I imagine anyone who likes The Hollies will have, as I do, the 2011 EMI issued 'The Clarke, Hicks & Nash Years: The Complete Hollies, April 1963 - October 1968' 6x CD set. This pretty much collates all of their classic 60s era material, though I was never fond of those fat thick as a brick jewel cases it comes in. Nonetheless, a good deal of music for your money.
In 2013 though, Warners Japan reissued the Hollies back catalogue as mini LP CDs from 1964’s 'Stay With The Hollies' to 1972’s 'Romany' under the banner of ‘50th Anniversary British Beat’. They also released a four disc set of Hollies singles spanning 1963-74, so 16 discs in all. They had previously issued the Nash era (Stay With..’ to Butterfly) in 2003 as ‘40th Anniversary British Beat’. This time they have extended the time line though.

Taking advantage of some publishing royalties, I splurged on the set.We all know and like to some extent the Nash years Hollies and the EMI 6 CD set pretty much contains the same stuff as the first seven titles in the new Jap set, albeit with extra tracks differing to some extent I think and both mono and stereo versions of each album on each disc as EMI had originally reissued on CD in Britain back in 1993.

The post-Nash years Hollies though, I don’t think have been that well explored or evaluated by comparison even if they have been reissued. I thought I’d just flag up my tuppence worth for the sake of anyone who may not have explored beyond the post Nash years and indeed for comment and contribution. In addition to the Nash era titles, the Jap set contains

Hollies Sing Dylan (1968)
Hollies Sing Hollies (1969)
Confessions of The Mind (1970)
Distant Light (1971)
Romany (1972)

'Sing Dylan' is at best patchy and their weakest album. Not bad renditions and arrangements of ‘This Wheel’s On Fire’ and ‘Just Like A Woman’ and a few others, but a lot of them are verging on supper club sophism. Not at all sure what their rationale was for this. It did of course feature the last two tracks Graham Nash recorded with them in the original line up and time frame.

'Sing Hollies' from 1969 is altogether a better album, even if every track seems to be in a different style!

1970’s 'Confessions of The Mind' hits the nail right on the head. A superb album, where the re-configured group really find their stride. Progressive, mature lyrical content is married with the harmonious vocal uplift that the Hollies do so well (even without Nash) riding on some great tunes. The balance is exactly right here.

1971’s 'Distant Light' shows that they had been listening to The Band. Piano leads on mid paced southern rock tunes and rhythms.

'Romany' is an interesting and rewarding listen. Here the Hollies seem to have been listening to America (the group I mean). The vocal meld is very similar. Songs begin lightly, often acoustically, and gradually strengthen rather than build almost imperceptibly. It’s a different song craft to their past, but just as impressive.

Thereafter, Alan Clark goes solo for a few years, and a Swedish guy gets the lead vocalist slot. This is a third era that requires some light shining on it. Unerringly, it’s the Nash era that gets all the plaudits, and it is undoubtedly the Hollies strongest period, but I think the post Nash era, at least as far as the early 1970s is undeservingly dissed or ignored. This despite great singles like ‘Hey Willie’ ‘Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress’ and ‘The Day That Curly Billy Shot Crazy Sam McGhee’. That’s quite apart form the bigger hits of ‘He Ain’t Heavy’ or ‘The Air That I Breath’ of which over familiarity breeds disdain to some extent.

I think if the post Nash Hollies are listened to on their own terms and not as compared to the earlier period, the records stand up pretty well against their contemporaries recording in a similar field. The various ‘best ofs’ and 2013 ‘50 at 50’ anthology box or the 2003 ‘Long Road Home’ 40th anniversary box for instance can’t allow the space to hear the full range of the transition as songs rather jarringly grate against each other from different phases and probably continue too near the present anyway.

The 1968-72 era although somewhat diverse as you would expect when a key member leaves and the times change, I have found really interesting and rewarding to listen to in depth. Not quite the same as the re-presentation of the Yardbirds post-Clapton output billed as their ‘interesting period’ some years back, but certainly worth far greater attention than the comparative backwaters they have been consigned to. Anyone else got an opinion on any of this?

PM

confessions of the mind is a great album.

I have the wonderful Nash box.
The only post Nash one I have is Sing Hollies which I haven't played in ages...
the song..'Don't give up easily' sticks in my mind for sounding like the classic line up stuff and is quite psychedelic.
After reading this I'll need to investigate Confessions of the Mind..it sounds the business.

Absolutely LOVE The 60s Hollies stuff,a fave band of mine....i have the albums on cd of Hollies Sing Hollies and Confessions of The Mind albums which i have NOT spun for many years,but after this good post i shall take them from a dusty shelf,i must plead ignorance and admit i've never looked at their stuff after that,i will investigate further and try and get "Distant Light"(cheap to buy) and"Romany"(which aint cheap to buy).As for the boxed Nash Years collection,that is a big fave of mine,blooming marvellous stuff for 13 quid odds...buy of the decade....lol!!!!

What i was glad to hear on the Nash Years set is the live set on cd 6 from the Butterfly era,they sound astounding to my ears and the live rendition of Butterly is great.....the psych era Hollies are tremendous,and totally and utterly under valued,their attempts at a psych sound in 67/68 are bloody good and should be up there with (GULP) The Beatles psych stuff and much better imo than The Rolling Stones psych gear.Maybe a bit controversial to say that but thats how i feel about The Hollies!!!!!!! But i shall investigate the early 70s Hollies!!!!!!!!