To The Island

One positive thing I can say, is that the lyrics at least have a direction in these new songs. You can have an idea of what they're about. In the last 10 years or so Neil has sometimes seemed lyrically adrift to me. I like when songwriting is open-ended enough that the meaning is debatable... but there's a vast difference between the gorgeous impressionism of Nails In My Feet and the vapid shruggery of Saturday Sun and its throwaway garbage lyrics like "my head is alright." I was also quite skeptical of something like Archer's Arrows, which was compelling enough musically but felt like a vague and toothless collection of images which suggested some kind of ideological statement but never really got there.

These new ones strike a good balance between having a discernible theme but getting there through interesting imagery.

Need some more guitars and melodies. Guess I’m asking for old school Neil creations.

@slowpogo posted:

One positive thing I can say, is that the lyrics at least have a direction in these new songs. You can have an idea of what they're about. In the last 10 years or so Neil has sometimes seemed lyrically adrift to me. I like when songwriting is open-ended enough that the meaning is debatable... but there's a vast difference between the gorgeous impressionism of Nails In My Feet and the vapid shruggery of Saturday Sun and its throwaway garbage lyrics like "my head is alright." I was also quite skeptical of something like Archer's Arrows, which was compelling enough musically but felt like a vague and toothless collection of images which suggested some kind of ideological statement but never really got there.

These new ones strike a good balance between having a discernible theme but getting there through interesting imagery.

Don’t have a problem with “ my head is alright “ !

Saturday Sun is a fantastic song .

@stuartjb posted:

Don’t have a problem with “ my head is alright “ !

Saturday Sun is a fantastic song .

Different strokes, etc. It just strikes me as lazy and boring. I don't think the song is terrible or anything, but I personally would reserve "fantastic song" to describe songs like Into Temptation, Distant Sun, I Feel Possessed, etc and compared to those classics Saturday Sun can't help but seem mediocre to my ears.

I don't want to get too down on something I haven't heard yet, I'll listen with optimism when the time comes. But I won't exactly be dying of anticipation for the next 4 months.

@slowpogo posted:

Different strokes, etc. It just strikes me as lazy and boring. I don't think the song is terrible or anything, but I personally would reserve "fantastic song" to describe songs like Into Temptation, Distant Sun, I Feel Possessed, etc and compared to those classics Saturday Sun can't help but seem mediocre to my ears.

I don't want to get too down on something I haven't heard yet, I'll listen with optimism when the time comes. But I won't exactly be dying of anticipation for the next 4 months.

I remember when Saturday Sun came out we were all pretty down on it - but listening back to the first performance we heard (https://youtu.be/HGuSMer1zjo), these days I really like it. These songs grow on you. I think the new ones will as well.

So far, it’s only the album versions of both of the new songs which haven’t particularly grabbed me, the live takes have been great. I think the studio versions will get under our skin in time.

@Thom Bullock posted:

I remember when Saturday Sun came out we were all pretty down on it - but listening back to the first performance we heard (https://youtu.be/HGuSMer1zjo), these days I really like it. These songs grow on you. I think the new ones will as well.

So far, it’s only the album versions of both of the new songs which haven’t particularly grabbed me, the live takes have been great. I think the studio versions will get under our skin in time.

Not me I have to say . I was blown away when I first heard Saturday Sun . I’ve never understood the lukewarm response it got ...

@slowpogo posted:

Different strokes, etc. It just strikes me as lazy and boring. I don't think the song is terrible or anything, but I personally would reserve "fantastic song" to describe songs like Into Temptation, Distant Sun, I Feel Possessed, etc and compared to those classics Saturday Sun can't help but seem mediocre to my ears.

I don't want to get too down on something I haven't heard yet, I'll listen with optimism when the time comes. But I won't exactly be dying of anticipation for the next 4 months.

Yes it’s all opinions . You mentioned “ I feel Possessed “ as a classic . Good song , but it’s not an example I would have reached for when listing a crowded house “ classic “ . Saturday Sun for me is a far better song.

@stuartjb posted:

Yes it’s all opinions . You mentioned “ I feel Possessed “ as a classic . Good song , but it’s not an example I would have reached for when listing a crowded house “ classic “ . Saturday Sun for me is a far better song.

Had to have a listen to Saturday Sun as it had been so long. Aaaaand still don’t like it. :-D

What’s distinctive about a Saturday Sun anyway, as opposed to suns on other days of the week? Nuthin. It’s just a memorable title.

