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HOLLIS BROWN : IN THE AFTERMATH
- Paint It Black
- Stupid Girl
- Lady Jane
- Under My Thumb
- Doncha Bother Me
- Think
- Flight 505
- High and Dry
- It's Not Easy
- I Am Waiting
- Goin' Home
Label : Mascot Label Group / Cool Green Recordings
Release Date : February 4, 2022
Length : 39:54
Review (Maximum Volume) : The best ideas, they reckon, happen in the pub. I don't drink, never have, but still in my younger days, in the boozer with the lads, we'd plot ways we were going to make millions. Then we'd write songs. Occasionally we'd be pissed off about whichever girl we'd decided was "the one" at the time, and on one occasion about a decade ago, me and a mate made some barmy decisions about one that definitely wasn't. The point is, I get it. I get why a load of blokes would be sitting there one night and go, "what if we recorded 'Aftermath' in full?" No one quite knows why you'd do this, but everyone thinks its an ace idea. Most of these ideas stay in the pub, of course, but Hollis Brown are made of sterner stuff. Next thing you know they are hotfooting it into a studio, with a shed load of whiskey and 24 hours. The result is "In The Aftermath." These words from HB main man Mike Montali are basically it: "It was a whirlwind recording session-we were on no sleep and getting liquored up. You can definitely hear the looseness on that final track, 'Going Home,'" the singer recalls, laughing. He continues: "We weren't focused on cleanliness-we were after a feeling." That's essentially it, too. This breakneck run-through of the US version of the album (not the UK one that was at the time the longest record on a vinyl LP - I think?) is all about vibe. "Paint It Black" (and its amazing what the absence of a comma can do) is rollicking garage rock. The rest of them are too. I hadn't listened to the original album in years, but I did in preparation for this (I love The Stones, and it was a good excuse), and in the cold light of day in 2022, it's a downright nasty record. Experimental, for sure. Brilliant, yes. Brave, of course, but "Stupid Girl" and ]Under My Thumb" would not be made nowadays. Hollis Brown know this too, but they approach both with glee, making them as primal as the originals, but without trying to compete. When they play "Lady Jane" its relaxed and sun-dappled and thankfully Montali is not doing a pound shop Jagger impression, that would not have worked. This was the first Stones record with all originals, and in "Dontcha Bother Me" there's very much a prototype for what they were to be, here on the Brown version, the harmonica is quite stupendous. There's a thrilling 1960s feel to "Think", and "Flight 505" is a personal favourite of mine, and when the line "suddenly it dawned on me that this was not my life" hits you do wonder how The Stones navigated the next 60 years so well, in the main. HB really ramp up the roots on "High N Dry" and the drums on "It's Not Easy" give this version a real urgency, while the acoustic led "I Am Waiting" sounds extra trippy. Maybe it was just that point in the 24 hours? Who knows. Cards on the table. I've always considered the original of "Goin' Home" a little unnecessary (jamming isn't my idea of fun) so its kind of cool that this one is merely seven minutes - and as Montali says, it's a ragged beauty. Hollis Brown have previous in this area. They've been known to perform entire Velvet Underground sets, which given the fact that Lou Reed is something of a nuisance, makes this a much easier endeavour. I'll take issue with Montali when he sad in interviews that "Aftermath" was something of a lost classic," as I'm not certain it was ever lost to anyone, but "In The Aftermath" is fun - and still seemed like a good idea in the morning, given that they didn't attempt to copy, merely channel, The Stones.
