneres Show taking a new approach to booking music acts. Up and coming, less commercial artists like One Eskimo, Paramore, Vedera, LaRoux, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, and Diane Birch have been showing up on a regular basis, as well as the better known but not exactly mainstream Weezer. DeGeneres has also stated that if she returns to American Idol next year, she’d like to see the show embrace a wider variety of genres. Even though eleveneleven seems like a quickly-hatched means to market preteen YouTube superstar Greyson Chance, I’m betting DeGeneres has been mulling over this enterprise for some time. She’s been on Facebook and Twitter soliciting suggestions for new music acts for her label, so hopefully, this will result in some worthy bands getting some well-deserved attention. Including power pop and garage acts.

Three bands will perform tonight as part of the Peace Fest Benefit at Nite Cap, located on Irving Park Road in Chicago. Funk/reggae band Flow Theory kicks things off at 10PM, followed by satiric rock trio Genral Patton & His Privates at 11PM, and Foster Home at midnight. Admission is $5.

The Bottom Lounge on west Lake Street will host The Fleshtones on June 12th, with an impressive supporting lineup that includes The Goldstars, Teenage Imposters, Tomorrow The Moon, and The Earth Program.

WhiteWolfSonicPrincess, featuring hipsters James Moeller and Carla Hayden, opens for the Robert Hynes Band at the Red Line Tap on north Glenwood this Sunday (May 30th) night.

Listening to “Chicago” playing on WXRT yesterday afternoon, I had a premonition that disc jockey Terri Hemmert would have some news to share about Graham Nash. As it turns out, she did. Nash is being honored with a tribute CD titled Be Yourself that features modern bands covering all the tracks on his Songs For Beginners debut. It was released a few days ago on Grass Roots Records. According to Amazon.com and the websites This Is Book’s Music, Consequence Of Sound, and The Line Of Best Fit, the effort was put together by Nash’s daughter Nile, with help from (((folkYeah!))) concert promoter Brit Govea.

Participating artists include Nile Nash, Brendon Benson. Jonathan Rice, Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes, and Bonnie “Prince” Billy. Nash will be in the Chicago area on August 22nd for a Crosby, Stills, and Nash concert at Ravinia.

Speaking of WXRT, the station couldn’t have had better weather for its 93 Days Of Summer Kickoff Bash today at Arlington Park. With temperatures hovering in the mid-70s and the scent of barbecued food in the air, disc jockey Lin Brehmer and news anchor Mary Dixon hosted an outdoor fest that included acoustic sets from Joe Pug and Warren Haynes. Although Haynes, who has played guitar with The Allman Brothers Band as well as Gov't. Mule, clearly had the larger following, newcomer Pug also impressed the crowd with his emotional, Dylan-like material. Haynes thrilled his fans with inventive strumming and blues-inflected vocals. There was an easy-going, early afternoon ambience as Dixon passed out tubes of sunscreen and urged audience members to pass them around. “She’s such a mom!” Brehmer joked. The party also included lots of Rolling Stones tunes played over the sound system (the station was featuring The Stones today) as well as a parody of a Stones song celebrating the Black Hawks playing for The Stanley Cup.

Aftermath, the Ronan Marra play about Brian Jones and his squabbles with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, has already sold out its entire run at The Raven Theatre Complex. According to a recent article in the Chicago Tribune by critic Chris Jones, the Signal Ensemble show will not be extended, although there is a chance they’ll bring Aftermath back later in the year.

Stones fans already have so much on their plates, including the new deluxe edition of Exile On Main Street, and they now can get their rocks off at the Performing Arts Center at Harper College in Palatine on June 24th when the acclaimed Tributosaurus becomes The Rolling Stones. Tickets are $9 - $12. Call 847-925-6100 for info.

Everyone’s Heart Is Filled With The Gladness

“It’s my birthday card from Broken Hearted Toy!” Photo of Clarke from Hollies tour book.

Allan Clarke has an added reason to celebrate his birthday this year, having just been inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with The Hollies. Clarke served as the band’s lead vocalist from the very beginning until his retirement in 2000, although there were a few times in the 1970s when he went AWOL to pursue a solo career.

His distinctive voice can be heard on several Top 40 Hits, including “Look Through Any Window,” “I Can’t Let Go,” “Long Cool Woman,” “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother,” and “The Air The I Breathe.” He also composed several great songs, as part of the GRALTO songwriting team of Graham Nash, Allan Clarke, and Tony Hicks.

