Neil Finn

[Library Jon]

Any Neil Finn fans here? I see that he is doing a solo spring US tour and will be, more specifically, playing the Keswick Theatre here in the Philadelphia area during April 2014. I was considering attending that show. I once owned "The Best of Split Enz" and the first two Crowded House albums on cassette back in the 80s and then kind of forgot about him. Has anyone ever seen him live? Any stories to tell? Can anyone recommend CDs to try? Any CDs to stay away from? Should I go or not? Thanks in advance.


Library Jon

[ForeverAutumn]

I have Try Whisling This and 7 Worlds Collide. Both are excellent. I've never seen Neil live solo, but I've seen Crowded House a few times and he's a good entertainer.

[SteveSly]

I always dug Crowded House. Their debut album was a great little pop masterpiece and some of their other stuff was very good too. Never seen him live though.

Steve Sly

[Progbear]

From the Neil era of Split Enz I have Dizrhythmia, True Colours and Corroboree. From CH, I have the first, Temple of Low Men and Woodface. I like all of them to various degrees. I think TOLM is CH’s best album, but the other two are very worthy, too (Woodface is notable for reuniting both Finn brothers).

[Rickenbacker]

I love one he wrote called "Pour Le Monde". I really thought it was a lost John Lennon track.

[Library Jon]

So, could someone rank which Neil Finn related CDs to buy first? I really don't know anything about the Split Enz albums at all.

Library Jon

[Progbear]

So, could someone rank which Neil Finn related CDs to buy first? I really don't know anything about the Split Enz albums at all.

I’d go with True Colours first, an excellent set of songs I never get tired of. Dizrythmia is them transitioning out of their early phase, sort of early Genesis meets Sparks with some Stackridge thrown in (the tortured Peter Hammill-style theatrics left with Phil Judd, you won’t find any of that here). If you like TC, Corroboree is a logical next choice; not as consistently fine but with many worthy songs.

As previously stated, Temple of Low Men is my favourite CH album but they are all good (do note: I have not heard Together Alone and can’t comment on it). TOLM is a nice mix of upbeat numbers (“Sister Madly”) and moodier, more introspective material (“Into Temptation”). The best thing about CH is though, they started out in the late 80s, they suffered little of that awful mid-late 80s production (“That’s What I Call Love” off of the debut is the only song of theirs that really screams “80s”).

[Gruno]

Always a classic!

This is my favorite version:

[No Pride]

Woodface

I think my ex-wife turned me on to that album (she was not-in-a
-good-way crazy, but she had very good taste in music). This is a lovely tune:

[Yodelgoat]

I really like Neil Finn in Crowded House, I havent been that crazy about his work that I have heard beyond that. A bandmate was a huge Split Enz guy, and it just never struck anything in me. I'd be interested in hearing what he's been up to lately.

[3LockBox]

I saw them in a club in Vancouver BC just after they hit it big with their lead-off single Don't Dream It's Over from their debut. They were a great live band (saw pacific-northwest mainstays Chilliwack and Rail in the same club around the same time).

[Library Jon]

What is to be said about Neil Finn's brother Tim? What is worth trying with his discography?

Library Jon

[Progbear]

General consensus is that Tim’s solo stuff is considerably lesser to his band work, but I can tentatively recommend Before & After, if only because its lead-off track, “Hit the Ground Running,” is an utter classic.

[jkelman]

Any Neil Finn fans here? I see that he is doing a solo spring US tour and will be, more specifically, playing the Keswick Theatre here in the Philadelphia area during April 2014. I was considering attending that show. I once owned "The Best of Split Enz" and the first two Crowded House albums on cassette back in the 80s and then kind of forgot about him. Has anyone ever seen him live? Any stories to tell? Can anyone recommend CDs to try? Any CDs to stay away from? Should I go or not? Thanks in advance.


Library Jon

As below, Try Whistling This and, from the Finn Brothers, Everyone is Here. From Crowded House, while I adore every record up to the mid-'90s split, I'm especially partial to Woodface and Together Alone. Or, if you can find the limited two-disc version of Recurring Dream -two CDs: one, a strong best of set ( not just hits); the other, a great live recording (better, IMO, than Farewell World, released a few years later).

I would go. He's a great performer live in any context, and a relaxed, chatty and witty storyteller.

[Library Jon]

I did wind up seeing Neil Finn perform at the Keswick Theatre in Philadelphia, many months ago, but I am sorry that I never got around to posting my thoughts on the night. Neil was great. He did a nice mix of Crowded House, Split Enz, Finn Brothers, and solo material. It was an over two hour show. He played a good chunk of the new CD called "Dizzy Heights". It was neat when he basically played any rare tracks that people in the front row shouted out during the encore. The setlist was different that the other nights, too. I really enjoyed myself and plan to see him again. I am even considering buying the Australian import version of the new CD because it has an extra track. Maybe, PE members that live in Australia could let me know how that bonus track is?


Library Jon

[ForeverAutumn]

Jon, did you like the new CD? I've spun it about a dozen times really wanting to like it, but I just don't.

[Library Jon]

It did take me a few listens to like the new Neil Finn CD. It is not him at his best, but still okay for an occasional spin.


Library Jon

[bob_32_116]

I think Woodface is the best of the early Crowded House albums, but i recently heard Intriguer and thought it was possibly even better.

I must admit my opinions are partially coloured by the fact that I cannot stand that song "Better Be Home Soon", which was their biggest hit single. Also, much as I admire Finn as a songwriter, there are a couple of songs that border on (probably unintentional) plagiarism: "When You Come" seems to owe an awful lot to U2's "A Kind of Homecoming", and "Private Universe" is VERY similar to New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle".

I'm very impressed with Neil Finn's latest album, Dizzy Heights.

[thedunno]

My wife is a big Crowded House/ Neil Fnn fan and I saw him play live in Amsterdam a couple of weeks ago.

What can you expect: A lot from his latest album and for the rest he plays songs that span his whole carreer. He played relatively few crowded House songs but he did play a couiple of Split Endz tunes. NOT the standard selection of greatest hits.

After seeing him you have to admit that the guy simply loves playing live. He had a 'cerfew' in the theatre he was playing of 11 o'clock but eventually he played for nearly 3 hours and stopped at 11:45. I think the theatre crew threatened to throw him of stage.

I'd say do not think twice and just GO. I certainly did not regret going along with the wife ;-)

His latest album is pretty ok btw. After all this years he is trying something different and that earnes some respect.

[Dan Roth]

Neil has a new CD out - Out of Silence.

[ForeverAutumn]

Ah, this may explain an unknown-to-me Neil Finn song being played on Sirius this week.

Thanks for the heads-up! I'm heading over to Amazon right now.

[Library Jon]

I started this thread so long ago that I now own all of Neil Finn's solo albums as well as the deluxe versions of all the Crowded House albums. I have about half of the Split Enz albums, too. I like, don't love the new album. Can someone post if they see an announcement regarding a US tour?

Library Jon

[Dan Roth]

New Crowded House album coming with a new lineup: Neil Finn, Nick Seymour, Liam Finn, Elroy Finn, Mitchell Froom.

[moecurlythanu]

^ Thanks for posting. They were always a band that I felt like I should get on with, but they always fell short. This sounds like something I can get into. The 2nd video is hilarious.

[Scrotum Scissor]

^ Moe, are you not acquainted with the early 2-3 records of Split Enz? Some of the very best bonafide progressive rock from down under, if you ask me.

The first two Crowdeds are fabulous as well, but have little "prog" about them. Obviously.