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

After much lurking I came in when y'all were discussing Everyone is Here. (I came in on the discussion of "Anything Can Happen"). I don't have anything really to add and can't do anything more with my original score for the album which was 5/5.

I will say that Won't Give In is a great song to open the album. Really sets the tone for the album. I probably would have scored it as a 4.2/5
Nothing Wrong with You is also a splendid song - it's not a highlight but everything about this album is so good, that this isn't even a criticism 3.9/5

I stand by my comment that this album is greater than the sum of its parts. It is my favorite Finn brothers album and pretty close to my favorite in their entire collective catalog.

I have totally enjoyed reading and enjoying everyone's comments on all these albums (also thank you Lance for allowing us to backtrack on the older albums).
Looking forward to 2022 when we will have new Finn masterpieces...

p.s. My kid partially listened to the Premiere Fois. He said he thought the first verse or so was like reminiscing about a first date with their lover. He said there is a reference in there to alcohol but he couldn't really figure out the context of that comment. To be fair, he isn't taking French this year and so it's been about 6 months since he actually heard or spoke any french...

 

Are you saying you have Covid, or that Covid has put a damper on the Christmas spirit for everyone?

If the former, hope it's not too severe and you get well soon!

 

Everyone Is Here 3/5

I've said that (IMO) Finn was possibly the most underrated album in the Finn catalogue and EIH covers off the other end of the spectrum. It's spot at the very top of the list here above Woodface, Together Alone et al. slightly baffles me. Don't get me wrong, I like the album and it has a couple of truly standout tracks on it but other than that it's all a bit too safe and cosy and MOR. It's a mid-table contender for me and nothing more.

(Plus I hate Disembodied Voices with an absolute passion.)

 

I've had it. My whole family got it. Of course, my 4-year-old was running around in the back garden wanting to play football (soccer) while I was just trying to get air in

My experience was a bit "what have the Romans ever done for us?" in as much as I felt fine except that I had the full range of symptoms: persistent cough, breathlessness, dizziness, tiredness, change of smell, sweats/shivers, nausea... Apart from that, I felt fine. I still can't get over just how much a lemon could smell like an apple though.

 

Hope you and your family feel better now!

 

I also hope you are doing much better now and not suffering any long-term effects. Apparently your son wasn't as affected given he was willing to play football while you were hoping to be able to suck air? If that's the case, I'm glad to hear so - I worry about those who can't be vaccinated...

 

Thank you for all the kind comments. My son seems to have been unaffected (at least in the short term). I'm still feeling a little under par (mainly the breathlessness) but this could simply be down to lack of exercise over the last year rather than any after effects of the virus. It's Long Covid I'm most wary of.

 

I remember when I first heard Everyone Is Here, I initially felt it was a little underproduced. After comparing it to the dreadful overcooked Visconti original years later, I revised my opinion: less is definitely more. I'd hoped for a Woodface mk 2 in Finn, but Everyone Is Here turned out to be its true successor. It's a little unfair to compare the two though, as this is naturally a more mature record with weightier themes to match.

Won't Give In
At first I was a little unconvinced by this mid paced lead single, but soon grew to love its subtle brilliance. There's a lovely lightness of touch on Froom's recording that balances the dark, heavy tone. Both musically and lyrically it's a triumph, touchingly introducing the album themes of family and mortality.

"Even if time is just a flicker of light
And we all have to die alone
What does it mean when you
Belong to someone
When you're born with a name
When you carry it on"

Simply amazing, as is that glowing middle 8 that hurls the song out into the light. Did I mention brilliant and amazing yet?

Nothing Wrong With You
This is a lovely melody and sentiment, especially given the story behind the song. However it's never really connected with me for some reason, so I appreciate it from a technical standpoint rather than an emotional one.

Anything Can Happen
The opening is a riff for the ages. I can never get enough of this rocking number. I love the wide open sense of urgency and possibility. My album favourite, which should've been a single.