In addition to his tenure with The Hollies, Clarke also scored an FM radio hit by singing lead on “Breakdown” from The Alan Parsons Project’s I Robot album. He discovered Bruce Springsteen before many people had heard of The Boss, and performed Springsteen material on his solo releases.

Springsteen was in the audience when Clarke reunited with Nash for a performance at The RRHOF Ceremony. Happy Birthday, Allan. Thanks for all the great music, and congratulations on your well deserved award.

Slumgullion #9

Watch out for those Daleks, mister. Photo of Eccleston as Lennon from Blogtor Who blog.

Number 9 - - - number 9 - - - number 9. It’s Slumgullion Number Nine, and so it’s only fitting to open with a bit on John Lennon.

When I first read on Blogtor Who that Christopher Eccleston, the actor who did such a grand job of bringing Doctor Who back to life, will be portraying Beatle John in the new Lennon Naked film due to air on England’s BBC Four later this year, I just couldn’t picture it. David Tennant, Eccleston’s successor on Doctor Who would make a good young Lennon. But Eccleston? Blogtor Who and now several other Internet sites have clips from Naked Lennon, and Eccleston seems quite believable in the role. Wonder if we’ll get a chance to see the movie here in the states.

The critically acclaimed Mary-Arrchie Theatre in Chicago will celebrate its 25th Anniversary in 2011, and has just launched a fundraising campaign that will hopefully keep this cutting edge group around for at least another 25 years. Patrons are being asked to take on the role of angels via donations. $50 to $100 equals a Bronze Angel, while $1,000 or more equals a Guardian Angel. There are also Silver, Gold, and Platinum Angel options in between. Mary-Arrchie’s ultimate goal is to reach $60K, but it will settle for $25K to celebrate its 25th year. For more information on the fundraiser, as well as the upcoming performance of Kirk Lynn’s experimental play, Cherrywood, check out the Mary-Arrchie website.

Fans of 1960s English music should be pleased with the arrival of a new DVD series called British Invasion from Reelin’ In The Years Productions. The San Diego company has its own Facebook Fan page, where it announces, “The first four artists are: The Small Faces, Hermans’s Hermits, Gerry And The Pacemakers, and Dusty Springfield.” The documentaries include vintage footage, interviews, and “cool extras too.” They’re available on Amazon and can be purchased individually or as a boxed set. Hopefully, British Invasion will spotlight more U.K. acts in the near future.

The April 15th edition of Rolling Stone offers a backstage look at the recent 2010 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Ceremony, including that odd incident involving a mic during The Hollies’ performance. According to the magazine, Terry Sylvester, who had been with the band from 1969 to 1981, was miffed about not being invited to join Graham Nash and Allan Clarke in the rehearsals for the performance. Shortly after “Long Cool Woman” started, with Train’s Pat Monahan doing the lead vocals and Little Steven Van Zandt playing lead guitar, Sylvester ambled onstage and gestured for Monahan to give him the mic. Monahan complied, and Sylvester sang a few lines before Clarke took the mic away and gave it back to Monahan.

I’m going to wimp out and come down squarely in the middle of this, but first, here’s a tip of the hat to Monahan. He not only did a great job on the vocals, he was a good sport. I can kind of see the logic of concentrating on lifelong friends Nash and Clarke, who co-founded The Hollies, but I also think Sylvester should have been included. I met him at a Fest For Beatles Fans show in Chicago a few years back, and he’s an outgoing, friendly guy. I did a phone interview with Nash over a year ago, and also found him to be very down-to-earth. I’ve never spoken with Clarke, but I’m sure I’d find him affable, and he’s more than welcome to contact me.

Meanwhile, Sylvester must still be in The RRHOF s good graces, because he’s scheduled to perform with Gene Chandler, Sheila E., Mark Farner, and Tommy James and the Shondells at the organization’s It’s Only Rock and Roll Annual Benefit Concert in Cleveland on May 15th.

P.S.: Viewers may have noticed Green Day’s Billy Joe Armstrong, who had introduced The Stooges for their RRHOF induction, singing along with “Carrie Anne” as he sat in the audience. Rolling Stone reports that Armstrong later approached Nash at an afterparty at the Waldorf Hotel’s Bull and Bear Bar, and told him, “Thank you for songs that will last an eternity.”

Return Of The Two Teens

From left to right: Nash, Clarke, Haydock, Elliott, and Hicks.

