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Crowded House - Time On Earth
ATO Records
I have to tell you, one of my favorite moments ever
at my mailbox was opening the long yellow business envelope and
finding this CD inside. I mean, thanks to being fairly respected
at what I do, I often go to my mailbox at the end of my driveway
only to find it literally bursting with envelopes containing CDs
from unknown bands and legends alike. It's like Christmas every
fucking day! Many times this year I have been excited at what I
have found betwixt the manilla but nothing has matched the pure
joy of having this CD in my hands. Once inside my house, I
literally threw everything else onto the kitchen table and raced
to the CD player in my office and stuck this little shiny disc
inside. Upon hearing the first note Neil Finn sings I was
transported back in time to all those great Crowded House albums
of the 80's and '90's.
First formed in Austrailia after Finn had spent time
in brother Tim's band Split Enz, Crowded House scored two
monster hits right out of the gate from their self-titled debut
album. Those songs "Don't Dream It's Over" and "Something So
Strong" were huge radio staples back in the mid-80's. The band
released several albums after, all fine (especially my fave
Crowded House album Woodface with Tim Finn having joined the
band for the album and helping with the great songs "Chocolate
Cake" and "Weather With You"), but scoring no further hits and
the sales numbers waning with each release. After the band's
final album Together Alone, the title of which originating with
an idea of Neil's where he felt Crowded House's early fans
thought the band broke up after scoring their two hits leaving
them "together, but alone", Neil Finn began his solo career with
which he has had only fair success. After original drummer Paul
Hester's death by suicide in 2004, Finn decided to give the band
another go, in part to give a tribute to his late bandmate.
Instead of just touring with no album to promote, Finn took the
tracks he had begun for another solo release and integrated the
rest of the band into the process, hiring a drummer to replace
Hester about halfway through the recordings.
Thus, a new Crowded House album and tour.
Forget all you ever thought about a band reuniting
(sometimes just for the money) and putting out a reunion album.
This set of songs sounds like the band never left. Picking up
right after Together Alone, the band fills this album with the
same upbeat, creatively arranged pop they have always been known
for. Not that this album is a mere retread. It just sounds like
a great pop album Crowded House would make if they were still
making great pop albums. The best part is, with the release of
this album, they ARE making great pop albums again. My favorite
song on the album (and a virtual hit if only radio wasn't so
fucking shitty) is the third song on the disc, "She Called Up".
It's great mid-tempo pop like their hits from the mid-'80s yet
sounds completely different in terms of production so you don't
feel like you're listening to some '80's copy band. In fact, if
I would change anything on this CD, I would change the
production a little. While all the songs are catchy and
top-notch, the production seems subdued and I personally would
have added some brightness and sparkle to the sound, if that
makes sense. Still, this album is all killer and to change any
of it would be messing with something that doesn't really need
to be messed with, in my opinion.
Oh man, Crowded House fans are going to love this
one. Not just the fact it stands solidly up against their other
discs but also because the band is making a renewed attempt to
leave it's mark on the music scene. It's rare a band can come
back after so many years away and still perform at a top notch
level. This year, with reformations of The Police and The
Stooges as just two examples, we are seeing a lot of acts try to
make themselves relevant again and prove they are still
contenders for your hard-earned dollars. Feel confident in
dropping filthy lucre on anything Crowded House does. After
hearing this album and checking out the band's performance on
the Live Earth telecasts, I can see the band being able to call
it's own shots as long as its' members want to keep going. While
it may be too late for radio scum to hop on the bandwagon due to
the ageism prevalent in the medium, great albums are great
albums, whether you hear them on the radio or not. And this is a
great album. Pick it up. - Scott Homewood
www.crowdedhouse.com
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