Neil Finn - One All
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Free Music Notes for One All
Free Music Review: Finntastic!
Hit: 5 Stars
What does it say about American musical tastes when Neil Finn doesn't have a record deal in the USA? "One All" is a reworking of his "One Nil" international release with 2 new tracks, "Lullaby Requium" & "Human Kindness," and 4 remixes, "The Climber," "Driving Me Mad," "Hole in the Ice," & "Turn & Run." "The Climber" features Wendy Melvoin's fuzz guitar giving the melody a sense of ascent, emotional or otherwise, "We're stranded either way in such a lonely place." "Driving Me Mad" is a soft pop samba while "Hole in the Ice" is a helter-skelter wash of guitar. Neil & Wendy team to write the sweetly sad acoustic "Last to Know," "who I wonder could fail to notice the aching silence." "Wherever You Are" is a bright pop diamond, "I'm the one who reads your mind, see my life in your design." "Goodnight, bless you, let angels possess you," Neil sings on the soft "Lullaby Requium," a song apparently from a son to his dying mother. "Human Kindness" rocks discontentedly. Neil keeps turning out the incredible melodies with "Turn & Run," his sweet vocal delivery cutting against the sharpness of the lyric, "You cold killers of innocence, against us there's no defence." "Anytime" is one of my favorite tracks with its funky backbeat. The CD concludes with another melodic blockbuster, "Into the Sunset." On "One All" Finn perfects and resequences the international release making this simply Finntastic! Enjoy!Free Music Review: His best since 'Woodface'
Hit: 5 Stars
Another victim of the ridiculous American label pratice of releasing some overseas albums up to a year after they've come out (Supergrass fans, you feel my pain), One All is Neil Finn's second solo album and the best thing he has done since Crowded House split. He doesn't seem burdened by expectations, as he did on his solo debut, 'Try Whistling This'. Rather, he seems to accept and embrace his ability to create an unpolished pop masterpiece. The whole album has a loose, yet carefully crafted and jubilant feel. Rather than bow to trends as he earlier did, or trying to make difficult pop, Finn concentrates on crafting a strong set of songs that offer hints of the textured sounds of the debut but don't get overwhelmed by those same sounds.There are a number of highlights here: the gentle opener, "The Climber"; the pounding "Driving Me Mad", with background vocals by Sheryl Crow; the 6/8 ballad "Last to Know"; the bouncy "Anytime".
Any fan of Crowded House will find Neil Finn at his warmest since the album Woodface, and living up to all the potential he showed in Crowded House. This is the kind of solo album people expected McCartney to release when the Beatles split.
Free Music Review: A Great Improvement
Hit: 5 Stars
I've been a Finn Fan for quite a while now, and thus I approach all new releases with great expectations. One All/ One Nil does not dissapoint. When I say a great improvement, I refer to a great improvement over Try Whistling This. This album is much lighter, more warm, more fun than the darker and colder Try Whistling This. Standouts include Anytime, The Climber, Hole in the Ice, and of course, Turn and Run. Unlike the Amazon review, I cant agree that Lisa's backing vocals (and Sheryl Crow's for that matter) are superfluous, they add a beautiful dimention to the songs that was only previously achieved when Neil had his wife Sharon guest on some Crowded House tracks. Into the Sunset is even more striking now after having seen Neil live since the album, and him describing how the song is how he feels on the road away from home. Just a great album throughout, great diversity of songs, and great emotions captured througout the album.
From the feeling of loss on the Climber, to loneliness on Sunset, all the way to the joy of skipping out early in Rest of the Day Off. In my opinion, the best Neil Finn solo effort to date, go out and give it a try and see what the best of today's songwriters has to offer.
Free Music Review: One for All
Hit: 5 Stars
Released abroad last year as "One Nil" and now out domestically with a more upbeat title and altered track lineup, Finn's latest is yet another outstanding collection of songs that are as nakedly emotional as they are experimental. Never your average popster, the former Crowded House man, with the help of co-producer Tchad Blake, continues on "One All" to frame his plaintive voice in eccentric soundscapes that evoke an appropriate melancholic air. "I could go anytime / there's nothing safe about this life," a wised-up Finn divulges on "Anytime," a tune so winsome that one might forget he's talking about death. Not everything sounds as sweet. "Hole in the Ice" - which evokes Rilke's admonition, "You must change your life" - begins as brute force before segueing into a heart-wrenchingly dulcet refrain. But on the whole, this is an album filled with deeply rich melodies ("The Climber," "Wherever You Are" and "Rest of the Day Off") in which the cloudy-day sentiments have no silver lining. Finn has long since begun to ratchet downward his estimates of just how much joy he can extract from the world. It's a marvel then that he's able to express his fears, apprehensions and demons with such brilliance and beauty. ..
Free Music Review: Highly recommended (esp. if you already have One Nil)
Hit: 5 Stars
I've had the pleasure of listening to Neil Finn for many years now...through the days of Split Enz (remember "I Got You?") and Crowded House ("Don't Dream It's Over"), as well as on his journey as a solo artist...and recently, I had the good fortune of vacationing in New Zealand, where I *finally* picked up "One Nil" (the original version of "One All"). For some reason, "One Nil" never hooked me, but "One All" clearly has. From the gentle breeze of "The Climber" to the subtle shuffle of "Driving Me Mad" (w/ Sheryl Crow) and the intensity of "Hole In The Ice" and beyond, it's a good solid ride from start to finish. And one that reveals itself more and more with each listen. You'll hear new things each time you play it and that is clearly the mark of a fine recording.
I highly recommended "One All" to anyone who enjoys the fine songwriting and subtly experimental sides of bands like the Beatles, Travis, Radiohead and so on. "One All" is fine, fine work...and yet another installment in the excellent songwriting and musicianship of Neil Finn. Simply finntastic! :-) (sorry! couldn't resist!)