Australia and New Zealand music reviews

I remember hearing Better Be Home Soon, the first single, the first time many years ago. It was a very nice song but surely not a contender of being a major hit. There had to be other songs lined up being hit singles, this one being merely an introduction to their new album? The reality was, however, that Temple Of Low Men barely has a single radio friendly song. The song closest to it, Never Be The Same got some airplay on Rock oriented radio stations but was mysteriously never released as a single.

Unlike their first self titled album, which was full of catchy pop tunes and a glossy production, Temple Of Low Men consist mainly of darker tunes. This is not to say that they are not catchy, they simply do not provide necessary radio fodder to sell. Not being an established major act, the album thus became a major commercial flop. Artistically, however, Temple was a break through proving that Don't Dream It's Over was not simply some sort of luck. I Feel Possessed starts the album and signals a much richer production than before, with Neil Finn content of showing a dark side in a similar fashion of Sting's Every Breathe You Take. The rest of Temple is in a similar vein, thoughtful lyrics, catchy tunes and an imaginative production, very clean but yet mostly without the glossy 80s feel that ruined many recordings of that era.

Temple may not be the most joyful records around but it is a fantastic grower that is still worth listening to today. With hindsight, this was a hint of what lay around the corner with Woodface, which combined the best qualities of Crowded House's first two releases and later Together Alone, creating an alchemy of what they had previously done, taking that one step further by making a masterpiece.

Read a fairly big sample of the reviews here and you'll see that there's far from concensus on what CH's finest effort is but I'm going to make my plug for this album. While the peaks on this (except perhaps the stellar ballads "Into Temptation" and "Better Be Home Soon") don't rise as high as "Something So Strong" or "Don't Dream It's Over", the album feels like a darn near seamless whole. The first four songs are a flat-out sonic wallop from the off-kilter love song "I Feel Possessed" through the angular "Kill Eye", subtle strings of tortured love song "Into Temptation" ("Into temptation/Safe in the wide open arms of hell..") and average guy manifesto "Mansion in the Slums" (whose best bit is when writer Neil Finn spins around the usual lyric "I'd much rather have a caravan in the hills than a mansion in the slums" to admit "I'd much rather have a mansion in the hills...What I mean is, would you mind if I had it all..I'll take it when it comes"). The tracks in the middle are a bit ho-hum but the disc rebounds with "Sister Madly", a sing-along pop ditty if there ever was one, and the understated "Better Be Home Soon".

BOTTOM LINE:
A truly wonderful pop album that probably was the victim of the choice of singles ("Better Be Home Soon" is great but American pop radio, at least, usually likes an up-tempo hit to lead off a disc on the airwaves. Had they started with "I Feel Possessed" and "Sister Madly" the band might be more than a 3 hit outfit Stateside.) It's my favourite listen overall from the group.

Hello again people. It's the pompous Seer that you know so well who is back to reviewing considerable music to explore. I was on vacation. Spent some time on the Gulf of Mexico. What a time! After almost killing myself with those jet skis, I became sedate (and also quite a sight) lounging on the beach-sunglasses, white beard flowing, with a constant supply of tropical drinks courtesy of the hotel. Sounds nice huh? I won't even discuss the amount of money I spent tipping the busboy. I am saddened that we can't use spirituality instead of money. If that were so, Metamorpho would be a very rich Seer. Ah well.
Chance (my guide that looks like Robert DeNiro but without the scowl) bet me that I could not write a cohesive review about Crowded House. So I cut my vacation early and flew back home to write this for my adoring public.
To start, let me say that I have all of Crowded House's C.D.s and ALL are excellent in the pop genre. That said, there is something about Temple of Low Men that I find intriguing over and over again. To make sense of this, I asked my guides exactly what it was? But to no avail. I suppose the lure of a roulette table takes precedence over true reflective. Also, age is not a positive factor in my favor. I never thought I'd careen into another generation gap. The slights of life.
Anyway- Neil Finn's compositional talents are very considerable and noteworthy. In some way there are a number of topics going on here- possession,rejection,redemption,isolation and the attempt at true communication and connection. All done in a sometimes confusing stream of conciousness. But no matter - the thought bubbles that emanate from Neil Finn's mind are indeed crowded and when they are released we are exposed to amazing bits of songwriting. Even though this is the pop genre, Neil's compositions are anything but matter-of-fact. He throws chords and changes in here that are incredible and unique. And the talent and the production make you wish you had 6 ears instead of 2.
The album begins with "I Feel Possessed" and the swirling and beckoning musical backdrop perfectly fits the alluring and dream-like state that Neil finds himself in. It is a giving in to an uncontrollable quest that constantly eludes us.
"Kill Eye" is disturbing and rough. The emotions in this are at war. The subject, although destructive and possessed, still has underlined goodness that cannot be expressed. We then move from the roughness to "Into Temptation", a lilting, subtle and sad song. We know that the subject here has many regrets over his failures and that he feels guilty by being possessed by temptation. Great lines here, "the guilty get no sleep, in the last slow hours of morning, experience is cheap,I should have listened to the warning". Neil's expressions with words are a joy to behold.
"Mansion in the Slums" is one of Metamorpho's favorites. A puzzling tune for sure. It is the isolation that comes by being rich as opposed to the connections by being poor. As he states, he'd rather have the best of both worlds. Neil does not want to only have the option of one or the other. A struggle for personal freedom. With "When You Come" is a double-entendre of sorts. An exploding, sensual attack of love from the earth and the heavens. Pay attention to Neil's poetry and how the music builds to a crescendo. Absolutely remarkable.
"Never Be the Same" and "Love this Life" are a perfect duo of songs. They both concentrate on survival after failure. In "Never Be the Same" he urges everyone to not stand around, like friends at a funeral. That suffering is always personal. However, the subjects "might still survive, and rise up through the maze" all the while knowing that things could never be the same after what they went through. The music on this is pure pop pleasure juxtaposed against difficult emotions. "Love this Life", on the other hand, proceeds on a calmer scale. It is the resolution that even though disaster may strike, we are alive, and the experience of the pleasure and the pain, are still a worthy measure of being human.
"Sister Madly" is a jaunty little shuffle about about, paradoxically, a steam-roller of a woman. It is a disconnect and the disconnection comes from how she treats people. She knows what she's doing, and is guided by another type of obsession/possession. "In the Lowlands" is a troubled state of affairs and, again, the music matches this urgency. Neil finds himself to be too late to fix the situation and his relationship and his desire will transform to fear. The music mirrors the situation and the lyrics, again, wax poetic and vital.
"Better Be Home Soon" seems simple enough, however, it too is about possession, about something that has a hold. The emotions within his love are pushing him away. Yet, he holds the key and is right for the first time in his life. Again, the lack of communication is a theme here, and, although he can go on without her, she runs the risk of getting back home too late. This is the best song on the album, in my opinion, and, in many respects, home is where the heart is.
In conclusion, I have come to "feel possessed" (and obssessed) about the music here. It is a wonder-and very well worth your consideration. Hope I did a somewhat half-decent job. I hope everyone's summer is filled with sun and joy. Now, listen to Metamorpho -you'll be glad. Again- I would not lead you down a false path and make you drink poisoned Kool-Aid. Catch the real drift (see my other reviews). Now, back to the beach. Yours in eternal light-------Metamorpho (Morphy)

I remember hearing Better Be Home Soon, the first single, the first time many years ago. It was a very nice song but surely not a contender of being a major hit. There had to be other songs lined up being hit singles, this one being merely an introduction to their new album? The reality was, however, that Temple Of Low Men barely has a single radio friendly song. The song closest to it, Never Be The Same got some airplay on Rock oriented radio stations but was mysteriously never released as a single.

