Crowded House - Temple of Low Men
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Free Music Notes for Temple of Low Men
Free Music Review: Temple of Great Music
Hit: 5 Stars
I can't believe I have not reviewed this on Amazon yet. This album was in my collection on cassette way back in the day and I loved it then. As time has gone on, and I have aged and matured, I have come to have an even deeper appreciation for CH and for the genius that is Neil Finn. If my house ever catches fire or someone steals the CD's from my car, this is among the first I will replace. It is brilliant from beginning to end. There is only one track that I am not so crazy about and that is "Kill Eye" Nothing wrong with it really. It's just that the rest is so good, it pales in comparison. Even a simple song like "Better be Home Soon" will crawl into you and you won't be able to get it out of your head for days. "Into Temptation" is one of the top 4 songs Neil has ever written (and pretty much worth the cost of the CD); the other 3 being "Fingers of Love" "Private Universe" and yes the ubiquitous "Don't Dream It's Over" The fact that I can pull out this CD close to 20 years later and still find myself getting lost in it says so much about the quality of the music. I own a lot of music (over 4800 songs on my ipod) but I hit the replay button on this one at least once a week. Although I purchased digital copies when I bought my ipod, I then purchased the CD's for the car. Buy this one if you haven't already. Don't give it a casual listen. Approach it like a fine wine and savor it. Listen to the lyrics. Pay attention to the song structure. I promise you'll be the next one returning to give a 5 star review.Free Music Review: Successful followup to platinum debut
Hit: 5 Stars
Crowded House's second album is considerably darker than its first, but it's where the Crowded House formula was working almost at 100%. Temple of Low Men was not your standard pop release like Crowded House's self-titled debut was, and as a result met with indifference in a market that saw the first album go platinum. It IS a dark album, with songs about extramarital affairs and death, but anyone with an ear for quality pop music would do well to expend the effort the album requires - they'll be rewarded.One thing I like about Crowded House's albums is that they never outstay their welcome. Temple of Low Men is no different, 10 songs totalling around 40 minutes.
Highlights include "Into Temptation", a dark ballad that explores the emotional impact of an extramarital affair; "I Feel Possessed", the rolling album opener; "Better Be Home Soon", a beautiful acoustic ballad that some country music producer would be wise to turn into a Nashville hit - the song practically begs for it; and "Love This Life", my personal favorite Crowded House song and the one I think sums up the group the best - a dark, minor key verse about life weighing you down, that explodes into a beautiful, bright, major key chorus.
A few missteps on this album makes Woodface the best album done by the group, but this one is quite a runner-up. It's a shame this group is not better known here in the US.
Free Music Review: Not so much "dark" as mature
Hit: 5 Stars
The best description I can give of this cd is that when I go to put on a Crowded House cd, I generally pass over this one at first, and generally end up with "Together Alone." But that may be because I've listened to it so many times over. What belies my affection and respect for this recording is that whenever I make someone a Crowded House tape to share with them the music of this great, and yet somehow little-known, band, every single song from "Temple of Low Men" ends up on it. It is a masterpiece. Finn's songwriting is masterful, and the band is as tight as they come. Mitchell Froom's production is the only flaw, and I think mainly because it came out about the time that all-digital recordings were the thing, and it's all digital, so it doesn't have the sonic "punch" characteristic of analog masters that their other albums typically do have. To his credit, however, the use of synthesizers is sparce, which doesn't laden the music with "80s-ness." It still sounds great because the basic guitar-bass-drums formula drives it. But the songwriting is stellar and poetic; the music not quite so hook laden as the debut, but rewards repeated listenings. Incidentally, for those who think Finn's lyrics are simply modernist impressionistic stuff with random meaning--read a bit closer. It's genuine poetry, not merely the turn of a clever phrase.Free Music Review: Utter Brilliance
Hit: 5 Stars
Look there is always going to be those that argue over which crowded house album is the best, they made 4 great albums.
I divide this into two, Woodface and Crowded house have the best singles but Together and Temple are the better albums, more cohesive units and singles sell albums so this is why they are the lowest selling of the 4 albums
Temple is amazing, how could capitol let this fall through the cracks (a quote from the boss B Springsteen)The album is brimming with great songs (Love this life, in the lowlands, sister madly) hell the whole lot.
I still believe to this day if the right singles were released from this album it would have been as big as the Joshua tree (Singles, In the lowlands, never be the same and Into Temptation) When you come and better be home are good songs but not the dynamic singles that radio stations play
I own nearly 3000 cd's in my collection ranging from Eminem to Joni Mitchell to Neil Finn to Kieth Urban and let me tell you this album is my favourite cd amongst the lot. For these reasons
1.It features Neil's best song (Into Temptation)The string bit sends me away in the clouds
2.The harmonies are amazing from Paul and Nick
3.Songwriting and lyrics from the heart
4.Fantastic from Start to finish
Go and buy this record it is amazing
Free Music Review: Better Be In Your CD Collection
Hit: 5 Stars
The whims of the pop world and the fickle nature of the record industry have buried many a fine album, but none of those lost gems has been as deserving of mass success as Crowded House's "Temple of Low Men". An assured and thoughtful follow-up to their poppier debut, "Temple" is, quite simply, the best album of the band's rather troubled history (if you can find it, read "Something So Strong" by Chris Bourke to get a glimpse into their tumultuous career) and one of the best pop records ever. Why? Its darker, more somber tone is often mentioned as a knock, but the dynamic elements of the LP are undeniable - the swing from the melancholy of "Into Temptation" and "Better Be Home Soon" juxtaposed against the rollicking "Sister Madly" and buoyant "When You Come" makes for an incredibly satisfying musical experience. There is not a weak track in the bunch, and the band have never played or emoted better; Neil Finn is at his absolute peak as both a singer and a songwriter, and Nick Seymour and Paul Hester play with the confidence gleaned from their early "Don't Dream It's Over" chart success. All that, and Mitchell Froom's stellar production, make for an album that refuses to age.