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July 2010

There's room to jam in Neil Finn's Crowded House these days.

The New Zealand singer-guitarist says his band's sixth studio disc Intriguer is a more collaborative effort, thanks to the reinvigorated group's new interactive approach.

"The band is far more ingrained in these songs," the 52-year- old explains from New York City. "As we were writing, we were out on tour roadtesting these songs and changing them as we went. So the character of the band was a part of the process from beginning to end. Last time, it was more of a collection of songs that were recorded."

Of course, that last album -- 2007's Time on Earth -- wasn't meant to be a Crowded House album at first.

After drummer Paul Hester's 2005 suicide nearly a decade after the band's breakup, Finn asked bassist Nick Seymour to play on his third solo album, then decided to go all the way by recalling keyboardist Mark Hart and recruiting drummer Matt Sherrod for Crowded House V2.0.

En route to a seven-date Canadian tour that begins Monday in Toronto, Finn discussed jamming with a control freak, the joys of a new 'stache and his dreams of a Partridge Family life.

Let's start with the important stuff: I understand you've grown a moustache.

I have. I never had one before. I'm enjoying it. When I get in front of a mirror and sculpt it, it's quite fun. It's evolved now from something that was a painful thing on the top of my lip to a slightly more bushy, curved thing. So yeah, it's good. Though there have been mixed feelings among the fan base. A lot of people don't like it. But the perverse side of me quite likes that as well.

Your fans criticize your moustache?

They do. They take great delight in it. It used to be my shoes for a while. They didn't think I had very good shoes. I think it's a measure of their interest. But it is a little claustrophobic. If you were to think about it too much, you could become self-conscious. But I don't.

Do you think of Intriguer as the sixth Crowded House album or the second of the new band?

I think of it as our sixth. There are obviously two incarnations and two eras of Crowded House. Some people may be attached forever to the first era and not to this era. But I believe we've got a great many people who see it as a continuum. Certainly a community of people who used to come see us back in the day are coming again and enjoying songs from both eras.

This album has everything from power-pop to guitar-rock on it. It sounds like you were determined not to repeat yourself.

That's definitely our aim and ambition for every record, but particularly this one. We wanted to get it right, so we took a bit of time to work out how we should present ourselves, having decided to be a band again. Obviously, we went out the first time in this new incarnation and had a lot of people coming along out of nostalgia. We wanted to make sure that whatever happened for us, people were seeing a band in development, a band that's progressing.

One song that leaps out from the CD in that regard is Isolation. It has two very different parts and female vocals -- it's unlike anything you've done.

That song came out of jamming with the band. It's actually a composite of two parts that don't naturally go together in a way, but seemed to be an exciting development when we discovered it in rehearsal. It's the kind of thing you get a thrill from. It's a good mix.

Do you see that collaborative approach as the shape of things to come in your songwriting, or are you too much of a control freak?

Yes and yes. We're becoming really good at jamming -- every band needs to have that card in their hand. And I would love to think that could become a common way for songs to emerge. But it would still come down to me being a control freak after they had emerged. I would have to direct the melodies and lyrics. But the guys understand I'm a mad b-----d.

I get frustrated by certain things, and they just have to step aside and let me be. But that's just the way it is. It's not easy to make great music. And I don't say we make great music all the time. But whatever hit rate we have is part inspiration, along with a lot of determination and struggle.

Isolation, travel and detachment seem to come up a lot on the lyrics. Is that how you feel?

There is a sense of detachment in a few of the songs -- that feeling of not being grounded. Some of that comes from the ennui travelling can bring. We do more travelling than your average band because we come from so far away.

The long-haul flight, being on the other side of the world, the seasons being upside down, they all dominate our lives. But I also think in the world today, there's a general feeling of detachment from reality because there are so many distractions and technology and luxury and comforts. That interests me -- wanting connection with real things.

Your wife Sharon and son Liam are both on this disc. And of course, you've worked with your brother Tim. You're all going to end up in one big Partridge Family band some day, aren't you?