Review (At The Barrier) : In some ways, there's nothing more difficult than trying to undertake a balanced appraisal of a tribute album, especially if the subject of the tribute is an album that you've known for as long as you can remember. So, I was not a little daunted by the prospect of reviewing the recreation, by Queens, NY five-piece outfit Hollis Brown of the Rolling Stones seminal Aftermath album - but I needn't have worried, because the guys have done a fantastic job. In The Aftermath is a clean, fresh, reinterpretation that breathes new life into a great set of songs. Respectful and generally true to the originals, Hollis Brown adds just the right amount of depth and colour to urge me to dig out my old original copy of the album and enjoy a collection of songs that I revisit all too infrequently. Hollis Brown is Mike Montali (guitar/vocals), Jonathan Bonilla (guitar/vocals), Andrew Zehnal (drums), Adam Bock (keyboards) and Chris Urriola (bass). They took their name (obviously) from the Bob Dylan song, The Ballad of Hollis Brown, for the very honourable reason that it ".neatly epitomizes the group's commitment to melding a signature Americana blend with fine songcraft." And that potent mixture of identity and idiosyncrasy is having a growing impact - they're attracting an ever-increasing following both across the USA and across Europe due, in no small part to their relentless touring, often supporting acts as well-loved as Counting Crows, Citizen Cope, Jackie Green, Jesse Malin and The Zombies. In The Aftermath isn't Hollis Brown's first attempt at an album-long tribute. In 2014, they released the acclaimed Hollis Brown Gets Loaded, their take on The Velvets' Loaded album, and now they're back for another go. They chose Aftermath because, in the view of the band, "[Aftermath] became The Stones' album to dive into for a number of reasons. For one, it's become something of a lost classic as it's the first Stones album to consist entirely of Jagger/Richards compositions, including the defining track, Paint It Black. Also, many of the songs are concise, ultra-catchy rock 'n' roll rave-ups that mine similar blues and country roots to Hollis Brown's own signature aesthetic." Well - I'm not sure that I agree with that definition of Aftermath as a "lost classic" (we'll come back to that) but, as far as the rest of that statement goes, those are some pretty solid reasons why Hollis Brown was so keen to undertake this project - and they've done an excellent job. Released in April 1966, Aftermath was the Rolling Stones' fourth album and, as acknowledged above, it was their first to contain all-original material. Released right at the point when rock music was starting to get particularly adventurous and interesting - Pet Sounds, Blonde On Blonde and Revolver all saw the light of day at around the same time - it helped to redefine the boundaries of popular music by introducing baroque and Arabian influences into The Stones' staple blues and rock & roll stylings. Indeed, Aftermath is viewed by many as the point at which The Stones achieved musical and artistic integrity and the songs on Aftermath serve as a fascinating time capsule, reflecting the habits and attitudes of the then-emerging British counterculture. I certainly rate Aftermath amongst my top half-dozen Stones albums, so I can't really go along with the idea that the album is a "lost classic." But no matter - we're really here to talk about Hollis Brown's new recreation and it's an effort for which I have nothing but praise. In The Aftermath shadows the tracklisting of the US version of the Aftermath album, so includes a take on Paint It Black, but omits Mother's Little Helper, Take It Or Leave It and What To Do - songs that featured only on the UK versions of the album (and I'd have loved to hear how Hollis Brown would have handled Mother's Little Helper, given the way they've interpreted the rest of the album). In The Aftermath was recorded in one single, marathon, 24-hour session and that approach has certainly contributed to the freshness and urgency of the recordings; singer/guitarist Mike Montali takes up the story: "It was a whirlwind recording session - we were on no sleep, getting liquored up. You can definitely hear the looseness on that final track, 'Goin' Home.' Despite the "whirlwind" approach to the recording, it's patently clear that Hollis Brown have put a massive amount of care and respect into their versions of these songs. They've retained the dangerous edge that The Stones invariably brought to their mid-late sixties work, whilst also cleaning up the sound and adding depth and colour, so that the particularly well-known songs like Paint It Black, Lady Jane and Under My Thumb take on extra dimensions. The folky elements of Paint It Black receive a greater emphasis, Lady Jane might lose some it's baroque feel, but instead takes on a new widescreen aspect, and Under My Thumb is sharp and punky, built around a wonderfully solid bass/drum rhythm. A particular pleasure that I took from the album was enjoying how many of the lesser-known tracks were revitalized, without losing any of their original assets. The umbilical cord to the sixties is never broken as Stupid Girl is given a crisp, light makeover, Doncha Bother Me turns into a rock-solid duel between soaring slide guitars and Think preserves Keith's mid-sixties guitar stylings whilst taking on an altogether more forthright theme. The roots of Glam Rock are laid bare in the riffing of Flight 505 and Adam Bock brings the spirit of Ian Stewart vividly to life with his piano licks; the harmonica-laden honky-tonk of High And Dry is authentically reproduced, and the rich, hard and funky interpretation of It's Not Easy has prompted me to reassess a song that, in the past, I've been tempted to skip over. Mike M saves his Jagger impersonation for the closing track, Goin' Home. The Hollis Brown version of this epic track is wonderfully loose and sleazy and the pleasure, excitement and exhaustion of that marathon recording session is palpable as the lengthy jam brings this remarkable tribute to its close. Hollis Brown has achieved everything they set out to do - they've applied their own style to a set of songs that they clearly hold in great regard and, in doing so, they've reminded anyone who will hear this album what a classic the original was. Aftermath will always stand up as one of rock's finest blooms. Hollis Brown has watered that bloom and allowed the flowers to open once again.