Split Enz

...get better with every album of their I have heard. I had sort of written off the pre-Neil Finn version of the band based on Phil Judd's fall from grace, but I'm enjoying Dizrhythmia very much. My wife says its Island-era Sparks meets Roxy Music.

And I've been a fan of True Colours and Time & Tide for ages. I can't get into Crowded House as they don't have the same mischief that runs through the Enz stuff. Or do they? Or do any other offshoot of the band?

So, any fans of NZ's greatest non-sporting sons? What else is worth picking up?

P.S. There is an old Enz thread here, but its closed. Split Enz - Mental Notes - not what I expected »

 

I've really got try and get into Enz again. I'm the opposite - I love Crowded House but struggle a bit with Split Enz.

 

I was blown away by True Colours and didn't think it could get better than that. It sure did for me with Time and Tide that became one of my favorite albums. Sadly, I don't recall it causing much of a ripple in the states. I hope I'm remembering wrong.

And I must say, I loved the laser etching on True Colours and its single.

 

I could have written this post. I remember a few videos hitting MTV but no not many in my High School hallways were into them. I remember lending out my True Colours LP and having a heck of a time getting it back.

 

I have those 2 albums (True Colors & Time & Tide), been meaning to get more of there stuff (Years ago I had Conflicting Emotions as well). I always enjoyed them, especially Time & Tide, Dirty Creature was kind of a hit in the US, at least on KROQ in LA anyway, got played many times, along with I Got You from True Colors. I remember hearing 6 Months on a Leaky Boat a lot on the radio as well.

 

Did like true colours myself,one by the finn brothers called finn i quite liked bit of a demo quality to show off the bass of your hi fi system .

 

Great band, love their weirdness. As recommended on the other thread you need to listen to the Enzology podcast series which is excellent and very detailed. Still find it weird they were based in the UK in the mid/late 70's near to where i live now in Hertfordshire.

Enzology - Radio New Zealand's story of Split Enz - Enzology »

I don't own all the individual albums, i own the Spellbound 2cd compilation which i bought in Australia in late 90's. Very good.

 

As much I love "True Colors" this one (Waiata) for me is a notch above.



Rick A.

 

Not sure if this is what you meant, but Dizrhythmia isn't really pre-Neil Finn... It was his first album with the band, although only as a guitarist not as a singer-songwriter. And Phil Judd isn't on it.

 

...yup, that was my mistake (pun intended).

So, Phil Judd was only on the original and international Mental Notes/Second Thoughts albums?

 

Agreed. The first four tracks are great!

For me one of the most memorable LPs of 1981 along with Duran Duran and Talk Talk Talk.

 

There's an album (since canonized) called The Beginning of the Enz that has pre-Mental Notes material, and it's very Judd heavy.

 

Thank you! My favorite Split Enz album! One of the best bands of the eighties by far. The songwriting craft, the eargasmic melodies, and incredible musicianship are all first class.

 

For those that don't already know, this album was called Corroboree in Australia.

 

QUOTE="John Buchanan, post: 14889716, member: 15"]For those that don't already know, this album was called Corroboree in Australia.[/QUOTE]


You are so right John, I rebought this album when I discovered it as an import. And it did have improved sound. Glad to see many love this record as I.
Geez, I may need to pull this out for tonight's listening.

Rick A.

 

If you are looking to explore Split Enz offshoots, you might try the double-CD compilation called Other Enz-Split Enz & Beyond (41 choice tracks from offshoots, alumni & affiliates 1978-1996). Surprised to find a couple reasonably priced copies on eBay right now ($20-ish).

It has a choice track by Tim Finn from his work with Phil Manzanera plus lots of other Phil/Tim/Neil goodness, not to mention a number of other offshoots, many of which isn't readily available otherwise.

 

Excellent, I have that as well. SJP is right, great way to explore so many avenues this band has offered. Great mention SJP!

Rick A.

 

I like True Colours. Good album.

 

Phil Judd's two subsequent bands are well worth checking out. The Swingers were an awesome power pop / punk band. They only released one album, and a fair whack of their best stuff isn't on it, unfortunately. They're long overdue for a comprehensive compilation: I think everything they ever released would fit onto a single CD.

Then, in the late 80s, he formed Schnell Fenster, which is basically a parallel universe Split Enz: what if Phil Judd had carried on with the band instead of Tim Finn? It's where the non-Crowded House half of the band (Noel Crombie, Nigel Griggs) relocated after the split, and their 1988 debut The Sound of Trees is a great pop album, a weirder True Colours or Waiata. The follow-up is less so, but has a couple of decent tracks.

 

and their best song, Sweet Dreams, an astonishing mini-opera:

 

I've often thought about checking out their catalog. When Mtv first came out, they would play them quite a bit. I was quite young (5 or 6), and yet those tunes have stuck with me, so they must be pretty good. I even remember that they had a big premier for "Six Months In A Leaky Boat"; I really liked "I Got You," "History Never Repeats", "One Step Ahead" (that one seemed kinda spooky!). Maybe I'll look around on Youtube.

 

I love these two live clips from the US 80's tv show "Fridays"

 

Looks like a must have

 

Eddie Rayner is one of my absolute favorite keyboardists from this era - what a musician! His work on these two videos is just fantastic.