Neil Finn - Albums & Singles Collection 1998-2001 (5CD)

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Neil Finn - Albums & Singles Collection 1998-2001 (5CD)

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Neil Finn has consistently proven his knack for crafting high-quality songs that combine irresistible melodies with meticulous lyrical detail, from his beginnings as the precocious junior member of Split Enz, through his leadership of Crowded House, and, finally, in his distinguished solo career. He has also earned considerable international commercial success, respect from his peers, praise from critics, and a devoted fan base that hangs on his every release.

Born Neil Mullane Finn, on May 27, 1958, in Te Awamutu, New Zealand, Finn cut his musical teeth as a child by performing for family friends, harmonizing with elder brother Tim. Neil took to piano early on, learning his favorite Beatles tunes and eventually writing his own songs, the first of which was putting music to a poem enclosed in a Donovan album. In the early '70s, Finn intently studied emerging singer/songwriters like Elton John, Neil Young, David Bowie, and Cat Stevens, while watching his brother Tim's band, Split Enz, become a force in the Australian music scene. Neil secured a few supporting slots for the Enz as a solo act, mixing his own originals with some well-chosen covers, accompanying himself on piano, guitar, and mandolin. By 1976, he'd formed his own combo, the After Hours, with lyricist/drummer Mark Hough and guitarist Geoff Chunn. Hough departed shortly thereafter, and Alan Brown was recruited for bass duties. The group showed a great deal of promise, but came to a relatively quick end when Phil Judd left Split Enz and brother Tim offered the slot to Neil. Just before his 19th birthday, even though he'd never played electric guitar before, Neil joined Split Enz as lead guitarist.

Neil stayed in the background for the first two albums of his membership – 1977's Dizrhythmia and 1978's Frenzy – but emerged with the infectious "I Got You" for True Colours. The single was an immediate hit, saving the band from obscurity and, most likely, from an imminent breakup. Split Enz enjoyed moderate international success for the next several years until disbanding in 1985. Neil formed an early version of Crowded House the same year, under a variety of names like the Mullanes and the Largest Living Things, with drummer Paul Hester and bassist Nick Seymour (another guitarist, Craig Hooper, was also in the earliest incarnation of the band). Over the next ten years, the combo eclipsed the success of Split Enz, finding both critical acclaim and massive commercial success internationally, including a number two single in the U.S., "Don't Dream It's Over." In 1996, at the height of their success, following a Finn Brothers side project, Neil decided to dissolve the band in favor of a solo career.

Finn spent much of 1997 working on new material and dabbling in visual art at his New Zealand home. Finn's musical efforts emerged on his debut solo album, 1998's Try Whistling This, which featured new Finn compositions as well as tunes that were written for Crowded House but never recorded. Later the same year, Finn recorded a cover of the Johnny Nash oldie "I Can See Clearly Now" for the soundtrack of the hit animated film Antz. In 1999, Finn compiled and released Afterglow, a set of Crowded House rarities, and he closed out the year with a one-off reunion show with Split Enz for the millennial New Year's celebration. Finn's second solo album, One Nil, was released in March 2001; featuring guest appearances from Sheryl Crow, Lisa Germano, and Midnight Oil's Jim Moginie, the album wasn't released in the United States until May 2002, in a revised edition titled One All. By the time One All came out in America, Finn had already dropped another album elsewhere, a live album from a series of New Zealand concerts called 7 Worlds Collide that included guest appearances from Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, Johnny Marr of the Smiths, and Ed O'Brien of Radiohead. (Finn would revive the 7 Worlds Collide rubric for the 2009 album The Sun Came Out; released as a fundraiser for Oxfam, the album included contributions from Marr and O'Brien as well as KT Tunstall, Tim Finn, and several members of Wilco.)

Finn put his solo career on hold for the next few years, teaming with Tim Finn for another Finn Brothers album, Everyone Is Here, and releasing an archival live album of Crowded House's final show, Farewell to the World, in 2006, prompted in part by the death of CH drummer Paul Hester. As Finn reconnected with his former Crowded House bandmates, they decided to reunite, and released a new studio album, Time on Earth, in 2007. A second reunion effort, Intriguer, was released in 2010, and the following year Finn unveiled a new project, Pajama Club, featuring his wife Sharon Finn on bass; their self-titled debut was released in September 2011. In 2012, Finn was invited to contribute a song to the soundtrack of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and "The Song of the Lonely Mountain" played over the film's end credits. In early 2013, Finn teamed up with another Antipodes pop icon, Paul Kelly, for a duo tour of Australia; the show spawned a live album, Goin' Your Way, which was recorded at the Sydney Opera House and released in their homelands in November 2013, while a belated American release arrived in December 2015. The year 2014 saw the release of Finn's long-awaited third solo effort, Dizzy Heights, produced by Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev collaborator Dave Fridmann. Finn returned in 2017 by posting live recording sessions to his Facebook account throughout August. The sessions became Out of Silence, a solo album released on the first of September.