The Hollies were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame at an official ceremony held in New York on March 15th. The show was broadcast on the Fuse cable channel. Prior to Little Steven Van Zandt’s introduction, there was a video montage of the band performing its hits on various TV shows and at concerts, plus snippets of interviews from over the years.

Van Zandt opened with a shout out to Iggy Pop, who had rocked the house with a live performance following his induction. Van Zandt went on to take a few swipes at the current state of the recording industry and The Grammy Awards in particular, before he got around to talking about The Hollies. But his genuine passion for rock and roll added weight to his endorsement of the band, as he described Tony Hicks as an underrated guitarist, lauded Bobby Elliott’s inventive drumming style, and praised the three part harmonies of Allan Clarke, Graham Nash, and Hicks.

As expected, Nash, Clarke, and Terry Sylvester were on hand to accept the awards, and it was a pleasant surprise to see original bass player Eric Haydock and the man who replaced him, Bernie Calvert, also on hand. Fuse got the bassists mixed up; showing Calvert’s name on the screen while Haydock was speaking. Hicks and Elliott were not able to attend because they were performing with the current version of The Hollies at The London Palladium.

Clarke reminisced about how he and Nash met as kids in school, and grew up sharing a love for rock music. Nash was particularly pleased to see his lifelong friend receive the Hall Of Fame Honor. Sylvester cracked a few jokes, and then paid tribute to the band’s first manager.

As for the performance, Clarke and an acoustic guitar strumming Nash sang “Bus Stop” and “Carrie Anne,” backed by The Paul Schaffer Band (from The Late Show with David Letterman) and with some vocal assistance from Adam Levine and Jesse Carmichael of Maroon 5. Van Zandt kicked off “Long Cool Woman In Black Dress” by playing its famous guitar intro, and Patrick Monahan from Train came on stage to handle the lead singing. Clarke, who sang lead on the original, strapped on an electric guitar for this number, and joined Nash on back-up vocals. Sylvester joined the rousing rendition, singing a few lines on a mic he borrowed from Monahan.

It was great that The Hollies finally received this long overdue honor. And even more touching to see Graham Nash and Allan Clarke, laughing and having a blast together, decades removed from their first performances together as The Two Teens in the clubs of Manchester, England.

Showtime!

Just a reminder that The Hollies will be inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame tonight. The ceremony will be broadcast on the Fuse Channel at 7:30 PM Central Standard Time. Break out the champagne and celebrate.

Congratulations to Graham Nash, Allan Clarke, Terry Sylvester, Tony Hicks, Bobby Elliott, Carl Wayne, Bernie Calvert, Mikael Rikfors, Eric Haydock, and Don Rathbone. Plus, a tip of the hat to the current Hollies members who tour and record with Hicks and Elliott: Ian Parker, Steve Lauri, Ray Stiles, and Peter Howarth.

It's also a good time to pay tribute to the late Carl Wayne, who served as The Hollies’ lead vocalist from 2000 to 2004. Already famous for his work with The Move as well as in theatre productions, Carl sought to bring Hollies fans closer to their favorite group. I had the honor of meeting him in 2002. As I wrote in a piece for Amplifier Magazine, he was the people's Hollie.

I met Wayne while The Hollies were doing a soundcheck hours before an outdoor concert in Stillwater, Minnesota. The band ran through a few songs at the soundcheck; seeming to take longer because there were a number of fans watching them. Unfortunately, the actual concert was rained out, and I’ve never had a chance to see The Hollies since. Hopefully, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame honor will spark some sort of tour in the United States. Maybe even one that brings the current and former members together.

Hollies Album Tracks - The Defense Rocks Part 3

“That stuff is almost hidden from view, people don’t know it exists. It almost makes me cry when I say to people, never mind the singles, have you listened to the albums? Because there’s some magic stuff on there.” - Hollies bass player Bernie Calvert

