I’ve been going through a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young kind of “phase” for many months now since reading Barney Hoskyn’s great book about the Laurel Canyon rock scene, Hotel California, so when I heard about this new DVD documentary about 60s British Invasion legends the Hollies, I perked up a bit. When I found that it was released by the “Reelin’ In the Years” team (via Eagle Rock) I got even perkier (more on this below).

First off, The Hollies: Look Through Any Window (1963-1975) is fun to watch, with charming interviews of Graham Nash, Alan Clarke, Tony Hicks and drummer Bobby Elliott talking about the history of their criminally underrated band. Nash and Clarke met when they were six-year-olds at school in Manchester. They bonded over a mutual obsession with the Everly Brothers (and Buddy Holly) and formed a group. Those gorgeous vocal harmonies The Hollies were so famous for, they developed them the old-fashioned way, by practicing their hearts out.

Most American music fans are probably more familiar with the 1970s, post-Nash, almost easy listening sounds of The Hollies, say a ballad like “The Air That I Breathe,” or the ultimate middle-of-the-rad anthem “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother,” but as the DVD proves, they had much more to offer. They’re hovering somewhere at or just below the level of The Zombies or The Animals in the 60s beat pantheon, if you ask me. Personally, I’d go for “Sorry Suzanne” or “King Midas in Reverse” if I wanted to turn someone on to The Hollies’ sound.

And that’s what great about the DVDs put out by “Reelin’ In the Years”—they give you the ENTIRE clips seen in the documentary. There’s nothing worse than a tantalizing blip of something for 30 seconds in a rockumentary. The idea to give the punters unedited clips without people talking over them is what elevates the “Reelin’” productions above all others: They give you the whole song! You can watch the doc straight through or you can choose to watch just the music clips. Look Through Any Window contains 22 complete musical performances in all, plus footage of the Hollies recording at Abbey Road Studios in 1967 and backstage “home movies” shot on tour. (“Reelin in the Years” have similar DVDs out on Dusty Springfield and The Small Faces that are also worth checking out, to say nothing of their outstanding jazz releases.)

Although the string of chart topping singles petered out around 1975, The Hollies have never broken up and continue to perform. In 2009 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Below, “Bus Stop” on German television, 1968.
 

 
A nice performance (post Graham Nash) of “Carrie Anne” from 1969.