He spent most of 1997 writing music and painting in his New Zealand home studio. In 1998, he released his first solo album, the critically acclaimed Try Whistling This. That same year, he contributed a cover of "I Can See Clearly Now" to the animated feature Antz and, in mid-1999, he released the charity single, "Can You Hear Us?," a tribute to New Zealand's rugby team the All Blacks. He rounded out 1999 by mining the Crowded House vaults for a rarities release, Afterglow, and by participating in a Split Enz reunion/millennium concert in New Zealand. Finn wrapped up work on his second solo album in 2000. One Nil was released in March 2001. A live album, 7 Worlds Collide, was issued in February 2002 and a reworked version of One Nil (titled One All) was issued in the U.S. in May 2002. A second Finn Brothers album followed in 2004. Finn reactivated Crowded House, releasing Time on Earth in 2007 and Intriguer in 2010.

Biography by Chris Woodstra, Allmusic.com

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Neil Finn - Albums & Singles Collection 1998-2001 (5CD)

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Neil Finn - Albums & Singles Collection 1998-2001 (5CD)

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When Neil Finn closed the doors on Crowded House, all signs seemed to point to a more experimental direction for future solo releases; even the title of his first solo album, Try Whistling This, implies a reaction against his reputation for well-crafted, highly melodic songs. However, from the opening track, the light and breezy "Last One Standing," Finn puts all fears to rest. Try Whistling This does dabble in experimentation – most notably in the feedback and distorted vocals of the paranoid "Twisty Bass" and the mild trip-hop groove of "Sinner" – but throughout, he shows restraint, tastefully incorporating more exotic effects while staying true to his high melodic standard and meticulous songcraft. Finn seems clearly freed from the restraints of being in a band, allowing him to try a lot of different ideas, from the sweeping "Souvenir" to the instant pop classic of "She Will Have Her Way," to more delicate atmospheric pieces like the title track, ultimately creating his most complex and diverse set to date. And though many of the songs take time to reveal their treasures, it's worth the effort. Try Whistling This features some of Finn's best work yet, and in a nearly flawless catalog like his, that's quite impressive.

Review by Chris Woodstra, Allmusic.com

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Neil Finn - Albums & Singles Collection 1998-2001 (5CD)

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In retrospect, Try Whistling This, Neil Finn's solo debut, seems like a conscious effort to distance himself from Crowded House. Filled with studio trickery, distorted microphones, and trendy vague trip-hop beats, the album was a deliberate move to establish himself as a separate, more adventurous entity from Crowded House – yet one that remained a gifted, melodic songwriter. This is all put into sharp relief by his second solo album, One Nil, a record that finds him returning to solid ground, delivering his most straightforward album since Crowded House's Woodface. Curiously, for an album that plays to his strengths, a good portion is the result of a fruitful collaboration with Wendy & Lisa, plus a production pairing with Tchad Blake and numerous cameo spots, including Sheryl Crow, Lisa Germano, and Mitchell Froom. For all the guests and star power, the record is surprisingly subtle, lacking the knockout punches of Try Whistling This, where the singles leapt out of the grooves. This time around, the songs are gently insinuating, slowly working their way into the subconscious. Even the songs with the biggest hooks, such as the first single "Rest of the Day Off," aren't as immediate as "She Will Have Her Way." Yet, on repeated plays, the record begins to gel, revealing itself as a reliably solid effort from Finn. There may not be any new revelations, yet the little details – the turns of phrase, the gently persuasive melodies, the slyly detailed productions – all confirm his status as a gifted craftsman.

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic.com

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Neil Finn - Albums & Singles Collection 1998-2001 (5CD)

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7 Worlds Collide culls the best live renditions from a series of all-star concerts staged by Neil Finn in Auckland in April 2001. This special lineup includes ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien and drummer Phil Selway, Soul Coughing bassist Sebastian Steinberg, and 4AD songstress Lisa Germano on keys and violin (the last two have become part of Finn's regular touring band). Oh yes, and Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder (a devout fan of Split Enz) even joins in on the fun. Selections include Finn's then-current material (from One Nil), of course, and these come off well. But the real treats here are those renditions that could only result from such a unique gathering of musicians, such as hearing Neil Finn and Marr cover the Smiths' "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out," and Vedder's heartfelt rendition of an Enz tune, "Stuff and Nonsense" (off Frenzy), followed by Vedder and Tim Finn together on an aggressive "I See Red." Listeners also get to hear the Finn brothers perform "Angel's Heap," a song off of their joint recording (Finn), a few Crowded House tunes, and an original each by Marr, Germano, and Vedder. In all, the collaborations and the resulting alternate versions are exciting to hear, especially for people who are already fans of the songs.

Review by Joslyn Layne, Allmusic.com

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Neil Finn - Albums & Singles Collection 1998-2001 (5CD)

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Neil Finn - Albums & Singles Collection 1998-2001 (5CD)

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