Unlike their first self titled album, which was full of catchy pop tunes and a glossy production, Temple Of Low Men consist mainly of darker tunes. This is not to say that they are not catchy, they simply do not provide necessary radio fodder to sell. Not being an established major act, the album thus became a major commercial flop. Artistically, however, Temple was a break through proving that Don't Dream It's Over was not simply some sort of luck. I Feel Possessed starts the album and signals a much richer production than before, with Neil Finn content of showing a dark side in a similar fashion of Sting's Every Breathe You Take. The rest of Temple is in a similar vein, thoughtful lyrics, catchy tunes and an imaginative production, very clean but yet mostly without the glossy 80s feel that ruined many recordings of that era.

Temple may not be the most joyful records around but it is a fantastic grower that is still worth listening to today. With hindsight, this was a hint of what lay around the corner with Woodface, which combined the best qualities of Crowded House's first two releases and later Together Alone, creating an alchemy of what they had previously done, taking that one step further by making a masterpiece.

Read a fairly big sample of the reviews here and you'll see that there's far from concensus on what CH's finest effort is but I'm going to make my plug for this album. While the peaks on this (except perhaps the stellar ballads "Into Temptation" and "Better Be Home Soon") don't rise as high as "Something So Strong" or "Don't Dream It's Over", the album feels like a darn near seamless whole. The first four songs are a flat-out sonic wallop from the off-kilter love song "I Feel Possessed" through the angular "Kill Eye", subtle strings of tortured love song "Into Temptation" ("Into temptation/Safe in the wide open arms of hell..") and average guy manifesto "Mansion in the Slums" (whose best bit is when writer Neil Finn spins around the usual lyric "I'd much rather have a caravan in the hills than a mansion in the slums" to admit "I'd much rather have a mansion in the hills...What I mean is, would you mind if I had it all..I'll take it when it comes"). The tracks in the middle are a bit ho-hum but the disc rebounds with "Sister Madly", a sing-along pop ditty if there ever was one, and the understated "Better Be Home Soon".

BOTTOM LINE:
A truly wonderful pop album that probably was the victim of the choice of singles ("Better Be Home Soon" is great but American pop radio, at least, usually likes an up-tempo hit to lead off a disc on the airwaves. Had they started with "I Feel Possessed" and "Sister Madly" the band might be more than a 3 hit outfit Stateside.) It's my favourite listen overall from the group.

Hello again people. It's the pompous Seer that you know so well who is back to reviewing considerable music to explore. I was on vacation. Spent some time on the Gulf of Mexico. What a time! After almost killing myself with those jet skis, I became sedate (and also quite a sight) lounging on the beach-sunglasses, white beard flowing, with a constant supply of tropical drinks courtesy of the hotel. Sounds nice huh? I won't even discuss the amount of money I spent tipping the busboy. I am saddened that we can't use spirituality instead of money. If that were so, Metamorpho would be a very rich Seer. Ah well.
Chance (my guide that looks like Robert DeNiro but without the scowl) bet me that I could not write a cohesive review about Crowded House. So I cut my vacation early and flew back home to write this for my adoring public.
To start, let me say that I have all of Crowded House's C.D.s and ALL are excellent in the pop genre. That said, there is something about Temple of Low Men that I find intriguing over and over again. To make sense of this, I asked my guides exactly what it was? But to no avail. I suppose the lure of a roulette table takes precedence over true reflective. Also, age is not a positive factor in my favor. I never thought I'd careen into another generation gap. The slights of life.
Anyway- Neil Finn's compositional talents are very considerable and noteworthy. In some way there are a number of topics going on here- possession,rejection,redemption,isolation and the attempt at true communication and connection. All done in a sometimes confusing stream of conciousness. But no matter - the thought bubbles that emanate from Neil Finn's mind are indeed crowded and when they are released we are exposed to amazing bits of songwriting. Even though this is the pop genre, Neil's compositions are anything but matter-of-fact. He throws chords and changes in here that are incredible and unique. And the talent and the production make you wish you had 6 ears instead of 2.
The album begins with "I Feel Possessed" and the swirling and beckoning musical backdrop perfectly fits the alluring and dream-like state that Neil finds himself in. It is a giving in to an uncontrollable quest that constantly eludes us.
"Kill Eye" is disturbing and rough. The emotions in this are at war. The subject, although destructive and possessed, still has underlined goodness that cannot be expressed. We then move from the roughness to "Into Temptation", a lilting, subtle and sad song. We know that the subject here has many regrets over his failures and that he feels guilty by being possessed by temptation. Great lines here, "the guilty get no sleep, in the last slow hours of morning, experience is cheap,I should have listened to the warning". Neil's expressions with words are a joy to behold.
"Mansion in the Slums" is one of Metamorpho's favorites. A puzzling tune for sure. It is the isolation that comes by being rich as opposed to the connections by being poor. As he states, he'd rather have the best of both worlds. Neil does not want to only have the option of one or the other. A struggle for personal freedom. With "When You Come" is a double-entendre of sorts. An exploding, sensual attack of love from the earth and the heavens. Pay attention to Neil's poetry and how the music builds to a crescendo. Absolutely remarkable.
"Never Be the Same" and "Love this Life" are a perfect duo of songs. They both concentrate on survival after failure. In "Never Be the Same" he urges everyone to not stand around, like friends at a funeral. That suffering is always personal. However, the subjects "might still survive, and rise up through the maze" all the while knowing that things could never be the same after what they went through. The music on this is pure pop pleasure juxtaposed against difficult emotions. "Love this Life", on the other hand, proceeds on a calmer scale. It is the resolution that even though disaster may strike, we are alive, and the experience of the pleasure and the pain, are still a worthy measure of being human.
"Sister Madly" is a jaunty little shuffle about about, paradoxically, a steam-roller of a woman. It is a disconnect and the disconnection comes from how she treats people. She knows what she's doing, and is guided by another type of obsession/possession. "In the Lowlands" is a troubled state of affairs and, again, the music matches this urgency. Neil finds himself to be too late to fix the situation and his relationship and his desire will transform to fear. The music mirrors the situation and the lyrics, again, wax poetic and vital.
"Better Be Home Soon" seems simple enough, however, it too is about possession, about something that has a hold. The emotions within his love are pushing him away. Yet, he holds the key and is right for the first time in his life. Again, the lack of communication is a theme here, and, although he can go on without her, she runs the risk of getting back home too late. This is the best song on the album, in my opinion, and, in many respects, home is where the heart is.
In conclusion, I have come to "feel possessed" (and obssessed) about the music here. It is a wonder-and very well worth your consideration. Hope I did a somewhat half-decent job. I hope everyone's summer is filled with sun and joy. Now, listen to Metamorpho -you'll be glad. Again- I would not lead you down a false path and make you drink poisoned Kool-Aid. Catch the real drift (see my other reviews). Now, back to the beach. Yours in eternal light-------Metamorpho (Morphy)

