Customer Reviews

Farewell to the World (Deluxe Package)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Recorded in 1996 at the Sydney Opera House plaza, "Crowded House" plays their farewell concert to an appreciative crowd of over 120,000. The 24-song set contains amazingly pure and tight sound with Neil Finn's voice at its best. There are no stand-out cuts, as the band gives it best performance to date on every track. It is flawless. The comments from the band to the audience between songs makes this one of the most personable concerts ever recorded. Slight variations on some songs and an accent here and there make the fans sing along throughout. The closing song, "Don't Dream its Over" is as emotional as ever, with shots of the crowd signing along and the band emoting, realizing this really is their last song together. It's one of the best concerts of the last two decades.

The extras include an optional commentary by the band in subtitles. The second disc has a 20-minute documentary about the enormous planning it took to stage this event, mostly narrated by the band's manager. Also included are a few featurettes, a photo gallery and the full "Crowded House" discography. This is one of those collectable packages that you'll never tire of.

A perfect band,a perfect night,a perfect city. This is a visual and audio delight. The quality is top notch. Being the bands last show adds tremendous emotion to the event. These are absolutely fantastic songs played on the forecourt of the beautiful Sydney Opera House. It is just amazing to witness how good this band actually was. I had no idea until I saw this show.

Reflecting back on this show does evoke a sadness that the drummer Paul Hester is no longer with us. He was a true character and it comes through completely on this DVD. Its strange how we often dont realise/appreciate how special someone is until they are gone.

This show is a must for anyone who wants to hear brilliantly crafted songs. The spectacle of the Sydney Opera House and surrounds also makes this a show all Australians and KIWIs alike should be proud of.

I cannot imagine anyone being dissapointed in owning this DVD set.

I bought this in PAL format on a VHS tape when I was in Sydney many years ago and I am so grateful that it is finally going to be released on DVD in America (in NTSC format!). This band was so under-appreciated and so damn outstanding. Neil and Tim Finn are such amazing songwriters, singers, musicians and performers. Almost everything they do is of such great quality. Crowded House was a great live band and Neil was (and is still) such a strong presence on stage. What an awesome send off to the very best band to ever come out of the Australia/New Zealand region.

As fans know, Crowded House was a tremendous live band. Each show I saw was always unique and great fun. The DVD version of the last CH concert only confirms the memories. What a great way to end (and kick start) a great band. The Farewell show is amazing for its song selection, so many great CH classics, the adoring crowd and most of all, to celebrate the talents of the band. The concert is filmed with no gimmicks. Just the band playing and the usual fun interplay between songs, obviously a little more somber on this occasion. Listening to the 5.1 sound is terrific: you get the full, clear sound of the instruments and to appreciate the wonderful vocal harmonies and counter-play of their voices. The full sound of the band, Neil's guitar, Paul Hester's talent as a drummer, Nick Seymour's ever bouncing bass and Mark Hart's multi instruments, never sounded better. They are tight and sound great. Tim Finn also appears on great versions of "Weather with You" and "It's Only Natural". Disc One is the full show, in all of its glory. Disc Two has three documentary/ newscasts about the show, which are not to be missed. There are also two unreleased versions of "Instinct" and Paul Hester penned "Italian Plastic".

As sad an occasion as this last show (for the moment) was, as Neil says in one of the interviews on Disc Two, it was a celebration of a great band. Now, with all of the rumors of the reunion, new album and tour, get ready world, for the rebirth. Farewell to the World will stand as a testament to the greatness of CH, Neil Finn's brilliant songs and the collective talents of the band. Paul surely will be missed and always remembered yet it appears that the time is ripe for more. While we gear up for what is upcoming, get this one now. This is one of the greatest concert DVDs and extras that you will find.

DISC 1:

