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

"Country Music" has a fairly good backing track. I think it could have developed into a good track if it had been recorded for a proper Tim album, with Tim on vocals. As it is, Barry Humphries vocals make the song sound like the third-rate novelty song from a D grade comedy that it is.
1,6/5

Merry Christmas everyone!

 

Our votes for "Country Music"

1-3
2-1
3-0
4-0
5-0
Average: 1.3

 

Today's song is "Showgirl", written by Tim Finn and produced by Ricky Fataar; recorded and mixed by Tim Kramer.

This is the one of only two instrumentals on this album credited solely to Tim Finn -- the rest are credited to Tim and Michael J. Kenny, and won't be covered here.

Ian Belton: acoustic guitar, bass
uncredited: piano
Bob Bouffler, Bob Johnson, Bob MacIver, Col Laughman, Grahame Jesse, John Hoffman, Paul Panichi, Tony Buchanan: horns
Ricky Fataar: drums, percussion

 

Kind of an old fashioned big-band burlesque number with some jazzy piano by an uncredited performer, I enjoy it, despite the sampled bits of dialogue at the beginning and end of the piece.

3/5

 

ON Monday I'm going to start holding up, in tandem, on a week by week basis:

• fan club releases
• "other Enz" releases, featuring releases by artists associated with Split Enz and Crowded House who are not Finns. My plan is to do two fan club albums at a time, alternating with "other Enz albums". See below.

I will interrupt this schedule to discuss new albums that are released in the next year (I expect three from Tim Finn, one from Liam.) I will discuss those two weeks after release.

That should take us into 2023!!!

1. True Colours Live --Split Enz VHS, recorded in Melbourne 1980
   
   Live In London 1977 and Wellington 1979 -- Split Enz VHS
2. Restless Night Octopus, 1971 (Nigel Grigg and Malcolm Green's late sixties/early seventies UK psych/prog band, Nigel was the lead singer, wrote most of the songs and played bass)
   
   
3. Live In Melbourne TimFinn cassette 1982
   Live AT CBGB - Crowded House 1986
4. Rust In My Car --The Citizen Band -- I have this comp with some bonus tracks that I got from far more knowledgeable member here -- This was Mike and Geoff Chunn's post-Split Enz/After Hours Band
   
5. Rock ARena December 12th, 1986 (was a video, I believe!)
   Live on the Rooftop January 22nd 1987
6. Practical Joker/Counting The Beat Phil Judd's Power Pop/New Wave combo with Bones Hillman who achieved a mega hit in Australia and that was it.
7. State of Mind August 25ht, 1988
   Marcia, Marcia Marcia April 6th, 1989
8. The Swinger/Private Lives 1983 Phil Judd's debut solo album
9. Detroit Rock City September 20th 1991
   Taxi September 25th, 1991
10. Rikky And Pete Soundtrack -- contributions from The Makers (Eddie's post-Enz band) and Noel's Cowards, Schnell Fenster and WEndy Matthews collaboration, songs by Phil Judd
    
11. Bent In Gent October 19th, 1991
    Buffalo 91 November 24th, 1991
12. The Sound of Trees -- Schnell Fenster 1988 -- Phil Judd, Nigel Griggs, Noel Crombie and Michael den Elzen
13. Nick's Birthday Party December 9th, 1991
    In the Raw December 12th, 1991
14. The Makers -- Eddie Rayner and Brian Baker
    
15. Graduation February 28th, 1992
    New Castle Jam March 20th 1992
16. OK, All Right, Uh Huh Oh Yeah -- Schnell Fenster
17. HOmetown March 26th, 1992
    Nick the STripper June 20th, 1992
18. The Big Steal (soundtrack, includes Phil Judd, Teh Makers and Tim Finn/Phil Judd)
19. One Night Stand June 24th, 1992
    Foreplay July 17th, 1992
20. Hokey Pokey - The Makers, 1992
    
21. Manchester Split November 21st, 1993
    Dutch Treat December 3 1993
22. Death In Brunswick Soundtrack album, Phil Judd
    
23. Live In Berlin December 8th, 1993
    Back on the Bus 1993
24. Mr Reliable: An Unbelievably good soundtrack to the Motion Picture (1996, Phil Judd)
    
25. Live at the Warfield March 23rd, 1994
    Paul Is Dead April 14th, 1994
26. Horse -- Eddie Rayner 1996
    Live at Fleadh June 11th, 1994
    HOMEBREW 1994
27. Largest Living Things - Largest Living Tings (Paul Hester's post-Crowded House band ,1996)
    
28. Ghost Cars 1994
    Acoustically Live 1994
29. Enzso - 1996, Eddie Rayner project, with contributions from Neil & Tim
30. Belvoir February 19th, 1996 Finn Brothers
    Eyes Of The World, 1996, Finn Brothers
31. Largest Living Things II - Largst Living Things 1997
32. Mood Swinging Men 1996 Finn Brothers
    Kiwi Charms 1996 Finn Brothers
33. Enzso II -1999
34. Worst Kept Secret November 20th, 1996
    Exit STage Left November 21st
35. I LIke It Rare VA from all members of Split Enz
    