While Neil Finn has made albums with several entities, including Split Enz, the Finn Brothers and a solo career, perhaps his best known work was written during the course of Crowded House's four studio albums. Some of the best loved songs ever produced by a New Zealander are compiled on Recurring Dream: 'Don't Dream It's Over', a timeless ballad with a memorable organ solo, the jingle-jangle of 'Weather With You', and the sensitive ballad 'Better Be Home Soon'. The selections from each album are solid, although the democratic policy of allowing exactly four songs from each albums means that great Woodface songs 'There Goes God' and 'Chocolate Cake' miss out at the expense of inferior tracks such as Crowded House's 'Mean to Me.' The three new songs recorded for Recurring Dream are a disappointment; 'Everything is Good For You' is quite possibly the worst track that Crowded House ever recorded, 'Not the Girl You Think You Are' may be Beatlesque but it isn't particularly interesting, while 'Instinct' is merely the best of a bad lot. Recurring Dream inexplicably ends with new song 'Everything is Good For You', rather than 'Better Be Home Soon' which is tailor-made for the position. Despite its faults, Recurring Dream is a good introduction to Crowded House, containing key album tracks such as 'Into Temptation' and 'Private Universe', although fans will want to dig deeper especially into Together Alone and it might be simpler just to get each of their four albums individually.

Recurring Dream Bonus Disc

I'm not usually too excited about live albums, but this record, released as a bonus disc to Recurring Dream is good enough to stand enough on its own; as a bonus it's simply superlative. There's also very little crossover with the greatest hits tracks, as only four songs appear on both discs, and it covers a bunch of excellent Crowded House songs that didn't make the cut. `There Goes God', `Whispers and Moans' `Kill Eye' and `Love You Til The Day I Die' all could have held their own on Recurring Dream, and they're all presented in excellent live versions, making the 2CD version a much more valuable Crowded House anthology than the first disc alone. There are also a couple of otherwise unreleased songs - the catchy and atmospheric `Newcastle Jam' and `Left Hand'. Most of the recordings come from the 1990s, with Mark Hart featuring as the keyboard player or second guitarist - he's almost the ideal foil for the band, either able to reproduce or improve the original arrangement. While Hester and Seymour were fine musicians their influence wasn't always that apparent on record, but they were much more integral on stage - Hester's pranks (an extreme example entailed coming on alone for an encore in a Santa suit playing metal guitar riffs, stripping naked, then making obscene noises in the mike) were an important part of the band's charm.

I'm rather indifferent to the live versions of the Together Alone material here; `In My Command' lacks the energy of the studio version and `Pineapple Head' and `Private Universe' lack a bit of atmosphere, but otherwise these songs are pretty much all at least as enjoyable as their studio counterparts. Particular highlights include `There Goes God', much punchier here than on record, while the epic ten minute take on `Hole In The River', ending with traditional Irish ballad `The Parting Glass', blows away the studio version and might be my favourite Crowded House track ever. Lots of compilations throw on a couple of otherwise unavailable songs to entice completists, but there's a whole disc of first rate material here that any Crowded House fan will want to hear; it's not too hard to find copies of the bonus disc edition in New Zealand, but overseas fans may struggle to track it down. - Fyfeopedia Music Reviews

Definitely buy this album if you don't already own it!! Crowded House mastered the art of songcraft and were also a terrific live band judging from the archived concert tracks that make up disc 2 of this limited-edition 2CD set - alas I never saw them in concert. I bought this on release in 1996 and it remains a firm favourite of mine. Most of the songs here have words and music by the master songwriter and lead vocalist Neil Finn, with Tim Finn featuring on a few 1991 songs from Woodface, and guitarist Mark Hart appearing on later CH songs from Together Alone and the 1996 songs included here for the first time. Drummer Paul Hester and bass guitarist Nick Seymour are the other core mebers of CH and appear on all songs as the trusty rhythm section. Together, these fine players create musical magic and a true spirit of togetherness and harmony.

My favourites are timeless melodic classics like Weather With You (my favourite Crowded House song), Four Seasons In One Day, Better Be Home Soon, and Don't Dream It's Over (their biggest worldwide hit single), but I also like the more up-tempo stuff like the joyous Something So Strong, the perfect pop of It's Only Natural and the newer stuff from their last year together like Instinct nnd particularly Everything Is Good For You (their last chart hit).

The bonus live versions are definitely worth having, and some of the band's famous joviality comes through on the snippets of talking between songs.

I rate Crowded House as one of the best bands ever in pop/rock music and Recurring Dream is one of my 10 favourite albums of the 90's.

5 stars!!!

The only sad thing about this cd is that it reminds me that I will never be able to see this band live. The Finn Brothers tickets is the closest I can get. The live cd gives the listener a perfect representation of the band's versatility. The sound quality is wonderfull without losing the feel of a live show. This band is most underrated and Neil Finn should be a legend. A great cd to play LOUD in the car!

Recurring Dream is Crowded House's main Greatest Hits compilation. It represents 4 tracks of each of the group's 4 albums. The selection process has hardly been difficult; all the big hits are here. Omissions of note are Chocolate Cake, the first single of their Woodface album (and also a commercial disaster), Fingers of Love and Nails in My Feet from Together Alone. These songs were, however, minor hits and thus understandably omitted.

There are also 3 songs Crowded House recorded towards the very end of their career. Not the Girl You Think You Are and Instinct are fine tunes while Everything Is Good for You is sub-par Crowded House. The magic often associated with the group had though gone and an indication that maybe it was time to wrap it up.

This album highlights the greatness of Crowded House. I have played these tunes to death and yet never seem to get bored of them. There is Beatles-esque quality littered all over the album. If Paul heard it he must have wondered what in the world he was doing all that time (until recently, he couldn't muster a fine tune for ages).

