The Hollies - Out On The Road (2006)

The most obscure album in the Hollies' entire catalog, Out on the Road marked the second half of the "Mikael Rickfors Era," that two-year period in which the Swedish-born singer provided the group's lead vocals. The album was originally released only in Germany. This is a slicker, smoother, and harder-rocking version of the Hollies than most casual fans, familiar with their hits of the early '70s ("Long Dark Road," "The Air That I Breathe") might expect. Rickfors is firing on all cylinders as a singer, his vocals every bit as expressive if not as compellingly memorable as those of the man he was (temporarily, as it turned out) replacing, Allan Clarke. But the equally dominant personality on a lot of the material here is guitarist Tony Hicks, whose instrumental prowess is all over this record (and not just on guitar, but banjo, among other stringed devices) along with a lot of solid songwriting on his part (in tandem with Kenny Lynch) and backing vocals. Rhythm guitarist Terry Sylvester also steps into the spotlight a bit more here than on typical Hollies albums, both as a singer and songwriter, the latter in tandem with Rickfors. As for the sounds, they're a mix of lyrical, acoustic folk-based and country-influenced rock, with elements of gospel and R&B. The requisite Hollies harmonies are present as well on most of the material, and the body of songs is mostly very good -- and mostly as distinctive as their other album cuts of this era. The self-conscious heaviness of the closer, "Trans-Atlantic West Bound Jet," doesn't quite suit the band, but everything else here works well, and it's no accident that several of the tracks here were subsequently reworked with Clarke as lead singer upon his return to the lineup.