“What Went Wrong” The fatal flaw of the Orchestral Hollies compilation, which was released in 2000, is that it almost entirely ignored the band’s mid-1960s experimental work in favor of much later, much safer material. Graham Nash’s delicately beautiful “Butterfly” was the only song chosen from his tenure with the band, other than a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ In The Wind.” One of the several glaring omissions on Orchestral Hollies was “What Went Wrong,” a rollicking number with accompaniment directed by Mike Vickers, that appeared on the 1966 Stop Stop Stop (For Certain Because - - - in the UK) album. I stated in my last round of Hollies album tracks that Stop Stop Stop might have been The Hollies’ finest moment, and “What Went Wrong” provides additional evidence. The song kicks off with thundering kettle drums and a blast of horns, before Allan Clarke sings, “If you could look my way, you’d know that I exist” in his signature vocal style. He remains impressive throughout the song, particularly on the highly melodic lines, “You be the only reason that I’m leaving town/You be the only reason I’d come back for one more day, I’d come back and maybe stay, if I could find out what to say to you.” The arrangement, anchored by Bobby Elliott’s steady drumming, is reminiscent of the Tom Jones hit, “It’s Not Unusual.” “What Went Wrong” is pure 1960s, but it stands the test of time.

“Leave Me” In the U.S., “Leave Me” appeared on the Dear Eloise/King Midas In Reverse album, and its position directly after the orchestrated fairy tale “Butterfly” indicates just how adventurous The Hollies were in those days. Of all the songs in the band’s catalog, this is the one that would probably fit best on a Nuggets compilation, since it’s a hard-hitting bit of garage rock. Furthermore, “Leave Me,” with its energetic guitar and organ arrangement, is a great example of how to create a nonviolent break-up song. There’s a long-standing, though thoroughly inexcusable school of thought in rock ‘n’ roll that if a woman breaks a man’s heart, he has the right to murder her (“Hey Joe,” “Delilah,” “Run For Your Life.”). Other songs, like The Rascals’ “I Aint Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore” or Shoes’ “I Don’t Miss You,” offer a more sensible solution: Kill the relationship, not the partner. For all its anger, “Leave Me” falls in the latter category. “Pack all your things and get out of my sight,” Clarke tells the lover who’s cheated on him. “Your love was made of sand, I’ve had all I can stand, leave me.”

“Promised Land” I haven’t been able to track down the source of a quote I distinctly remember reading that said The Hollies would never sing about the war in Viet Nam. The writer’s point (made sometime around the late 1960s or early 1970s) was that The Hollies just concentrated on making good music and didn’t worry about such things. By the time Distant Light was released in 1972, The Hollies were dabbling in rougher material, and on the song, “Promised Land.” they sounded pretty concerned about the war. Borrowing a page from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, guitarist-vocalist Tony Hicks and his non-band member writing partner Kenny Lynch unleashed a hard rock protest song. Opening with some Beach Boys style harmonizing, “Promised Land” shifts into a more serious mode as vocalist Clarke begins his search for the title location. “It can’t be found in Viet Nam/It can’t be where the Israelites planned it/If we want peace for every man/We’ve got to make the world demand it.” The lyrics go on to state, “We must bring back the soldier boys, we mustn’t let them die for nothing.” The song ends with Clarke, Hicks, and guitarist-vocalist Terry Sylvester singing, “Bring them all back home” while Hicks cuts loose with some of the fiercest guitar licks of his career.

A Simple Man Takes Aim At Rock ‘N’ Roll

Today is Graham Nash’s birthday. In addition to wishing him the best in the coming year and thanking him for all the great music, Broken Hearted Toy offers a preview of an upcoming Graham Nash appearance. Nash’s fans know how much he loves photography. The 2008 deluxe edition of Songs For Beginners includes a DVD in which he talks about his lifelong passion for collecting and taking pictures.

Taking Aim: Unforgettable Rock ‘n’ Roll Photographs Selected By Graham Nash, which runs from February 5th to May 23rd at the Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum Hall Of Fame in Seattle, combines his passions for music and photography. The exhibition includes work by photographers like Anton Corbijn, Henry Diltz, Lynn Goldsmith, Annie Leibovitz, Mick Rock, and Francesco Scavullo, who are known for their ability to capture the essence of rock music. Nash’s own photographs will be featured as well. Taking Aim is a multi-media event that encompasses photos of musicians such as Elvis Presley, Sid Vicious, Elton John, and Bob Dylan; ambient music; an audio tour recorded by Nash; a photographer’s studio; and other interactive exhibits.

Nash and Director of Curatorial Affairs Jason Emmons will host a special kickoff in Sky Church at EMP/SFM at 7PM on February 5th, joined by several of the photographers. The Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum Hall Of Fame is located at 325 5th Avenue North, in Seattle.