There are at least 3 editions available. One is the standard one with a single CD. Another one released initially during the same period includes a fantastic live CD. Songs such as There Goes God and Sister Madly showcase their drive that lacked on the studio versions. Mediocre songs from their debut like Love You `til the Day I Die and Hole in the River become fresh, as if they have been released from some kind of bounds. There is humor spread all over the set with the audience participating without ruining the songs. The fun and energy associated with Crowded House shines more on this live CD than any other studio recording of theirs (even including their masterpiece Together Alone) making it worthwhile for many to buy this edition, although it is rather expensive. Recently another edition emerged with a greatest hits DVD included. The songs are still great but most of the videos have aged rather poorly. An exception is Weather with You (my son's favorite!) which is joyful and fun and Distant Sun, a dreamy video that tastefully complements one of their best songs. My son actually loves most of the videos post Weather with You but he may simply like the overuse of colors (huge Yellow Submarine fan) and actually great songs. Being a big fan myself, this is a must have for me but friends and family mostly laugh when they see most of these videos.

Recurring Dream is thus a great buy for most people. Any fan should add a few extra dollars and purchase the edition including the live set and only the hard core fans should also get the DVD version (that can be actually bought separately).

Like a lot of reviewrs, this band holds a special place in my heart from the 80's. But they aren't an 80's band and the Finn Brothers rightfully rank up there with influential artists from back then. I still love "I got You" from the Split Endz days. And I remember seeing Neil Finn on some live concert show, which was my catalyst for buying this CD. Just pure, excellent stuff. You listen to this greatest hits CD and two things come to mind. 1) Wow, they had a lot of hits from back then and 2) Why weren't they more popular? Who knows. Neil is one of those people that just has to stay in the industry. So gifted. First time listening to this, I had forgotten about "Fall at your Feet," but I bet I replayed that song 20 times in a row. Haunting. Perfect. And the rest of the songs are just terrific.

There are many a strange, unknowable mystery to be found in this universe: is there a god, what are we here for, why so many people actually voted for George W. Bush, etc. But the big stumper my mind is set on right now is why didn't any number of the tracks that appear on Recurring dream: The Very Best of Crowded House become huge hits in the U.S. (aside from 'Don't Dream It's Over' and 'Something So Strong')?
We're supposedly the biggest country in the world; why aren't they household names, taking their place alongside bands such as the Cars and the Police as the greatest pop/rock band of the 1980s? Honestly, I don't get it.
Indeed, I've come to the conclusion that the other, older countries in the world that embraced Crowded House (specifically the U.K.) are just smarter than we are. This crazy idea first jumped into my mind when I found that my favorite band of all time, the Beach Boys, "America's Band", was way, way more popular and appreciated in Europe than here in the States. We Americans INVENTED Rock and Roll; you'd think we'd know better. But alas...
Actually, I have to admit to something: I was one of those Americans that only heard 'Don't Dream It's Over' (sublime, I thought) and 'Something So Strong' (perfect, I marveled). The latter song became my favorite of the two, boasting such smile-inducing beauty and effervesence that it blew my mind. What the heck was up with this band? I had to find out.
A big part of me (the music geek in me) considers it bad taste to buy greatest hits compilations before investing time and eardrums to a band's original albums first. Another part of me recognizes compilations as neat little samplers and/or a way to sum up an artist's extensive and most excellent work. With that in mind, I decided to buy Recurring Dream and dip a toe into a wide melodic ocean I'd only caught glimpses of before. I was dumbfounded to find that the other 17 tracks on this CD that I'd never heard before ranged from beautiful spires of melody and harmony to emotional, evocative songwriting with the knack of stamping their brilliance on my brain forever, leaving me humming choruses and verses for days on end. Neil Finn, thy name is genius. Believe me, I try not to throw this word around too much; I've only christened Brian Wilson and John Lennon so. No doubt they've earned it, and for me, one listen to songs like 'Fall At Your Feet' or 'Private Universe' seals the deal for Neil (poetry!).
Still, 'Something So Strong' remains my favorite of all these gems. It shines the brightest, and makes me break out in a wide grin whenever I hear it. The aforementioned 'Fall At Your Feet' and 'Private Universe' plus 'Distant Sun', 'Instinct' and 'Better Be Home Soon' also rate high for me. I'm so in love with 'Instinct' that it's managed to overtake 'Don't Dream It's Over' in brilliance to sit at 2nd favorite, right there behind 'Something So Strong'. Who'd have guessed it?
I don't have tons of space left (I'm really hogging this page), so let me just say that there isn't a weak track or false moment on the entire album. It all ranges between very good ('Mean To Me', 'Everything Is Good For You') to astoundingly wonderful ('I Feel Possessed', 'World Where You Live').

If you love good, intelligent, melodic pop songs and well-written to boot, then I heartily recommend this collection. Unlike those mysteries of gods or presidents, they won't disappoint you.

"And it's a pleasure that I have known/and it's a treasure that I have gained" --Crowded House, 'Private Universe'.

Recurring Dream is Crowded House's main Greatest Hits compilation. It represents 4 tracks of each of the group's 4 albums. The selection process has hardly been difficult; all the big hits are here. Omissions of note are Chocolate Cake, the first single of their Woodface album (and also a commercial disaster), Fingers of Love and Nails in My Feet from Together Alone. These songs were, however, minor hits and thus understandably omitted.

There are also 3 songs Crowded House recorded towards the very end of their career. Not the Girl You Think You Are and Instinct are fine tunes while Everything Is Good for You is sub-par Crowded House. The magic often associated with the group had though gone and an indication that maybe it was time to wrap it up.

This album highlights the greatness of Crowded House. I have played these tunes to death and yet never seem to get bored of them. There is Beatles-esque quality littered all over the album. If Paul heard it he must have wondered what in the world he was doing all that time (until recently, he couldn't muster a fine tune for ages).

There are at least 3 editions available. One is the standard one with a single CD. Another one released initially during the same period includes a fantastic live CD. Songs such as There Goes God and Sister Madly showcase their drive that lacked on the studio versions. Mediocre songs from their debut like Love You `til the Day I Die and Hole in the River become fresh, as if they have been released from some kind of bounds. There is humor spread all over the set with the audience participating without ruining the songs. The fun and energy associated with Crowded House shines more on this live CD than any other studio recording of theirs (even including their masterpiece Together Alone) making it worthwhile for many to buy this edition, although it is rather expensive. Recently another edition emerged with a greatest hits DVD included. The songs are still great but most of the videos have aged rather poorly. An exception is Weather with You (my son's favorite!) which is joyful and fun and Distant Sun, a dreamy video that tastefully complements one of their best songs. My son actually loves most of the videos post Weather with You but he may simply like the overuse of colors (huge Yellow Submarine fan) and actually great songs. Being a big fan myself, this is a must have for me but friends and family mostly laugh when they see most of these videos.