I hope so. That would be fantastic. I would love it. But that's quite a lot to organize. And selling our son on the idea of touring with Mom and Dad might be tough.

http://jam.canoe.ca/Music...60986.html

I'm loving Intriguer! It covers some new ground for the band, but keeps that classic Crowded House. Continuing a recent trend, my favorite song from the sessions didn't make the album, but it's an iTunes bonus track. Here's a very early live performance:

Crowded House - Turn It Around

I dig a lot of Neil's stuff going back to his days with Split Enz but as long as he is sporting that moustache you can count me out!

AlexdeParis said:

I'm loving Intriguer! It covers some new ground for the band, but keeps that classic Crowded House. Continuing a recent trend, my favorite song from the sessions didn't make the album, but it's an iTunes bonus track. Here's a very early live performance:

Crowded House - Turn It Around

I agree this is a really strong album, it seems to be a running trend of "80s bands" doing the best work as opposed to whats out there now.

The first two Crowded House albums are undeniable classics. I've worn out a cassette and CD for each of them - now on to the second CDs. But I'm REALLY happy the new album is so good. Not sure I'll ever wear it out, but I'm sure I'll listen to it a lot in the coming years. Looking forward to catching them on tour as well (Aug 23rd at my favorite venue on Earth, woo-hoo!).

Cerebus said:

The first two Crowded House albums are undeniable classics. I've worn out a cassette and CD for each of them - now on to the second CDs. But I'm REALLY happy the new album is so good. Not sure I'll ever wear it out, but I'm sure I'll listen to it a lot in the coming years. Looking forward to catching them on tour as well (Aug 23rd at my favorite venue on Earth, woo-hoo!).

There hasn't been a Crowded House album I haven't loved, but their 4th album, Together Alone, is still their magnum opus to me. That's my favorite album by anyone.

I'm seeing them 5 times this tour, but I unfortunately can't make that show you're talking about in San Francisco.

AlexdeParis said:

Cerebus said:

The first two Crowded House albums are undeniable classics. I've worn out a cassette and CD for each of them - now on to the second CDs. But I'm REALLY happy the new album is so good. Not sure I'll ever wear it out, but I'm sure I'll listen to it a lot in the coming years. Looking forward to catching them on tour as well (Aug 23rd at my favorite venue on Earth, woo-hoo!).

There hasn't been a Crowded House album I haven't loved, but their 4th album, Together Alone, is still their magnum opus to me. That's my favorite album by anyone.

I'm seeing them 5 times this tour, but I unfortunately can't make that show you're talking about in San Francisco.

Don't get me wrong, I really like all of them. And I know a lot of people feel the way you do about Together Alone. I can't even argue that it's a very underrated release. But for me, I just lived SO MUCH of my life with the first two albums as the soundtrack that they'll always be my favorites.

Cerebus said:

AlexdeParis said:

There hasn't been a Crowded House album I haven't loved, but their 4th album, Together Alone, is still their magnum opus to me. That's my favorite album by anyone.

I'm seeing them 5 times this tour, but I unfortunately can't make that show you're talking about in San Francisco.

Don't get me wrong, I really like all of them. And I know a lot of people feel the way you do about Together Alone. I can't even argue that it's a very underrated release. But for me, I just lived SO MUCH of my life with the first two albums as the soundtrack that they'll always be my favorites.

Well, Temple of Low Men would be my next favorite. The debut is quite possibly my least favorite as an album, but it has phenomenal songs and a great vibe. If you haven't already, you should track down the DVD-Audio release of the debut. Hearing it in surround sound is a revelation.

As an Australian I grew up with Crowded House singles on the radio constantly. They are probaby the closest thing Aussies and New Zealanders have to the Beatles, they could create catchy pop songs with enough depth to feel like their own private universe. Looking back, the great tradition of pop-rock in this country died not too long after they did.

