Mental Notes [Import]

Split Enz | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 13, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Mushroom Records
• ASIN: B00000AOTI
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #570,923 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Details TBA. Mushroom. 1988.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful and Strange ((Large Improvement On Sound)), February 26, 2007

By 

allismile0 "allismile0" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mental Notes (Audio CD)

(updated review I wrote for the original CD version in 2003)

"I find Mental Notes to be the most intriguing song cycle that Split Enz came up with. Before they were a relatively popular new wave band in the early 80's they were art rockers making wonderfully strange music reminiscent of early Genesis and Roxy Music.

There is a great sense of poetry, style and wildness to every song both in the obvious lyrical form as well as the melody and the way it is approached by the musicians. These were odd young men that were angry, happy, and musically fearless.

The popular thing to review about this album is the comparison to its follow up Second Thoughts, which is an all important comparison. Second Thoughts is one year later- different producer (Phil Manzanera- roxy music) "cleaning up" the sound, four re-recorded songs, and a strong desire to make the music more commercial.

Two months ago I bought both albums after reading various reviews on both albums- many reviewers split between which was a better one. I think that it is a truly tough call in that both albums have something unique about them. Mental Notes is a raw artsy sounding record recalling Roxy Music's first two albums; with amazing songs that were left off Second Thoughts like Under the Wheel, Amy (darling) and Maybe (although there are some pretty good replacements like Late Last Night and Matinee Idyll). Second Thoughts has much more sheen to it making the band sound like Supertramp during Crime of the Century.

For the re-made/re-modeled songs I prefer the edgier sound from the debut. I think something was lost somewhere in the translations on the follow up that seemed so key in Mental Notes. I think that Songs like Stranger than Fiction (which has an odd structure to it) needed to have a chaotic production value in order to have the theme fully come across.

Overall this is an album that your not going to come across at most record stores, nor will you hear it ever being played on the radio (it's a little to radical), and I feel lucky to have stumbled over some of the reviews in amazon because this stuff is really great. It is a profound artistic statement with complete ideas that seem totally original and fresh today as it did in 1975."

a little more about the sound...
They really did an amazing job of cleaning up the sound of this album. The muddiness of the original is nicely cleared without losing the "murky atmosphere" that was intended. The bass sounds round and strong and the synthesizers hum in beautiful new way for my ears. For some reason, this album more than any other Split Enz cd that I've heard was in need of remastering and they did a superb job!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars powerful and strange, January 8, 2003

By 

allismile0 "allismile0" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mental Notes (Audio CD)

I find Mental Notes to be the most intriging song cycle that Split Enz came up with. Before they were a relatively popular new wave band in the early 80's they were art rockers making wonderfully strange music reminisient of early Genesis and Roxy Music.
There is a great sense of poetry, style and wildness to every song both in the obvious lyrical form as well as the melody and the way it is approached by the musicians.
The popular thing to review about this album is the comparison to its follow up Second Thoughts, which is an all important comparison. Second Thoughts is one year later- different producer (Phil Manzanera- roxy music) "cleaning up" the sound, four re-recorded songs, and a strong desire to make the music more commercial.
Two months ago I bought both albums after reading various reviews on both albums- many reviewers split between which was a better one. I think that it is a truely tough call in that both albums have something unique about them. Mental Notes is a raw artsy sounding record recalling Roxy Music's first two albums; with amazing songs that were left off Second Thoughts like Under the Wheel, Amy (darling) and Maybe (although there are some pretty good replacements like Late Last Night and Matinee Idyll). Second Thoughts has much more sheen to it making the band sound like Supertramp during Crime of the Century.
For the re-made/re-modeled songs I prefer the edgier sound from the debut. I think something was lost somewhere in the translations on the follow up that seemed so key in Mental Notes. I think that Songs like Stranger than Fiction (which has an odd structure to it) needed to have a chaotic production value in order to have the theme fully come across.
Overall this is an album that your not going to come across at most record stores, nor will you hear it ever being played on the radio (it's a little to radical), and I feel lucky to have stumbled over some of the reviews in amazon because this stuff is really great. It is a great artistic statement with complete ideas that seem totally original and fresh today.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mental Notes is one of the top 10 albums of all time!, December 1, 2000

By 

J. S. Alemparte "alemparte" (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mental Notes (Audio CD)

This is surely the most underated album of all time. I've never heard anything quite like it and I won't even try to describe it with mere words. A virtual blender of Beatles,Zappa,Genesis, Kinks and anything else that's good. In a perfect world would have been the greatest artistic and commercial acheivment of 1975. Give yourself at least 15 listens before you get it. You'll never be the same!