Recurring Dream is thus a great buy for most people. Any fan should add a few extra dollars and purchase the edition including the live set and only the hard core fans should also get the DVD version (that can be actually bought separately).

Like a lot of reviewrs, this band holds a special place in my heart from the 80's. But they aren't an 80's band and the Finn Brothers rightfully rank up there with influential artists from back then. I still love "I got You" from the Split Endz days. And I remember seeing Neil Finn on some live concert show, which was my catalyst for buying this CD. Just pure, excellent stuff. You listen to this greatest hits CD and two things come to mind. 1) Wow, they had a lot of hits from back then and 2) Why weren't they more popular? Who knows. Neil is one of those people that just has to stay in the industry. So gifted. First time listening to this, I had forgotten about "Fall at your Feet," but I bet I replayed that song 20 times in a row. Haunting. Perfect. And the rest of the songs are just terrific.

There are many a strange, unknowable mystery to be found in this universe: is there a god, what are we here for, why so many people actually voted for George W. Bush, etc. But the big stumper my mind is set on right now is why didn't any number of the tracks that appear on Recurring dream: The Very Best of Crowded House become huge hits in the U.S. (aside from 'Don't Dream It's Over' and 'Something So Strong')?
We're supposedly the biggest country in the world; why aren't they household names, taking their place alongside bands such as the Cars and the Police as the greatest pop/rock band of the 1980s? Honestly, I don't get it.
Indeed, I've come to the conclusion that the other, older countries in the world that embraced Crowded House (specifically the U.K.) are just smarter than we are. This crazy idea first jumped into my mind when I found that my favorite band of all time, the Beach Boys, "America's Band", was way, way more popular and appreciated in Europe than here in the States. We Americans INVENTED Rock and Roll; you'd think we'd know better. But alas...
Actually, I have to admit to something: I was one of those Americans that only heard 'Don't Dream It's Over' (sublime, I thought) and 'Something So Strong' (perfect, I marveled). The latter song became my favorite of the two, boasting such smile-inducing beauty and effervesence that it blew my mind. What the heck was up with this band? I had to find out.
A big part of me (the music geek in me) considers it bad taste to buy greatest hits compilations before investing time and eardrums to a band's original albums first. Another part of me recognizes compilations as neat little samplers and/or a way to sum up an artist's extensive and most excellent work. With that in mind, I decided to buy Recurring Dream and dip a toe into a wide melodic ocean I'd only caught glimpses of before. I was dumbfounded to find that the other 17 tracks on this CD that I'd never heard before ranged from beautiful spires of melody and harmony to emotional, evocative songwriting with the knack of stamping their brilliance on my brain forever, leaving me humming choruses and verses for days on end. Neil Finn, thy name is genius. Believe me, I try not to throw this word around too much; I've only christened Brian Wilson and John Lennon so. No doubt they've earned it, and for me, one listen to songs like 'Fall At Your Feet' or 'Private Universe' seals the deal for Neil (poetry!).
Still, 'Something So Strong' remains my favorite of all these gems. It shines the brightest, and makes me break out in a wide grin whenever I hear it. The aforementioned 'Fall At Your Feet' and 'Private Universe' plus 'Distant Sun', 'Instinct' and 'Better Be Home Soon' also rate high for me. I'm so in love with 'Instinct' that it's managed to overtake 'Don't Dream It's Over' in brilliance to sit at 2nd favorite, right there behind 'Something So Strong'. Who'd have guessed it?
I don't have tons of space left (I'm really hogging this page), so let me just say that there isn't a weak track or false moment on the entire album. It all ranges between very good ('Mean To Me', 'Everything Is Good For You') to astoundingly wonderful ('I Feel Possessed', 'World Where You Live').

If you love good, intelligent, melodic pop songs and well-written to boot, then I heartily recommend this collection. Unlike those mysteries of gods or presidents, they won't disappoint you.

"And it's a pleasure that I have known/and it's a treasure that I have gained" --Crowded House, 'Private Universe'.

Neil Finn's song writing has often been compared to even the highlights of the Lennon/McCartney partnership. Actually, Paul could/should have learned a thing or two from Finn in the early 90s. Never were the similarities more obvious than on Woodface, an album packed with great melodies, straight driven arrangements and a gorgeous production. Neil's brother, Tim, joined Crowded House on this album and not only does their partnership shine on the song writing level but even more in the harmonizing on many songs, Tim complementing Neil very successfully on many tracks.

The one track that seems at odds with the album was interestingly the first track and incredibly chosen as the first single. Chocolate Cake is a rocking song but the weakest track on the album, with the brothers seeming to salvage a song that just isn't good enough, radio wise at least. I admit having grown to the song in a strange way but yet always have mixed feelings towards it. This odd single selection must certainly have insured a commercial disaster in the States and could have done the same thing internationally.

After Chocolate Cake it's a bonanza of great solid tunes like the joyful It's Only Natural and Weather With You (a huge hit everywhere in the world, including my 3 year old son's world, except the States) and slower tunes such as Fall At Your Feet and Four Seasons In One Day (my son loves that one too and its corny video). The later part of the album is much slower but no less fulfilling. As Sure As I Am showcases an atmosphere of togetherness whilst How Will You Go reminds me of the plight someone close to me deals with daily due to alcoholism.

This album deserves 5 stars despite not being from my standpoint the masterpiece many people regard it to be, maybe simply because their crowning achievement in my view is Together Alone. I have heard few albums with so many solid songs in my lifetime and is of Crowded House's two lighter sounding albums, their first self titled album being the other one, much better, despite of the inclusion of Don't Dream It's Over on the first one (which is available on their Recurring Dream compilation).

This album, along with The Spin Doctors' Pocketful of Kryptonite and R.E.M.'s Out Of Time, reminds me of a time in the early 1990s when alternative bands dressed in their Byrds-like finery and played quite sunny, wistful, folk pop rock about nature, love and friendship.

`Chocolate Cake' is a moodily humourous song with a blues-like ending. It's a pleasant start to the album. `It's only natural', like a few other songs on this album, has a slightly quirky start. It reminds me of the short bursts of music that you hear inbetween scenes in comedy shows like Friends. Neil Finn's singing style is clean, resonant, harmonious and comfortable with himself. `Fall at your feet' may be Crowded House's `Every move you make'. Like a few other songs on this album, the last verse is faster than the others. `Tall Trees' is pleasantly strident. I particularly like the part where the last verse is interspersed with guitar playing (`The salt from your skin/ Tall Trees/ Tall Tree').

