Customer Reviews

Feeding the Gods

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Tim Finn is one of my favorite artists. I gravitate toward the pop sound like the classic "Good Together" from his last "Say It Is So." This CD still combines some of those hooks, but thrashes a lot more with electric guitar. A throbbing keyboard opens "Songline." Tim's lyric originality remains strong, "You got a mind from the 18th century; you tried to prove the world is flat when you turned your back on me." "I'll Never Know" is representative of many of the song arrangements on the CD: a heavy wash of electric guitar with a great pop chorus. "Subway Dreaming" slows things down a bit with a softer sound and another hook-laden chorus. "Say It Is So" sounds a lot like U2 to me with the crunching guitars. More thundering guitars, hooks for the chorus, and a delightful bass that runs all over the place near the end mark "What You've Done." "Sawdust & Splinters" is slower, "Sawdust & splinters at your feet; nobody shall go home in defeat." "Dead Man" is interesting because it alternates from slow to fast and back again. I don't really have a clue about the lyric, "lemon tree is growning lemons again." "Commonplace" is more on the pop side, "It's banal but it's so lovely" Finn sings on the soft chorus punctuated by more guitar thunder. "Waiting for Your Moment" is a breathy wispy techno track I usually forget to listen to. "Party Was You" alternates between classic rock & arena rock. Another U2-like wash of electric guitar comes with "Incognito in California." This CD is less of a favorite for me than "Say It Is So" because it is more of a hard rock sound without the knockout melodies. Sometimes I compare Finn's work to Paul McCartney; and this could be like Paul's new "Driving Rain" in that regard. Tim Finn is an artist who always delivers some great new songs. Enjoy Gods!

It must gnaw at the elder Finn that younger bro Neil has accumulated accolades over the years while Tim's equally evocative but woefully underrated work has languished in near obscurity. Last year's low-key "Say It Is So" was both tasty and textured, but who knew it was ever released? Now the former member of Split Enz and Crowded House has teamed again with producer Jay Joyce and returned with "feeding the gods," an album whose central theme, Finn says, is about giving back to the world his gift of music. In a better time and place the world would be listening, because these 11 songs are imbued with an understanding of and a compassion for the human condition. They are also among the least-fussily arranged of Finn's curlicue career. "I just wanted to rein it in and be more simple with it this time," Tim says, and the relatively straightforward production on the new record allows his songwriting and affecting tenor to shine like a spring morning, especially on tunes like the otherworldly "Subway Dreaming" or the hard-charging "Say It Is So" or the impassioned "What You've Done." With not a duff track on it, "feeding the gods" is the work of a true classicist. Now if the gods would only feed his record sales.

Of all the new releases that include a jamming yet soothing style of music
accompanied by emotional vocals and contemplative lyrics, this album is
definitely the best I've heard in too long a time. The tracks here exemplify
the tremendous and hard-won career of former Split Enz/ Crowded House member
Tim Finn. And as Finn's melodious singing style conducts the gentle rhythm
of the band's harmony (particularly on the sixth track "Sawdust and
Splinters"), there's much to be appreciated to any listener like me who
misses the days of Depeche Mode and Crowded House.

And speaking of the latter, there are certainly songs on FTG that remind me
of the "Woodface". The fourth track, "Say It Is So", enjoys many of the
freestyle jam that can be heard on "Chocolate Cake". In addition to that,
the ninth track displays much of the same kind of easy going rock present on
"It's Only Natural".

Listen to the album all the way through and you will definitely notice,
through the collective genius of producer Jay Joyce and engineer Chris Van
der Geer, that they save the best track for last. "Incognito in California"
is a spirited ballad portraying massive sentiment sung over a beautiful
mixture of acoustic guitar and steady drumbeat, juiced together with Finn's
angelic vocals. It's a song that reminds me of California in terms of
community attitude and friendliness. Amazing how a chap from all the way
over in New Zealand was able to present that with such precision.

Tim Finn has become almost notorious for completely overhauling his sound between solo albums, so "Feeding The Gods" was a bit of a shock - this is, more or less, the same sound style he embraced with his previous album, "Say It Is So," teaming up with many of the same session players and producer Jay Joyce. The result is a collection with some fantastic tracks - the anguished, thrashing "Commonplace," the lovely "Waiting For Your Moment," the almost latter-day-Split-Enz-esque "Party Was You," and a song I can't stop listening to, "Subway Dreaming." If you thought Tim's lost his touch, get "Feeding The Gods" and think again.

Of all the new releases that include a jamming yet soothing style of music accompanied by emotional vocals and contemplative lyrics, this album is definitely the best I've heard in too long a time. The tracks here exemplify the tremendous and hard-won career of former Split Enz/ Crowded House member Tim Finn. And as Finn's melodious singing style conducts the gentle rhythm
of the band's harmony (particularly on the sixth track "Sawdust and Splinters"), there's much to be appreciated to any listener like me who misses the days of Depeche Mode and Crowded House.

And speaking of the latter, there are certainly songs on FTG that remind me of the "Woodface". The fourth track, "Say It Is So", enjoys many of the freestyle jam that can be heard on "Chocolate Cake". In addition to that, the ninth track displays much of the same kind of easy going rock present on "It's Only Natural".

Listen to the album all the way through and you will definitely notice, through the collective genius of producer Jay Joyce and engineer Chris Van der Geer, that they save the best track for last. "Incognito in California" is a spirited ballad portraying massive sentiment sung over a beautiful
mixture of acoustic guitar and steady drumbeat, juiced together with Finn's angelic vocals. It's a song that reminds me of California in terms of community attitude and friendliness. Amazing how a chap from all the way
over in New Zealand was able to present that with such precision.

Over the past month I've played this in the mix at three parties. Every time FEEDING THE GODS comes on people start wandering over to the CD player and start flipping through my CD's to see what they're hearing. How's that for a seal of approval?

Before I go any further: this is an EXCELLENT album, buy it, play it LOUD over and over and over again. This is Tim Finn's best album ever. To say this of an artist with a distinguished 30 year career is saying a lot. Tim penned the lion-share of Split Enz's hits, co-wrote Crowded House's `Woodface' album (Weather with You, etc.) and has 6 solo albums to his name with hits like (Fraction too Much Friction, Persuasion, etc.). Yet `Feeding the Gods' is his crowning moment. Even taken at face value, without the Finn name, the album sounds fresh, energetic, direct and deceptively simple and there isn't a single weak moment. Other artists would [do anything] for something like this. At the end of the 40 minutes you'll find yourself slightly dazed, somewhat confused, certainly out of breath and happily reaching for the replay button.

Even after all this time i am still playing & enjoying this CD,why may you ask?

The songs are simply first rate with strong melodies that only Tim Finn can write.I urge anyone who is a fan of Split Enz/Crowded House or who loves great music to buy this CD you will not regret it.

Well, some people seemed a bit suspicious about his last solo effort 'Say It Is So'(2000)....but if people arn't convinced with this album they never will be.
Tim Finn has come out with an album with more energy and passion than anything in his back catalogue. I still put it on and am amazed at what Im listening to.
Having been in the shadow of brother neils work of late, this should put his name right out there. Even the most ardent Neil fan would fins it hard not to like it better than Neils last release One nil.

wonkabars

The other reviewers seem to be fanatical Tim Finners. If you've heard the melodic music and great arrangements of some of his earlier work, then you'll notice this just doesn't compare. A slightly more listenable record than Say It Is So, but just slightly. After listening to it several times, there's just nothing that sticks in your head like "Many's the Time", "Can't Do Both", or so many of his earlier songs. Still gets 3 stars because an average Tim Finn is better than a lot of others.