Stranger than Fiction, Larger Than Life: the Finn Brothers song-by-song discussion thread

"Hole In The River" is a fantastic song that, perhaps more than any other on Crowded House, illustrated the emotional and lyrical depth of this new band - depth that would eventually be realized to a greater degree on their second album. The darkness and despair in the tale told by the lyrics is evident from the very beginning as the music fades in. It all works so perfectly to conjure an atmosphere of foreboding and impending doom. The sad story, as most know, is a true one and apparently no other members of the extended Finn family even knew that Neil was writing a song about his aunt's suicide until it appeared. The lyrics are beautiful. The "mountains and plains" line always gets me for some reason. For a long time I found the wild instrumental breaks with the horns to be incongruous and something that weakened the power of the song. I no longer feel that way - I now see them as a sort of Irish wake break or like a New Orleans jazz funeral in the way they provide much needed emotional release from the unremitting solemnity of the remainder of the song. I particularly love the haunting background vocals that float in and out like ghosts on the later verses. In contrast to several others, I don't hear anything of Split Enz on this song (or, really, anywhere on this album). This strikes me as a wholly original sort of song that only Crowded House could do.

We've already discussed the demo version of this song (a bonus track on the deluxe edition reissue of Crowded House), and it's indeed remarkable how improved the album version is compared to the demo. I've always found this to be a song that is even better in live performance than on the album. The extended jamming adds power to the song, particularly in many later live versions that incorporate the traditional Irish folk song "The Parting Glass" to the coda (although I do agree with PaulH's point about it becoming almost an expected arrangement). There's a very good version on the b-side of the "It's Only Natural" single from London on 11-9-91, also a good one from Cambridge, UK on 3-6-92 on the b-side of the UK "It's Only Natural" single, and another good one from Newcastle, Australia on 3-20-92 that was included on the bonus live disc with Recurring Dream: The Very Best of Crowded House. I also like the 8-22-10 San Diego version included on North America Travelogue 2010.

4.9/5

 

I love this info. I have all of these but one! Plus one at the Trocadero. The one on 11-9-91 I suppose is the US B-side? And it is just the Town & Country version, right? (My version of T&C says 9-11-91 but it's probably the same date. with the date first, Rest-of-the-World style.

 

It was one of the b-sides of the AUS/NZ singles. The UK single got a different live version (the one from Cambridge). Yes, it's the same as the version on the Town & Country UK promo.

 

Our votes for "Hole In the River"

1-0
2-0
3-1
4-4
5-8
Average: 4.4769

 

Today's song is "Can't Carry On", written by Neil Finn and produced by Eddie Rayner.

Spotify: Can't Carry On

"Can't Carry On" was released as a B-side; and it was released as a bonus track on the CD version of the album and in some territories (Australia? UK? ) it was released on vinyl and cassette versions of the album.

An earlier "demo" version was released in 2016 on the Crowded House deluxe version.

Unusually, Eddie Rayner contributes keyboards to the song and the bass line was written/arranged by Bones Hillman , though Nick Seymour plays it, if I'm not mistaken. At one point Neil (and Paul) was considering Hillman as the bassist, but eventually decided on Nick because Hillman's style was too close to Nigel Grigg's, Nick's funky style was different to Neil's taste, which Neil thought would make it interesting and Sharon liked Nick.

According to Dave Dobbyn in Something So Strong, Neil began developing and rehearsing this song during the Party Boys tour in 1985, along with "Mean To Me."

Elements of the song appeard on the Split Enz demo "Your Inspiration" which was developed into "I Walk Away."

 

Studio demo:

Spotify: Can't Carry On - Studio Demo

 

Well, to get this out of the way, I think this track sticks out like a sore thumb on the album, and personally, I put it on my Mullanes playlist.

The production is noticeably different: competent but lacking the organic warmth that Mitchell Froom's productions on this album -- more like the songs on See Ya 'Round, as you'd expect.

The bass-line is Nigel Griggs-like and doesn't feel like Nick Seymour at all and the drumming sees Paul back in the Ricky Fataar mode he had been in on the other Mullane songs and on See Ya 'Round, rather than the rockin' Ringo-esque style of the debut album. The introductory keyboard part is very similar to "I Walk Away" by Split Enz, too. In my opinion it really breaks the momentum of the album.

Having said that, it's a fine song, nevertheless. I can well imagine that Neil took the despair and anxiety and loneliness that he was feeling at the time of the Party Boys tour, in which he had basically gone from a minor star to playing in a cover band that "started out partying and kept going" and channeled it into this song about a man who’s been driven to the edge by his lifestyle.
I bet all of us have felt this way at some point around the time we entered our thirties, I know I did!

I feel like the weary feeling he brings to the line “tell you about myself, if you’re in the mood to listen “ is really moving.

And musically, I quite like it, though I prefer the style Crowded House would develop on the album more.

Had they not met Froom...this may have been the Crowded House sound!

I give it a 4.1/5. I think it's great and a worthy Neil Finn song, but is the least of all his songs from the Crowded House CD.

 

"Can't Carry On" is, on some days, my favorite track on Crowded House. It's certainly my favorite lyric on the album. It boggles my mind that it was omitted from some of the original versions of the LP and CD; to me, it's an utterly essential piece of the album. The driving beat provides the song with great energy and the melody is invigorating. The lyrics describe somebody who unsatisfied with his life and his essentially shallow relationships. It's a feeling that most of us have probably experienced at one time or another and I find the lyric quite relatable. My favorite part of the lyric is:

Honestly I want to free myself
From the burden of inaction
Honestly I want to raise myself
To any plane I can imagine

Great, great stuff! I'm quite surprised that this song never became a live staple.