`Weather with you' features a Byrds-like jingle jangle sound at the beginning and between the verses and choruses. It also has some of my favourite lines: `Things ain't cooking in my kitchen. Strange affliction wash over me. Julius Caesar and the Roman Empire Couldn't conquer the blue sky.' Although those last two lines could be intended to convey that there is always freedom somewhere, I think that they are also saddening- as the Stone Roses put it in `Tightrope' from their `Second Coming' album- `Are we etched in stone or just scratched in the sand?' `Whispers and moans' is a moody song with a slightly mystical sound and featuring what sounds like a glockenspiel. Some of my favourite parts are when the line `When I wake up in your room' rises up and when Neil Finn shouts about things that will `one day be forgotten'.

`Four seasons in one day' is a slow, dream-like song with a deep sound balanced by quiet harmonies. `There goes God' begins with screechy instrumentation, with violins throughout the song. The urgency of `Fame is' is similar to `Tall Trees'. The song begins with the words `Forked lightning', which seems to tie in well with the previous song (in depictions of God, he is sometimes shown displaying his wrath by sending lightning down to Earth). The band hint at their work ethic with the lines `Love children of the new age. Just a hippy with a weekly wage. There's no rebellion, just a chance to be lazy.' On the verses, small scribbles of violins conjure up the image to me of a classical, decadent civilisation. Like a few songs on the album, the song ends with starry-eyed proclamations of what is to come: `And of all your spells will break, And all of your stars will fall. So look out for number one. Fame is in your blood'.

`All I ask' has a gently meandering, quiet start. It is the kind of slightly quirky, start that Thomas Newman would do (he did the music for `American Beauty' and `Six feet under'), or the kind of bashfully beautiful music used in adventure games (I thought that it would suit the one of the quiet sections in Metroid Prime). The song features poignant lyrics: `I pity the rhino. Down there it's becoming extinct'. I actually thought that the following line was : `I'd kill for a love potion', which would have been darkly humourous/ironic because it wouldn't have sounded like he literally would have killed for a love potion- it would have sounded like he simply really wanted one (with the fact that some love potions are made from ground rhino horn making the dream of having a love potion impossible to him). The actual line is `Killed for a love potion'. If the lyrics I had heard had been the actual ones, the following line `Sad thing, looking like a dead flower', would have then brought the singer back to the reality of what is required to make a love potion.

`Italian Plastic', by Paul Hester, features harmonies sung for comedic effect at the end and a last, Beatles-esque `Who ya gonna take to the ball tonight? Who ya gonna take to the dance tonight?'. The song adds a bit of `Chocolate Cake' lightness to the album.
`She goes on' sounds a bit like a soaring sequel to `Four seasons in one day'. It contains the wistful, poignant lines: `'Til we see her once again/ In a world without end'. (the word `world' is stressed and the line features alliteration with the repetition of the `w' sound. `How will you go' features a typically energetic, enigmatic and poignant part towards the end of the song: `And you know I'll be fine/ Just don't ask me how it's going/ Gimme time, gimme time/'Cos I want you to see/Round the world, round the world/Is a tangled up necklace of pearls). Following this is a piece of music that is sparkling and fresh, conjuring up an image of the sea to me.

After a period of silence, the band start sounding like monkeys and singing `I'm still here/ I won't go away'. The Stone Roses used a similar type of ending on their 1994 Second Coming album, which ended with them scratching away a tune partly similar to `They're coming to take me away'.

Although I have only listened to extracts from their other albums (the beautiful, quirky, Pineapple Head sounds like a medieval lullaby), Crowded House's sound on Woodface is as clean and fresh as I imagine New Zealand air to be. It is an album quite free of angst and comfortable to listen to but never ordinary. If you like Crowded House, you may also like The La's and similar bands.

This is simply the best melodic pop album recorded since Abbey Road.

Neil Finn's song writing has often been compared to even the highlights of the Lennon/McCartney partnership. Actually, Paul could/should have learned a thing or two from Finn in the early 90s. Never were the similarities more obvious than on Woodface, an album packed with great melodies, straight driven arrangements and a gorgeous production. Neil's brother, Tim, joined Crowded House on this album and not only does their partnership shine on the song writing level but even more in the harmonizing on many songs, Tim complementing Neil very successfully on many tracks.

The one track that seems at odds with the album was interestingly the first track and incredibly chosen as the first single. Chocolate Cake is a rocking song but the weakest track on the album, with the brothers seeming to salvage a song that just isn't good enough, radio wise at least. I admit having grown to the song in a strange way but yet always have mixed feelings towards it. This odd single selection must certainly have insured a commercial disaster in the States and could have done the same thing internationally.

After Chocolate Cake it's a bonanza of great solid tunes like the joyful It's Only Natural and Weather With You (a huge hit everywhere in the world, including my 3 year old son's world, except the States) and slower tunes such as Fall At Your Feet and Four Seasons In One Day (my son loves that one too and its corny video). The later part of the album is much slower but no less fulfilling. As Sure As I Am showcases an atmosphere of togetherness whilst How Will You Go reminds me of the plight someone close to me deals with daily due to alcoholism.

This album deserves 5 stars despite not being from my standpoint the masterpiece many people regard it to be, maybe simply because their crowning achievement in my view is Together Alone. I have heard few albums with so many solid songs in my lifetime and is of Crowded House's two lighter sounding albums, their first self titled album being the other one, much better, despite of the inclusion of Don't Dream It's Over on the first one (which is available on their Recurring Dream compilation).

This album, along with The Spin Doctors' Pocketful of Kryptonite and R.E.M.'s Out Of Time, reminds me of a time in the early 1990s when alternative bands dressed in their Byrds-like finery and played quite sunny, wistful, folk pop rock about nature, love and friendship.

`Chocolate Cake' is a moodily humourous song with a blues-like ending. It's a pleasant start to the album. `It's only natural', like a few other songs on this album, has a slightly quirky start. It reminds me of the short bursts of music that you hear inbetween scenes in comedy shows like Friends. Neil Finn's singing style is clean, resonant, harmonious and comfortable with himself. `Fall at your feet' may be Crowded House's `Every move you make'. Like a few other songs on this album, the last verse is faster than the others. `Tall Trees' is pleasantly strident. I particularly like the part where the last verse is interspersed with guitar playing (`The salt from your skin/ Tall Trees/ Tall Tree').

`Weather with you' features a Byrds-like jingle jangle sound at the beginning and between the verses and choruses. It also has some of my favourite lines: `Things ain't cooking in my kitchen. Strange affliction wash over me. Julius Caesar and the Roman Empire Couldn't conquer the blue sky.' Although those last two lines could be intended to convey that there is always freedom somewhere, I think that they are also saddening- as the Stone Roses put it in `Tightrope' from their `Second Coming' album- `Are we etched in stone or just scratched in the sand?' `Whispers and moans' is a moody song with a slightly mystical sound and featuring what sounds like a glockenspiel. Some of my favourite parts are when the line `When I wake up in your room' rises up and when Neil Finn shouts about things that will `one day be forgotten'.

