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Posted by: Feel_The_Fever 4th April 2018, 11:49 PM

Just wondering with the re-release of Open Road which of Gary's first 2 albums do you prefer. I left out Since I Saw You Last as it came years later and i think would probably win.

From a success point of view they are worlds apart but success and quality are 2 different things.

Posted by: pippa 5th April 2018, 06:32 PM

12 Months, 11 Days as it houses Lie To Me.
All That I've Given Away, For All That You Want and Yesterdays Girl are also among my most liked solo songs by Gary.

In order of his solo albums
01 Since I Saw You Last (Best)
02 12 Months 11 Days
03 Open Road
04 Sing

Posted by: Feel_The_Fever 6th April 2018, 02:45 AM

12 months 11 days for me too as I find it more consistent than open road. I still enjoy both albums but I always feel 12m 11d was so ignored for what is actually a great album. Maybe acre release in the future can rectify it. Does anyone know it's total uk sales now?

Posted by: pippa 6th April 2018, 02:40 PM

At the time of 12 Months 11 Days it did not matter what Gary released. It was destined to flop as the record company had pulled all interest, the press were printing nothing but negative stories about him, Robbie was at the height of his popularity and was dissing and making fun at Gary in a very nasty manner. It was simply impossible for the album to succeed.

I would like Gary to get questioned on this album in an interview to see what he thinks of the album, what songs he likes and what songs he stands by almost 20 years on from its release. The album is worthy of a a re-release at some point in the future and likely in the same vein as the upcoming Open Road release. It is an album i would greatly welcome back in the charts and and also to achieve a new peak position.

I do believe i read sometime back that 12 Months 11 Days has sold just under 50,000 in the UK.

Posted by: Feel_The_Fever 8th April 2018, 05:25 PM

That was a real low for Gary it's like no one wanted anything to do with him. It's amazing how strong he came back and it's great he did since I saw you last as it helped him right the wrongs of his solo career.

Posted by: slowdown73 9th April 2018, 08:02 AM

Open road is a much stronger album & more commercial sounding piece of work.

Posted by: pippa 9th April 2018, 03:33 PM

Open Road, i can only but agree had a more commercial sound in parts. That said, overall, 12 Months 11 Days had stronger material to offer and a more identified sound.

Posted by: milly 14th April 2018, 06:33 PM

Completely agree. Although SISYL is my all time favorite album, 12 M 11 D is my 2nd fav album. Lie to Me and Walk are amazing songs that I'd like to see someday in the charts. in a new sounding form. Plus, the thing I hate the most about Open Road are the covers - Gary has never been the type of artist to cover other people's songs. And that awful Madonna track...ewww.

Posted by: Feel_The_Fever 14th April 2018, 06:58 PM

I agree about the awful Madonna track. Since I Saw you last was great and is his best solo work but at least it got recognition and success where 12 months...was totally the opposite.

Posted by: jay727 15th April 2018, 01:02 PM

I much prefer 12 months! Open Road feels a bit disjointed and there were a lot of covers on it that didn’t really belong there in my view

Posted by: Feel_The_Fever 15th April 2018, 04:23 PM

I was surprised Gary went with covers at a time when he was more than ever expected to deliver the goods from a writing point of view as he was seen as the songwriter of the band. I would think doing the covers was the first step leading leading to what was coming....................and we we know what happened but thankfully his career came back bigger than ever.

Posted by: jay727 16th April 2018, 10:30 PM

It’s funny isn’t it how the label knew they were getting a singer songwriter who had proved he could write hits, but they decided to spoon feed him with covers and writing sessions with people he didn’t want to work with.

Posted by: Feel_The_Fever 17th April 2018, 12:14 PM

Ya his initial solo career looking back had a strange strategy but forever love was a strong start,it's still a great song and very Gary at that time.

Posted by: pippa 3rd May 2018, 06:21 PM

Looking back, the covers most likely left many disappointed as they expected original material in full on the album. The expectation was high and many may have felt it was a let down.

Posted by: Feel_The_Fever 5th May 2018, 11:20 PM

At the time I paid little attention to the covers but now it does seem strange he took that route.

Posted by: pippa 7th May 2018, 02:41 PM

If Gary had released an album as strong as Since I Saw You Last as his debut, his solo career may have been very different.

That said, it worked out good in the end, as if his solo career hadn't stalled we would most likely not have had the Take That reunion.

