Old-ish Albums to Attain

Home Recommendations

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Damien Rice

Jack Lukeman

John Doe

Roddy Frame

Rosie Thomas

Sarah Harmer

Tim Finn, Bic Runga, Dave Dobbyn

 

 

Metropolis Blue - Jack L (Jack Lukeman) (Torc Music Ltd, 1999 then Razor & Tie, 2000)

Whilst the unpredictable, near performance art energy of a Jack Lukeman performance could never be captured on a shiny little disc, this precious gem of an album brings the next best thing to the rest of the world who cannot experience the enormous privilege of seeing this amazing young atom-smasher in person.  As his haunting voice, seemingly bursting from the depth of a hidden soul from another decade, is sufficient to cause anyone to surrender to his mystical powers, the ability to take Metropolis Blue into your home and play it is a bounty in itself.

Jack L, 26 when he recorded this album, is a bit of a heartthrob in his native Ireland, but don't start picturing Ronan Keating or the glossy insignificant boy bands who are popular with teens today.  Jack L is not a traditional looker; he resembles the end result of a struggle between a vampire and a wolf man--albeit it dashing ones--more than a polished Pop Idol winner, and he is not beyond wearing beads and boas, certainly more in the spirit of Marc Bolan than Julian Clary.  In fact, the former mechanic is so distant from those manufactured boy bands that he turned down the opportunity to have pop prince Louis Walsh manage him, turning away the man who masterminded the world-conquering antics of Boyzone, Westlife and Six because Jack L is in the music for the music, he would not agree to sell out to anything but the music, and he is happy enough with the less awesome success he has achieved on his own.

He deserves that and more.  Metropolis Blue is self-produced but not self-indulgent, and Lukeman did not skimp on the budget, sprinkling brass, strings and an entire orchestra throughout, but sticking to his four-piece band, including guitarist David Constantine with whom Lukeman co-wrote most of these 12 tracks, when nothing more was required.  They are the red carpeting in the art gallery where his voice is the Mona Lisa.  That astonishing voice is sometimes compared to Bono, a claim that shamefully undersells its compelling dynamism.   If you could pour into a cauldron the voices of Edwyn Collins, Nick Cave, Frank Sinatra, Jim Morrison, Lloyd Cole, Midge Ure, Van Morrison, Tom Jones, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury and Julian Cope, leaning towards a baritone output, then the outcome would be almost as good as the voice of Jack Lukeman.  Add to that a technical brilliance and the ability to reach every note no matter how high or low and hold it for days, and you almost get a feel for the man's sound.. 

His songs of soothing moments combined with spinning tempos have the impact of a beat club poet in its heyday and pull you into their engaging other-worldliness with their timeless charm.  They are as difficult to categorize as his velvet voice, but each begins with a mysterious, sinister feel that disappears into pure jaw-dropping beauty.  Apart from the vocalists mentioned above, one could guess Lukeman was also influenced by anything from Smashing Pumpkins to Echo and the Bunnymen, classical composers to Elvis Costello, Tom Waits to even Nina Simone.  He sings dramatically but without thin histrionics. 

The gorgeous opener, When the Moon is High, is an atmospheric croon that could have been performed by Tony Bennett as easily as Bono or Nick Cave, and the amazingly catchy Ode to Ed Wood, with its chorus of 'I like girls, and I like boys', has a feel of the Fleshtones or the Cramps in the 1980s, Bedsprings with its wolf man howling nods towards Tom Waits or The Doors.  Even Cab Calloway's influence seems to be spun into some songs, and many of them could be played in a swing club in the 40s as easily as in any modern club.  The mournful cry of 'No, I won't be coming home tonight,' in No Goodbyes lets you forgive the beginning borrowed from Strawberry Fields Forever before bafflingly wading through some Queen-style electric guitars to reach the soothing splendour that takes over the touching tune.  The inspirational Georgie Boy is a stunning triumph in the vein of Nick Cave were he able to explode in excitement, a passionate plea for someone to, as the more controlled English would say, 'pull yourself together', but the ultimate prize on the album is the utterly breathtaking Rooftop LullabyIts lyrics describe the song itself: '...its beauty's beyond words / It's like a tune that I can't sing,' but the heart-stopping soaring of Lukeman's voice over the cello and gentle piano is what will make it difficult to ever move past that track that leads your finger to the repeat button. The grace of the Furniture-like title track closes the album but for two bonus tracks: Taste of Fall, one of the least engaging tunes, which is still high praise in this case, and Wish I Was A Dog, another fun showpiece for that INCOMPARABLE voice.