Luckiest Man Alive
Like the man said, people can never have enough of silly love songs. Bright, breezy and cheesy, with an earnest sincerity behind Tim's vocals that really makes it shine. It also possesses a barnstorming chorus with a wonderfully blazing disregard for subtlety. Another classic track.

Homesick
You can never go home again. Well, obviously you can, as long a you bear in mind places and people change. Like Chocolate Cake, this in the most part appears to be a just rant at the rampant spread of commercialism and consumerism. And also, like Chocolate Cake, I've never been particularly sold on this song. There's something in the angry edged shouty vocals that I find somewhat off-putting. It's a good song on an album chock full of greats.

Disembodied Voices
I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand it's a delicate melody, with a 129 style strum. On the other, it doesn't quite land with me in a similar sense to Nothing Wrong With You. Personal lyrics can still be relatable, but here they're possibly a little too narrowly specific for me to get anything out of. A song that I find simultaneously appealing yet slightly annoying.

A Life Between Us
A broader song about brotherly love (or distance), yet this one is leagues ahead. Brilliantly penned and constructed, devastatingly powerful, it flows along like an unstoppable river (to add one more water metaphor). A high highlight.

All God's Children
A sequel of sorts to There Goes God, in a slightly broader sense than just retreading the theme of lapsed Catholicism. It's rollicking good bubblegum fun with some witty words backed by an addictively catchy tune. What's not to love?

Edible Flowers
What a beautiful tune. Tim's achingly sad verses could give Nick Cave a run for his money in the miserable stakes. This is offset by Neil's sweeping, uplifting chorus, which injects a little hope. Overall it makes for a gloriously sweet and sour combination.

All The Colours
If Party Was You saw Tim in the anger stage of grief, this is moving toward acceptance. It's a touching lyric, although I find the tune a little pedestrian and perfunctory. Nothing wrong with this track, I'm just not convinced it deserved a slot on the album.

Part of Me, Part of You
A terrific powerhouse of a pop song. It expertly flits between loud and quiet, light and shade. "Mist on my glass, watch it all come to pass" is an exquisite moment of anticipation. This is only bettered by that blissful key change near the end, one of my favourite in music.

Gentle Hum
I'm not a subscriber to the theory that albums should end on a slow, winding down note. If you must head in that direction, at least make it memorable, not end on a dreary plodding, forgettable note like this one. I generally turn the CD off at this point.

EIH's excellent leftover tracks are deeply linked to the album for me, probably as I bought the singles, then the deluxe edition with all 5 included. Also I've gotten used to them being mixed in on the Visconti sessions. Way Back Down and Land Torments The Sea appeared to be a key part of the record from the early demos, so surprising they didn't make the cut. I also love Everyday Alright and Tell Me C'mon, both just fantastic pop songs. If I was to reduce the 17 down to a manageable 13 track playlist, I'd drop Homesick, All The Colours and Gentle Hum, plus Sunset Swim which I'd never been keen on.

Listening to the album again after a long timeout was a little weird. Maybe it was my headset, but I picked up lots of background instrumentation that's not present in the version of the album that's deeply ingrained in my brain. It felt like looking back at photos from a past relationship: remembering moments and how they felt, while also being aware those emotions can't be relived. They'll always remain fondly in the past.

What I'm clumsily trying to say is, I loved Everyone Is Here on release, and retain a great fondness for it. It's a cracking, near perfect set of pop songs. With a rejigged tracklist it would've easily been a 5, but a few so-so tracks bump it down to

4.8/5

 

Our votes for Everyone Is here, with newcomers' votes included:

1-0
2-0
3-1
4-3
5-12
Average: 4.5312

 

Albums ranked.

Everyone Is Here: the score went from 4.975 to 4.5312; the ranking when from #1 to #6, (making me feel that maybe the first rating was off. But this feels right-ish.)



