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

I hope there's a good song underneath all the sounds on Elastic Heart, but there may not be. The lyrics are interesting (after all, Neil wrote them, how could they not be interesting?), but the musical bed is just not very musical to my ears, either. Of course, I've been listening to Brian Wilson all day, so I'm bathed in a sea of melodic and harmonic beauty, both of which Elastic Heart lacks.

The origins of Elastic Heart may explain why I don't like the song, I don't like Last To Know, either.

1/5

 

I did that yesterday!

 

I love "Elastic Heart". It's such a unique track - weird, mysterious, nightmare-ish, haunting and complex. The rhythm patterns here are unlike any other Neil song I can think of and the instrumentation is equally unique. I hear new dimensions in it every time I hear it and this is a track I keep returning to. In a way it sounds out of place on One Nil and perhaps it would have seemed more at home on David Bowie's Scary Monsters album, but I also think that One Nil needs something very different, dynamic-wise, between "Secret God" / "Turn and Run" and "Anytime" / "Driving Me Mad" and "Elastic Heart" is just brilliant. Great vocals by Neil too.
5/5

 

I’ve been listening to Wilco’s Summerteeth, which isn’t all that far removed from Brian!

(I like “Elastic Heart” better.)

 

What should I listen to tomorrow?

 

Haha! Today has been Spotify playing my favorites from many different genres on shuffle. Lots of Alex Chilton has been coming up because I listened to him yesterday after Brian.

 

Okay, that's just weird - more convergence in the thread today!
I have "That 70's Show" on in the background as I'm at my desk and Big Star ("Thirteen") is a HUGE centerpiece of the show...

 

Weirdly I just listened to Tim on Mourning Becomes Eclectic, 2007, and he did a Wilco song.

 

I did all three Big Star records yesterday.

 

Seriously, WTF is going on in here?
(Was listening to Wilco yesterday)

 

Thanks for pointing me to the track! It's not horrible, but I don't find it pleasant listening, either. The Pakistani marketplace sounds remind me of Pink Floyd's use of a football chant on "Fearless". I used a similar gimmick myself when my band recorded a cover of Richard Thompson's "Pharaoh": a recording of Sufis chanting after their town was liberated from Al Qaeda dominance and they were free to sing again. But this melody and these chords don't really offer much of interest, and I'm not very sorry the song isn't on One All. 2.8/5

 

Was also listening to Wilco. Kicking Television and also bits and pieces of some of the Roadcases.

 

Our votes for "Elastic Heart"

1-3
2-3
3-3
4-1
5-6
Average: 2.90625

 

Today's song is "Anytime", written by Neil Finn, and produced by Tchad Blake and Neil Finn; engineered and mixed by Tchad Blake.


Live versions of this song have been released on:

• The Post-Match Analysis Interview promo, (recorded in February 2001
• 7 Worlds Collide (recorded in April, 2001 in Auckland)
• Live in the UK (recorded on May 10th 2001 in Ipswich, UK)
• 9.30 Washington Club (recorded July 18th, 2002, Washington DC)

Neil Finn: vocals, guitars, harmonium
Wendy Melvoin: drums, bass, guitars
Mitchell From: Wurlitzer piano, piano

The initial image of a dog running into a road and being hit by a truck was based on a real life event that happened when Neil was walking his dog; it inspired several lines in various songs, and the song "Lester", from Afterglow.

 

7 Worlds Collide concert, April 2001:

 

I doubt this song will be as divisive as the last one. That one was genius or madness; this is genius on prozac and wrapped in cotton, as a good third of this album is.

I'll be honest. I think that the One All/One Nil versions is boring. Even more boring than "Secret God."
The lyrical sentiment is nice and I relate to it; I sort of like the crunch of the rhythm section and various aspects of the sound (though the mastering ruins such retro-rock sounds); but that doesn't save it. I skip it and I rate it a 1.9.

Note: (Not much difference between the two studio albums: a line is added to the One All version that but it's otherwise the same; though it's a trifle louder, I don't think the limiting is actually any worse.)

However, I'll admit the 7 Worlds Collide version is actually kind of cool; it just has a good energy to it; and I especially like the lead guitar chords (not sure if that's Johnny Marr or the Radiohead guy) and Lisa Germano's voice adds a lot; as do the backing vocals as opposed to the wall-o'-Neils on the record.

I give the 7 Worlds Collide version a 2.8 and I'll go with that.

 

I really like Anytime. It's got a bright cheery, and very catchy melody matched to lyrics musing on mortality. It's one of the highlights from the album for me. The arrangement is perhaps a bit looser than it would be if this song was on a CH album, but it's still great. The middle 8 is great, and the lyrics, over and above the concept, have some really nice touches. E.g.

That's a really nice way of expressing love.

4.4/5

 

Anytime is, for me, the closest Neil has come to writing a bona fide CH-style song. It sounds like son-of-Fall at Your Feet. While I can understand a desire to avoid re-writing one's most successful songs, here this is most welcome. There's nothing to dislike about FaYF and, hence, nothing to dislike about a well-done re-write. Anytime is, therefore, perfect Neil Finn songwriting. However - and I know I sound like a broken record - this recording epitomises the frustration I've had post-CH. It has the same groove as FaYF but it doesn't groove in the way that recording does. Again, it comes down to the absence of that rhythm section. If there was one song in Neil's catalogue that I wish I could transport back to 1989/90, this is it.

I'm going to give it a full 5 because I don't do fractions, but if I did, I'd probably lop half a point off just because the studio recording just doesn't have that CH swing that it so needs. 5/5

 

I guess it does kind of remind me of "Fall At Your Feet"-- I didn't rate that as highly as most of the rest of you, but I definitely rate it higher than this one. And yes, the lack of swing is probably why the live version works better for me.

 

Anytime's unique examination of mortality and how precarious life is never fails to move me. It reminds me that many of us are fortunate to be able to watch our children grow up and for us to grow old ourselves.

4.8/5

 

Last Day of June, obviously.

 

I really like this one a lot. It's a little stressful as someone who's had dogs for the last 20 years (and the fact that the idea of the dog maybe getting hit is more upsetting than the impending threat of the truck maybe hitting me is probably telling in and of itself) - but I love the sentiment and the purity of intent this song carries.

As much as I agree with this, I think the next line packs even more punch, even though it doesn't even exist in both versions!

"And I won't let go of the first clear moment I saw you"

It's more than just seeing someone for the first time - "the first clear moment I saw you" is that moment that you "knew" you'd found that person... and it sticks with you, and you hold onto it.
Side note - I can also think of people who, when I saw them clearly for the first time, it had the opposite effect to what is described here...

4.5/5

 

Anytime - I like the lyrics a lot, but this song is kind of musically bland. The only musical part I truly love is:

“And I won’t let go, of the first clear moment I saw you”

But half a line can’t elevate the song beyond average for me.

3/5

 

No point writing much more. Wonderful summation by BeSteVenn of the beauty and emotive power of this song, and the live version is the best (although the tempo is a hair rushed). 4.9/5

 

I think actually it’s even more significant than that. He’s singing about how he could pass away at any minute, without a warning, and when he does, that will be the final thought/image in his mind: the one clear moment of a lifetime you describe so well.

Masterful, profound lyric wrapped in a singalong pop gem.

He has said in the past he wanted to cross Leonard with McCartney. Mission accomplished.