Jack Lukeman's music is there to be enjoyed and would never dare to manipulate the listener.   A mere CD can never capture the enthralling excitement of seeing Jack live, but until he comes to your town, rush to add this album to your collection and play it for several weeks solidly until the tunes begin to ooze out of your soul.  Entertainment is absolutely guaranteed.

 

Listen to samples at Amazon.co.uk (Try Rooftop Lullaby)

Read a brief review of Jack Lukeman in concert at Celtic Flame 2000

 

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O - Damien Rice (EastWest, 2002)

Irishman Damien Rice is surely one of those musicians waiting in the wings before shortly stepping into the spotlight of immense fame.  His sensational album, like many of my happy discoveries, is one I bought without having heard a single note, and I shudder to think that I might have let this pass me by, though I am certain the album will be unmissable in the near future when everyone else wakes up to Rice's brilliance.

Beginning with the, uh, delicate acoustic guitar of Delicate, later swathed in swirling strings as his initially almost inaudible gentle voice--a stronger, more gutsy yet pained version of Eliot Smith--ends up screaming 'And why do you say hallelujah / If it means nothing to you?'  Whilst beginning with a fantastic track with instant appeal certainly will grab the casual listener, it has the danger of making the rest of the album an anti-climax.  Fortunately, Rice doesn't have to worry about that, and he follows Delicate with his single Volcano, a lovely track with a bluesy rhythm that draws you in and previews the fantastic sultry Edie Brickell-like vocals of Lisa Hannigan amongst the waves of cello.    However, that evocative track, with its chorus of 'What I am to you / Is not real', is certainly not the strongest on an album that offers a dozen handsome choices.

The Blower's Daughter is a gorgeous and glorious triumph, two songs in one, beginning with Rice's quiet vocals dancing over cello and acoustic guitar, repeating with impassioned, somewhat ominous amazement 'I can't take my eyes off of you', and leading into Hannigan's soothing yet haunting Enya-like 'Did I say that I loathe you?  Did I say that I wanted to leave it all behind?'   The track's amazing beauty has yet to wear off me despite a hundred repeats, and this song alone makes it clear that Rice is destined to be a huge name, given the exposure he deserves.  That day may soon be coming, as a recent tour with Coldplay guaranteed him spots on shows in the States such as the Late Show with David Letterman, where he unusually was able to play two songs, and VH1 and MTV seem to be offering some small support.

Every song on the album is marvellous, full of acoustic beauty with cellos, piano and even clarinet accentuating Rice's fine style, with Eskimo perhaps being the weakest, although that improves with wear and its curious operatic conclusion certainly makes it notable, and Older Chests and I Remember being particularly strong.  He includes two hidden tracks, which I tend to see as an annoyance as the Scrooge in me prefers things to be straightforward:  Prague, a less impressive initially basic number interspersed with noisy guitars and shrill strings before emotionally charged screams let loose Rice's raw feelings, and then a curious inclusion of Hannigan singing a cappella the traditional arrangement of Silent Night but unleashed with her own bitter lyrics.

Rice is a fine songwriter who conveys emotions in an unexpectedly moving style, complete with beautiful melodies and perfect arrangements.  The beautiful Lisa Hannigan's significant contribution is interesting, as Rice doesn't seem to mind taking back seat on his own album on several occasions as her lovely vocals take over. 

His inspiring and tense delivery and style are superior to those of David Kitt, to whom he has been compared, and though he sounds nothing like David Gray, I am certain he would appeal to any Gray fans and will no doubt gain that sort of success one day.  Thank goodness the modern age enables fabulous, overlooked artists to release their music themselves, as Rice initially did; missing out would be unbearable.  Make sure you don't. 

Listen to samples at Amazon.com

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Dim Stars, Bright Sky - John Doe (iMusic, 2002)

Although I enjoyed punk in its day, I could not stand the band X, so I never gave John Doe any thought.  Now I think the world of him.  Not only has he impressively matured and moved on to a different genre of music, but he has absolutely mastered the art of beautiful melodies, engaging lyrics and subtle production.  His lovely, easy and enticing sometimes smoky voice is smoother than you would expect from an ex-punker, soothing in its delivery and always in key.  

