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I personally don't think the club has focused too much on Split Enz or Tim, and there has certainly never been a lack of focus on CH. Just looking at the club releases for example, there have been far more cds by CH over Tim/Finn Bros and there has never been an Enz one in the original run of live cds. And there were always tons of CH photo sets, badges, dvds, video newsletters, things like the necklace, belt buckle, signed stuff, books etc.

It could be the fact that during the CH hiatus (2 of them, years long!), it might come across as the club not focusing on them. But what can it focus on? There is nothing happening in those quiet periods. Thankfully, that should all change this year with the hive of activity around the corner.

What's the big fuss? Many years ago, I became aware of the fanclub. I was also painfully aware that I'd missed out on the opportunity to buy quite a few excellent fan club CDs. I'm a fan of CH, NF, FB, SE, TF and PC (possibly in that order, but there's not a lot in it). Rather than moan about missing out, I bit the bullet and joined the fanclub on an annual subscription. At some point, a few life memberships were made available, I snapped one up. At no point have I regretted doing so.

Various things have been made available through the fanclub, sometimes exclusively, from cds to advance ticket sales. Sometimes I've taken advantage of such offers, sometimes I haven't. At no point have I ever been forced to buy anything I didn't want. Sometimes I've passed on things because I simply didn't want them, sometimes because I couldn't afford them. Occasionally I've regretted not buying something when I had the chance. My primary interests are rare/unreleased studio recordings, signed copies (of full releases) and concert ticketing/information. I'm not that interested in live recordings and ephemera, but those that are interested in such items are well served.

It's a shame that anyone would feel quite so aggrieved over what is essentially a very simple concept. For good or ill, fanclub members have the opportunity to buy some rather exclusive things. The various Split Enz affiliates and offshoots invariably look after the loyal fanclub members well in this regard. I can't really understand the reluctance to join the fanclub. Unless it's a financial impossibility, to refuse strikes me as cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Thanks for letting us know. Personally, I am sad to hear these news, unless it means that the songs will be released in another way, as part, for example, of Tim’s rarities series launched back in 2008 with “Rarities/Demos/Live Performances Vol. 1.”

Or is it the case that even together with Dorothy Porter’s lyrics there is not too much interest from the audience in Tim’s rare pieces of music?

Much has been said in this forum about the lack of Tim’s ambition in releasing any new CD as a performer or solo artist. Still, I keep hoping that once he will make his songs available for those who wish to listen to them.

Last edited by Budbudabuddha

I listened to the new Tim Finn album today. Need to listen again tomorrow. The vocals threw me off as Tim has a female singer who is relatively low in the mix - and I think I would have preferred Tim’s voice. The songs are fine - similar to the songs from The Conversation which is cool for me as I like the piano-based Finn projects. Interested in what others think. 

I hear him in the background here and there.

I find it odd that this album is credited to Tim alone - just his name, and his face alone on the cover - when he doesn’t sing.

At the very least, perhaps the cover should be a photo from one of the live performances, clearly showing Abi Tucker out front at the microphone with Tim clearly a supporting musician.  Even better, perhaps the album should be credited as something like “Abi Tucker sings the music of Tim Finn and Dorothy Porter.”

I like some of the songs a lot, but some of the bluesier ones are not really my thing.  She has a nice enough voice, but I think I would be more likely to listen to this again if Tim was the lead vocalist.

Just as a reminder, we do have some of the songs with Tim's voice. These are:

 

1. Light Years Away (Anthology, 2009)

5. Gutsy Girl (Live, Northcote Social Club Febr 25, 2009)

6. New Friends (Demo, 2011) Link: https://www.facebook.com/TimFi...l/?sk=app_2405167945

Other two pieces were performed live as well in 2009, but I have never heard them:

 

8. Talking In My Sleep = All Night Long (Live, Lizotte’s Australia Febr 18, 2009)

12. Off The Planet (Live, The Basement Australia Febr 19, 2009)

 

Any recording of the latter two live performances would be most welcome.

Budbudabuddha posted:

Just as a reminder, we do have some of the songs with Tim's voice. These are:

 

1. Light Years Away (Anthology, 2009)

5. Gutsy Girl (Live, Northcote Social Club Febr 25, 2009)

6. New Friends (Demo, 2011) Link: https://www.facebook.com/TimFi...l/?sk=app_2405167945

Other two pieces were performed live as well in 2009, but I have never heard them:

 

8. Talking In My Sleep = All Night Long (Live, Lizotte’s Australia Febr 18, 2009)

12. Off The Planet (Live, The Basement Australia Febr 19, 2009)

 

Any recording of the latter two live performances would be most welcome.

Thanks!  I like Tim's version of New Friends far better.  For me, vocals are so important so I greatly prefer Tim's voice even if it's a bit more gritty than it used to be.

Sugar Mouse posted:

I listened to the new Tim Finn album today. Need to listen again tomorrow. The vocals threw me off as Tim has a female singer who is relatively low in the mix - and I think I would have preferred Tim’s voice. The songs are fine - similar to the songs from The Conversation which is cool for me as I like the piano-based Finn projects. Interested in what others think. 

Is Google play  music the only place to find this?  Looks like you need a subscription to access!

I just had my first run-through as well. Would I rather have Tim singing? Yes. Is the production underwhelming? Yes. Would I rather have an actual physical CD (I'm old school)? Yes. Am I happy to have a chance to hear these songs? YES!

Tim has earned the right to do what he wants with his music (I guess every artist has that right, really), and perhaps the theater was the right place for many of these songs, but I would have loved to hear this as a more traditional Tim Finn album.

I've just written out all the lyrics for these songs and in doing so was able to really analyze the album.

The songs are obviously written from a female point of view. Tim probably doesn't sing comfortable and couldn't pull off singing a line like "I'm just a boring dyke." Anyway, he's playing two thirds of the instruments (acoustic guitar, piano, feet-drums) and it's all live.  There are a few songs that floating around -- not on this album-- that  feature his voice and, yes,  they do sound pretty good, but the album as a whole  really must be sung by a woman, in my opinion. It's a concept album.

And Abi does an incredible job; these songs take alot of power and range, power and range that frankly I'm not sure that Tim has -- certainly I doubt he could do this in a one-take performance which is what the album literally is; played live in a room, after rehearsal, no overdubs, no second takes.

This work, for all it's raw presentation, is an absolutely breathtaking, emotional harrowing, work of art that goes deep into darkness and comes back up into light. It's beautifully constructed from start to finish; the lyrics are just brilliant and Tim's song-craft shines through. I think anybody who's been involved in a destructive relationship can relate to this album.

 It's definitely the most challenging thing Tim Finn has done since Mental Notes in 1975. Much more akin to post-punk than the usual sixties-based pop or R&B that Tim tends to truck in.

AT this stage in his career, it almost seems like Tim is going for full-blown expression without a care for the pop charts. Though some of the songs are ear-worms, there is definitely no bouncy, feel-good single here. Even the brighter songs towards the end have a weary and unutterably deep sadness to them, an unerasable bitterness.

It sure as heck is no pop album, which is what people probably expect from Tim Finn, but it's got his impeccable craftsmanship all over it and it's got the live peformance edge and mojo in spades, despite its sonic imperfections. Brilliant. So glad that this made the light of day.


Last edited by Lance LaSalle

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