Why it doesn't so much for me:
When I first heard it, it was on the day of it's release in 1993 and after months and months of expectation, as I'd waited for what seemed like ages to hear the new single. I was expecting something extraordinary, something adventurous, something slightly unusual about it enough to make me really, really like it. A little bit like the first time I heard Chocolate Cake for instance, or even Kill Eye. From the opening bars, it disappointed me a bit. The whole structure of the song is a little too 'perfect', and too saccharine for me. It's almost like an excercise in 'how-to-write-a-radio-hit'. Commercial enough to be a big concert anthem, but not different enough to make it something that I'd really want to play and replay over time. Or shout out for at a gig
On the plus side, it's a beautifully
constructed pop song, I agree. With that uplifting verse, a rising chorus, even a really good bridge, it's got a real immediate feel-good sound, a perfect humalong love song even for the casual or non-Finn fan, something which is perfect for ensuring a pure pop song. If I had to play just one Neil Finn song to introduce his style of music to a person who hadn't heard him before, then this is the one I'd choose as an example. Lyrically and musically, it's a great representation of his music and writing.
On the downside, it's just not 'challenging' enough to hold my interest for long. A couple of plays now and again, that's it...and then I've heard it enough. I think Neil has written far more interesting things, particularly Into Temptation, Fingers Of Love, Hole In The River, Private Universe and even more so since he's gone solo. I love the quirkiness of the Together Alone album, but it seems so out of place there. It sits much better amongst all the other catchy gems on Recurring Dream. My favourite songs are usually those which have that 'something different' quality, an edginess which makes me want to seek them out and play them over and over. Distant Sun just hasn't got that for me.
I know from reading this board these past few years that it's probably the most popular CH song, and I can absolutely understand why...a very easy to listen to song, with some killer hooks. People sometime personalise the lyrics to their own personal situations, and if that track means a lot to them, I'm not going to knock them for that...each to their own taste etc. So I'm not dismissing it without reason, just stating that I just don't have the attraction to it, despite being a fan of Neil's writing and music, throughout his career. It's all subjective I suppose - we all look for different things, that's the beauty of it.