The first track, 7 Holes, is fine poetry and one of the strongest of several marvellous songs, beautifully and gently sung over acoustic guitars, heavenly piano and distant mandolin.  His caring, despairing description of the tender yet dysfunctional relationship begins with 'I never did drink like you / But I held back your hair like a girlfriend would do. / When I told you how much I cared, you turned away with a laugh and a stare.'

The wonderfully intimate, observational album is bursting with impressive harmonising guests: Bob's son Jakob Dylan, Juliana Hatfield, Rhett Miller (former front man of country rockers Old 97s), ex-Go Go Jane Wiedlin, and the fabulous Aimee Mann on the harsher, bubbly This Far ('A memory is a terrible thing to waste'), which improves with listening.

In addition to the opener, other superb tracks are the charming Faraway (from the North County) and the utterly sublime poetic heartbreak of Still You, which sees his Michael Penn-like vocals swept into radiant harmonies with Hatfield.

Amongst all the hopeful emotion, Doe sometimes sings of characters such as the suicidal soul in Employee of the Month, which he wrote as a title song for a film he worked with that has not yet materialised.

Produced by Joe Henry, a talented performer himself, not to mention Madonna's brother-in-law, the album is generally gentle, delving into funkier beats once or twice, with a few powerful pop moments leaning towards a rock influence amongst the waltzy quiet  beauty of its bulk.  Despite the occasional inclusion of the dreaded lap steel guitar, the album could not remotely be justly called alt-country.  As is still the trend these days, the album has a hidden track after the sleepy crooning of Always.  Apparently written for X long ago, the untitled song that could be called The French Lieutenant's Woman closes the terrific album with a lovely string-based acoustic mélange and imagery reminiscent of old black and white Hollywood films.

It truly is inconceivable that this brilliance is the work of some aging ex-punk rocker, when you look at how  badly so many of his generation and genre have fared.  How marvellous that he has carried on evolving and ended up delivering this skilled masterstroke, full of grace, respect and poetry. 

Listen to samples at Amazon.com

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When We Were Small - Rosie Thomas (Sub Pop, 2002)

Rosie Thomas is apparently known in Seattle as a wacky comedian, which is hard to marry with the angelic, sweet vocals with a folky quiver on the fragile and exquisite melodies of When We Were Small.

The most stunning track on the album, Farewell, is full of brittle heartbreak and sung delicately almost in the style of a traditional Irish ballad over splintered piano.  This performance alone justifies the price of the album; it is truly the epitome of beauty.

Whilst Thomas could be a modern, more grounded Sandy Denny on that slow track, she sounds at other times more like Patty Griffin (on such tunes as Bicycle Tricycle), Lucinda Williams (on the rockier Wedding Day) or even Tori Amos (on the dark I Run)--yet always maintains her own unique sound with that amazing voice.

The plodding beat of Lorraine is decorated by Thomas' lilting folk voice again, singing 'What good's a heart if it's unclaimed' and eventually improved with the splendour of a cello and graceful piano.  Despite its beauty, Lorraine is actually the runt of the litter of glorious tracks on this album of exceptional quality; every other track is stunning.

Finish Line, with Thomas' sublime vocals dancing about the elegant melody, seeks to comfort a friend that has hit hard times, and proves to be the second highlight of the dazzling album. 

October's brief bit of lovely advice à la Try a Little Tenderness on how to love a woman, clearly drawn from her own dreams, includes 'Tell her you miss her when you're close enough to kiss her / And that you'd walk a thousand miles to tell her so.'   It is yet another resplendent ballad, followed fairly soon by the outward winsome calm of Charlotte, whose music box simplicity almost masks the theme of protecting a friend suffering from domestic violence and tragedy.

Clearly from a close family, Thomas has sprinkled family photos in her CD booklet, the liner notes thank her musician parents for surrounding her with music and love, and most tracks are divided by sound bytes of a happy child--Rosie herself.  I would like to add my gratitude to her family for helping to create this amazing musician, who also plays guitar and piano on the album, with a special songwriting talent and a heavenly voice.

Listen to samples at Amazon.com

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Surf - Roddy Frame (Redemption Records [UK], Cooking Vinyl [US], 2002)

Roddy Frame's second solo album, since dropping the Aztec Camera name, is absolutely priceless.  Most albums might have one or two wonderful songs and many fillers, but this album is filled with consistent brilliance, and every single song is a delightful treat.

