Customer Reviews

Woodface

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Woodface" was to be Crowded House's return to the top of the pop charts--Neil Finn, I understand, delivered a much darker record to Capitol that they rejected, and that's how Tim came into the band--he and Neil had been collaborating on a Finn Brothers project that pretty much became "Woodface." And while Tim Finn is truly an outstanding songsmith in his own right, he's not the consistently impressive lyricist that Neil is--some of the lyrics don't work as well as one would expect from a Neil Finn composition. Still, much of the material is among the best and catchy Crowded House stuff available--"She Goes On," "Four Seasons in One Day," "Fall at Your Feet," "Fame Is," "Weather With You"--which is why, I think, it's such a popular album in Europe--that, along with the tongue-in-cheek poke at American shallow consumerism: "Chocolate Cake." In a nutshell, they bartered some of the artistic lyricism for pop sensibility when they brought in Tim (and if you want to hear the "Woodface" rejects, pick up "After Glow"). But it works--this may be the most immediately accessible of all Crowded House stuff. The only truly "weak link" is the obligatory Paul Hester comp that shows up on all of their albums--the Ringo effect, I guess. "Italian Plastic" is okay, but it's a bit like serving a platter of corndogs at a wedding reception--sure, they're tasty, but don't belong with the caviar and champagne.

I once read a review of this album which stated, "This is not only one of the best albums of the nineties, but it is also one of the best white/male/anglo-saxon albums ever recorded. Period." After owning WOODFACE for a little over a year now, I can not agree more. Every song on this album fits perfectly together to create nothing less than what could be described as a journey. Even the weakest tracks on the album (I will not state my opinions here, from fear of offending many a Crowded House fan!) are near perfect pop tunes. And the strongest tracks transcend. "There Goes God" is one of the wittiest songs I have ever heard - the lyrics here are truly stunning! "Fall At Your Feet" is simply gorgeous. Its power to move your heart is undeniable. And lastly, (I could go on and on with this, but I will try to cut it short!) "Four Seasons In One Day" is the best Beatles-influenced song I have ever heard; tie-ing only with Tears For Fears' "Sowing the Seeds of Love." Its simple melody is so disarming - the way it works its way underneath your skin is true magic that is rarely ever seen in music of this decade. But again, it is the album as a whole - the cohesiveness of the writing and performances - that make WOODFACE Crowded House's best album. The fact that I picked up this album eight years after its release, and it is not weighted down by the typically dated songwriting so characteristic of the early 1990's is a testament to the quality of Neil's overwhelming talent as a songwriter. As I said, these tracks transcend! They are not of a time, or of a period in your life - they are true classics. I have never once regretted the purchase of this album. I urge you to pick this one up. If you have doubts about its quality, it is not too difficult to find it used for about 7 or 8 bucks. Go ahead! Do yourself a favor and buy WOODFACE ASAP!

Even above their wonderful debut, this is my favorite Crowded House CD. It's probably because Neil and Tim Finn reunited long enough to work their brotherly chemistry for a batch of melodic, hook laden songs. Unfortunately, the image of goofy nonsense that the first album's hits and videos cultivated remained as one Crowded House couldn't shake, and despite such obvious charmers as "Weather With You" or "Four Seasons in One Day," chart success again eluded them. That's a darn shame, because the band's assimilated influences of Byrds and Beatles were at their peak on "Woodface." There was even a lethal double-dose of humor in the American Vs England "Chocolate Cake" (these guys were New Zealanders, remember), and the thinly disguised swipe at Hollywood in "There Goes God."

Anyone who got to see Crowded House on tour during this period also got a magical show. I was fortunate enough to catch them on a night that Roger McGuinn came out for an encore of "Mr Tambourine Man" and "Eight Miles High." (If you can snatch a copy of the "Byrdhouse" EP, it's worth it.) Tim again left for solo ground after this, and took that little extra sparkle with him. But for the duration of "Woodface," the four cornered Crowded House managed to spin some of the lost magic of their Split Enz days.

I played this album today for the first time in many years and was instantly reminded of the genius that was "Crowded House". So much so that I felt compelled to write a review (a first for me) of this fanatstic piece. What can I say? - the songs are the Finn brothers at their best!! The stunning harmonies resulting from Tim Finn's short-lived tenure with the band (from memory this was the only album he recorded whilst an official member of Crowded House) are nothing short of heavenly.