Green: abums with Tim and Neil
Orange: Neil Finn
Blue: Tim Finn
Purple: Tim Finn/Phil Judd albums
Magenta: Liam Finn albums
Grey: Neil Finn and sons albums
Light blue: elroy
YELLOW!!!! HARPER FINN (RUNNING OUT OF COLORS)

1. Woodface 4.7477
2. Together Alone 4.7333
3. Time And Tide 4.7
4. Dizrhythmia 4.5333
5. Everyone Is Here 4.5312
6. True Colours 4.5125
7. Frenzy 4.4944
8. Before and After 4.4542
9. Temple Of Low Men 4.4206
10. The Rootin' Tootin' Luton Tapes 4.42
11. Try Whistling This 4.3556
12. Mental Notes 4.3
13. Caught By The Heart 4.2571
14. Second Thoughts 4.2438
15. Afterglow 4.24
16. Imaginary Kingdom 4.2042
17. The Conversation 4.1727
18. Finn 4.1531
19. Time On Earth 4.13
20. Tim Finn 4.1385
21. Crowded House 4.1154
22. One All 4.0005
23. Say It Is So 3.9964
24. I'll Be Lightning 3.9889
25. FOMO 3.9625
26. The Fiery Maze 3.9
27. Beginning of the Enz 3.8667
28. Out of Silence 3.85
29. The View Is Worth the Climb 3.84
30. Waiata/Corroboree
31. Feeding the Gods 3.833
32. COLLECTED WORKS OF HARPER FINN 3.8101
33. One Nil 3.8
34. The Nihilist 3.7778
35. See Ya Round 3.7
36. Intriguer 3.6615
37. The 3d EP 3.64
38. Conflicting Emotions 3.62
    
39. Suzanne Bartsch On Top soundtrack 3.6 (only two votes)
40. Big Canoe 3.5675
41. Aiming For Your Head 3.5333
42. Dreamers Are Waiting 3.5269
43. Escapade 3.495
44. The Alphabetchadupa 3.28
    
45. Altitude 3.3111
46. Lightsleeper 3.2385
47. Steel City 3.2
48. Pablo Vazquez 3.1825
49. The Les Patterson Long Player 3.1667
50. Betchadupa 3.125
51. Rain 3.083 (song average)
52. Dizzy Heights 3
53. Pajama Club 2.89722
54. Elroy 2.644

 

Today and tomorrow, newcomers will have a chance to weigh in on three albums: Imaginary Kingdom and Together In Concert. And finally One Out Of The Bag, a live DVD/CD release featuring a performance by Split Enz.

Our song by song discussion of Imaginary Kingdom starts HERE the album discussion of Imaginary Kingdom Starts HERE.

Tim and Neil did their world tour, during which Paul Hester committed suicide, shaking everyone up and inspiring songs for the next three Finn releases. Partially because of this, Split Enz regrouped with Malcolm Green, who had played drums for the band from 1977-1980, on drums; Split Enz did a brief tour and released an album called One Out Of The Bag, on DVD/CD.

Our discussion of One Out Of The Bag is here..

Now definitely back on a major label (EMI, and subsidiaries, including Capitol in the States), and with a big budget to play with again, Tim recorded Imaginary Kingdom (his seventh album, 9th counting soundtracks) in many different studios in New Zealand, Australia and Nashville, returning to the pop/soul/rock hybrid sound of Before And After.

It was Tim's first release in the UK since Altitude in 1995. The album chartedat #18 in New Zealand.

