Customer Reviews

Distant Light

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The Hollies had been primarily known for their hit singles up until the release of this fine LP. Their highest charting LP (aside from 1967's "Greatest Hits" on Imperial), "Distant Light" showed a mature, well-rounded band at their peak. Soaring harmonies, topical songs, and varied instrumentation are the key elements here. They tackle such subjects as war ("Promised Land" and "You know the score"), the complexities of relationships ("Little Thing Like Love" and "To Do With Love") and even gangsters ("Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress") with flair & panache. As fate would have it, lead singer Allan Clarke would leave the band shortly after completion of the recording, to be replaced by the equally outstanding singer, Mikael Rickfors from Sweden, for the band's next superb albums, "Romany" and "Out on the Road", and would be showcased to jaw-dropping effect on the band's 1972 fall concert tour. This early 70s phase of the band's career is in many ways their most creative & most interesting. Graham Nash had always wished the band would grow up & be taken seriously as an album act. It took his leaving for it to happen. The Hollies made wonderful music in the 60s with Nash, but made even better music in the first half of the 70s.

Why does it surprise me that there are more Hollies "Greatest Hits," "Best of," and "Anthology" CD's than there are original albums available. Unfortunately, the Hollies are remembered as "Hit Makers", and the remainder of their material is cast aside as mediocre. I say bologna: Distant Light is as much an "album" as Rubber Soul or Revolver, with a central theme and a continuity of atmosphere.

The Hollies strong suits are luscious three-part vocal harmonies (a la the Everly Brothers), and irrepressible melodies that Paul McCartney would kill for. Like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the vocal harmonies sore to high heaven (To Do With Love, Promised Land), and the melodies are unforgettable (Promised Land). My favorite member is neither the renowned Graham Nash nor Rod Argent, but lead singer Alan Clarke. This guy belts out a song like his next meal depends upon it (Little Thing Like Love).

The rocker `Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress' is atypical of Distant Light: the overall aura is polished folk-rock: symphonic, mysterious (Look What We've Got) and majestic. `You Know The Score' is a mesmerizing composition: a three-part suite with an elegant a Capella sandwiched in the middle. Using a bit of production trickery, the vocals sound as thought they are a mile away from the recording microphones. Hidden among the spirited hook-laden pop is an anti-war message (You Know The Score). Pretty clever for a Pop album.

On a positive note, the original Distant Light captures the Hollies at a creative point in thier journey from "Hit Makers" to album band. One negative point is the CD's length. Originally crafted for the vinyl LP format, Distant Light weighs in at a scant forty-one minutes; but the album seems longer. Why let a record company decide which material is "best" or "greatest." Get the original and decide for yourself. I believe that you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Largely overlooked post-Graham Nash offering from the Hollies has dated well. Even though the track list includes one of the band's most recognizable radio hits ("Long Cool Woman...") don't be fooled into thinking this is an entire set of finger-popping "sing-a-longs". Most of this 1971 album features more complex musical arrangements than previous Hollies releases, augmented by an overall sense of non-secular soul searching contained in the lyrics. Aside from the obviously well-crafted pop-rock of "Long Cool Woman...", other standout songs include the opening number "Life I've Led", a gospel-tinged, Van Morrison style number in the "Tupelo Honey" vein, and "Promised Land", a rousing arrangement rich with soaring harmonies and a majestic, "Who's Next" production sound. Listening to (or rediscovering) this album should quell any feelings that the Hollies were a throwaway bubblegum pop outfit. Collectors note: The 1999 edition has great sound and the original cover art is beautifully reproduced.

Although the Hollies were less known than the Beatles and Stones they are well worth listening to for any old rock/pop fans.This album must be one of the most overlooked of it's time.Not a bad song on the album.A very different and complicated sound.The songs all play like part of a story,each one related to the whole.Most people are familar with "Long Cool Woman" but each song in it's own right is just as wonderful.If you liked "Long Cool Woman",you'll love the rest.Throw The Beatles,Simon&Garfunkle,and Neil Young in a box and shake it up,and you have the Hollies,and they're just as good,but just as different as each of those mentioned.Take a drive down some country roads at night and put this CD on,crank it up,take it in...and enjoy!

I used to listen to this on my 8 track tape player in my 70 Chevelle while commuting to college. My favorite track is "Long Dark Road". Acoustic guitar work is prevalent throughout this song and the rest of the LP. Checkout the harmonica used in the song...very Dylanesque. This song, as far as I know, was never released as a single. It should have been.. "Cable Car" is very sentimental. It outstrips the Beatles' "She's Leaving Home" in sentimentality. A very sad, longing song..

The anti-war lyrics in "You Know The Score" are very good. (Look there son you'll find hungry mouths saying please feed me well I'm only a child All around you'll find fallow ground but you can't plow a field with a hundred missiles).. Of course, the blues/rock number "Long Cool Woman" is excellent. It's tongue in cheek story about a tough, undercover FBI agent being brought to his knees by this "goddess" is hilarious. Also notable in the LP are the background vocals and use of the piano and organ.

I bought the LP decades ago and just recently purchased the CD. Aside from Long Cool Woman the album doesn't have any blockbusters, just lots of good songs that you'll never hear on the radio, but which will continue to be listened to as long as there are fans like me around. Look What We've Got and To Do With Love are my favs but the whole album's solid.

i don't know why here in the u.s., the hollies never got the respect they deserved. this album is a very good listen. the only song i skip is the first cut. the rest i could pretty much here from cover to cover. tony hicks is an excellent guitarist and really shows off his chops on this disc. alan clarke is a killer singer too. you cant go wrong with this if you're a hollies fan. don't assume this sux because it's the post graham nash lineup...these guys, hollies mark ii, rock!

I purchased the vinyl album of Distant Light back in the 70's when I bought my first Dual turntable for my new stereo system. It is a great album and should be reintroduced to CD. The songs that hightlight the album are A Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress, Long Dark Road, Life I've Led and Little Thing Like Love. I think that the powers that be should reissue this album. I think this album is a key album in the evolution of the Hollies.

If you are looking for music from the early 70's this is a must have. 90% of the cd is excellent and brings back great memories.

The hollies made a great bunch of discs in their careers, their brit invasion period has lots of great songs on every album. The only hollies cd that I found in the least bit not completely entertaining was 'the hollies sing dylan' (1968) which is still a good disc. This one followed the excellent 'confessions of the mind' disc of the year before and it impoved on it. It's as good a rock album as any serious band out there in 1971 too. Of course it has the big hits 'long dark road' and 'long cool woman' but every other song is good too. this is far less poppy than their great pop disc of two years earlier 'hollies sing hollies' to be sure. I love that one on a pure pop level to be sure. This though is rock band music all the way and good rock band music at that. The lead singer would leave the band for several years and the band would continue on with a different singer until he returned in 1974 with another smash disc. But that's another story. This has no bonus tracks on it unlike most other hollies cd releases but it's their peak and that's enough I guess.