I just revisited the last 2 CD's. Firstly, I find that TOE is much better than Intriguer. It seems more raw and real....as if it was more hastily created and recorded which to me makes the songs sound better. The only hiccup for me on TOE is She Called Up (the song that seemed to try too hard to be Crowded Houseish) They should have replaced that with Lost Island and it would have been a classic. Intriguer seems too polished and worked on for too long (tried the songs out on the road for too long....then seemed like they went into the studio too prepared). So that CD just does not seem to do resonate as much for me....I even seem to get a bit down by listening to it.
For both CD's, seems like they sound like a mature Crowded House. This probably reflects the fact that Neil had matured even more as a musician and songwriter. The rest of the band too had gone through more maturity too having been in other bands etc.
So the past CD's especially debut, Together Alone and Afterglow are, to me, leaps ahead of the last 2, in terms of lasting power. TOE has creaped up there though.
Pajama Club to be is ahead of TOE and Intriguer in terms of lasting power...once again, less polished. All the classics are the less polished CD's....to me.