Posted by: jay727 7th May 2018, 07:25 PM

Yeah, but if Robbie didn’t release Angels, he may have lost his record deal and the pressure may have been released from Gary - who knows

Posted by: pippa 7th May 2018, 07:38 PM

Very valid point, Angels saved Robbie's career as prior to its release he was on the verge of getting dropped. Had that happened, the press explosion between himself and Gary may have never happened.

Posted by: Feel_The_Fever 8th May 2018, 12:54 AM

Angels def saved Robbie and while it worked out I would have to question why it wasn't released sooner. Those days for Gary were hard to watch,the press were so against him then at every level possible.

Posted by: jay727 8th May 2018, 05:42 PM

Perhaps he was reluctant to release a ballad after criticising Gary for that approach.

Maybe he felt a ballad didn’t fit the image he wanted to craft (i.e. Oasis)

Posted by: pippa 8th May 2018, 08:13 PM

Robbie had the Oasis vibe in his head at that time but he certainly didnt manage it.

Old Before I Die, Let Me Entertain You and Angels were the only songs i enjoyed from that era. If he launched his career with Angels he would have hit it off straight away. That said, it all worked out in the end for him with thanks to Angels.

Lie To Me, should have been the lead for 12 Months 11 Days, i still believe that song would have had success back then, despite Garys situation at that time.

Posted by: Feel_The_Fever 8th May 2018, 11:39 PM

How anyone decided stronger was a better launch single than lie to me il never understand.

Posted by: jay727 9th May 2018, 06:05 PM

Agreed - stronger is one of the weakest on the record

Posted by: pippa 9th May 2018, 08:58 PM

It would be a strong album track but not the track that was needed to launch the campaign.

Posted by: Feel_The_Fever 10th May 2018, 11:05 PM

The whole era really couldn't have been handled any worse.

Posted by: pippa 11th May 2018, 03:29 PM

Correct, the album could easily have had the name full on disaster. Everything went wrong so quick, it was shocking.

Posted by: Feel_The_Fever 13th May 2018, 01:49 AM

The drug story didn't help as it came across as desperate I felt.

Posted by: pippa 14th May 2018, 02:50 PM

For Gary, when he crosses paths with some of the people who were part of the destroying his career at that time it would be interesting to know how he interacts with them.

That said, he must be a forgiving man as he put the past in the past with Robbie who was a massive part of the humiliation at the time.

Posted by: Feel_The_Fever 21st May 2018, 02:12 AM

Ya im sure there are still some people he would ignore.

He def seems a more more forgiving person as i knew with the robbie stuff and it had happened to me personally, i would never have made it up with him.

Posted by: pippa 23rd May 2018, 03:05 PM

I never thought Gary and Robbie in particular would ever become friends again as their fallout was so public.
Mark and Robbie to my knowledge remained in touch and friendly but Howard and Jason had also falling out with Robbie. From the documentary it did appear Jason had more issues with Robbie returning than anyone.

Posted by: Feel_The_Fever 31st May 2018, 01:00 AM

Ya I never thought it would happen but it did although I wonder is there still slot of contact between them now.

Posted by: pippa 31st May 2018, 06:06 PM

They did seem to have genuinely made up. I would also believe Robbie will be big part of Take That's 30th anniversary when it comes round.

Posted by: Feel_The_Fever 3rd June 2018, 09:33 PM

Ya it's more than likely,I think they might do 1 off single for it.

Posted by: pippa 4th June 2018, 06:43 PM

I would believe new tracks will be added to the inevitable Greatest Hits release and Robbie will most likely be heavily involved and possibly on the Greatest Hits tour aswell.

Posted by: jay727 5th June 2018, 07:33 PM

It’s comign around quickly! We might get a new single in September (if they don’t do the on air/on sale strategy)

Posted by: Feel_The_Fever 5th June 2018, 10:53 PM

There is no word on anything new coming though is there?

Posted by: pippa 6th June 2018, 01:35 PM

I have heard no whispers yet. I even question will the new Greatest Hits even get a release later this year.

Posted by: Feel_The_Fever 8th June 2018, 12:23 AM

If it we prob won't get it until November.

Posted by: milly 14th December 2018, 05:57 PM

Does anyone here have any idea how we can find out how many copies 12M11D has sold so far? I can imagine it's not more than 5k, but I'd like to have a confirmed number. I've always been curious about how much of a "disaster" that release really was.