'Mean To Me', 'World Where You Live', 'When You Come', 'Private Universe', 'Four Seasons In One Day', 'Fall At Your Feet', 'Whispers and Moans', 'Hole In The River', 'Better Be Home Soon', 'Pineapple Head', 'Distant Sun', 'Into Temptation', 'Everything Is Good For You', 'Locked Out', 'Something So Strong', 'Sister Madly', 'Italian Plastic', 'Weather With You', 'It's Only Natural', 'There Goes God', 'Fingers Of Love', 'In My Command', 'Throw Your Arms Around Me' and 'Don't Dream It's Over'. Disc 2: 'Planning The Event' - Documentary, 'The Day They Brought The House Down' Documentary, Channel 7 'Witness', Italian Plastic (Photo Gallery Plus Audio), Instinct (Photo Gallery Plus Audio), End Credits - Farewell To The World DVD.Tracklisting - Disc 1: 'Mean To Me', 'World Where You Live', 'When You Come', 'Private Universe', 'Four Seasons In One Day', 'Fall At Your Feet', 'Whispers and Moans', 'Hole In The River', 'Better Be Home Soon', 'Pineapple Head', 'Distant Sun', 'Into Temptation', 'Everything Is Good For You', 'Locked Out', 'Something So Strong', 'Sister Madly', 'Italian Plastic', 'Weather With You', 'It's Only Natural', 'There Goes God', 'Fingers Of Love', 'In My Command', 'Throw Your Arms Around Me' and 'Don't Dream It's Over'.

Disc 2:

'Planning The Event' - Documentary, 'The Day They Brought The House Down' Documentary, Channel 7 'Witness', Italian Plastic (Photo Gallery Plus Audio), Instinct (Photo Gallery Plus Audio), End Credits

Of all of the musical concert purchases I have ever made at Amazon whether instant or through pre-order, this is without question the one I looked forward to the most once the order had been placed. I could not believe that this concert was made available and never expected to hear them again. When I first read about CH in 1999...yep, I missed them as they flew, I had no idea who they were. I had read an online review here, (thank you, whoever you are) took a chance, and I have never regretted it. Forunately, those of us latecomers were able to see and hear Neil and Tim together and alone over the years.

And now to hear that the band is reforming, albeit without their beloved drummer, well, all I can say is despite all the sh#* that goes down in this world, it is a good time to be alive to hear this band make their magic once more.

Meets and exceeds all expectations of a live concert DVD. Let's make it # 1 and keep it there for awhile and allow Neil's band to receive the credit they richly deserve.

A fantastic conclusion from an outstanding band! I own a worn out PAL copy of this I purchased while in Sydney in 2000 and had converted to NTSC upon my return to the States. I always hoped that one day someone would finally see to it that this get a proper, world-wide release on DVD. The deluxe package for only $20? You can't beat that price. Thank you, Amazon! Long live the music of Neil and Tim Finn! In my book, they are right up there with Lennon & McCartney and Difford & Tilbrook when it comes to songwriting partnerships from outside the U.S. You can R.I.P. with a satisfied, big grin on your face now, little drummer boy.

I remember the first concert vividly, beamed into the homes of all us Aussies. Crowded House was one of the greatest bands to ever come from our shores (and thanks to the Kiwis just a little bit too!). This concert really was the band probably at their finest, loosened from the shackles of internal conflicts and turmoils that precipitated the need for a break, which at the time we thought was permanent. I had this on VHS as soon as it came out and so with great pleasure do I get to crack this open and relive the memories yet again. The cd is fantastic also but if you get a chance to sit and absorb just how good this band was, it is certainly worth the watch. Great memories all around.

Incredible! I just got Farewell to the world and though I have been a fan since Don't Dream It's Over hit the airways in America, I never got the chance to see them. I have seen Neil Finn, every chance I have gotten since the last ten years of CH's absence. But wow, now that I see this dvd, I finally see Crowded House in all their glory with adoring fans in front of the Sydney Opera House. Such bliss! For those of you that missed CH, this is a great place to start. And for those you that still might think of them as a one hit wonder from the eighties, think again.

And I am greatly looking forward to their reunion. I am so lucky that they are coming to me as I live a near The Coachella Festival where they will be performing in April. Hallelujah!! The future suddenly looks very bright.

Paul Hester will certainly be missed this time around, but he lives on in this dvd and is completely brilliant.

I am as I type in my first viewing of FTW and I guess I must have missed the audio sync problem the other reviewer mentioned. But it sounds incredible and looks great. Beautiful set, great production value, and Sydney Harbor and the Opera House. I am a bit sorry that though I ordered and paid for the Deluxe Package, I got the rather nondeluxe package. Will deal with it I guess, though I am not sure I want to part with the extremely deluxe concert inside the not so deluxe package.

Buy it now!!!

this is one of the best live albums i've bought...and it's a great rememberance to drummer paul...who died a couple of years ago...also great commentary from the other members of the group...neil finn continues to be a underrated songwriter...now maybe he will get recongnition needed for him and the band...only one minor complaint my dvd is stereo and 5.1 dts only...no dolby digital 5.1...so order the right one if you want dolby digital...enjoy