Neil Finn & Friends - 7 Worlds Collide - Live At The St. James
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Free Music Notes for 7 Worlds Collide - Live At The St. James
Free Music Review: Missing Tracks?!
Hit: 5 Stars
Where is the Acoustic version of Fall At Your Feet found on the DVD?! That is probably the most incredible recording of one of Neil's most popular songs? I was gutted to not find it on this album... a crying shame...Free Music Review: i love neil finn!
Hit: 5 Stars
i just can't help it! he's so talented, i've been a fan since split enz. i just got through watching this on tv, absolutely wonderful performances. must get the cd.Free Music Review: Neil Finn Fans the Flames
Hit: 4 Stars
Neil Finn has been performing and writing music in the public eye for nearly three decades, yet he continues to deliver fresh, invigorating performances. And it's the performance that shines through on 7 Worlds Collide, an ambitious live set that spans tunes from the Split Enz era through Finn's post-Crowded House catalog and beyond. More than Neil Finn, though, are the performances here of the band and the many guests. Yes, as one reviewer for the BBC points out, Finn has yielded to CPI-that is, celebrity pal involvement. But these celebrities are real musicians, not wannabe celebs (Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thorton, Kevin Spacey, various pro athletes, or politicians, etc) jumping on stage to stoke and stroke their egos. With a crew of Johnny Marr (Smiths), Ed O'Brien and Phil Selway (Radiohead), Lisa Germano, and Pearl Jams' Eddie Vedder plus his son's Liam's garage band and his brother Tim augmenting a solid band, it would seem easy for Neil to be upstaged, but his presence shines through even when he relinquishes the mike.
Moreover, there is no pretension or posturing here---more signs of musical maturity.
There are some songs I don't personally connect with, such as Paper Doll, but others, including Anytime, The Climber, and Weather with You, will worm their way into your subconscious and having you humming through the day. Others, such as the blistering rendering of the old Split Enz number I See Red, demand turning up the volume. Neil does a superb cover of the Smith's There Is a Light that Never Goes Out-of course, having Johnny Mar provide some shimmering guitar only ups the ante.
Unlike many live recordings that either serve to fill in the time between studio sessions or fulfill record company contracts, 7 Worlds Collide, much like other classic live sets such as Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense, Family's Live in Concert, or 801 Live, is more about celebrating the joy of music and collaborating with one's peers.
The recording quality is quite execllent as well. This CD, it should be noted, is a subset of the whole concert, which is captured fully on a DVD of the same title.
Free Music Review: Excellent Live Performances
Hit: 4 Stars
Is it possible to have a different appreciation for an artists live vs. studio performances? Neil's records are (usually) very carefully crafted. That's why this CD and DVD is so unexpectedly vibrant and exciting. So here are my highlights...If Johnny Marr is your guitarist then you are in good hands. He is so subtly beautiful and delicate with his playing ("She Will Have Her Way,", "The Last to Know") and yet can be shimmeringly powerful (Loose Tongues). Cool to see and hear great songs get re-worked by other great musicians. Neil reciprocates in a very cool way with "Light that Never Goes Out." Neil is doing this in live shows, and its a really cool number.
We all know neil's songwriting is wonderful, but its a beautiful treat to hear additional layers of different voices and playing with his songs. I'm trying to think of a more interesting and exciting bassist than Sebastian Steinberg, but I can't. I really can't. I walked right by him once in D.C before a Neil show. I have no desire to meet or get autographs from anyone, but I have to say that I nearly introduced myself to him to only tell him how much I love his playing. Hope he's making a little money....
I'm giving the short shrift to the Radiohead guys, but I'll leave it that their playing is great, too.
I'm not crazy about Lisa Germano's solo stuff but I love hearing her sing and play w/ Neil during "Private Universe" and "Fall at Your Feet."
By the way, my wife is a Neil fan since I got this CD and DVD, and my 4 year old daughter always wants to hear the "Anytime Song".
Get this, and so see him when he tours w/ Tim!
Free Music Review: A Review For Pearl Jam Fans
Hit: 4 Stars
Pearl Jam is my favorite band, and the thing that drew me to this Neil Finn CD is the fact that Ed Vedder is prominantly featured. THE PJ vocalist sings four songs on this album and plays the ukelele on another."Take a Walk" is a fun medium-paced song, but nothing spectacular.
"Stuff and Nonsense" is a moving piano song, which is beautiful and unlike most Pearl Jam songs. Vedder, as always, skillfully delivers on this cover.
"I See Red" is probably the hardest rocking song on the disc and is a comfortable listen for PJ regulars.
Finally comes "Parting Ways," which originally appeared on Pearl Jam's Binaural album and is available in different forms on many CDS. This song sounds much like it always does--which is a good thing.
In addition to those tracks, Neil Finn and his "friends" have several other good songs. My favorite is "Don't Dream It's Over," which has more emotion played live than the studio version you've probably heard on the radio. I bought this for the Pearl Jam connection, but I found it to be a satisfying listen all the way through. Recommended.