For Certain Because – THE HOLLIES*****

What’s Wrong With The Way I Live/Pay You Back With Interest/Tell Me To My Face/Clown/Suspicious Look In Your Eyes/Its You/High Classed/Peculiar Situation/What Went Wrong/Crusader/Don’t Even Think About Changing/Stop Stop Stop

The Hollies finally get around to releasing an album worthy of their talents. Comprising all self penned numbers and no covers, the relatively lowly placing of For Certain Because in no way reflects the impressive contents within. The single Stop Stop Stop reached No. 7 in the US and No. 2 in the UK. (UK:23)

"This is what great pop is all about – melody and hooks perfectly played. I don't see a weak cut on the album. Best of all is What Went Wrong, it's a song and performance that is among the sunniest of all time and really captures that 66-67 Brit pop vibe."

"It is time for The Hollies to be re-appraised: always overlooked by 'cool' critics of sixties music, this band were as much a part of that decade as The Beatles, The Stones and all the rest. This is a strong pop album with some surprises - the sound of a band trying and succeeding to extend their pop repertoire."

"What strikes me most about these songs is just the care, the quality with which they were written. The melodies are all original; the verses are all carefully structured; the harmonies, as usual, are immaculate and, moreover, twisted to the point of virtuosity, just a breathtakingly well-written album."

"This is just so self-assured, so tight, so professional, that it makes me go wow. Drop all the pretences, bring your feet on the ground, and face reality: who cares if 1966, the year of a musical revolution, saw The Hollies firmly defend their position as an unambitious, simplistic, pop ensemble. It's the melody that matters above all the experimentation, and there's enough melodies on For Certain Because to keep a typical nineties band alive for years."

"The biggest hit here was Stop Stop Stop a fast, swirling whoopla with a highly distinguishable twinkling banjo riff that gets you really going round and round."

"For Certain Because is a real gem. You have to listen to this one if you want to hear some of the finest vocal harmonies of all time and incredible tunes. Sadly, I don't hear melodies like these on the radio nowadays."