`Four seasons in one day' is a slow, dream-like song with a deep sound balanced by quiet harmonies. `There goes God' begins with screechy instrumentation, with violins throughout the song. The urgency of `Fame is' is similar to `Tall Trees'. The song begins with the words `Forked lightning', which seems to tie in well with the previous song (in depictions of God, he is sometimes shown displaying his wrath by sending lightning down to Earth). The band hint at their work ethic with the lines `Love children of the new age. Just a hippy with a weekly wage. There's no rebellion, just a chance to be lazy.' On the verses, small scribbles of violins conjure up the image to me of a classical, decadent civilisation. Like a few songs on the album, the song ends with starry-eyed proclamations of what is to come: `And of all your spells will break, And all of your stars will fall. So look out for number one. Fame is in your blood'.

`All I ask' has a gently meandering, quiet start. It is the kind of slightly quirky, start that Thomas Newman would do (he did the music for `American Beauty' and `Six feet under'), or the kind of bashfully beautiful music used in adventure games (I thought that it would suit the one of the quiet sections in Metroid Prime). The song features poignant lyrics: `I pity the rhino. Down there it's becoming extinct'. I actually thought that the following line was : `I'd kill for a love potion', which would have been darkly humourous/ironic because it wouldn't have sounded like he literally would have killed for a love potion- it would have sounded like he simply really wanted one (with the fact that some love potions are made from ground rhino horn making the dream of having a love potion impossible to him). The actual line is `Killed for a love potion'. If the lyrics I had heard had been the actual ones, the following line `Sad thing, looking like a dead flower', would have then brought the singer back to the reality of what is required to make a love potion.

`Italian Plastic', by Paul Hester, features harmonies sung for comedic effect at the end and a last, Beatles-esque `Who ya gonna take to the ball tonight? Who ya gonna take to the dance tonight?'. The song adds a bit of `Chocolate Cake' lightness to the album.
`She goes on' sounds a bit like a soaring sequel to `Four seasons in one day'. It contains the wistful, poignant lines: `'Til we see her once again/ In a world without end'. (the word `world' is stressed and the line features alliteration with the repetition of the `w' sound. `How will you go' features a typically energetic, enigmatic and poignant part towards the end of the song: `And you know I'll be fine/ Just don't ask me how it's going/ Gimme time, gimme time/'Cos I want you to see/Round the world, round the world/Is a tangled up necklace of pearls). Following this is a piece of music that is sparkling and fresh, conjuring up an image of the sea to me.

After a period of silence, the band start sounding like monkeys and singing `I'm still here/ I won't go away'. The Stone Roses used a similar type of ending on their 1994 Second Coming album, which ended with them scratching away a tune partly similar to `They're coming to take me away'.

Although I have only listened to extracts from their other albums (the beautiful, quirky, Pineapple Head sounds like a medieval lullaby), Crowded House's sound on Woodface is as clean and fresh as I imagine New Zealand air to be. It is an album quite free of angst and comfortable to listen to but never ordinary. If you like Crowded House, you may also like The La's and similar bands.

This is simply the best melodic pop album recorded since Abbey Road.

Neil Finn's song writing has often been compared to even the highlights of the Lennon/McCartney partnership. Actually, Paul could/should have learned a thing or two from Finn in the early 90s. Never were the similarities more obvious than on Woodface, an album packed with great melodies, straight driven arrangements and a gorgeous production. Neil's brother, Tim, joined Crowded House on this album and not only does their partnership shine on the song writing level but even more in the harmonizing on many songs, Tim complementing Neil very successfully on many tracks.

The one track that seems at odds with the album was interestingly the first track and incredibly chosen as the first single. Chocolate Cake is a rocking song but the weakest track on the album, with the brothers seeming to salvage a song that just isn't good enough, radio wise at least. I admit having grown to the song in a strange way but yet always have mixed feelings towards it. This odd single selection must certainly have insured a commercial disaster in the States and could have done the same thing internationally.

After Chocolate Cake it's a bonanza of great solid tunes like the joyful It's Only Natural and Weather With You (a huge hit everywhere in the world, including my 3 year old son's world, except the States) and slower tunes such as Fall At Your Feet and Four Seasons In One Day (my son loves that one too and its corny video). The later part of the album is much slower but no less fulfilling. As Sure As I Am showcases an atmosphere of togetherness whilst How Will You Go reminds me of the plight someone close to me deals with daily due to alcoholism.

This album deserves 5 stars despite not being from my standpoint the masterpiece many people regard it to be, maybe simply because their crowning achievement in my view is Together Alone. I have heard few albums with so many solid songs in my lifetime and is of Crowded House's two lighter sounding albums, their first self titled album being the other one, much better, despite of the inclusion of Don't Dream It's Over on the first one (which is available on their Recurring Dream compilation).

This album, along with The Spin Doctors' Pocketful of Kryptonite and R.E.M.'s Out Of Time, reminds me of a time in the early 1990s when alternative bands dressed in their Byrds-like finery and played quite sunny, wistful, folk pop rock about nature, love and friendship.

`Chocolate Cake' is a moodily humourous song with a blues-like ending. It's a pleasant start to the album. `It's only natural', like a few other songs on this album, has a slightly quirky start. It reminds me of the short bursts of music that you hear inbetween scenes in comedy shows like Friends. Neil Finn's singing style is clean, resonant, harmonious and comfortable with himself. `Fall at your feet' may be Crowded House's `Every move you make'. Like a few other songs on this album, the last verse is faster than the others. `Tall Trees' is pleasantly strident. I particularly like the part where the last verse is interspersed with guitar playing (`The salt from your skin/ Tall Trees/ Tall Tree').

`Weather with you' features a Byrds-like jingle jangle sound at the beginning and between the verses and choruses. It also has some of my favourite lines: `Things ain't cooking in my kitchen. Strange affliction wash over me. Julius Caesar and the Roman Empire Couldn't conquer the blue sky.' Although those last two lines could be intended to convey that there is always freedom somewhere, I think that they are also saddening- as the Stone Roses put it in `Tightrope' from their `Second Coming' album- `Are we etched in stone or just scratched in the sand?' `Whispers and moans' is a moody song with a slightly mystical sound and featuring what sounds like a glockenspiel. Some of my favourite parts are when the line `When I wake up in your room' rises up and when Neil Finn shouts about things that will `one day be forgotten'.