I’ve always felt that I Feel Possessed is such an intriguing opener to TOLM, compared to the skip-button tapper that is Saturday Sun.

@Byrds Talk to Me posted:

Had to have a listen to Saturday Sun as it had been so long. Aaaaand still don’t like it. :-D

What’s distinctive about a Saturday Sun anyway, as opposed to suns on other days of the week? Nuthin. It’s just a memorable title.

I’ve always felt that I Feel Possessed is such an intriguing opener to TOLM, compared to the skip-button tapper that is Saturday Sun.

The chorus melody of I Feel Possessed exemplifies what I love about Neil’s songwriting...catchy as hell but also really pretty. The lyrics are a great example of what I was talking about earlier too...the song (as I see it) is about how unknowable people can be and the ineffability of human relationships. It’s expressed impressionistically but cracks open a chasm of thought & feeling for me, all against a comfy Paul Hester groove & Mitchell Froom’s spooky & lush vintage keyboards...deliciously dark & provocative but also a total ear worm. Those are the heights Crowded House’s best songs reach, and for better or worse, a yardstick Neil’s newest work will always be measured against. I just haven’t heard much that was half as interesting in Saturday Sun or most of Neil’s newer work. There are bright spots, as one example I do think Terrorise Me is a pretty stunning song.

@Welsh Dan posted:

Also, if Sharon does sing on the track, is there really a problem with that, as someone hinted? Hasn't sharon sung on previous CH albums?

No problem as far as I'm concerned; I like Sharon's vocals. And yes, she has sung, at least on Intriguer ("Isolation", for example).

https://www.frenzforum.com/top...6#663354940862535596
Nothing personal only if it’s going to involve her whole scale just add her as another Finn to CH

All in all, with the first two songs, I really like that they are upbeat, quirky, fun....something that has been missing within the last two Crowded House albums.  I did like Inside Out from Intriguer and that falls into this category.  She Called Up I guess does too although I have always not liked that one....tries to hard to be a Crowded House song.   Most of the other songs on the last two have a down feel to them....even when they are faster pace like Saturday Sun and Don't Stop.  These new ones get the blood flowing again.  I measure these types of things by having other listen and the "non fans" like them.....like they liked Pajama Club songs for the same reason.  Quirky, fast, upbeat, fun, unique etc.

Alot of this is probably from getting Neil's sons on board.  I think it was a fantastic move and it shows in the music....and the incredible versions of the old songs (I am in awe of the Youtube versions recorded in the past couple of months).  We are in for a treat when they play live in front of us again.  So let's get rid of this dang virus once and for all and start up the shows again!   (and make to Winnipeg again.....Western Canada needs you Crowded House!)

Yes, it's a shame there are these hurdles placed for us to deal with. Having all the boys in the same room is a nice poke in the eye to the source of frustration we've all felt.

@Thom Bullock posted:

Listening to the acoustic Fangradio version of To The Island now - there’s a really good song under there.

Thom, I thought the same thing.  I was a little under-impressed with the studio version.  Like "Whatever You Want," I thought, "This is a good Neil Finn side project song, but it just doesn't have the Crowded House magic."

But the acoustic version on Fangradio feels MUCH more like true Crowded House, which makes me think its the production and arrangement that make the studio version feel less like CH and more like one of Neil's other projects.

So, the question is...

Has Neil released these two songs *because* they're a little different, and he wants to surprise us and maybe grab some modern radio airplay/streamplay?

My hope is that the album reveals a classic ballad or two as well as a rocker or two, but more than that, I just want melodic, well-written tunes that have that classic CH magic. (For the record, I don't think the magic was exclusive to the pre-breakup version of the band. "Don't Stop Now," for instance, really plays to the band's strengths.)

My fear is that these two songs are actually quite representative of the overall record, meaning we're getting 10 more songs like this.  Hmm.

I recently stumbled upon a podcast called Political Beats.  Normally, I'd have ignored it based on the title, but I was searching for CH-related episodes, and episode 78 of their podcast showed up.

The three hosts spend over two hours discussing their favorite Crowded House songs and albums.  It's fascinating because all three of them discovered CH after the band's commercial peak, so they have a much different perspective.  For instance, they seemed to generally feel that the reunion albums stand nearly shoulder-to-shoulder with the first four records.  At the end of the episode, they each picked their five favorite CH songs.  It was interesting to see their choices, which didn't always fall in line with what I see here on frenz.

