Crowded House Refound/Loss

[Good King Edward VI]

I thought they were done back in '93 after Together Alone. Then stumbled upon their "new" release (I think from '07) Time On Earth at the local public library. Also recently caught a performance they put on "Austin City Limits" on the Public Broadcasting Sinkhole.

Time On Earth, coupled with that concert, has only further confirmed in my mind that Neil Finn is a pop music genius. But that said, the whole situation around the band saddens and even disturbs me, on a personal level.

I, like many in the U.S., first became enamored of C.H. when they released "Don't Dream It's Over" and "Something So Strong". I remember that young man singing that haunting song about not letting them win, and now I see him on television, and he's worn. He looks tired. The lines on his face ... twenty years gone.

And as beautiful and well-crafted as Time On Earth is, there is the black hole in the center of it all, Paul Hester's suicide. "Nobody Wants To", the opening track, speaks for everyone who has ever thought to himself, how can they forget so soon? There's a gap in this room, in this family, in this life, and it will never be filled quite rightly again.

What hammered the album, and especially that song, home to me, was at the very time I picked it up, last winter, my great-uncle, the last of my grandparents' generation, died at the age of 97, and a month before my wife and I lost a baby boy through miscarriage.

This is turning into a bit of an embarrassing confessional, so I'll stop now so that no-one gets too uncomfortable (yours truly included). I should probably change "My Mood" to "Desolate", thought I doubt that's an option.

I would like to hear thoughts from other C.H. fans out there, however, if any.

Yours,
Jeff

love wins, right?

 

[bornagainhippy]

G'day Jeff

The Crowdies are amazing! You are right about the genius of Neil Finn. Don't forget about his big brother though. The Finns are amongst the finest songwriting talents that Australia has ever produced (any New Zealander that's good gets claimed as an Aussie. Eg. Russell Crowe is one Oz's best actors!).

The loss of Paul Hester was incredibly tragic. Any time Neil Finn or Nick Seymour are interviewed these days you can still feel their deepest sorrow when they talk about Paul.

As a lover of music, I hope Neil Finn continues to enchant us for a long time to come.

 

[Good King Edward VI]

G'day Jeff

The Crowdies are amazing! You are right about the genius of Neil Finn. Don't forget about his big brother though. The Finns are amongst the finest songwriting talents that Australia has ever produced (any New Zealander that's good gets claimed as an Aussie. Eg. Russell Crowe is one Oz's best actors!).

The loss of Paul Hester was incredibly tragic. Any time Neil Finn or Nick Seymour are interviewed these days you can still feel their deepest sorrow when they talk about Paul.

As a lover of music, I hope Neil Finn continues to enchant us for a long time to come.

Dear Good Sir,

First, thank you for clearing up for me the fact that C.H. is indeed from N.Z. I have heard them claimed as Australians more than once, but was fairly certain they hailed from that other Commonwealth nation down under.

After I watched the concert on "Austin City Limits", I said to my wife, after shaking my head, "You know, I don't usually like to use phrases like this, but Neil Finn is one deep dude." Though not nearly as revolutionary as the Beatles (who could be, esp. nowadays, though once-upon-a-time the Velvet Underground and Dylan were years ahead of the Fab Four, is rock 'n' roll spent, has it all been done?), C.H. always begs comparison with them. And that's something to write home about.

Second, question: Dylan's greatest accomplishment? I call Blonde On Blonde. Though, have you heard the song "I'll Keep It With Mine" on the Bootleg Series, Vol.'s 1-3 (disc 2)? Perhaps that was the missing note of tenderness which should have been included on Highway 61 Revisited to push it over the top.

Yours,
Good King Ed