The Hollies: Look Through Any Window 1963-1975
120 minutes, 201
If the bands that composed the British Invasion of the 1960s were put in a pyramid, one (admittedly subjective) appraisal would have "The Beatles" alone at the very top--"the toppermost of the poppermost", as "John Lennon" would say. Just below them would be "The Rolling Stones", "The Kinks", "The Yardbirds", and "The Who", followed by a group including "The Animals", "The Zombies"... and "The Hollies", the subject of this compilation of more than 20 performances (many of them live, almost all of them complete) from their glory years. Those who know "The Hollies" as the band "Graham Nash" was in before he joined forces with "Stephen Stills" and "David Crosby", or who are familiar only with their MOR-ish post-Nash singles "The Air That I Breathe", "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress", and "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", are in for a treat.
Like so many English groups of the era, they started out playing soul and R&B covers ("Rockin' Robin" and "Just One Look", both from a 1964 concert, are two good examples here).


But the influence of Rock 'n' roll pioneers "The Everly Brothers" and "Buddy Holly", who inspired Hollies lead singer "Allan Clarke", lead guitarist "Tony Hicks", and Nash, was already apparent in the threesome's soaring harmonies, which were further showcased in brilliant Pop singles like "Here I Go Again", "I'm Alive", "Look Through Any Window", and "Bus Stop" (all by other songwriters, including "Graham Gouldman", later of 10cc), and later in such Clarke-Hicks-Nash compositions as "Stop Stop Stop", "Carrie-Anne", and "On a Carousel" (the DVD contains several minutes of footage of the group at work on the latter in the Abbey Road studio).
Recorded in the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Yugoslavia, and Holland, these performances are in black / white and color, with superb remastered sound and generally top-notch visuals; new interviews with the three principals and drummer "Bobby Elliott" are insightful and full of details.
SONGS: 1) "Baby That s All" 2) "Rockin Robin" 3) "Little Lover" 4) "Just One Look" 5) "Here I Go Again" 6) "I'm Alive" 7) "Look Through Any Window" 8) "I Can't Let Go" 9) "Bus Stop" 10) "Stop Stop Stop" 11) "On A Carousel" 12) "Carrie Anne" 13) "Dear Eloise" 14) "King Midas In Reverse" 15) "Jennifer Eccles" 16) "Wings" 17) "Do The Best You Can" 18) "Listen To Me" 19) "Sorry Suzanne" 20) "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" 21) "Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress" 22) "The Air That I Breathe".