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

It's a pretty average song and I don't particularly like Tim's vocal, but I can't say that I dislike it. I've been harsh on some of the other songs from this album so a generous 3/5 for this.

 

Our votes for "Walking Through the Ruins".

1-0
2-2
3-1
4-3
5-1

Average score: 2.97

 

Today's song is "Ships", written by Neil Finn.

 

Another 2/5 from me. Instantly forgettable and one of the worst things in Neil's Enz catalogue (which really is a testament to how good that catalogue is).

 

"Ships" is a interesting song to me. First of all, I love the backing track, all twanging percussion and synth and guitar, everything at more or less the same level: there's no star soloist here, no flashy virtuoso....compared to some fo the Tim Finn songs on this album, where it seems that Rayner, Griggs and N. Finn are all competing for attention, this track is tightly controlled and serves the song. When the keyboard/guitar solo comes, everything still seems to be working together organically as part of the composition rather than it being Eddie/Neil's time to show off. I really like this quality about Neil's music.

I'm not exactly sure what the lyrics mean: it seems to be an impressionistic portrait of a man whose deeply troubled but who puts on a front that he's not. Someone with substance abuse issues and deep insecurities, but able to put on a sort of social mask and go through the motions of having a good time.

There's an edgy unresolved quality to the music that makes me slightly uncomfortable but which I feel fits the lyrics. This is one of those lyrics of Neil's which, in isolation I find kind of nonsense, but which gains great meaning and power from the music itself: like "Carry Away" from the Lootin' Rootin' Putin Tapes. Usually this really works for me (though not always) but it works for me here. The song has an eerie edge for me that I really like. There's an unarticulated emotional message here that really gets to me.

4.4/5.

 

Even though this is an album that Ive listened to a lot, I never can remember this song. Neil was still very young and very hit and miss at this point.

2/5.

 

Much like the last one, this is a high three that I'll round up on. There's 4s I'll like more, but there's certainly 3s I'll like a whole lot less.

The interesting thing about this one is that lyrically, to me, individual lines seem so great and really stick in my head, but as an entire song, those lines don't congeal into a compelling narrative.

4/5

 

I agree with Lance that the backing track is one of the most interesting things about Ships. I also enjoy Tim’s backing vocal. That said, the song is a letdown after Walking Through The Ruins.

3/5.

 

I find that's

I find that's the case with a lot of Neil songs.

 

I almost said as much in the post, but I have a feeling that as we get more into this it's going to come up a lot.

 

I don't mind the verse but the chorus is awful. A generous 3/5

 

Side note: I finally bought Rootin Tootin Luton Tapes because of this thread. I just finished listening for the first time and it has exceeded my expectations both in sound quality and song quality. So glad I got it! I understand there's a 2 CD version (not what I got). How much good stuff am I missing out on?

 

Disc 2 is basically demos eventually recorded for the Frenzy album plus a couple of Phil Judd songs that probably weren't recorded at Luton.

 

“Ships” is one that is just okay to me. I like the music, but the lyrics don’t really make a lot of sense to me, particularly in relation to the title. There’s not a big difference between the original mix and the 2006 remix. 3.2/5

 

I think Neil has become a better lyricist later in his career. His early lyrics seemed to strive for impressionism, and sometimes they worked quite well but other times they verged on nonsensical. When he would let his emotional guard down, his lyrics could be powerful and eloquent. But he seemed to be reluctant to do that very often as a younger man.

 

Yes. The Judd songs were BBC recordings, and definitely not from the Luton sessions.

 

Our votes for "Ships":
1-0
2-3
3-3
4-2
5-0
Average score: 3.37

 

Today's song is "Ghost Girl", written by Tim Finn.

 

Tim Finn writes good melodies and musically, this song is really great and one of the better mixed/produced tracksk on Waiata. The spooky atmosphere is highlighted by Neil's tasty lead guitar licks, Eddie's keyboards and Mal's very New Wave/post-punk drumming.

I can't help but think that the lyrics are a little silly: I know what he's saying but it just doesn't come off right to me. I feel no sympathy for the "Ghost Girl". In fact, I have to say I think this is one of Tim's weakest albums lyric-wise. It all feels so forced. His melodies are still as effortlessly catchy as ever but there's an uninspired feel to the songs that is more than just bad mixes.

For this one though I really do like the music. It is genuinely atmospheric; Tim's singing is detached, but technically top-notch. The lyrics themselves are clever even if they don't connect. In short, it's a great piece of song-craft that is not marred by the mix.

I give the song a 3.9, docked a bit for the lyrics.

 

I agree that the music is atmospheric, but some of the lyrics and singing let it down. Especially his phrasing on the "you" section.

3/5.

 

I really like this song, but that hint of corn keeps it from climbing too high... 3/5

 

Another 2/5 from me, I'm afraid. Apart from History Never Repeats, side two of this disc is just utterly forgettable.

 

"Ghost Girl" is a pretty good song, but I agree with the criticism raised by others about Tim's detached singing and so-so lyrics. The song is really saved by Eddie's brilliant keyboard arrangement. In fact, Eddie is responsible for most of the sonic highlights of this album.

 

I like "Ghost Girl". The lyrics don't detract from it for me; as others have said, it has an atmospheric, vaguely ominous feel to it that I quite like. On this one, I prefer the 2006 remix, which runs about 13 seconds longer and allows some of the instrumental flourishes to emerge more prominently, particularly Neil's evocative guitar lines.

3.7/5

 

“Ghost Girl” sounds like a sequel to “Poor Boy” but doesn’t have the same magic.