True Colours

Split Enz | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: A&M Super Budget
• ASIN: B000002GBQ
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #219,686 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. I Got You

2. Shark Attack

3. What's the Matter with You

4. Double Happy

5. I Wouldn't Dream of It

6. I Hope I Never

7. Nobody Takes Me Seriously

8. Missing Person

9. Poor Boy

10. How Can I Resist Her

11. The Choral Sea

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Phoenix Rises, November 11, 2000

By 

Greg Hughes - See all my reviews

This review is from: True Colours (Audio CD)

It was two songs from this album that made me a Split Enz fan: "I Hope I Never" and "I Got You." I had heard "I Got You" for years, but I never connected it with Neil Finn. At one time, many years ago, the song was played in the background of a cafe scene in an episode of "The Restless Years" (Australian soap opera). It was also played in "Coronation Street". Sam Neill also sings a bit of it in the film "Death in Brunswick".

"True Colours" was the album that cracked it for Split Enz, after years of trial, tribulation, and criticism for being too weird. This album was completely different from their previous releases, which featured longer, less commercial offerings. Even the image of the band had changed. Prior to 1980, the band wore bizarre costumes, weird hairdo's, and faces covered in make-up. Not surprisingly, the band never attracted any groupies. I don't know if it's true, but apparently Neil said: "We never got girls coming backstage, just boys with weird haircuts and problems at home."

In terms of music, critics likened "True Colours" to a debut album. The music certainly was a world away from songs like "The Woman Who Loves You" and "Nightmare Stampede". I like the instrumental of "The Choral Sea", it's kind of futuristic and machine-like. I also like the zany metaphors in "Shark Attack". "Poor Boy" was haunting.

One of Tim Finn's vocals complained "nobody takes me seriously". "True Colours" was the album that finally made people take Split Enz seriously.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Power Pop at its Finest Hour, February 9, 2002

By 

"jmcrary" (Germantown, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: True Colours (Audio CD)

Tracks 7 thru 11 are 5 of the best pop songs ever recorded. Those songs are "Nobody Takes Me Seriously", "Missing Person," "Poor Boy", "How Can I Resist Her," and The Choral Sea". Oh, and by the way, the 2 best instrumental songs ever recorded are "The Choral Sea" and "Double Happy". I'm sorry that I let this album sit more on my shelf rather than on my turntable as a kid since I tended to listen more to Ultravox, Japan and Simple Minds. However, I picked this one up recently on CD and have, with my more mature tastes, found that it surpasses much of what came out during that time. I can compare it in nature to such great power pop icons as Elvis Costello or XTC when they were producing interesting power pop records.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True Colours by New Zealands GREATEST Band, March 2, 2000

By 

kelvin hawkes (Invercargill, New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: True Colours (Audio CD)

This album ranks as one of the best put out by the Enz. All of their albums are unique. This is a album of infectuous pop/rock songs. From the haunting I Hope I Never to the standout energy of I Got You. Having had the amazing privilege of being able to see this band live in Invercargill, New Zealand on 3 separate ocassions in their early days (ie 1975 - 1978) I would point out that what comes across on this album and all other albums of there's is only a small sample of the incredible talent within the Enz. All their other albums are also a must.