tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post8021930215889704488..comments2024-03-29T05:12:58.694-07:00Comments on Burning Wood: She Will Have Her WayUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-37457979643211288532016-09-26T05:44:59.500-07:002016-09-26T05:44:59.500-07:00It was after picking up an Italian bootleg of a Cr...It was after picking up an Italian bootleg of a Crowded House concert that I found myself delving into the Finns' music, both solo & band stuff. I finally saw what friends of mine had been blathering on about for years. Some clever arrangements, a sense of humour and, yes, some tunes you can whistle along with.dogbreathnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-57289185115042183392016-09-22T10:18:34.973-07:002016-09-22T10:18:34.973-07:00Love, love, love this song, and the title track. R...Love, love, love this song, and the title track. Rest of the album always left me cold.wardohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-74405132419112115202016-09-21T21:14:10.578-07:002016-09-21T21:14:10.578-07:00Can't remember the first day i know i was 12 t...Can't remember the first day i know i was 12 the song was don't dream it's over.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-72920030535153048682016-09-21T18:42:25.450-07:002016-09-21T18:42:25.450-07:00I have been a huge fan of all that is Neil Finn si...I have been a huge fan of all that is Neil Finn since I was five years old,one of the very best of the very bestAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-13509930663881198602016-09-21T15:02:22.138-07:002016-09-21T15:02:22.138-07:00Sal:
I have liked Neil Finn since I got the first...Sal:<br /><br />I have liked Neil Finn since I got the first Crowded House record. I have a good bunch of his solo works but my collecting tailed off the last decade or so. I haven't heard the "Dizzy" album at all.<br /><br />I think the "tailing off" of interest can happen with a lot of artists past their glory days. You don't (or can't) keep up and then miss out on what they are still doing -- usually solid and underrated stuff.<br /><br />For me this has happened with other artists of late: Freedy Johnston, Steve Forbert, Ron Sexsmith (mentioned earlier), but also people like Bruce Cockburn, John Hiatt, and Paul Weller, to name a few. <br /><br />Thankfully, there's time to rediscover what I've always liked about them.<br /><br />Cheers,<br />Michael D.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-58040791154215363852016-09-21T11:24:51.764-07:002016-09-21T11:24:51.764-07:00Yes @jonSpringer nails it.
I have not cared from ...Yes @jonSpringer nails it.<br /><br />I have not cared from 90% of the rebooted CH albums (Time on Earth, Intriguer). But most of Neil's solo work has been top notch. <br /><br />As I perform his songs on guitar, I have observed a few things. The music is fantastic, but his lyrics are always a little obtuse - not direct. Almost every line makes you say "what does he mean??" Neil has said as much. Not sure if that is a complaint, but I wonder why Neil prefers to write that way.<br /><br />But as I perform and share some of the more obscure CH and Finn songs, I almost always get someone asking with big eyes, "Who wrote that?!" IMHO, Neil Finn will be a songwriter that folks will still be referencing 50 years from now. Ken J Xenozarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16024446764828171613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-62570134915831525102016-09-21T11:19:37.494-07:002016-09-21T11:19:37.494-07:00Neil is one my very favorite singers so I enjoy mo...Neil is one my very favorite singers so I enjoy most of what he puts out. One problem I have and it is not isolated to him but his songs are too long for me. I think it diminishes the impact of a song when it is stretched out. He has gotten more guilty of this in recent years and for me his albums have lacked making a strong impact. They're good (most of the songs fall into the category for me) but not memorable.ken49https://www.blogger.com/profile/08305448162994008399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-25021845807615910842016-09-21T08:14:35.579-07:002016-09-21T08:14:35.579-07:00@Jon Springer
I couldn't have said it better m...@Jon Springer<br />I couldn't have said it better myself. And I didn't!Sal Nunziatohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09221629293545204260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-69734637486134310572016-09-21T08:14:16.394-07:002016-09-21T08:14:16.394-07:00I'll admit that the Finns' particular type...I'll admit that the Finns' particular type of pop craft has not bowled me over, other than the hits. I think of them as similar to Ron Sexsmith - someone who is definitely talented and admirable, who I'll listen to if it's right in front of me, has the occasional knockout song, but I couldn't tell you how many albums he's released in the last five years.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-77173210710562527782016-09-21T07:36:26.901-07:002016-09-21T07:36:26.901-07:00I've become big latter-day fan of Neil and Cro...I've become big latter-day fan of Neil and Crowded House thanks in part to being reminded of them here. The problem with Crowded House getting the attention it deserved over the years ... <br /><br />* Their first hit "Don't Dream.." was so gigantic, such an all-time classic, that it set expectations that were hard to surpass among the listening public.<br /><br />* This was compounded by the second album, Temple of Low Men, being probably their worst, relatively speaking. <br /><br />* Bringing Tim Finn back in as a member for Woodface then blurred their identity -- were they a distinct entity from Split Enz as conceived or not? That's a gorgeous album but more of a Finn Brothers outing than a CH record. I was only a casual listener then and would have been challenged to even distinguish which Finn was supposed to be the leader then. Tim Finn then left as soon as he arrived.<br /><br />* They were a trio, but often performed as a foursome (with the Split Enz keyboardist and/or Froom or Mark Hart) or quintet (with Tim and those guys) but also would do the acoustic-trio busking thing. I don't think anyone could have told you how many people were in the band.<br /><br />* They were plowed under by the alternative/grunge movement like everyone else in the 90s.<br /><br />* They made a curious decision to push the snotty, un-CH-like "Chocolate Cake" as a lead single off Woodface when there were a half-dozen more representative and better choices to be hits IMO.<br /><br />* Drummer Paul Hester quit then killed himself. He was an important figure in the band's identity and a very good singer with Neil.<br /><br />* I dunno if I'd describe the production of the early albums as too slick, more like "too fussy." It did not have a lot of the typical showy 80s characteristics but it was kind of sterile and made them sound probably too gentle to be considered serious rockers.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Jon Springerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08710796221469999018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-37012029716038474732016-09-21T06:59:04.586-07:002016-09-21T06:59:04.586-07:00"Try Whistling This" really got me. &quo..."Try Whistling This" really got me. "Dizzy Heights" has been in my phone and on the playlist since it came out.<br /><br />I bought Split Enz first Phil Manzanera produced album as an import, and it is still a favorite. Neil replaced crazy Phil Judd, and they got more mainstream, and I liked them less.<br /> <br />I admit never really hearing Crowded House, although I have one of their cd's. I found the production off-putting so I only played it once. I'll have to give it another chance.<br /><br />A lot of cool quirky music came out of New Zealand. buzzbabyjesushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09375127662096374324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-28715941364612251092016-09-21T06:13:27.095-07:002016-09-21T06:13:27.095-07:00@Randy
I can't disagree about the production o...@Randy<br />I can't disagree about the production on the CH records, especially the first two. It was the 80s. But I recommended "Together Alone" for that reason, plus I think most had forgotten at the point and may have missed it. Sal Nunziatohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09221629293545204260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357001616333664522.post-30689423300861557092016-09-21T05:56:21.718-07:002016-09-21T05:56:21.718-07:00Never been a big Crowded House fan, maybe the prod...Never been a big Crowded House fan, maybe the productions a bit too slick, I don't know, there's something there that keeps me away. I've always been more of a Squeeze fan though they have been guilty of the same production issues (better songs though IMHO). I've always been a fan of Neil's solo stuff, especially Try Whistling This. Hell, even the wife likes it! RandyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com