Anyway, hearing them talk about the band's entire catalog reminded me once again just how strong the band's records are.  The hosts repeatedly stated that, unlike most bands, CH hasn't made a bad album.

That's an incredible legacy, really.  So, calling this new band "Crowded House" invites comparisons to the band's previous work.  And it creates the expectation that this new material somehow fits into that band legacy we all know and love.

I genuinely hope that's the case.

matt

@Whysus posted:

I really like the song, mainly because I find it interesting on a number of levels. I’m not sure if it’s a great single, but DDiO was the 4th single of the debut album and SSS the 5th. And Weather With You was the 4th off Woodface. So there could still be some real gems to come. I do like this significantly more than Saturday Sun (and Either Side of the World) though.

I think I can hear some Phil Judd influences throughout it, which took me by surprise. I can easily imagine Phil singing the verses with Neil coming in on the chorus. This is exactly what I imagine a song would sound like if Neil and Phil got together to write.

Interesting that it references the Island of Real too. This was a music venue in the late 70s in Auckland. It was way before my time so I don't know much about it. It closed in 1980. I have heard in referenced in regard to gigs from some of the NZ punk bands. Neil’s name most likely would have been on the door list! The Suburban Reptiles definitely played there, and Neil had close links there through Buster Stiggs.

As soon as you mentioned Phil Judd I thought yes! I could see  to the island sung together too!👍

I was curious to see the song credits. Only Neil is credited as the songwriter with Crowded House credited as Producer...

@Steve Shealy posted:

No problem as far as I'm concerned; I like Sharon's vocals. And yes, she has sung, at least on Intriguer ("Isolation", for example).

I think she sang backing vocals on 4 Seasons too?

@Byrds Talk to Me posted:

I think she sang backing vocals on 4 Seasons too?

I'll add backing vocals to Black and White Boy, Fingers of Love and Private Universe too 🙂

@Byrds Talk to Me posted:

Had to have a listen to Saturday Sun as it had been so long. Aaaaand still don’t like it. :-D

What’s distinctive about a Saturday Sun anyway, as opposed to suns on other days of the week? Nuthin. It’s just a memorable title.

I’ve always felt that I Feel Possessed is such an intriguing opener to TOLM, compared to the skip-button tapper that is Saturday Sun.

For me I could never skip Saturday Sun . It’s totally a single ( or what a single should be to me ) It’s up tempo , exciting - full of hooks and little unexpected chord progression/ melodies than only Neil can come up with that make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck .

The subject matter always made me think of going to a football match on a Saturday , and as the tannoy guy at my local team , I used to often play it .

I Feel possessed is just a good album track - no more no less. It fits nicely into the aesthetic of TOLM , maybe like “ Fixing A Hole “ does on Sgt Pepper ...

Back on topic , To the Island sounds a bit like Tame Impala to me ( who themselves sound a bit like Pajama Club ! )

Cool that you used to play it over the tannoy!

It just seem to work so well Dan 😊

@Left Hand posted:

I'll add backing vocals to Black and White Boy, Fingers of Love and Private Universe too 🙂

I'll play the triangle, if asked.

@Perfectchord posted:

I'll play the triangle, if asked.

Sorry, my previous comment was unclear. I meant, I'll also add that Sharon Finn did backing vocals on Black and white boy, Fingers of Love and Private Universe.

Not me singing! I don't even think I would be worthy of playing the triangle 🙂

It's easier to mess up playing the triangle than it is to play it musically!

I like the jangly feel of the song, and have been trying to get a peg on what it reminds me the most of. Right now I'm thinking the movie ditty version of Tap's "Saucy Jack".

All in good humor. Loving the new material.

Rainy Day Sun!  that's it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQfieG8RqHg

FromThe Guardian:

Crowded House – To the Island

For fans of: Betchadupa, Elliott Smith, Badly Drawn Boy

“Neil Finn has always incorporated elements of psychedelia in his work, from the quirky art student pop of Split Enz through to the eastern influences that tinged the Crowded House catalogue and his solo work – but To the Island is his strangest and darkest tune to date. The latest version of the Crowdies sees both Neil’s sons Liam and Elroy become official members, along with two original team-members: bassist Nick Seymour and Mitchell Froom, who produced the band’s first three albums. The result is a revitalised band, weirder and bolder and clearly down to experiment – with a new album, their first since 2010’s Intriguer, set to arrive in June.”