The songs were simply recorded--just Roddy sitting in his home with an acoustic guitar without any producer tormenting the pure product, but the album never seems sparse.  Undoubtedly, although the quality of the recording is amazingly clear, the full sound and lack of, well, lacking anything is easily attributable to Frame's astonishingly warm, deep and perfect voice combined with his outstanding skills as a guitarist.  That is before we even come to the matter of his songwriting being some of the best in the land, and the fact that this man has been a respected professional performer since the age of 16 when he was signed to Postcard Records almost 25 years ago, before many hits followed, most memorable perhaps the lively 1988 summer classic 'Somewhere in My Heart.'

Despite its subtle instrumentation, this album aggressively sucks you into its emotions and moves you with every line.  The songs make pleasant listening, but commit you to new depths of feeling.  The opener, Over You, forces the listener to feel the depth of Frame's heartbreak in a song full of yearning and pain that must be very real.  The man singing is someone who could not accept a shock break-up and  hears dreaded reports of his ex being out on the town where she proclaims that she is over him.  When he tracks her down on a London bus and tries to braise the subject of their relationship and she coldly says 'aw, get over it', he tries to face the reality that he must come to terms with it like a man.  No new subject matter, but its delivery is so heartfelt, you want to seek out Frame and hold him.  The entire album, in fact, leads you to want to comfort this terribly sad, sensitive and broken man, but rest assured that he is, in reality, a happy soul, and the album was recorded by his girlfriend.

The astonishing beauty of the soft title track cannot be justly conveyed in words and must be heard.  'Amazing, grace-filled guiding light / See her safely home tonight,' it begins, and Frame's expansive gorgeous voice smoothly spans an octave, singing words any muso can relate to: 'When I was young the radio played just for me, it saved me / And now I don't want anyone who wants me, baby', with an apparent tribute to American pop songs of yesteryear that got away with using the term 'baby' so frequently.

Small World is an upbeat, bright and fun pastiche of cinematic sci-fi images leading to a beautifully sung chorus with a fantastic reference to 'mustdestroy.com', which is actually a real company--though disappointingly merely document shredders.  This melodic song was used as the theme to the recent BBC2 series Early Doors by the writer of the Royle Family, neither of which I watch, but the tune was an excellent choice.

I Can't Start Now is the most stupendously stunning of the extraordinarily masterful bunch, again heartbreaking and beautiful.  Right from the start, the theme is set: 'Too many late nights, goin' too deeply / Into her reasons for leavin' me here, like I don't know why.  / Thought those blue eyes could complete me / But I filled them instead with the ghosts in my head / I'm never satisfied / 'Til the first tear falls.'  How one man can so perfectly combine moving words, catchy and beautiful music and his marvellous delivery of that enviable voice is a mystery.

Abloom offers a brief bit of light relief as a jazzy, gentle trickle of guitar picking and finally some hope: 'I know, feels like a curtain up with no time to rehearse....The day's abloom / Love has begun again.'  Tough follows, a fantastic Billy Bragg-like number with tremendous appeal, as Frame drags us through another moment of his humiliation followed by sheer panic and pessimism, which we have all no doubt felt at some time on our own.  What wonderful descriptions....he makes a joke that bombs to the woman he worships, and 'She looks at me like I'm her father / Then hesitates and looks away / It means "Must try harder"', which leads him to beat himself up and conclude 'and now your heart's gonna die and it's tough.'

The two songs that follow are much more relaxed....Big Ben seeps into Sunday with the smooth, easy feelings that day brings, as the couple wander around a closed city that day find forgiveness, with plenty of Frame philosophy in his clever word artistry.  'Don't scratch the surface for the sake of it / Just because you know the ache will fit' is one of many examples of his brilliance in the mood of the song.

High Class Music is a marvellously upbeat song that would almost seem out of place if it didn't fit in so easily, performed with perfect timing and fun with the added warmth of Frame's skills as a lyricist conveyed with a new mature edge to his voice: 'Has your soul lost shape? Is it too torn to heal? / Let my whole world be draped / Over its foreignness of feeling....no high class music / just you and me'. 