There are many hits to be found on this album, amongst them "Chocolate Cake", "Weather With You" and "Four Seasons In One Day", but for mine the real gem is the hauntingly beautiful (though never commercially lauded) "She Goes On". This ode to a departed loved one never fails to bring tears to my eyes and is my all-time favourite Neil Finn composition. A big statement when there is so much brilliance to choose from! To be honest I'd give this album five stars based on this track alone, so I'm lucky there are so many other great tunes to justify my rating.

"Woodface" also includes "Italian Plastic" which was penned by the late and much-missed Paul Hester. Given that he was not exactly renowed for his songwriting abilities as he was for his brilliant drumming and percussion work it's a pretty good tune. The chorus in particular is very catchy. I also love the songs "How Will You Go" and "As Sure As I Am" which I don't recall being hits but are good examples of why virtually every song on this album could well have been a commercial success.

If you were ever a fan of "Crowded House" and for some reason don't own this album then you simply must buy it. If you already own it and it's collecting dust in your CD collection perhaps it's time to have a listen again. For if you're anything like me, the melodic sounds of Nick Seymour, the great Paul Hester and the amazingly talented Finn Brothers will most definitely feature heavily in the Soundtrack of your Life.

This is simply the best melodic pop album recorded since Abbey Road.

A slightly new direction for Crowded House w/the addition of Tim Finn for his only appearance as a group member. The first two CH albums were pretty incredible, but this one went to a slightly higher level.

I first heard "There Goes G-d" on the radio (albeit alternative radio), but when I got the CD, it just got better from there. "Four Seasons In One Day", "All I Ask", "As Sure As I Am" are pure Neil Finn. But the rest is great too. The only song that didn't do it for me was "Italian Plastic" - but even that isn't enough to knock it to 4 stars.

Joe Bob says check it out.

Woodface is Crowded House's third and best album, the one that should have given the group a larger American audience, but didn't; it's a real shame, because I have heard very few joyous, fun, involving albums like Woodface. Tim Finn, Neil's brother and bandmate from the Split Enz days, joined the group for this one album and cowrote a number of the songs. His voice harmonizing with his brother's is one of the highlights of the album, especially on my favorite track, "It's Only Natural". Although I would say that the previous album, Temple of Low Men, may have had the higher high points, Woodface is the more consistent album. The only misstep on the album is the opener, "Chocolate Cake", which is not bad, but is an anti-American song that portrays us all as fat and uneducated. Wait a minute, it's right!

The highlights of the album are "Fall At Your Feet", a classic ballad that should have been more than the minor radio hit that it was; "Weather With You", a feast of harmony vocals and Neil Finn's typical dour worldview; "She Goes On", a beautiful musical eulogy for a wife; and the album's closer, "How Will You Go", a song about an alcoholic.

If you're looking to get into the House, you can start here or on their debut album. If you're a fan of quality pop music, you won't be disappointed with either.

The best thing about Woodface is that Neil and Tim Finn collaborated to produce some wonderfully enduring songs. The problem is the album is a mish-mash of edgy Crowded House tunes and slickly produced Finn Brothers tunes. It's not sure what it wants to be, and, therefore lacks the coherence of the other Crowded House albums. Still, it beats most anything else out there, so it's a good buy.

I bought this album back when it was first released. My friend and I crashed a local on air appearance by CH at KXRX. I was hooked!
I wore out the cassette tape by listening to it over and over. This is the one CD that I can listen to again and again; I never get tired of it. If you're looking to add to your collection of CD's you WILL listen to - you won't be dissapointed.

So many of the songs on this album were hugely successful hits and many you'll still hear at least once every couple of weeks on the radio even today. Chocolate Cake would be my favourite Crowded House song and the only reason I can see that it never made their greatest hits album was because so many of the other songs from this album were included and the record company still wanted people to sell lots of copies of Woodface. It's Only Natural, Fall at Your Feet, Weather With You and Four Seasons in One Day would easily be Crowded House's most played songs and they are all on this album. There's nothing wrong with the other not so famous tracks on this album either it's only because so many singles were sold of the other songs that customers figured out they should buy the album that the other songs didn't become hits as well.

Both Australians and New Zealanders claim this band as their own so you know you can't go wrong by buying it.