Hopefully, the exhibit will travel to other cities as well. But if it doesn’t, and you can’t make the trek to Seattle in the coming months, try checking out the pics in book form. Taking Aim: Unforgettable Rock 'n' Roll Photographs Selected By Graham Nash, published last November, includes all of the photos at the exhibition, plus a CD of Nash’s full audio tour. Nash has also published a more extensive book of his photographs (many of which are not music-related) called Eye To Eye.

Happy Birthday, Graham. Cheers!

Hollies Album Tracks - The Defense Rocks Part 2

Further proof that The Hollies were more than just a hit singles band.

“I’ve Been Wrong Before” Guitarist-vocalist Terry Sylvester recently noted on his website that he would like The Everly Brothers to induct The Hollies into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame at the ceremony on March 15th. The Everly Brothers were among the very first acts to be honored. As a member of The Hollies from 1968 to 1981, Sylvester is keenly aware of the band’s deep-rooted admiration for Phil and Don.

Back in 1966, when The Hollies were at the peak of their popularity, they were invited to serve as the backing band on the Everly Brothers album, Two Yanks In England. Eight of the twelve tracks were original Hollies compositions that had been previously released on the band’s albums or as the B-sides of 45s. “I’ve Been Wrong,” an energetic tale of a jilted lover from the Hear! Here! LP, had a fetching melody, sophisticated vocal arrangement, and a jagged guitar sound that evoked a live performance. On Two Yanks, The Everly Brothers put their own stamp on this classic pop song, thanks to those legendary harmony vocals. Working on Two Yanks In London must have been particularly thrilling for vocalist Allan Clarke and vocalist-guitarist Graham Nash, who prior to forming The Hollies, had performed as an Everly Brothers inspired duo called The Two Teens.

“Suspicious Look In Your Eyes” The Hollies released an entire album of Bob Dylan covers in 1968, but like The Beatles, their music reflected his influence earlier than that. The best example is “Suspicious Look In Your Eyes,” which appeared on the Stop Stop Stop album. The mid-tempo arrangement features the band’s familiar chiming guitars and almost choir boy harmonies, but what stands out most is Allan Clarke’s distinctively Dylanesque delivery. “You’ve no control of what you’re saying,” Clarke sneers, “No faith in the things that I do.” Later, he complains, “You’re changing all your thoughts on me, you’ve no right to put me down this way.”

Released as For Certain Because - - - in the U.K., Stop Stop Stop just might be The Hollies’ finest moment. It shows Clarke, Nash, and guitarist Tony Hicks growing leaps and bounds as songwriters, and while not as adventurous or psychedelic as Evolution or Dear Eloise/King Midas In Reverse, which followed directly afterward, it’s a fine example of original British Invasion pop.

“Won’t We Feel Good That Morning” Romany, released in 1972, probably sounds less like The Hollies than any of their other albums. With Nash long gone and Clarke temporarily off pursuing a solo career, the band called upon Swedish native Mikael Rikfors to take over the lead vocalist chores. He didn’t sound anything like Clarke, and Romany had more hard rock and introspective ballads than fans were used to hearing. Some of the tracks now sound hopelessly locked in the 1970s, but there is some good music here, particularly “Won’t We Feel Good That Morning.” Rikfors’ deep, rough lead singing, combined with higher harmonies from Hicks and Sylvester, created a vocal sound similar to the one Cheap Trick would implement a few years later. Energetic guitars spark an arrangement that melds pop and hard rock as Rikfors belts out, “I’ve took a long, hard drag of miserable life, you see/Nothing means much to me.”

The Hollies would dabble in hard rock for about as long as they kept Rikfors in the fold, which is to say not for very long at all. But when they did crank up the energy, they did it surprisingly well.

Here Comes The Mirror Man

I’ve posted some new information about upcoming performances in the Elevated Observations column, but otherwise, today’s post is all about me.

My wife Pam and I are creating a series of short videos called Manchester Gallery. The title venue is really my slightly-larger-than-a-closet media room, where I keep an extensive, and in some cases, unusual collection of rock and roll memorabilia. Posters, 45’s and LPs, autographed tour books, guitar picks, magazines, trading cards, bubblegum wrappers, etc. Nothing that’s worth much money, but the idea of Manchester Gallery is to present each item in an interesting, and hopefully, amusing manner. In the videos, I take on the persona of Terrence, the Gallery’s snobbish curator, who insists that every one of the artifacts he’s presenting is priceless.

