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

Collated ratings for Dreamers Are Waiting

1. Bad Times Good 3.7967
2. Playing With Fire 3.85
3. To The Island 3.5469
4. Sweet Tooth 3.6233
5. Whatever You Want 2.9367
6. Show Me The Way 3.46
7. Good Night Everyone 4.0176
8. Too Good for This World 3.625
9. Start Of Something 4.0118
10. Real Life Woman 3.1883
11. Love Isn't Hard At All 3.1333
12. Deeper Down 3.3344

Dreamers Are Waiting 3.5269
Average by song: 3.5437

 

For Dreamers are Waiting, the lead single gets the lowest rating of all songs on the album. Shades of Dizzy Heights.

 

Conversations with the Moon

This is another strong track. It's not my favourite Harper track, that's still to come. But, once it gets going it has a good beat, a good melody, and Harper sings it well. I like the unusual sounding chord progression in the chorus (I haven't analysed it to see what it is and whether it is all that unusual, but it has a distinctive sound.)

Perhaps the production on this track isn't as clear as other song's he's released. But, I think that's a minor quibble.

With Harper having such a good voice, and with Tim still interested in songwriting, I wonder if there will ever be a father/son album. Though, perhaps for now Harper needs to develop his own musical identity and standing.

3.7/5

EDIT: I forgot to play the piano version. It is very nice indeed, and I'm going to give that a higher score.

3.9/5 for the piano version.

 

"Conversations With The Moon" is probably my favorite song by Harper Finn. I mean, so far, that is; he will probably have more songs in the future and it's conceivable that I will like them more.

I just think it's a nice, romantic pop song, I mean romantic in the classic sense of the word, not the mushy chocolate heart sense of the world. The idea of the young man pining for love but wandering alone at night: hey, it's a classic centuries old trope because it resonates because it's true. I've been that guy. Though, for god's sake **** that nonsense nowadays. It's also well arranged and put together and yeah, the chorus is a little startling.

I gave the last one a 4.5 and I like this one better, so I guess I'll just give it a full on 5/5.

The video is amusing: mainly his dance moves seem a bit awkward....like Tim fronting Split Enz but without the heavy, heavy dose of irony.

The piano version is quite beautiful, too. I'll give that a 5/5 too, because, well, why not?

 

If you ever needed proof that production and arrangement is vital to how a song comes out, then Conversations With The Moon is proof. I can't listen to that first version. I utterly detest it. It's everything I hate about modern production most especially the effect on the voice; it sounds plodding and uninteresting and it would make me turn the radio off if I heard it. The piano version has some vitality about it, has a discernable tune and engages me. Looks like he is decent pianist.

Signed,

An old fart.

 

This is the second and final Harper song that really floors me. It’s a shame that I only ended up loving his first two songs and nothing more, but that’s personal taste for ya. This is pretty brilliant; I like it almost as much as “Look Who’s Sorry Now”. The piano makes the chorus, and Harpers’ vocals are fantastic. I also love the piano solo in the middle, and what an outro! Just a phenomenally crafted song.

I really wish I liked the rest of Harpers’ stuff as much as I love these first two tracks, but it just wasn’t meant to be I guess. There’s still two or three left that I find to be pretty good, but my uber-fandom of Harper ends with this track. Still, this is just wonderful song that I could listen to a few times in a row before tiring of it.

4.6/5

 

Conversations With The Moon

This is a very strong song that stands up to studio production and also a solo piano performance. Harper’s voice is also strong enough to pull off the solo performance beautifully.

I think I prefer the more produced version because there are just more musical tidbits of interest. I like the echoey electronic touches in the background, I like the deep bass keyboard and the drums. There’s also some kind of cello-like sound at some point.

Single version: 4.25/5
Piano version: 4/5

 

I’m sorry everyone (and especially Lance,). But I’ve had a tough week, and I simply don’t have the time or energy to write coherently
One more post on Dreamers Are Waiting. I realize that this post is both late and out of sequence, but I wanted to give the album at least one more listen straight through before writing a concluding post about the album, and I didn't have the chance until this morning.


