Customer Reviews

Say It Is So

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Tim Finn's new album rewards repeated listening: it's compelling, textured and intensely melodic. Many of the songs are trademark catchy (Good Together, Roadtrip, Death of a Popular Song, among others) but not cloying; the album is well served by its rough-edged production. Don't believe the naysayers who say Finn's voice is gone, or that the songs on "Say It Is So" are sub-standard. His voice is changing, and his delivery along with it, but that doesn't undermine Finn's unique musical gift or diminish the richness of this album.

_Say It Is So_ is easily the best work Tim Finn has done since the _Tim Finn_ album (and that's coming from someone who did not care for _Before and After_ but loved _Finn_ and _Altitude_). It might even be his best work since _Time and Tide_.

You see, I was a bit disappointed in _Before and After_. While there were a few songs there which I'd put up against any of my favorite songs, it just mostly falls flat for me. Because while I like editing and gloss and sophistication, I don't like air-brushing, and I really think that is what happened in lots of spots on _B&A_. (and yes, part of the blame for that album lies squarely with the singer/songwriter as well) I adore the _Altitude_ album, however, and I also liked almost all of _Finn_, so I know that Tim still had it. Somewhere. I kept my expectations low, but, yes, my hopes were high.

And my expectations were raised to the level of my hopes when I heard the first song, "Underwater Mountain" which begins with a mysterious dark sound which resolves into something much more joyful. "Shiver" is a tremendously amusing song, from the line "she was a shiver/looking for a spine" to the resolution of "and the spine/was mine."

Perhaps it's easy to dismiss "Always GoodTogether" with it's Nashville twang (and stop with the Rod Stewart comparisons already!), but I think the arrangement fits the simple and unaffected lyrics and emotion. I love the sound of "Roadtrip"--lots of things to listen to but with the kind of beat which turns it into a "good driving song." Or how about the shimmering guitar on "Currents" and its tremendous sense of joy?

I am absolutely IN LOVE with his strangled vocal on "Need To Be Right" although I hated it at first. I love how the strained voice adds to the tension of this song. It's like onomatopoeia, you know? Did you ever have a dream where you were so angry that you work up with your jaw clenched and totally tense? Because this song is the musical manifestation of that. It's raw and powerful and REAL, and unlike the soft-focus stuff which makes up so much of _B&A_.

I guess that "Twinkle" is thought to be the obvious single? Placed after something as powerful as "Need To Be Right" it just seems,well, wimpy. This would not be my choice for the first US single. It'll just get lost in the shuffle of the dial. Much too bland and, oh I dunno, diaphanous. You need something with meat in it for a first single.

Something like "Big Wave Rider." This song knocks me out. I know that it was his brother Neil's album _Try Whistling This_ which was supposed to be so experimental, but it appears that it is Finn the Elder who has been truly willing to go out on a limb." Or what about "Death Of A Popular Song"? Tim goes post-modern on us. It's probably too smarty-pants for US radio, but it's still perversely radio-friendly. A great pop song, and those are so few and far between these days with a great freak-out in the middle. I suspect the other obvious choice for a single is "Some Dumb Reason" and it IS a great song, but again, apart from the chorus--so wonderfully ironic and giddy--I'm not sure that there is not much meat there.

The first time I heard the album's closer, "Rest", it was sunset on a snowy day. I was looking out the window and the snow diffused the fading light and for a few minutes everything had a faint rosy glow. The snow muffled the usual sounds of the city and provided the perfect background for the elegiac sound of "Rest."

So what I guess I'm saying is, as Tim sings, "I've found my thrill." And it's about time!

I was first introduced to Tim's singing when I was 13 years old, living in Canada...way back in 1975....I borrowed a copy of Split Enz's Mental Notes and my musical barriers were blown wide open. Initially I was smitten with the combination of Tim's and Phil Judd's vocals -- I loved how they contrasted each other and how they sounded so 'dangerous' together. I lost that sensation when Phil left the group. Even though Tim remained, I felt that he had somehow painted himself into a corner -- afraid to stray from the vocal style that had made him what he was up to that point. Finally, Tim has taken the complete plunge, and not only as a singer, but also as a songwriter -- he dares to be naked -- and he let's the scars show....and it's all beautiful... ...thanks Tim for an album that I wil cherish forever....

