[Old Pa]

This is a great, song oriented band. As far as my area of release (USA), stayed together for four albums all of which are classics and keepers. Undeniably pop, but with GUITARS and instrumentation. "Woodface" would be a good starting place, but "Temple of Low Men" is, IMHO, the jewel.

Return to them time and time again. Listen to each one end to end.

 

[Heyyoudvd]

Don't Dream It's Over is a great song.

World Where You Live and Fall At Your Feet a pretty good as well.
I don't know much else by them, though.

 

[Ptrick]

Hi Old Pa,

Make sure to check out Split Endz, which is basically the group before they became Crowded House. Neil Finn is a fantastic songwriter and they have a great fanbase in Australia and NZ. He's released a couple of solo albums after Crowded House broke up, and if I remember correctly, one of the latest ones had collaborations with many other musicians including Eddie Vedder. I have to check up on this.. but you could perhaps check out One Nil, his first solo album.

 

[markl]

I like 'em, too.

Actually, Try Whistling This is Neil's first solo album (it's pretty good), saw him live when he toured it. Woodface is CH's most consistent album, IMO, lots of great songs. The Very Best Of has 19 tracks, pretty well selected, great place to start for the novice.

 

[Ptrick]

Thanks markl,

My mistake!

 

[Old Pa]

The 2004 Finn Brothers' release of "Everyone is Here" showed up at the end of last week. Two listens through show it to be more along the lines of Crowded House than those of Split Enz. Lovely sound and recording for a redbook CD. It's been very good to hear new Neil and Tim, albeit with more dark tones and moods. I'm pretty sure this is a keeper that grows on you. Recommended.

 

[markl]

I actually have the new one on order, should be here next week. Got the first Finn Brothers CD from '95, it's pretty good, but no Woodface. Everyone Is Here is supposed to be better, looking forward to it.

 

[markl]

Wow, "Everyone Is Here" is just great, so much better than the self-titled 1995 CD. Way recommended!

 

[Old Pa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by markl Wow, "Everyone Is Here" is just great, so much better than the self-titled 1995 CD. Way recommended!

Doesn't happen every time, but when it does it's good!

 

[Davie]

I've got just about everything Tim & Neil have recorded, though haven't picked up the new one yet. There are some lovely, melodic tunes by each of the brothers Finn on the early 1980s Split Enz albums (True Colors, Waiata, Time and Tide). The 1970s stuff is more art rock in style -- the band was actually discovered by Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music, if I recall -- but very creative, comic, carnavalesque. Different from the later CH and Finn Brothers stuff, but just as good. Phil Judd, who did a lot of the song writing in the early days, released some good music as leader of the bands the Swingers and Schnell Fenster.

 

[Davie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Pa This is a great, song oriented band. As far as my area of release (USA), stayed together for four albums all of which are classics and keepers. Undeniably pop, but with GUITARS and instrumentation.

They also had a great rhythm attack -- one of the things that set them apart from the earlier Split Enz stuff.

 

[Jahn]

one of the most haunting and real tracks i have (sadly ripped in a crappy mp3 i found on P2P) is Neil Finn singing "There is a light that never goes out" by the Smiths live. And Johnny Marr is playing backup guitar. Awesome.

I liked "Something so Strong" and "Dont Dream it's over" alot in the 80's, and even learned Don't Dream It's over on guitar - it's an odd strum. Sixpence none the richer did an ok cover of it lately, but for the most part it's safer to stick to the original.

 

[aki]

Coming into this thread late, but I must recommend "Together Alone" - Crowded House's last studio album.

It is arguably their best album - they pretty much locked themselves away in an isolated part of New Zealand, and built a studio inside a beach house, and experimented alot (log drums, maori choirs, chaotic lead guitars). It is without a doubt, their most atmospheric, exotic, and moody record, and Jahn - if you like Neil singing "There Is A Light...", you should love this record.

It seems to be a bit of a lost / underrated record in the States... its much loved in the UK and Australia.

Oh, and the other thing with Crowded House - they were an awesome live band. I dont think any of the studio recordings ever captured their live essence.

 

[hciman77]

The import version of "recurring dream" includes a bonus Cd of live performances including a very brilliant "Hole in the river" and generally petty well recorded for live cuts.

 

[Old Pa]

Big day yesterday at Casa de Old Pa with the arrival of Recurring Dream and Afterglow. CH fans, get your wallets out.

Recurring Dream: The Very Best of Crowded House (1996): (non-import) is a CD/DVD set of hits, two unreleased cuts, and all (I believe) of the CH music videos. The compilation of hits sounds remastered (to me) with even higher production quality. Not The Girl You Think You Are and Everything Is Good For You are two excellent and previously not released songs (and videos) well worth the price of admission. While not being a big fan of music videos (it's the music, stupid

), I found the CH music videos fairly tolerable as their tastes in video expression center around the band and the music. Some were delightfully weird and some just reminded me of the 80s (now happily gone).

Afterglow (1999): As the liner notes expound, CH never recorded all their songs. This collection, with the exception of a very nice retake on Private Universe, is all strays and orphans, soundtrack cuts and "compressions". These are the songs the hard core fans called for at concert, and the live cuts and videos showed why CH was so popular as a live act. While all are keepers, the production quality and mastering on several is not up to CH's usual high standards.

That's the short of it: three hours of CH music and videos that delight and roll back the years. Both are highly recommended.