36. Spooky Vibrations -- 1996
    Live In America 1998 Neil Finn
37. Sleeper -Nigel Griggs 2001
38. Encore 1998 Neil Finn
    Live in the UK 2001 Neil Finn
39. Play It STraight -- Eddie Rayner 2002
    
40. One ON One 2001 Neil Finn
    9.30 Club Washington July 18th 2002 Neil Finn
41. I LIke It Rare 2 (VA) 2003
42. I LIke It Rare 3 Paul Hester 2005
43. Novelty Act - Phil Judd 2006
44. I like It Rare 4
45. Love Is A ***** -- Phil Judd 2009
46. Unthinkables -- kind of an art dance studio duo featuring Phil Judd
47. Chaos And Triviality 2010 -- "Supergroup"of Eddie Rayner, Michael Barker and Brian Ritchie(of Violent Femmes) sort of jazz/rock spontaneous jams
48. Still Hot! The Conrays (Eddie Rayner cover band)
49. Play It STrange - Phil Judd 2014
50. Sediment - Eddie Rayner 2014
51. Enzso Stranger Than Fiction -- live 2014
52. UniQue -- Phil Judd 2016
53. Alluvium -- Eddie Rayner 2016
54. Flightless Bird - Phil Judd
55. Planet Sublime Phil Judd

 

Oops, along with "Showgirl", we can also take today to discuss Neil's new Christmas song:

Xmas message — Neil Finn

May I have the pleasure of your good company?
Your carriage is coming, gonna take you away with me
The garden of wonder, look deep in your day dream eyes
Seeking out the faraway for one glimpse of paradise

Been a long time in the darkness
But we travelled the road of the sun
Safe passage was granted
by a pair of scorpions
Life what you look for
You may never find
I came across the desert king
He was the son of terror kind

I owe you thanks now for everything
Remembering you got me so inspired
There's something on the news today
It made me realize it's never too late
To say thank you, to say thank you
I owe you everything

 

Neil's "Christmas message song" -- has a really nice, melancholy atmosphere with an interesting lyric -- the first part is a bit mysterious stream of conciousness, quite typical of Neil; the second part seems startlingly direct. The vocal melody seems a bit uninspired, but overall it's quite affecting to me. I do feel very sad after listening to it, and I think of the shortness of life.

This is kind of an underlying theme of most Christmases for me, there's always something sad about behind the lights and warmth and food and children and bright colours: the ones that we have lost, the knowledge that the time will come when we will lose more and will ourselves be lost. In the northern hemisphere, Christmas is this bulwark against the gloom and darkness of the year, this positive way way humanity has of saying "f- you" to the darkness outside. It's like our ancestors said"OK, we've done everything we can to prepare against this horrible winter, and now it's upon us and it's time to party!" But the darkness is still there, pressing in.

A christmassy 5/5 for this, bonus point for Christmas.

Thanks Neil!

 

Xmas Message

This is such a thoughtful thing for Neil to do. The song has a calming, relaxing feel about it, which is a good thing in what has turned out to be an unexpectedly crazy, upended, disappointing Christmas season around here. It’s a meandering piano ballad, which is not typically my favorite type of Neil song, but this one does work its way into my head. It calms me in the way that only Neil’s music can do. I have to say that the accompanying video of the drive to Piha is just as good, for me, as the actual song. It takes me back to favorite times and a favorite place and is inseparable from the music for me.

This has really perked up my holiday. Not that I was sad or depressed (surprisingly! LOL), but this added something I didn’t know I needed.

I don’t think I can rate it, however, because it’s not polite to rate your Christmas presents.

Let’s just say it was such a Neil thing to do, and is why I can never ever give up on him.

 

Xmas Message

And the Finn music keeps on coming. And, Neil says he's working on other new music.

The song itself is very nice. It's initially a bit unexpected when the second, quite different, part begins. I wonder if it is representative of the music Neil has been making. And, I wonder through which vessel that music will travel to reach our ears.

I was also watching the drive carefully. I thought it looked like the Waitakere Ranges, and then we see Lion Rock. Very nice.

Like @brownie61, I won't rate this. But, I think it's 'excellent'.

 

Xmas Message
What a lovely thing for Neil to release with his message. This is a lovely low key song with some very nice melodies. I'm very excited to hear new Neil music whichever vehicle it is released with.

Merry Christmas!

 

Showgirl
It's not a bad piece of music. As has already been observed, it is a big band (kinda) burlesque style. I don't know that it is distinctively Tim Finn at all, nor do I expect it to be given that it's part of a movie soundtrack. The piano is quite good even if the horns are fairly conventional.

3/5

(the spoken dialogue at the end almost sounds like Dame Edna...not sure if that's actually the case though).