The demo version that was released as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of Crowded House isn't too different from the album version, except I think it lacks the key change prior to the final chorus that was added to the album version. As I've mentioned before, the original AUS (and I thought NZ, but according to Jaffaman, no) version of the album used a shortened edit of "Can't Carry On", fading it out prior to the bass & drum coda. The full-length version that is now on all of the CD versions of the album (except the initial AUS CD) was first released in the UK on the "World Where You Live" 12" single and then later on the US 12" single for "Something So Strong". Not too long afterward it was included on the belated international CD release of the album and then on the AUS/NZ CD reissue in 1988.

5.0/5

 

Can't Carry On
------------------

This for me is a good song, but like Lance, I think it sounds different to the rest of the album. I don't think it's bad for an album to vary provide that the songs stay of high quality.

With all respect to @robcar, I think of this as a Split Enz style song, and I think it would fit very well on Conflicting Emotions or See Ya Round. People mention Neil slowly transforming into CH mode over the last few SE albums, and I think the process was still in action here. Though, as ToLM, and TA, are going to show, there was still musical development to come.

I don't mind the baseline at all. However, I like all of Nigel Griggs', Bones Hillman's, and Nick Seymour's bass playing.

It's a very good song, but I feel that there are better on the album. But, a good song that adds variety to the album.

4.0/5

OK, I'm going to now spend inordinate amounts of time on airplanes, so just in case, here's another rating:

I Walk Away
---------------

The original IWA is a great song and one of my favourite SE songs. I dunno why, but I just really like it. This is a rearranged version which to me is one of the more CH and not SE style songs on the album. The song in my view fits both the more keyboardy SE original and this more guitar style version. It's a great song in any version, and I can see why they would have included this ... effectively cover version on an album intended for international success. I don't feel short-changed by the re-use of the song. It's good to feel that it has been exposed to people who wouldn't have heard it otherwise.

4.8/5

Tombstone
--------------

I should be back online by the time of this song, but I'll rate it here. For me, this is one of the weaker songs on the album, but that's just in comparison to the others. This is a fine song and very CH, and it's performed well. The arrangement suits it well. The melody is memorable, as is everything on CH, and I like the lyrics even though I'm not sure what they mean. A general sense of leaving something behind. It's too easy to interpret them about Neil being a 'new man' after leaving SE, but I don't want to think of them that way as then who would be the 'passenger' who we should beware?

A very solid song that will round to 4/5

3.8/5

 

Can't Carry On isn't my favourite track on the album by a long chalk. As stated above the production doesn't feel right, and it just doesn't flow like the rest. A 3 for me.

 

Just going from my memory here as I type this with one finger on my train ride home...
“Can’t Carry On” was produced by Eddie Rayner in Australia in 1985 before the album sessions in L.A., which is why it sounds so different from the rest of the album. The band tried re-recording it with Mitchell but preferred the original.

The spooky intro was a new addition in L.A., spliced onto the front.

Neil’s David Byrne-like guitar playing is right out of See Ya ‘Round. “Dr Love” part 2.

 

I don't think "Can't Carry On" sounds anything like Split Enz, or really any different to the rest of the album.

 

A solid album track and a fairly enjoyable listen.

It's a pretty simple song though and nothing to get too excited about.

3/5.

 

Since it was on the Australia/New Zealand release, I was under the impression “Can’t Carry On” was more like the “real” track 8 of the album, with “I Walk Away” being a substitute elsewhere... rather than the other way around...?

 

"I Walk Away" wasn't on the album in Australia because it has already been a big hit there for Split Enz, so "Can't Carry On" was substituted. As for which is the real tracklist and track order, I asked Neil fours years ago and he couldn't remember.

 

Can't carry On has a nice swing beat and keeps a good flow going when listening to the whole album, especially when listening in noisier places like the car. It does seem to be a bit evolutionary development-wise, but I feel it fits in fine on the flow. 4/5,

 

I love this section too, and the way the melody then slides up a key. Can't Carry On: a solid 3/5. I like the song but it doesn't really take off the way many other songs on this album do.

Back to Hole in the River for a moment: I don't know what happens technically (it may be a change from minor to major key or something), but there's a point where the melody just seems to open up, perfectly matching the lyric.

It occurs at the point where Neil sings "I hope she" and then suddenly something changes at "was dreaming of glory, miles above the mountains and plains, free at last". It sounds like suddenly the tone just becomes liberated, free, open. Is it a key change, just a chord change? I'm no musician, I have no idea. But it gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.

 

True, that's quite a moment in Hole in the River! My favourite part too, it's glorious.

 

I wrote that?!?!?! OMG. bassline bassline bassline. Ah, auto-correct doesn't like 'bassline'.

Thirded. Or fourthed. Etc.

 

Have a safe trip, @HitAndRun.

 

Can't Carry On
At this point I can't carry on with 5's
3/5

 

It is a long time since I listened to this album, and whether it is just the fond memory/nostalgia thing, I really like this track also.
Now I am trying to figure out why it is so long since I listened to this album .... I can only assume time....
4.5/5

 

I really like the 'spooky intro' as Jaffaman calls it, and the "honestly I want to free myself..." part others have highlighted, and the rest of the song is catchy and singable, but as much as I would like to give it a 4, when I look at which other songs I've rated as 4 (MTM, WWYL, SSS) this is not as good as them, so it's 3/5

 

It's a good song, but as will be the case with Finn Bros. output from about 86 to 93 (both their peak years to me), there's so much that's so much better, so 4/5...