I gave their last album a listen but didn't notice any great pop songs and haven't returned to it since. Any recomendations from that album that I should give another chance? Also does anyone know the level of input Neil's brother Tim had on the Woodface album and why they didn't continue to work together? Also are there any songs from Tim or Neil's catalogue since then that you feel are up to the standards of Crowded House's singles?

Paul Hester's suicide got a lot of coverage here... sad to hear about.

rainman1985 said:

As an Australian I grew up with Crowded House singles on the radio constantly. They are probaby the closest thing Aussies and New Zealanders have to the Beatles, they could create catchy pop songs with enough depth to feel like their own private universe. Looking back, the great tradition of pop-rock in this country died not too long after they did.

I gave their last album a listen but didn't notice any great pop songs and haven't returned to it since. Any recomendations from that album that I should give another chance?

When you say their "last" album, are you referring to the 2007 reunion album Time on Earth or the recently released Intriguer (or even 1993's [o]Together Alone[/i])? Time on Earth is very much influenced by Paul Hester's death, so there is a sense of sadness that permeates most of the album. Assuming that's the album you meant, here are some standouts (I'll post the sad ones):

Pour le Monde

English Trees

People Are Like Suns

Also does anyone know the level of input Neil's brother Tim had on the Woodface album and why they didn't continue to work together? Also are there any songs from Tim or Neil's catalogue since then that you feel are up to the standards of Crowded House's singles?

Tim co-wrote about half the songs on Woodface. They've worked together multiple times since that album, including 2 Finn Brothers albums (1995's Finn, which is very lo-fi and quirky, and 2004's Everyone Is Here, which is more polished like Woodface). Anyway, often times Crowded House's singles weren't even their best songs. "Whispers and Moans," "In the Lowlands," "In My Command," "Never Be the Same," "Walking on the Spot," "Hole in the River," "There Goes God," "Kare Kare," etc.

From Finn (1995):

Suffer Never (Live from Neil Finn & Friends Concert in 2001)

Angels Heap

Paradise (Wherever You Are) [Live from Neil Finn & Friends feat. Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam on ukelele and Ed O'Brien of Radiohead on guitar] my favorite on that album

From Everyone Is Here (2004)

Anything Can Happen - my favorite on that album

Won't Give In

Edible Flowers

The Land Torments the Sea [b-side that didn't make the album, but one of their best]

Some of the best Neil solo songs:

From 1998's Try Whistling This:

She Will Have Her Way

Sinner

Truth

From 2001's Rain Soundtrack:

Drive Home - absolutely gorgeous!

From 2001 One Nil (released in USA as One All in 2002):

Driving Me Mad (Sheryl Crow on backing vocals)

Anytime (Live from Neil Finn & Friends Concert) [feat. Johnny Marr of the Smiths on guitar & backup, Ed O'Brien & Phil Selway of Radiohead on guitar & drums, Lisa Germano on keys & backup]

Last to Know (Live from Neil Finn & Friends) [basically same as above w/ Sebastian Steinberg on bass)

I'd say "She Will Have Her Way," "Drive Home," and "Driving Me Mad" at least are up there with the best of Crowded House.

Some of the best Tim solo songs since Woodface:

Note: I readily admit to being much more of a Neil fan, but I like Tim and gained a great appreciation for him seeing the Finn Brothers on their 2004 tour.

From 1993's Before & After:

Persuasion

From 2000's Say It Is So

Underwater Mountain

From 2001's Feeding the Gods:

What You've Done

Say It Is So

From 2006's Imaginary Kingdom:

Winter Light (also from "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe")

Horizon

From 2008's The Conversation:

Out of This World

I really like this one from Tim Finn

mynameisnotsusan said:

I really like this one from Tim Finn

Yeah, I actually like "Couldn't Be Done" better than all of the other Tim songs I posted (except maybe "Persuasion"), but the video doesn't work. It's insanely catchy.

I'll try to embed from Vimeo:

TIm Finn - Couldn't Be Done from Nancy Vaudeville on Vimeo.