The Solo albums - which is your fave?

[Jules]

Golden Heart (it's not really fair to put it so far below, and I love some of the rockers; but overall, it's just too much "Look I am in LOVE and I need everyone to tell!" for me. Not my kind of thing. Besides, Mark's voice sounds horrible on that one)

Being your nickname, I expected it was your favourite 

So you are not romantic girl, aren

[goldenheart96]

Golden Heart (it's not really fair to put it so far below, and I love some of the rockers; but overall, it's just too much "Look I am in LOVE and I need everyone to tell!" for me. Not my kind of thing. Besides, Mark's voice sounds horrible on that one)

Being your nickname, I expected it was your favourite 

So you are not romantic girl, aren

[Love Expresso]

Well, it is only Darling Pretty and Golden Heart, isn't it. And A Night In Summer Long Ago. Three out of 14. That's not too lovesick from my point of view...
The Golden Heart lyrics are very cheesy, I agree.

LE

[ds1984]

I did find Mark so touching in this album after the darkness of OES, the sunshine rise again in Mark's life.

GH is just reminding me of the positive romantic feeling of Down To The Waterline or Wild West End.

[superval99]

Well, it is only Darling Pretty and Golden Heart, isn't it. And A Night In Summer Long Ago. Three out of 14. That's not too lovesick from my point of view...
LE

Don't forget "Are We In Trouble Now"   

[Love Expresso]

However, it seems MK had the same feeling about the album, because it is hard to find another real love song on one of the following albums.Whoop de Doo maybe.

LE

[goldenheart96]

Well, it is only Darling Pretty and Golden Heart, isn't it. And A Night In Summer Long Ago. Three out of 14. That's not too lovesick from my point of view...
The Golden Heart lyrics are very cheesy, I agree.

LE

What about "Nobody's Got The Gun", "I'm The Fool" and "Are We In Trouble Now"? Six out of 14 puts it in a different light... It's too much lovey-dovey stuff for me, sorry   "Darling Pretty" is rather cheesy too ("Heal my aching heart and soul", oh come on! ), but I have to admit I like the guitar solo. So much more effective than those stereotypical lyrics.
The rest is okay with me, "Vic and Ray" is a bit dull maybe, and as for "Bonaparte"... Well I'd learn to like it again if MK kicked it out of his setlist  

I also have to add that I find the whole album wayyy too overproduced.

[Maxx]

I also have to add that I find the whole album wayyy too overproduced.

For a benighted person; what does that really mean?

[goldenheart96]

I also have to add that I find the whole album wayyy too overproduced.

For a benighted person; what does that really mean?

Difficult to explain... It sounds very smooth and perfect, at least for me; no edginess. Take "On The Night" and "Alchemy" for comparison: The first one is smooth and perfect, the latter one edgy and raw. Maybe someone else can elaborate a bit more?

[ds1984]

Alchemy is just badly recorded (regarding current standards) and sound raw.
For On The Night, a somewhat 48+ tracks recorder was used and was carefully mixed. But to my known no overdubs were made.

To my hear STP is as much produced as GH (Silvertone Blues for example). The difference is that STP got a more simple recording process whereas GH was made from a lot of sessions with many different musicians.

[Jules]

Alchemy sounds real...

On the night sounds like... death sound... without any life, like it was recorded in a studio in different isolated rooms instead of live on stage.

Golden heart probably sounds like that because it was recorded in several studios, with several musicians, and before a record is release, it has to be mastered in order to all the songs sound the same way, the same sound level etc etc etc, and the rest of MH records were recorded in just one studio.

I think STP was recorded in several studios too.

I

[koobaa]

For On The Night, a somewhat 48+ tracks recorder was used and was carefully mixed. But to my known no overdubs were made.

Some overdubs must have been done though... Backing vocals on some songs sound like they were overdubbed (Heavy Fuel for example). Alchemy is just more authentic and dynamic.

[Fletch]

My lonely vote for SL! I knew I was odd here.

[Love Expresso]

I think it is funny that you are not the only one, jbaent, thinking that there is no connection between the songs on STP, some other members have posted that, too, a while ago (I think Dusty for example). For me, it is far fom being just a bunch of songs. But each to his/her own of course. I could go on and talk a long time about what I love so much about STP, but I won't bother you with that  . One point might be that there indeed is no love song on it.
And the travel from the UK to the US and back, in reality, in history, in music and in songwriting, has never been covered better by Mark than in the collection of these songs.


If "Alchemy" is badly recorded, I prefer a badly recorded live album any time!  

LE

[dustyvalentino]

However, it seems MK had the same feeling about the album, because it is hard to find another real love song on one of the following albums.Whoop de Doo maybe.

LE

In the Sky? Shangri La? If This Is Goodbye?

For a long time Shangri La was my face but now it's Get Lucky. The rest are all brilliant too, except KTGC.