Our first Manchester Gallery is about a Graham Nash puppet I had custom made by an artist who does soft sculptures. Terrence offers an entirely fictional account of its origins. The video can be seen on Part Two of the January 10th installment of Sunday Morning Coffee With Jeff, an offbeat Internet show Pam and I have been enjoying for some time now.

Host Jeff Kelley assembles an assortment of clips from commercials, TV shows, and hilariously bad B-movies, that along with his own clever observations, explore a particular theme. A regular segment called On The Road With Willy depicts the affable Willy on his way to the latest gig by his favorite local rock band, Goin’ South. The January 10th Sunday Morning Coffee With Jeff focused on the United States Navy with a zany outtake from the McHale’s Navy TV series, Popeye and Donald Duck cartoons, an official U.S. Navy newsreel, and clips from Abbott & Costello In The Navy and Hellcats Of The Navy with Ronald Reagan.

Kelley just kicked off his second season of Sunday Morning Coffee With Jeff, and in addition to a snazzy new set designed with help from commercial artist Dave Metzger and moving from a weekly to bi-weekly format, he wants to include more original material. That’s where Pam and I came in. Our second Manchester Gallery, which casts a spotlight on my various action figures, is slated for the January 24th edition, and we’re planning on doing more. Kelley is open to suggestions. Anyone interested in participating in Sunday Morning Coffee With Jeff can contact Kelley at his website.

Hollies Album Tracks - The Defense Rocks

The induction of The Hollies into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame has caused some critics to question whether there was enough depth behind the band’s string of Top 40 hits to merit this honor. First of all, The Hollies placed more singles on the charts in England than any artist other than The Beatles, and notched a fair amount in America as well. Second, a number of outstanding tracks can be found on The Hollies’ albums.

I’ve been making mixed tapes (now CDs) since 1980, and have always preferred album tracks by The Hollies to their hits. Certainly, I would choose “Tell Me To My Face” or “Confessions Of A Mind” over “Jennifer Eccles” or “Sorry Suzanne.”

So, between now and March, when The Hollies will be inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, I’ll be spotlighting some of the better deep tracks they’ve recorded over the years.

“Put Yourself In My Place” - Like The Zombies, The Hollies recorded a rollicking version of Curtis Mayfield’s “You Must Believe Me” around 1965. It’s on their American release Hear! Here! and segues perfectly into an original Hollies composition. Written under the band’s collective pseudonym L. Ransford, “Put Yourself In My Place” sounds like it was deliberately created to complement both the sentiment and arrangement of Mayfield’s song. Both tunes deal with the way a lack of trust can bring chaos to a relationship, and both feature the band’s already legendary harmonies. Another highlight is an energetic instrumental passage built around the guitar, harmonica, and bass. It’s impressive that even at this early stage of their career, The Hollies were not only able to perform classic American R&B music, but also drew inspiration from it as songwriters.

“Tell Me To My Face” - By late 1966, The Hollies were up to their love beads in the creative revolution The Beatles and The Beach Boys had brought to pop music. Produced by Ron Richards, the Stop Stop Stop album featured full orchestra arrangements and innovative recording techniques. It would become the first in a trio of masterpieces by The Hollies. “Tell Me To My Face” is pure Graham Nash even if the song does kick off with drummer Bobby Elliott’s playful rim shots. Nash’s sophisticated lyrics flow effortlessly along the exotic melody as he confronts a friend or lover who's been bad-mouthing him to other acquaintances. “Tell Me To My Face” sports a Latin rhythm that evokes images of a couple dancing the tango. One of Nash’s best compositions, it was covered by the single-named Keith (of “98.6” fame) in the mid-1960s, as well as by Dan Fogleberg & Tim Weisberg on their Twin Sons Of Different Mothers album in 1978.

“Confessions Of A Mind” - One of the most ambitious efforts from the post Graham Nash era Hollies, this five-minute-plus epic on the 1970 Moving Finger LP was penned by guitarist Tony Hicks. A tale of a guy who ponders cheating on his girlfriend while she’s away, it’s also a showcase for Hicks’s underrated talent as he shifts from intricate Spanish guitar strumming to unbridled rock ‘n’ roll jamming. The harder-edged portions (as opposed to the classical passages) are a precursor of the grittier approach The Hollies would later take on “Long Cool Woman” and on most of the Distant Light album. Ron Richards, as usual, provides impeccable production values while lead vocalist Allan Clarke successfully navigates the song’s numerous tempo changes.