pierre Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 I would say that this is my favourite band from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s. They started off with 2 big American hits (Something So Strong and Don't Dream It's Over), but then pretty much fell off the American radar for their last three albums. They sustained a larger audience in Canada, but (other than the Antipodean market) found later success in Europe (especially the U.K.). Many fans consider their first album to be their weakest.Perhaps I haven't looked around enough, but I haven't seen this band mentioned very much on this site. I thought they would be, given the parallels with the Raspberries. In addition to the "diminishing U.S. returns", the band's compositions were very melodic and reminiscent of McCartney's compositional style. Do they deserve more recognition? Later songs such as "It's Only Natural", "Nails in My Feet" and (especially) "Distant Sun" are wonderful pop masterpieces that easily outshine "Something So Strong" and "Don't Dream It's Over". And their "difficult" second album had great songs like "Into Temptation" and "Better Be Home Soon".Were they blacklisted because of their anti-American "Chocolate Cake"?I could go on, and I usually do. But I will pause here to see if anybody has something to add. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvin Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 Pierre what part of Canada are you from? No doubt that Crowded House had greater success in Canada, as did their previous incarnation, Split Enz.Marv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamacote Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 .....another great band.....another tragic story.......add them to the list................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierre Posted April 18, 2006 Author Share Posted April 18, 2006 Marvin,My home is almost equidistant from Toronto, Montreal *and* Ottawa. Can you figure it out without looking at a map? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew C. Clark Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 "Everywhere you go, always take the weather with you"! "Weather With You" (from the 1991 CD "Woodface"). I always hear that song when I'm working at Elder-Beerman. Great song! Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kiwi Connection Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 Finally I can say, "I remember seeing them in the clubs around Auckland in the early days."(Split Endz that is)I usually feel very left out when you guys say ,I saw this band or that band play somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachie Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 I like their music. It was sad to hear about the drummer killing himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierre Posted April 18, 2006 Author Share Posted April 18, 2006 It's good to hear that there are other CH fans around. And even one from New Zealand!Kiwi, were they always such a good live band? I saw them in Toronto in 1994, and they were brilliant. Sadly, their drummer (Paul Hester) had just left the band and they were performing with "Andy from Cleveland" on drums. Woodface is sometimes trotted out as one of the Best Albums of the 1990s (or whatever) by the British music press. Hard to argue with that - Side 1 in particular sounds like a greatest hits collection. Yet it is so easy to find in used CD shops. Wonder why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvin Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 Pierre, I'm guessing Trenton, Ont.Marv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angloberry Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 Great band, great melodies, great songs. Very popular in the UK. Also had a superb bass player too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kiwi Connection Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 Kia ora Pierre,Way Back when, in the mid 70's, that I was seeing them around the clubs in Auckland, they were still learning their craft,but they certainly stood out from most of the local bands of the day. Maybe it was the hair styles and make up!!!!!.Their music style was a bit off the wall for me, but I still appreciated their talant, and still do. I prefer the music that Tim and Neil Finn are producing today.(more mellow) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierre Posted April 19, 2006 Author Share Posted April 19, 2006 Kiwi: Yes, I found the Split Enz material rather jittery...Crowded House was more my speed, although some Split Enz singles were really good - "I Got You", etc. I also like Neil's solo effort "She Will Have Her Way" - it's like the Beatles' "Rain" with more of a tune.Marvin - close, Trenton is within an hour. Angloberry - yes, their bass player was great, and he was a decent artist as well. What's he doing these days? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trindy Posted May 6, 2006 Share Posted May 6, 2006 Man, I LOVED Crowded House. They absolutely deserved better. I didn't think "Chocolate Cake" was particularly anti-American either--was it a poke at American pop culture? Yes. Not particularly anti-American, though.I was lucky enough to see them in concert in London, Ontario with a Canadian friend many years ago. Excellent concert and their sense of humor shone through too, not just their musicianship, which I also appreciated a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierre Posted May 6, 2006 Author Share Posted May 6, 2006 They played London, Ontario? I would have loved to have seen that, as it undoubtedly would have been a more intimate venue than in Toronto. I agree that Chocolate Cake was more a comment on pop culture than anti-American, but I bet that a lot of music directors heard that certain line from that song and yanked it from the fabled A-slot. For those who are unfamiliar with the song, the line in question was quite clearly enunicated and stated that "the excess of fat on your American bones will cushion the impact as you sink like a stone." Not exactly "I want to hold your hand"!If any fans haven't seen it, I recommend the video collection "Dreaming"...20 or so videos, including absolutely beautiful ones for "Distant Sun" and "Nails in my Feet". Great use of colour. I was less impressed with the Neil Finn & Friends concert in New Zealand DVD. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I thought it lacked energy in a lot of the performances (but Neil's son's band sure put a lot into their turn). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Posted May 6, 2006 Share Posted May 6, 2006 "Something So strong" was a great song! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raspberrywine Posted May 10, 2006 Share Posted May 10, 2006 Crowded House was solid, some great stuff. Cant speak to their latter albums though. Saw the Split Enz in Detroit many years ago but I thought they were inconsistent, that is to say functioned on two disparate themes musically; very poppy stuff (I got you) and sorta Psychadelic Furs-ishramblings. Prefered Crowded House. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierre Posted May 11, 2006 Author Share Posted May 11, 2006 I thought the Crowded House albums improved each time around (except the new songs that came out with their "best of" - they sounded bored by then, or perhaps they knew that the gig was over). Their first album had an "immediate" appeal (especially "Mean to Me", despite its dark lyric), but their last real album (Together Alone) was much more of a grower. I must admit that I didn't go for the make-up and exaggerated mannerisms of Split Enz. But maybe I'm missing something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trindy Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 Yes, I saw Crowded House on the University of Western Ontario campus. Definitely a cool show. And the line about "the excess of fat on your American bones" always seemed to me like they were taking a poke at what they saw as the goofy side of American culture. Yes, they were poking at it from the outside, but it can as easily be poked at from the inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzza Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 I don't know whether you are aware of it but Split Endz is reuniting for a tour of Australia next month. It is basically the True Colours lineup of Tim and Neil Finn, Eddie Raynor, Noel Crombie, Nigel Griggs and Malcolm Green. They did get together last year to perform at their induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame and prior to that a one off for the millenium celebrations on New Years Eve here in New Zealand.If you want to catch up on what is happening go to the Finn Brothers website or to frenz.com. It also has a forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prettymom777 Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 BUMP ALERT. My best guess is near Quinte West. I was too busy going back to high school at 30, getting pregnant four times to hear that music. As far as I was concerned, sixties and seventies music made my kids healthier and smarter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prettymom777 Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 Just listened to them. Rated them at six out of ten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew C. Clark Posted January 20, 2017 Share Posted January 20, 2017 Tim Finn did a song called "Hit The Ground Running" in 1991 when the chorus goes "where has he gone, where has he gone". Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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