The Hollies (1975) I'm Down - LOST 70s GEMS

The Hollies' 1975 album Another Night saw a return of Allan Clarke, the band's seasoned vocalist who had missed the last two albums. It's hard to say if he was missed as those two albums he sat out are fantastic as is his last album before his hiatus, the fabulous Distant Light (1971) album. All these albums display The Hollies in a sparkling Folk rock style with huge productions and some harder edged fare like some funky blues jams as well. The two tracks that stand out are I'm Down and Layin to the Music; the former is a breathtaking vocal showcase. From the incandescent, breathy reverbed harmonies sighing along with a strident 12 string and some orchestral drama it's literal power ballad as the harmonies swoop and the instrumentation build behind it as well as the dive bombing title refrain. Layin to the Music is totally different, a funky Bo Diddley two step number with prominent banjo picking and countrified lead guitar over sweet group vocals and a cheery melody. The song features a simple country solo, an accapella 'ya hoo' and some tight vocal stacks but nothing beats the cascading vocal harmonies of I'm Down!