The next two songs, Turning the World Around and Mixed Up Love are instantly lovelable but their inner beauty seems to be on a time-release that will catch up with you.  The tender voice in the latter irresistibly, over rich music, describes another sullen situation where you wish you could comfort the singer as he sings, 'Pennies, scattered wishes 'neath the ripples, Seem tossed in in sorrow / To me, 'cos when I miss you, Sadness grips me and the world gets painted grey. / Mixed up love and understanding, made a fist of what we'd found.'  More gorgeous words perhaps bring hope at the end, 'Then, later, as the moon spilled down the street it seemed to me / That there was nowhere else you'd rather be, well I agree'. 

The lovely, lulling final song on the UK album, For What It Was, is full of more Frame brilliance: 'And if the prophets knocked my door with all that Heaven had in store, I'd probably ask to see a sample' and 'Wish my unhappiness could be addressed and sent / to all the rootless, fruitless hours that I have spent in dreams.'

If 11 songs of pure perfection don't leave you sated, the American and Japanese release contains two bonus tracks: Crossing Newbury Street and Your Smile Stops the Hands of Time.  Both continue Frame's magnificence but are perhaps not quite as instantly exceptional as most of the original album tracks--they are merely extraordinary until they grip you after a few listens.  Crossing Newbury Street is gently catchy, with its chorus of 'Memories overflowing my cup All tripping me up And I stumble / Wishes and dreams I pushed out of my mind Come back to find me.'  The final song will clearly be heavenly with such a romantic title, and indeed it is pure poetry.  Frame gently strums along, singing warmly,  'The heavens above encircle you, straining to catch a glimpse / Of what happens when love slips out of view/ Instead of just crashing in.'

Rush out to buy your copy, and while you're there, get several for your friends and loved ones.  They will owe you big time.

Listen to samples at Amazon.co.uk

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You Were Here - Sarah Harmer (Zoe/Universal, 2000)

Although she is hardly known over here, Canadian Sarah Harmer was cited by Time magazine as having one of the ten best albums of 2000 and was nominated in 2001 for Juno awards--the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys-- for Best New Solo Artist and Best Pop Album, losing out to Nelly Furtado and Barenaked Ladies (with whom she has toured), respectively.

Sarah joined Dar Williams on Bruce Springsteen's Highway Patrolman on the Springsteen tribute album Badlands.  She almost sounds like Dar or Catie Curtis on the wonderful foot-tapper Basement Apartment, but she leans more towards Suzanne Vega on that upbeat track and again when first singing of the rewarded pessimism of Coffee Stain.  Her voice is her own blend of guts and beauty, but at various times on the album, it resembles Shawn Colvin, Maria Muldaur (particularly on Uniform Grey), Lisa Loeb, Patty Griffin and Kate and Anna McGarrigle.  That gives the impression that she is folkier that she is; she does create many heavenly acoustic numbers, but she also has a wonderful talent for catchy hooks and deliberate rhythms that could easily--and should--be played on pop radio.   On the jazzy Open Window (The Wedding Song), the dazzling vocals waltzing gently over the trumpet and guitar are reminiscent of the matchless Mama Cass.

The former lead singer and songwriter of a Canadian folk band called Weeping Tile, Sarah has been compared with Dido and the Indigo Girls, the latter of whom she has played with, but her songs are more interesting and consistently sublime.  Even her poppier songs suddenly introduce clarinet and cello, which make themselves at home amongst the melody.

The punchy opening clarinet-touched track, Around This Corner, is an exercise in brilliance, a bright and happy melody contrasting the story of a struggle to forgive a betrayal and wondering how to react when bumping into that person again.  'How can you forgive that fast? Why do they call it the past when nothing has passed?'  She shares loss of a different kind on the outstanding You Were Here ('I wanted to know you when we were both older / I thought there'd be more of those wonderful times.')

Despite her own ease with sensitive, perfectly fitting lyrics (such as Capsized's 'What's the sense in being so sensitive / Can I trade this thin skin for a shell') , she quotes from two poets, most notably alluding to D H Lawrence's New Year's Eve in the utterly breathtaking Lodestar.  The track begins as a delicate, sleepy jazz number with a slightly plucked rhythm on acoustic guitar and upright bass, and before the trumpet and cello carry it through an evolution to a booming orchestral effect as she chants her reference to the Lawrence poem, 'Listen! the darkness rings. / Wait for it--there are only two of us now: this great black night scooped out and this fireglow.'  I feel certain Lawrence would have been proud to hear his beautiful words put to such stunning music, sung by that majestic voice.