Collated ratings for Imaginary Kingdom

1. Couldn't Be Done 4.02
2. Still the Song 4.1166
3. Astounding Moon 4.0857
4. Midnight Coma 3.7781
5. Salt to the Sea 4.2
6. Horizon 4
7. Dead Flowers 3.775
8. Resting (Your Hand Lightly) 3.5643
9. Show Yourself 3.3364
10. Winter Light 3.8714
11. So Precious 3.15
12. Unsinkable 3.9869

Imaginary Kingdom 4.2042
Average by song: 3.8237

• Pulled It All Down 3.0556

The BJB Sessions

1. Poor Boy 3.3625
2. How Will You Go 4.1875
3. I hope I Never 3.8
4. Not Even Close 3.75
5. Need to Be Right 3.5571
6. Angel's Heap 3.9
7. Time for a Change 4.4

• The Lonely 1 3.6778
• Cool 3.166
• Goodnight Saigon 2.65

One Out of the Bag: 4.2

Together In Concert
was recorded during a 2000 joint concert tour of New Zealand featuring Tim Finn, Dave Dobby andn Bic Runga. AT the time it was the highest grossing tour of New Zealand ever; it may have inspired Neil's Seven Worlds Collide concerts. The CD included 5 songs from each of the main participants.

Together In Concert: 4.14

Our discussion of Together In Concert: Live is here.

 

I'm upgrading my Imaginary Kingdom score from 4.7 to 5/5. I now think it is Tim's best solo album. Like Before And After, a smorgasbord of styles that manages, unlike Before And After, not to sound like a hodgepodge, thanks to Billy Huff's great production. Straddles that line between commercial mainstream and indie arty better than any previous solo album. Great songs through and through, with a trio of all time classics: "Astounding Moon", "Salt To The Sea" and the absolutely amazing "Winter Light." Just thinking about these songs frankly makes me dizzy. I've got to listen to this today!

 

I'll stay at 4/5 for Together Alone: the disappointing "Weather With You" and "I See Red" mar an otherwise stellar album.

 

I'll cast a vote now for One Out Of The Bagn (I hadn't got it when we discussed it -- it took three months to arrive, got it in January 2021: a definite 5/5 for me; I can't believe how great Tim sounded in 2006.

Almost like 1993 again. Such a fun performance, such an amazing band, such amazing set of songs from the Brothers, so much musical talent.

 

This for once will be a short write-up. I've never cared for Imaginary Kingdom. Following Tim's 2 'indie' albums which I loved, a return to big production and his overblown earlier sound seemed a retrograde step. I've tried getting into it so many times, but the album just washes over me in a forgettable tide of MOR blandness.

The only tracks that jump out from the blendered soup is the catchy yet quite irritating Couldn't Be Done, the power pop chorus of Horizon, and the wailing of So Precious (not necessarily in a good way, just that it breaks up the sleepy monotony that surrounds it). Some of the melodies like Still The Song and Dead Flowers show a little promise, yet the weedy arrangements and boring production does them no favours.

My least favourite of Tim's solo records.

2.25/5

 

Imaginary Kingdom

This album starts out incredibly strong, and the first half contains some of Tim’s best songs (e.g., Salt to the Sea, Astounding Moon, Horizon). But then it kind of peters out in the second half for me, with no really strong songs to reel me back in after the lull. But since the strong songs are so incredibly strong, I’ll rate this album highly.

4/5

 

So sorry to hear about this, @Paul H . Hope you are back to your normal self soon. I live every day in fear of catching this thing and ending up in the hospital or worse.

 

Which album are you listening to? My copy of Together Alone has neither Weather With You nor I See Red on it

 

Thank you. I can't - of course - advise anyone not to worry about this thing. After all, it has killed and is killing so many people and making so many others seriously ill. But then, as someone who also lived in fear of catching it, I felt like I'd suffered from it even before I'd caught it. The mental anguish of catching it is as much a symptom of this illness as those we actually get when we do catch it. And it saddens me that people are suffering from a fear that can be as bad and as crippling as some of the physical symptoms even without getting it.

All I will say is that - having had it - I was glad to have been vaccinated.

Please stay safe everyone. Please do not get complacent. Please do not underestimate it.

 

I hope you are back to full health soon.

 

Yikes. Good health to you, and yes, I'm glad you were vaccinated too. Having had it too, {much milder in my case than in yours) my greater fear is actually passing it along to someone like my 80 year old MIL.