`Four seasons in one day' is a slow, dream-like song with a deep sound balanced by quiet harmonies. `There goes God' begins with screechy instrumentation, with violins throughout the song. The urgency of `Fame is' is similar to `Tall Trees'. The song begins with the words `Forked lightning', which seems to tie in well with the previous song (in depictions of God, he is sometimes shown displaying his wrath by sending lightning down to Earth). The band hint at their work ethic with the lines `Love children of the new age. Just a hippy with a weekly wage. There's no rebellion, just a chance to be lazy.' On the verses, small scribbles of violins conjure up the image to me of a classical, decadent civilisation. Like a few songs on the album, the song ends with starry-eyed proclamations of what is to come: `And of all your spells will break, And all of your stars will fall. So look out for number one. Fame is in your blood'.

`All I ask' has a gently meandering, quiet start. It is the kind of slightly quirky, start that Thomas Newman would do (he did the music for `American Beauty' and `Six feet under'), or the kind of bashfully beautiful music used in adventure games (I thought that it would suit the one of the quiet sections in Metroid Prime). The song features poignant lyrics: `I pity the rhino. Down there it's becoming extinct'. I actually thought that the following line was : `I'd kill for a love potion', which would have been darkly humourous/ironic because it wouldn't have sounded like he literally would have killed for a love potion- it would have sounded like he simply really wanted one (with the fact that some love potions are made from ground rhino horn making the dream of having a love potion impossible to him). The actual line is `Killed for a love potion'. If the lyrics I had heard had been the actual ones, the following line `Sad thing, looking like a dead flower', would have then brought the singer back to the reality of what is required to make a love potion.

`Italian Plastic', by Paul Hester, features harmonies sung for comedic effect at the end and a last, Beatles-esque `Who ya gonna take to the ball tonight? Who ya gonna take to the dance tonight?'. The song adds a bit of `Chocolate Cake' lightness to the album.
`She goes on' sounds a bit like a soaring sequel to `Four seasons in one day'. It contains the wistful, poignant lines: `'Til we see her once again/ In a world without end'. (the word `world' is stressed and the line features alliteration with the repetition of the `w' sound. `How will you go' features a typically energetic, enigmatic and poignant part towards the end of the song: `And you know I'll be fine/ Just don't ask me how it's going/ Gimme time, gimme time/'Cos I want you to see/Round the world, round the world/Is a tangled up necklace of pearls). Following this is a piece of music that is sparkling and fresh, conjuring up an image of the sea to me.

After a period of silence, the band start sounding like monkeys and singing `I'm still here/ I won't go away'. The Stone Roses used a similar type of ending on their 1994 Second Coming album, which ended with them scratching away a tune partly similar to `They're coming to take me away'.

Although I have only listened to extracts from their other albums (the beautiful, quirky, Pineapple Head sounds like a medieval lullaby), Crowded House's sound on Woodface is as clean and fresh as I imagine New Zealand air to be. It is an album quite free of angst and comfortable to listen to but never ordinary. If you like Crowded House, you may also like The La's and similar bands.

This is simply the best melodic pop album recorded since Abbey Road.

Split Enz may be from down under, but they remind me of the 80's boston scene.
If you are a fan of the boston music scene then check out these amazing albums:
1) Surfer Rosa by The Pixies
2) Lyres Lyres by The Lyres
3) Low Rises by Baby Ray
4) Vs. by Mission Of Burma
5) Fig. 15 by The Human Sexual Response

This is a fantastic collection and you probably already know that if you're looking to buy this CD. Contrary to what certain spotlight writers might suggest, "I Hope I Never" is an incredibly haunting, beautiful song. Tim Finn writes and sounds very little like Paul McCartney. In fact, I challenge anyone in the F.B.I. with a voice I.D. software program to find sufficient sonic connections between them! Furthermore, melodic songwriting is not the personal domain of The Beatles, who themselves were incredibly "derrivitive" (ie, Dylan, Motown artists, Elvis, Ray Charles, The Beach Boys, Ravi Shankar, British dancehall, etc). As influenced as the Finns might have been by The Beatles (who wasn't?!), Split Enz had their own distinctive sound. "True Colours" is a fine example of some of New Wave's best creative songwriting, innovative sounds and approach. What many often forget is that there was no definable New Wave formula. This left bands free to experiment as they wished under the "something new" category. Yes, this was way before college rock or indie music branded artists with marketable, definable sounds and image. Ah, those were the days my friend... Bands were doing their own thing in a spontaneous way that you just don't hear much of anymore. I got "True Colours" for Christmas that year and none of the other bands of that era sounded quite like them, apart from maybe Sparks or The Undertones. And if you still think Spit Enz were McCartney rip offs, try a comparison test between them and some of McCartney's New Wave efforts, such as "Getting Closer" off Wings Back to the Egg. I think it will be obivous that they aren't really on the same page. Listen for yourself and write your own review!

It is really hard not to like Split Enz or Crowded House for that matter. (Even with their saturation on Aussie radio) I always liked Split Enz a bit more than Crowded House because it had more of a New Wave sound to it, and you can see on this compliation the band develop with more raw songs like History Never Repeats and I See Red to the more Crowded House sound with Message To My Girl. The songs are just well done no matter what, you can tell the Finn's were heavily influenced by The Beatles, and the result here is just solid.

Split Enz is certainly a major group that influenced many later artist. True Colours the album was also innovative. The original LP featured a laser etched design which looked cool on the turntable! The music is quite good. Tunes such as Shark Attack, I Got You, Double Happy, are clear progressive new wave, and a look at music, to at least where many thought is was headed in the 1980's. True Colours is a true gem!

The first time I heard - and saw -- "I Got You" was when I was in the 9th grade before MTV. Every Friday night, PBS would show 30 minutes of music videos on a program that I cant recall the name of. However, Split Enz "I Got You" was shown perhaps 6 Fridays in-a-row and it was awesome. At a time when I was just getting turned on to the likes of Devo, Kraftwerk, Misex, et.al., this song and group was transforming and just plain cool to a 14 year old kid. A lot of fun and so many great memories.

For pure Pop pleasure this album just can't be beat. Everybody knows 'I Got You' but what about the manic fun of 'Shark Attack', the Schoolboy indignity of 'What's the matter with you' the slushy sentimentality of 'I Hope I Never', the hilariously self-pitying 'Nobody Takes me Seriously' the beautifully smooth and melancholy heartbreak of 'Missing Person' & the utterly fantastic instrumental ending of 'The Choral Sea'. Even though I have the best of Split Enz 'Spellbound' on CD I still need to grab this CD soon just for the 5 tracks missing off the greatest hits compilation, that's how good it is. For now I'm relying on my laser etched vinyl copy (ooh! Laser etched!). This album works on its own merits. It's a beautifully cohesive album. Beautifully observed Pop lyrics with wonderful sweeping synths and lovely piano work from Eddie Rayner. I saw them live in London back in 81 & it was one of the top 5 live concerts I ever saw in my life. These guys could deliver and this album is their opus. Time & Tide coming in 2nd I'd say. To end with, if you want to feel good this disc/cd makes a great pick-me-up!