It's only natural

Crowded House - Woodface (1991) ****

Nominated by: Kevy

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition:  Weather With You

Tim and Nil Fun together is a magic combination - whether it be in Split Enz, as The Finn Brothers, or when they pool their considerable talents in Crowded House.

Woodface is a no-brainer NZ music high water mark. For some it's Crowded House's best album (my vote is for Together Alone in case you're asking).

Commercially and critically a huge marker in their careers, so what is there to talk about? Well, first of all how great some of these songs are. I speak of Chocolate Cake*, It's Only Natural, Fall At Your Feet, Weather With You, and Four Seasons In One Day. All are Finn/Finn songs except for Fall At Your Feet - Neil's alone. 

My goodness. Breath-taking in their genius - all five stars [Chocolate Cake* only just - that recurring line about Tammy Baker always grates with me. For me, it's a mistake naming someone current like that - songs date that way].

But hang on, you say, that leaves 9 other songs to discuss. I'm not counting the tacked on 'hidden' track - I'm Still Here (ha ha). They probably regret that now.

Tall Trees - Nil and Tum vocal duet. It's upbeat! But not that memorable. Not in the same class as Chocolate Cake - the one it most resembles. Smells a bit like filler.

Whispers and Moans - a Neil song. Good, but not great.

There Goes God, How Will You Go (Finn/Finn) - duet songs and worthy entries. Like Chocolate Cake - There Goes God is touched by the same absurdist brush lyrically - surely Tim's influence. How Will You Go is an excellent closing song - the brothers lock in vocally to great effect.

Fame Is, As Sure As I Am, She Goes On (all Neil songs) - all familiar territory for Crowded House fans - i.e. really good songs, played well. Lovely accordion on As Sure As I Am. She Goes On is terrific. Surely a love song for Shazza (love the Beatley backwards fade out).

All I Ask (Finn/Finn) - beautiful song, sung so well by Tim alone. Sounds out of place though with those sweeping strings (great as they are). Probably would have been more suited for inclusion on Before And After maybe?

Italian Plastic (token Ringo, I mean Paul Hester song) - Tim and Neil do their best with an okay song. Does have a promising chorus. The reprised ending wasn't a terrific idea.

Bottom line - those very familiar tight five genius songs tend to overshadow the rest of the album somewhat. They are that good.

Based on Kevy's criteria for a 5 star classic album - that every track should be a masterpiece, I have to stop short of awarding 5 star status because as an album, Woodface's no Mental Notes.

Thanks for recommending this one Kevy - always lovely revisiting this album. I hear new things each time and hadn't previously realised what an excellent song How Will You Go is.

Crying shame

The Teskey Brothers - Half Mile Harvest (2018) ***

Nominated by: GK

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition:  Louisa

This album would have been a complete no-brainer for Gregarious G-String. It includes all of the GG-S patented tropes: tasteful guitar; a consistently languid pace; lived in, almost gruff, vocals; and tasteful horn arrangements punctuating and complementing the tasteful vocals.

It's not a million miles from Mark Knopfler's solo albums. 

I find it a pleasant listening experience - no rough edges to ruffle the feathers. But I like rough edges.

Favourite tracks: even though the lyrics are basic, Louisa has some harmonica (I'm a big fan), handclaps, a slightly more pacey approach, some tasteful guitar and organ licks (I'm a big fan); Shiny Moon sounds like a JJ Cale song (slide guitar, muffled beat, easy vocals and all), and as such works as a relaxed back porch tune. I almost thought they were going to break into Cajun Moon at one point.

Weak areas: I struggled to differentiate many of the other tracks because of their sameness. Is it me or do the first three tracks begin exactly the same way with that choppy reggae-ish guitar sound? It often felt a bit too much like music you'd put on in the background at a dinner party which is all well and good, but I prefer music with a bit more oomph and presence, and I don't have too many dinner parties these days. 

The end of the album is problematic - Hard Feeling and Honeymoon are so sloooooooooow. And 11 plus minutes of sloooooooow is too much maan, especially the last 4 minutes of it. Freebird it ain't!

All up, I'll give it 3 stars because these guys can play - there is nothing offensive about the album, it's mostly pleasant background music and I didn't mind the relistens. But by the end of three times through I needed some Office Dog to cleanse the palate.

Having a party

Sam Cooke - the Best Of Sam Cooke (1962) ****

Nominated by: Lew

Music club: MNAC

MNAC playlist addition: Having A Party

Sam Cooke long ago entered into the category of legendary performer. His vocal ability is beyond criticism. What a voice! Literally peerless.  

The 'hit' songs have long entered the soul hall-of-fame (not sure if there is such an august body but there should be if there isn't).

There are classics aplenty on this one: You Send Me; (What A) Wonderful World; Bring It On Home To Me; Twistin' The Night Away; Only Sixteen; Chain Gang; Summertime and Another Saturday Night.

So, the question is more around how does this compilation stack up against the others?

My version is called 16 Most Requested Songs. It has all of the ones I've highlighted, plus an organ driven Little Red Rooster (sorry), and Never Can Change This Love. Two songs I love, although the latter does have those sweeping string arrangements so beloved of the fifties and early sixties.

Then again The Best of Sam Cooke has the wonderful Everybody Loves To Cha Cha Cha so I guess every compilation is going to have something different to recommend it.

It was lovely to return to these songs, thanks Lew. I'll be very interested in how ears younger and hipper than mine relate to something from another time and space altogether.