 

Ah well, that would be an improvement on my pre-Covid state

 

My 75 year old neighbor, triple vaxxed, still caught it and has been in the hospital with double Covid pneumonia for two weeks and is not doing well.

These are the things that terrify me, having underlying conditions that make me think it will be curtains for me if I get it, despite being triple vaxxed myself.

 

Definitely wise to take precautions, it seems.

 

Imaginary Kingdom is a very good album from Tim; certainly much improved from his prior solo effort, in my opinion. There’s more concrete quality here, with a lot of that feel probably carrying over from Everyone is Here.

Couldn’t Be Done
What a wonderful song; one of Tim’s absolute best. Just a purely joyous, catchy chorus that sounds heavenly. Every other part of the song is wonderful, too. I love it.

5/5

Still the Song
Another very good one where, unlike on songs like “Waiting for Your Moment”, the female backing vocal works wonderfully. A great pop song with great melodies, vocals, and instrumentation alike.

4.3/5

Astounding Moon
Nice song with great piano and melodies. A particularly passionate vocal from Tim.

4/5

Midnight Coma
Fantastic verses here. The whole song is a very quality one, though. Dreamy and easy going, it’s just a lovely listen.

4.2/5

Salt to the Sea
Very beautiful song, and one I’d consider one of Tim’s career classics. Simply gorgeous arrangement and vocal performance to go along with that stunning chorus. One of Tim’s best sets of lyrics as well, especially impactful in light of Paul’s passing.

5/5

Horizon
Another very good track with more great melodicism.

4/5

Dead Flowers
I love the trip hop beat of this track, as dated as it may have been at the time this came out. I also love the vocal layering in the chorus, as well as the lyrics. Going through this album again has actually bumped my opinion of it up a little bit. I forgot how good some of these songs are.

4.3/5

Resting (Your Hand Lightly)
I love this one. I realize that the sparse arrangement and Tim’s Leonard Cohen vocal in the verses knocked it down in the ratings here, but I’ve always personally really enjoyed this one. Very calm sounding, like a lightly flowing river. That chorus is simply wonderful as well.

4.7/5

Show Yourself
Great track here as well. This, too, has always been one of my favorites from the album. The middle 8, lyrics, and Tim’s vocal, along with the backing vocals, are fantastic.

4.6/5

Winter Light
Now we get to the three reasons that I don’t like this album more than I do. If “Show Yourself” was the final song on the album, this’d be a 4.7/5 kind of experience. This song is okay, but there’s something that just doesn’t quite work for me. The chorus is lovely, but nothing else really affects me.

3.2/5

So Precious
This sounds like a Feeding the Gods outtake, which isn’t really a plus for me. It really is decidedly less impactful than literally every other song on this album. It’s a cool burst of energy, and it’s not my least favorite song on the album, but it sticks out like a sore thumb here. It also lacks any strong melodies, but overall I think it’s alright.

2.8/5

Unsinkable
Okay… This is the only song I really dislike here. I recognize the “He’s in Love” melody here now that I’m familiar with it. This is just so overdramatic and overly-melancholy; it’s very awkward sounding. I like Tim’s vocal performance, as well as the sparse drum beat, but that’s literally about it. I don’t feel like the verse melody is done justice here, personally. It comes and goes without really leaving an impact, which is kind of a shame since I think it’s quite a good melody. Anyway, I never quite got into this track, and as such, it’s my least favorite song here.

2/5


Overall we have a very good album here, with the final three tracks knocking it down a few decimal points. Still, some of Tim’s absolute best career tracks are here, specifically “Couldn’t Be Done” and “Salt to the Sea”. It’s a pretty consistent listen as well (until the last three tracks for me). Tim did good with this one.

4.2/5

Track Picks: “Couldn’t Be Done”, “Salt to the Sea”, “Resting”, “Show Yourself”.

Low Points: “Winter Light”, “So Precious”, “Unsinkable”.