I recently did this with Crowded House as apart from an odd song here or there I hadn't really had a lot of their songs on my playlist. This is surprising really seeing as they are my all time favourite band. In my defence, I always have Neil Finn's solo material on my playlists as he is my hero!
It was actually Neil that made me have a 'Crowdies' day this week as I was watching his recent webcast and remembering why I adore him so much and what makes his music important to me.
I got into Crowded House when they released Woodface in the early 90s. I was still at school and I can remember hearing their music and knowing that it is something special. I was lucky enough to see them live not long after when they toured with Woodface in the UK. It was an amazing concert at the Hammersmith Apollo and it connected me totally with this band of amusing and highly accomplished musicians. Anyone who has been to a live show will know that Neil is the ultimate crowd pleaser and his interactions with the audience are amazing. He is extremely funny and sarcastic and brings a feeling of connection between the band and the fans watching. If you ever get a chance to see him live, rush and take it with both hands as you will not be disappointed.So, I have been listening to them for over 20 years now and their early music still sounds as good to me today as it did back then. I particularly enjoyed listening to 'Into Temptation' this week as its such a beautiful and lyrically perfect song. The music completes it totally and pulls at your heart right up until the bass ends and the music fades out. Breathtakingly beautiful.
I have seen Crowded House around 5 times live and also Neil about twice with and without his brother Tim. I consider myself to be very fortunate that I saw the original Crowded House ensemble before Paul Hester left the band. He was an amazing drummer, a highly amusing man and he left a massive hole in the universe when he passed away. I remember reading it on the news and the tears rolling down my face as they are now as I'm writing this. Such a loss.
When the band split I was devastated, but knowing that they would continue with other projects was comforting. Neil's solo work is amazing and his first album 'Try Whistling This' is a beautiful piece of work. Listening to songs like 'Sinner' and 'Souvenir' make you realise how crafted his song writing is. I think I listen to 'King Tide' on a daily basis and the rawness of the guitar never fails to move me. I sometimes wonder how I stop myself from singing out loud on the bus to work in the morning!
It was a great day when the band got back together and released 'Time on Earth'. It was a new version of the band with a new drummer, but the music was just as good. I love this album and especially the songs 'Pour Le Monde' and 'Silent House'. It was a long awaited comeback and it met the challenge very nicely.
Next came 'Intriguer' which is another great record. Stand out tracks for me include 'Either Side of the World', 'Saturday Sun', 'Amsterdam' and 'Twice if Your Lucky' which is so, so beautiful to listen to. Perfect vocals and spine tingling music with amazing lyrics. Bliss.
I think I will definitely have more Crowded House only days as this week it actually lapsed over into 2 consecutive days. Perhaps I'll dedicate at least one day a week to listening to just them and see what happens. I'm thinking of making it a Tuesday...
Check out Neil's webcast here and hear some new tracks from his upcoming new album 'Dizzy Heights' which is out soon.