 

"Showgirl" is quite nice, perhaps the best of the instrumental tracks on the Les Petterson soundtrack album. I like the big band-ish feel and the musicians' commitment to the piece. While it isn't a track I seek out particularly often it is worth hearing.
3/5

 

I really appreciate Neil's Xmas Message and his new Christmas song. I don't want to think about it too hard, I just want to enjoy the sound of his singing and the new melodies. It cheers me up that my favorite singer, songwriter, performer, etc. is a thoughtful, caring person.
5/5

It's time to put away the Christmas music for 11 months and return to exploring new and old music. I enjoy "Showgirl", it's a nice pastiche of the Big Band and Swing songs of the 1930s through the 1950s that I've been listening to lately. Tim has written a song to order that fits in nicely with the genre. It's a little too "soundtracky" to be really successful outside the context of the movie, but I like it. 3.5/5

 

"Showgirl" is a very 'meh' piece of music. It's well done I suppose, but just doesn't interest me much.

2.5/5

Neil's Christmas Song on the other hand is very good. I was actually surprised at how impressive it was; it sounds like something that he could have done 20 or 25 years ago during what I consider his prime (or at least one of his peaks). There's some wonderful texture & atmosphere going on here. It seems a little pasted together, but most of what's here is very nice, relaxing, and of high quality.

4.2/5

 

Our votes for "Show Girl"

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

Our votes for "Xmas Message Song"

1-0
2-0
3-0
4-1
5-2
Average: 4.7333

 

Today's song is "Hacia El Sol", written by Tim Finn and produced by Ricky Fataar; recorded by Tim Kramer; mixed by Peter Cobbin.

Another song from the Les Patterson Long Player album. A version of this song with the annoying film dialogue edited out was also was also released as a B-side on the With You I'm Alive single.


Tim Finn: piano
Richard Andino: guitar
uncredited: flute (or some kind of wind instrument)

 

"Hacia El Sol" is a very nice instrumental. It sounds more like it belongs on Big Canoe than on this soundtrack. Nice atmosphere and instrumentation.

3.8/5

 

Hacia El Sol
Meh, this doesn't do a lot for me even allowing for the fact that it is part of a soundtrack. And as such, I don't think it's fair to rate it - I can't put it in context at all so I'm not even sure what atmosphere was being conjured up (maybe farewell given the dialog?)

 

I love "Hacia El Sol", I think it's gorgeous.

4/5

 

I said this about "Hacia El Sol" two months ago:

"Hacia El Sol" gets only the Tim Finn composer credit, but it barely qualifies as anything more than mood music for a scene in a film, and I'm surprised Kenny didn't get a co-composing credit, since that's the way film music credits usually work."​

That was unfairly dismissive (I don't think I'd given it a fair hearing). That single without the film dialog is a much more satisfying listening experience, and today I'd say it has lovely piano melodies, and together with the guitar work a very pretty mood is created. Together they imply melodies that involve me intellectually and emotionally. 4.2/5

 

Hi all. I interrupt this programme to ask a favour of anyone who owns the Time On Earth vinyl. That's the one CH album I don't have on a big platter. Do either the 2007 or 2016 editions include lyrics for "Stare Me Out" in the artwork?

 

One time some friends all got together to open up a really expensive bottle of wine and offered me a bit - I passed because I had no idea what "good" vs. "bad" vs. "average" wine was - there was no point in me rating it at all. Ultimately, I had a sip - and it tasted like wine.

"Hacia El Sol" tastes like wine.

 

Our votes for "Hacia El Sol"

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

 

That's it for "Loose Enz". We are now shifting to a week-by-week basis on this thread, in which we cover all of the fan club albums released by the Frenz Of The Enz fan club as well as albums recorded by other members of Split Enz and Crowded House, including Mark Hart, whose albums I forgot to include above.


This week, a pair of fan club releases from Split Enz.

The first is True Colours Live.


The whole thing streams above!!!

This was a recorded at HSV7 Studios in Melbourne on January 7th, 1980, a little over a month before True Colours was released. It was released by Frenz of the Enz on DVD-R on December 1st, 2005.

The track list:

1. Double Happy
2. I Wouldn't Dream Of It
3. Hermit McDermitt
4. I Got You
5. How Can I Resist Her
6. Charlie
7. Poor Boy
8. What's the Matter with You
9. Outer Mongolia
10. Shark Attack
11. I Hope I Never
12. Give It a Whirl
13. Nobody Takes Me Seriously
14. I See Red
15. My Mistake
16. Mind Over Matter

 

The second release this week is Live In London 1977 and WEllington 1979. This also streams on YouTube!:


As the title indicates, this is two different eras of Split Enz; the first was recorded in London in 1977: the tracklist:

1. Bold AS Brass
2. My Mistake
3. TRue Colours (Let's Rock)
4. Charlie
5. Crosswords
6. The Woman Who Loves You
7. Best Friend

This is followed by
"Interviews" and then set recorded at The Town Hall in Wellington, New Zealand on May 27th, 1979.

1. Give It a Whirl
2. Betty
3. Famous People
4. Parrot Fashion Love
5. Stuff And Nonsense
6. True Colours (Let's Rock)
7. Bold As Brass
8. I See Red

Like the last entry, this was released on DVD-R by the Frenz of the Enz fan club on December 1st, 2005.