I've read some of the negative reviews of this album and I can't believe it! Were they listening to the same album as me! This is the first solo effort by Tim Finn that I have ever bought, so I guess I didn't listen to with with the baggage of a long time fan. As a new fan, I have to say that this album is a delight from beginning to end. I happen to love his voice, ranging from seductive on Shiver and Roadtrip to anguished on Need to Be Right, a song that just rips my heart out every time I hear it. His more accesible songs, Death of a Popular Song, Good Together and Some Dumb Reason are undeniably catchy -- I find it hard to stop myself from smiling when I hear them. I also think that as a whole this album works wonderfully. I'll listen to it from beginning to end while commuting, and to me, it is perfect for that purpose. One complaint- no lyrics in the liner notes! Overall, this is a fantastic album, and now that I've discovered Tim Finn, I'll be buying all of his albums!

OK--it's true that Tim's voice isn't as sweet and high as it once was. I too miss that one note he used to hit that was so beautiful. But many men's voices change and deepen with age (including Billy Joel's), so I guess he will just have to adapt to a new way of singing--and his fans will just have to adjust our expectation of the vocals on any new album. Vocals aside, however, the album was excellent. This is the first album in 7 years that either of the Finn brothers worked on that I truly liked. There are no dirges, no dark, nonsensical lyrics, no New Age chanting, just pure pop brilliance. Unlike other reviewers, I liked the album the minute I played it. It required no time to "grow on me." I'm also puzzled about the complaint that the songs weren't tuneful. I found Good Together and Death of a Popular Song to be candidates for the Catchy Tune Hall of Fame. Some of the others had a filler-like quality--and some like Currents and Underwater Mountain seemed to go on too long. It's also less challenging and experimental than Before and AFter, his masterpiece. But for those looking to hear some cheerul, likable love songs, I highly recommend it.

Two words to describe Tim Finn's music: underated and understated. He has produced some awesome music in his time, as main man of the legendary Split Enz, as the creative force behind Crowded House's Woodface album not to mention his own solo albums, especially the critcally acclaimed Before and After album.

Forget all that for now. Tim has moved on and has produced an album for right here, right now. Say It Is so has the rawness and immediacy of spontaneous creativity and contains some of his finest songs. Underwater Mountain, Twinkle, Good Together are among his finest moments, but best of all is Need To Be Right - a sort of grungy Neil Young meets Dylan rocker.

A word to the wise: catch Tim's live show if you can - the new songs are perfect for live performance. Tim performs solo on acoustic guitar, with a bass drum and a little plastic box(? ). You won't believe the sounds that come out of the little plastic box!

Heartfelt and honest. Tim, as does his brother Neil, continues to grow as a singer-songwriter. His voice and gift for melody really shines on this CD. Not to be missed by any Finn fan or great pop music lover.

This album has recieved a lot of negative critcism in the popular media here in Australiasia. Many complained it showcased a weaker Tim Finn voice. Well for the record I think Tim's voice sounds fine. I found this album to be more adventurous and sonically more varied, advanced and experimental than the straight foward album after - the mainly guitar rock driven Feeding The Gods. So yes it is a better album. I love and respect the way the LP closes with a deeply profound philosphical heartfelt ode to the 20th century with Rest...Other lyrical trends through out the album is the Neil Finn similar (to his One Nil/One All song Driving Me Mad) Need To Be Right, which many compared to Neil Young & Crazy Horse's unique guitar sound. I think this album has everything in variety you could want from a Finn album. From the Neil Finn like Recurring Dream guitar riffs of the joyous beach scenery of Currents and Big Wave Rider to the straightfoward pop classicalism of Death Of A Popular Song and Good Together, this album has enough mix and match garden salad variety spice to convert any hardened Neil Finn/Crowded House only fans to Tim's solo camp.

I am a big fan of Neil Finn, Crowded House and Split Enz (mostly the Neil Finn era enz), I have recently started liking Tim Finn's contribution to these groups, as well as Finn Brothers. I find this to be a consistently satisfying group of songs. His voice may not be Neil's or what it once was, but his songwriting, sense of melody and the ability to know the limitations of his voice are there. Of course, there is nothing as good as persuasion on this one, but then he is not the songwriter Richard Thompson is. Another collaboration with him would be wonderful. If you like Tim Finn, you will love this CD.

Definitely an example of the quirky pop sensibility we've come to expect from Mr. Finn. While not as immediately catchy as the offerings of his brother Neil, Say It Is So is a collection of precisely constructed gems. Tim obviously had control of this one from start to finish. It's much better than the overproduced, glossy Before & After. Give this more than one spin. As with all of his work, Say It Is So is poppy and challenging.