Crowded House - Recurring Dream: The Very Best of Crowded House
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Free Music Notes for Recurring Dream: The Very Best of Crowded House
Free Music Review: Thank you!
Hit: 5 Stars
Wow! Thank you gwar_rock_god!!! Crowded House are, indeed, NOT Australian but pure and simple Kiwis like myself. What a relief not to have ANOTHER of our talents stolen by the Australians - it seems to have happened with a number of our citizens. At the moment they are trying to claim Keisha Castle-Hughes, the star of "Whale Rider" who was nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars this year. I can't believe the Aussies sometimes. They'd claim our rugby team if they could...But anyways, Crowded House are one of our finest exports. Almost every New Zealander owns one of their albums and for good reason! Their music is catchy but soulful and so easy to listen to. My favourites include "Into Temptation" "Fall At Your Feet" and "Four Seasons In One Day." Absolutely brilliant. Highly recommend to anyone - even an Australian!!
Free Music Review: Crowded With Hits
Hit: 5 Stars
Australia's Crowded House is one of the most underrated bands of the late 80's and 90's. They experienced their biggest commercial success with their first, self-titled album. The album contained the superb single, the languid "Don't Dream It's Over" which peaked at number two in 1987. It was followed by the more upbeat, but equally superb "Something So Strong" which also hit the top ten peaking at number seven. The band would never again hit the top forty with a single. Their next album, The Temple Of Low Men, was a 180-degree turn from their first album. It was dark and somber with intensely personal songs that probably turned fans away. The excellent "Into Temptation" is the strongest track and "Better Be Home Soon" also rates highly. Leader Neil Finn starting writing songs with his brother, Tim Finn for a proposed Finn Brothers project. That idea was scraped, Tim joined the band and the songs were included on their third album, Woodface, which is their masterpiece. The strength of the album is the brother's flawless harmonies that a deep richness to the songs. "Weather With You" is the band's best song and was unjustly never the hit it deserved to be. During the Woodface tour, Tim, left the band and he would be replaced on the fourth album by American guitarist, Mark Hart. Together Alone added a heavier guitar sound as well as a Maori influence and features the excellent "Pineapple Head". The band broke up in 1996. Recurring Dreams is a fine overview of the band's music, amply filled out by nineteen tracks, three of which, "Not The Girl You Think You Are", "Instinct" & "Everything Is Good For You" are new. Highly recommended for hardcore fans, is a two-disk set with the second disk being a DVD which includes all the band's videos as well as an interview.Free Music Review: what a song!
Hit: 4 Stars
"Better Be Home Soon" is one of the best (and most emotional) songs I've ever heard!It really conjures up some true feelings... that's great songwriting :-)
Free Music Review: "It's a treasure that I have gained"
Hit: 4 Stars
That line appears in "Private Universe," one of the many gems Neil Finn wrote during his days in residence at Crowded House. The song that it is lifted from, "Private Universe," is one of a dazzling array of love songs that he wrote over the House's four album lifespan. Very few artists have that gift for infectious melody that Finn (or his brother Tim) have. And while they only really connected big on that one superb hit single, "Don't Dream It's Over," Crowded House were never short of the mark on any of their albums. It makes "Recurring Dream" a treasure trove of McCartney-esque jewels of melody and harmony, the kind of dark songs that sneak up on you and stick to the roof of your brain later. They were capable of melodic rock ("Locked Out"), bittersweet ballads ("Four Seasons in One Day") and even a wicked sense of humor ("Everything is Good For You" and - even though it's not included here - "Chocolate Cake"). There are also precious few rock bands willing to write songs in three quarter time, as Crowded House did on "Not The Girl You Think You Are."
Crowded House was one of those bands that seemed to grow with each album, only to find their audience dwindling with each successive release. I'm happy to have been a lifelong fan, and as I stated for the review title, their albums are treasures in my library. If you've lost them over the years or just want a good collection of songcraft, "Recurring Dream" is a noteworthy addition to your collection.
Free Music Review: Music for a Kiwi driving adventure!
Hit: 5 Stars
Beautiful songs, engaging and intelligent lyrics, and melodies you'll find yourself humming hours after hearing the songs. As "greatest hits" collections go, this is one of the best - packed from start to finish with great music. My wife and I spent two weeks driving through Crowded House's home country of New Zealand a few years back, and for most of the trip, this was THE album we listened to. It just kept finding its way back into the player.
Besides the well known hit songs ("Don't Dream It's Over," "Somthing So Strong), some of the tracks which stand out as brilliant include "Weather With You," "World Where You Live," "Fall at Your Feet," "Private Universe," and "Mean to Me." These just happen to be my favorites. Sure, some of the 19 songs on this CD are "better" than others - but none are sub-par. There are no fillers.
If you're debating whether or not to spend your hard earned $$ on this CD, think of all the albums you've paid ... for - just to get one or maybe two decent songs. With "Recurring Dream," you'll get 19 songs that you'll actually want to listen to again! Not a bad deal.