Hmmm, I’m not sure what I would pick as Neil’s “strangest and darkest “ tune, but I wouldn’t have picked To the Island.

Easy to say if you haven’t heard anything since Intriguer, I suppose.

The performance on the TV show that they've just put on FB was great . It made me like the song more - however ..... since when did Crowded House need backing singers ?!

The reviewer obviously hasn't heard Light Sleeper, or Pajama Club for that matter.

Love the live version of this great song!

I feel like the part where Neil screams “*Sh!t just got real” may be the single best line from any song in the past 25 years... goosebumps every time!!!

@stuartjb posted:

The performance on the TV show that they've just put on FB was great . It made me like the song more - however ..... since when did Crowded House need backing singers ?!

Well, there was the Maori choir on the Together Alone tour.

@Steve Shealy posted:

Well, there was the Maori choir on the Together Alone tour.

Yes, and at least one of the singers on the To the Island clip was part of the Out of Silence crew too. And Neil just came from Fleetwood Mac which had a strong back line. Maybe he warmed up to the idea of fleshing things out with some trusted & familiar musicians.

Yup , I get that they had a Maori Choir . That was specific for Together Alone . However ( especially as they are now a 5 piece ) they don’t need extra vocalists for most crowded house songs as they readily proved on the fang radio version of to the island . It was superb ! Crowded House have always been famous for their harmonies , and in this instance they leave other bands in the shade ..

@BRANDO BRANDT posted:

Love the live version of this great song!

I feel like the part where Neil screams “*Sh!t just got real” may be the single best line from any song in the past 25 years... goosebumps every time!!!

Also love this live version...

Hehe what do you love so much about this line? I thought it sounded like something Neil put in for the US market, like "don't let them win" from DDIO.

Has anyone mentioned the Kardashians' island controversy as a possible inspiration for this song? I don't follow that malarkey, but I remember they controversially took off to a private island in October ast year to escape Covid?

@Byrds Talk to Me posted:

Also love this live version...

Hehe what do you love so much about this line? I thought it sounded like something Neil put in for the US market, like "don't let them win" from DDIO.

I think it's simply the effectiveness of saying (or hearing) the right thing at the right time. If you think about all the nonsensical things most people (in developed/ 1st world countries) spend time worrying about, and how for the past year the whole world has experienced real restrictions and hopefully had time to think about what is really ‘real’... 🙂

I love everything about it.  The tune, the performance, the production, the video, the Mitchell Froom psychedelic fairy soundburst, the lyrics.  Especially the lyrics.

This is a Covid-era song, not a Karaoke retread of glories from the last millennium.  It’s an era in which “tyranny of distance” means something altogether different from what it did in 1984 and “together alone” from what it did in 1993.  This song celebrates the euphoria of coming together in a time of massive crisis and isolation, from all around the world and against enormous odds, to reconnect.  In music, in solidarity, in intimacy.

As a homesick Kiwi who has been isolated in lockdown for a year here in India, and who has not been able to go back home to see his ailing parents, both the song and the video rang true for me.  The five band members stranded on shores, in bush, in urban jungles, in caves, yet somehow beating that supercilious bouncer to be together on/in The Island.  And to be together with a crowd.  Those are longings I can relate to.  I’ve been watching Super Rugby Aotearoa games here on my laptop and weeping — not because of the rugby but because of the crowds filling the stadiums, thanks to a responsible government that has succeeded in managing the pandemic sensibly.  Yes, even “crowded house” means something different in 2021 ftom what it did in 1986, or 2007.

What I’d give to be back on The Island.

@Byrds Talk to Me posted:

Also love this live version...

Hehe what do you love so much about this line? I thought it sounded like something Neil put in for the US market, like "don't let them win" from DDIO.

unsure if you're being facetious or not so forgive me... the US is certainly a sh*tshow in many ways but didn't sh*t get real everywhere in 2020? and what is specific to the US about "don't let them win"?

it could be in the same vein as Chocolate Cake....too much of everything and influence being forced around the world....but that is just a Canadian commenting and seeing things first hand.  I think a country meaning well but sometimes a little overbearing.  This from little bro to big bro!

@slowpogo posted:

unsure if you're being facetious or not so forgive me... the US is certainly a sh*tshow in many ways but didn't sh*t get real everywhere in 2020? and what is specific to the US about "don't let them win"?

I remember reading that Neil added "don't let them win" for the US market, but I'm not sure where I read it now, perhaps in the Something So Strong book.

And I believe "**** just got real" is a US phrase?