Doing a 180: The Hollies, Evolution

Rhino has made it a point to reissue classic albums on 180-gram vinyl on a regular basis. This is the latest to get that treatment. You're welcome.

The Hollies built their career by delivering some of the catchiest singles of the mid-1960s, but as the decade progressed, the band evolved, and the end result of this evolution was that The Hollies began to phase out the use of songs written by folks outside the band and stick to material composed by members of the band. As a result, by the time they released FOR CERTAIN BECAUSE… in December 1966, every song on the album fit that criteria, as did the second album, which was – you guessed it – EVOLUTION.

Interestingly, despite receiving critical acclaim both when it first hit record store shelves as well as in the intervening years, not a single song from EVOLUTION was selected for release as a single. Well, at least not in the UK, anyway. When the album was released in the US, however, it was with a slight shift in track listing, one which found “Carrie-Anne” sitting in the lead-off spot on Side 1. Fortunately for those of you interested in upgrading your copy of the album and having it on 180-gram vinyl, it’s the US version that’s gotten that treatment, so you’ll be able to hear it in pristine sound as soon as you pick up your copy…and, hey, you can go do that right now!