After paying such close attention song-by-song, I was a bit surprised by how well Dreamers Are Waiting hangs together as an album. Yes, the sequencing seems a bit unbalanced, with the uptempo numbers front-loaded, but it still works reasonably well, and there's a good sense of cohesiveness (which is pretty astounding, given the circumstances under which the album was recorded). The songwriting is of a consistent quality. Neil sounds terrific—not just terrific for a man in his early sixties, but flat out terrific. His voice haslost a fraction of the youthful power it once had, but it has held up remarkably well for someone who has been singing so regularly and publicly for so long.


It's not all good, of course. If the songwriting is of consistent quality, avoiding the troughs that appeared on prior Crowded House albums, it also misses the highs. I don't think there's a single truly outstanding song here (I know I rated "Start of Something"

4.5/5, but that was more because of the astonishing blend of Neil's and Liam's voices in close harmony than the quality of the song itself). Intriguer was also a bit lacking in absolutely top-notch songs, but I still find its high points generally higher than those on Dreamers Are Waiting. Neil wrote some of the best songs of the past 35 years for Crowded House, but it may be that the well has run a bit dry. It happens. It's a rare musician whose work in his/her 50s and 50s is as compelling as his/her work in his/her 20s and 30s. t one level, we should be grateful that Neil is still turning out good work. It would have been easy for him to stop producing new music and simply coast on past glories (like Billy Joel). Well, maybe not easy, exactly, as Neil seems to have an intense creative drive (clearly shown by Fangradio). But he could have withdrawn, and he didn't. Still, it's hard not to bemoan the failure to reach the dizzy heights (excuse me, please) of his earlier career.


What of the new members? Liam does better than I expected, suppressing his quirkiness and his affinity for bizarre sounds and putting his considerable talents to the service of the band. He sings wonderfully and writes a good-if-not-great album track; in both those senses he surpasses Mark Hart's work (though Mark seems to have brought out something in Neil that Liam doesn't quite). Liam has been working professionally with Neil since he was a teenager, so it shouldn't be a huge surprise that that he eventually was invited to become a full member of the band. As long as he doesn't try to push the band in the direction of his solo work, things should be fine.


Elroy is a more complicated proposition. He's neither the singer nor the songwriter that Liam is, and his playing is serviceable at best (as I've observed repeatedly throughout our discussion of the album tracks). Where Liam brings something different but not necessarily of lesser quality to the band than Mark did, Elroy is a definite step down. But, to be fair, there were aspects of Matt Sherrod's drumming that perhaps make the step look bigger than it truly is. Matt is an outstanding drummer, but he's also a fairly busy drummer—his drum parts can seem overly intricate and complex. Listen to his playing on "Twice If You're Lucky": it definitely enhances the song, but I'm not sure it needs to be quite that busy. Elroy is much more straightforward; I think we're still waiting to find out if this is a stylistic choice or, what I fear, a lack of professional-level skill.


I was initially resistant to Dreamers Are Waiting. It does suffer from the lack of a truly killer track, especially for a band whose previous albums (except maybe for Intriguer) were littered with them. I'm now prepared to accept it as a genuine Crowded house album, not just as Neil's latest project. I just wish it was a bit better.

3.5/5


3.5/5

 

Conversations (with the Moon) - Well, it's the pre-chorus/chorus that really makes this song, no matter which version you listen to. The song takes a short while to take flight but once it does, it really does hold your interest. Others who are more musical may be able to enlighten the rest of us regarding what makes that chorus melody so compelling. To me it sounds really different to a lot of other chord progressions I've ever heard. I like it's kind of jazzy tone. The vocal is fabulous, again super expressive.

The video is really interesting, especially that opening section. I kind of like the awkwardness of Harper's dance moves. It kind of adds to the loneliness of the song itself.

Maybe I like the piano version a little bit more than the single version - but that's because I think it highlights the structure and arrangement of the song a lot more. Still the single version brings some really interesting instrumentation choices which I really like as well. It's not my favorite Harper song (still to come) but this is a strong second song.

4.1/5

 

"Conversations With The Moon" is a gorgeous song showing Harper's talent as a writer of 'traditional' style songs. Sure, the single version has all the modern production to try to make believe it's not just a romantic piano ballad, but for me all that just detracts from the fundamental beauty of the song, and for that reason I much prefer the stripped down piano version. Another reason is that it shows off his excellent voice more than the more cluttered version, because whereas Liam for example needs weird sounds and quirky production to disguise his weak vocals, Harper's voice would probably even sound good a cappella.

4/5

 

I really like both versions of "Conversations with the Moon". The fully produced version has a kind of eerie, haunting atmosphere built up by the keyboards, paired with a strong melody and superb singing by Harper. He is really gifted. The video clip is very well done too.
The piano version shows what a well-written song it is, it's different but equally good. What a great voice Harper has!
Both versions: 4,3/5

 

Both versions of Conversations With The Moon are quite good. The version arranged has hit written all over it, I prefer the piano version, the vocal seems more direct and heartfelt.

Fully produced version: 3.8/5
Piano version: 4/5

 

I enjoyed the piano version an awful lot, but that's not meant to take away from the full version, which was a solid number. I don't know that I can compare the two since the vibe they throw off is so different, but they're both more immediately accessible than a lot of the more recent stuff we've covered recently. It's also pretty amusing to watch the videos and marvel at how you just can't escape your genes...

4/5

 

OUr votes for "Conversations With The Moon":

1-0
2-0
3-0
4-7
5-2
Average: 4.1944

Conversations With The Moon [Mono Version]
1-0
2-0
3-0
4-4
5-1
Average: 4.24

 

Today's song is "Teenage Queen", written by Harper Finn and produced by Morgan Allen and Harper Finn; mixed by Kody Nielson.

Harper Finn – Teenage Queen Lyrics | Genius Lyrics

This was released, on vinyl and digitally, as what we would call a B-side with "Conversations With The Moon", though Warner Music refers to it as a "double single" and I suppose that it's meant to be thought of as another single on July 19th, 2019.

Genius.com says:
This song is about a popular teenage girl apparent by her title of queen. Harper Finn believes that this song is like a “snap shot” of his life from the end of his high school years to the start of university, possibly written about a girl he liked.

The mixing was done by fellow Kiwi artist Kody Nielson.

 

Another song that I can relate to my youth. Nicely melodic dance pop, good synth work and programming and it doesn’t overstay its welcome.

3.9/5

 

Teenage Queen

This has a great chorus that makes the song for me. There are a few too many effects on Harper’s voice here that make it sound a little too muddy and scratchy, but the song shines through anyway. I love the pizzicato-like bass sound that pops up occasionally.

3.75/5

 

Teenage Queen

This is a good song. Reading the lyrics reveals that they are more interesting than I thought. The chorus is a bit unimpressive, but the verses add more interest.

It has a good melody and a good arrangement.

3.6/5

 

Teenage Queen - A very good dance pop song. Well put together and I like the synths which definitely give it an 80s feel while still having its own distinctive style. I tend to agree a bit with @brownie61 that in parts there are a few too many effects which make it seem a bit muddy. That detracts a little from my overall enjoyment of the song.

I agree it's a very relatable set of lyrics.

It's a very impressive run of singles so far.

3.9/5

 

The sound of Teenage Queen could have fit right in on MTV in the mid-80s, I don't mean that in a negative way. What sets it apart from some of that dreck is the good songwriting, good arrangement/production, and excellent singing. I'm glad they didn't go for the big 80s drum sound.

3.8/5

 

"Teenage Queen" is sufficiently different from his last 2 songs to show Harper's versatility as a songwriter. The melodies are great but I would have preferred less of the gimmicky noises and general clutter of the arrangement that gets in the way of his excellent voice.

3/5

 

I'd like to share a little anecdote with you all. My four-year-old son came into my room this morning. I'd just popped my headphones on and Goodnight Everyone had started playing. He asked me what music I was listening to so I offered him my 'phones. He put them on and listened. Immediately, he smiled, looked and me and said "That's beautiful. What's it called?" I told him and he asked if he could listen to it all. As he listened, he started to gently sway to the music, having a little dance. When it finished, I played it again for him.

I think you need to add another 5/5 to your ratings for the song, Lance.

 

This is a beautiful memory for you to have with your son @Paul H!

 

I think he'd be more interested in getting another Lego Marvel mini figure, to be honest

 

Yeah, but in a few years you will be able to remind him of it and it will be a great memory for him to store up!