This commanding album should have pride of place in any music-lover's collection, a rare example where every single track is a joy. 

Listen to samples at Amazon.co.uk

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Together in Concert: Live - Tim Finn, Bic Runga, Dave Dobbyn (CRS/Epic Records [NZ], 2000)

Whoever came up with the concept of three of New Zealand's most amazing artists touring the country together and then, thankfully, releasing a live album from that tour is on par with Thomas Edison in my mind.

Tim Finn got me through my teens, he pretty much was my favourite singer since I first saw him on the brand new MTV in 1981.  I immediately bought up the back catalogue of his band then, Split Enz, which by then included his little brother Neil, who is probably better known now thanks largely to his later success with Crowded House, which included Tim for a time.  Neil's older brother, once revealing actress Greta Scacchi's partner, has always had enormous stage presence; Tim is 100% showman and will think nothing of racing about like a madman before suddenly dropping to do press-ups, as he did 30 years ago.  His voice has always been amazing, in the same elite league as Midge Ure, Freddie Mercury and Tony Hadley in that he could sing any note ever written, although his voice is more subdued now, but still wonderful.

So a live Tim Finn album would have shot straight to my list of favourite things, undoubtedly.  But this album is so much more than that--three times more than that.  Bic Runga and Dave Dobbyn join Tim in being not just fellow Kiwis but also extremely talented songwriters with amazing vocal abilities.

The format of the album--with each singer alternating to perform one of his or her hits--keeps you continually delighted, and there are no dull lulls.

Tim kicks off with an old Split Enz hit, a song that was 'banned' from the radio in the UK as its release coincided with the Falklands War, and some one at the BBC assumed that Six Months in a Leaky Boat was not a reference they wanted ringing from the airwaves, uh, political as the song is.  

Next comes a spectacular Dave Dobbyn hit, Whaling, during which he holds out a note for about five minutes without taking a breath.  Dobbyn is a truly impressive talent who really should be a household name.  He has written so many fantastically catchy songs with impressive meaning behind them, and he has a deep, melifluous voice that would sweep anyone off their feet.  I understand he is justly huge in New Zealand; he should be huge everywhere.  Whaling is a grand song about, well, the difficulties of touring and being away from one's loved one.  He also contributes the more recent, bubbly Just Add Water, which is particularly brilliant with Bic Runga's heavenly harmonies during the verses and both Bic and Tim providing backing vocals on the chorus.  That song is a fun tribute to his new found Christianity but that shouldn't put off anyone who normally would shy away from such things; you would not have known it if I hadn't told you. 

Dobbyn's later contributions to the album are the stupefyingly brilliant Loyal, which almost shares a theme with Dolly Parton's I Will Always Love You (made famous by Whitney Houston), but delivers it more subtly and with a heart-rendering sensitivity.  I defy anyone not to fall for this song, and this version, with Bic and Tim's vocals melting into it, is surely the ultimate treasure.   Later, we get his wonderful rapid rockier song (a chance to show off his guitar skills) Language ('When I needed you most, I couldn't find the language'), and finally, he sings the smooth and moving Beside You, another gorgeous number sung seductively with that warm, smoky voice.

Tim Finn's other contributions, meanwhile, are his most recent catchy hit, Good Together, celebrating the coupledom he has finally found, and his earlier hit, Persuasion, a magnificent song he wrote by putting touching words to a Richard Thompson instrumental.  Thompson sometimes performs it on tour with his son Teddy providing the vocals.  Finally, Finn goes mad with the very early manic Split Enz hit I See Red before closing with the huge Crowded House hit song, Weather With You, with backing vocals provided by Bic, Dave and the audience, and that instantly recognisable guitar riff that everyone just loves.

Interspersed amongst all this other beauty are songs in the floating, smooth and arresting voice of Bic Runga.   She and her accomplished voice treat us to her enormously catchy and smooth hit Sway, the sleepier but also popular Drive, the jazzy Precious Things with echoes of Heather Nova and a rumba beat, and her more recent Something Good, a bright and catchy hopeful love song.

I am sure I'll still be playing this album when I'm 92 and adoring every note on it.  My thrill at having these wonderful live performances captured in my home for me to hear whenever it takes my fancy are only matched by the delicious fact that the show was brought to London for Waitangi day, and it lived up to every huge expectation.  (Reviewed:  Finn, Dobbyn & Runga)  This CD is not readily available in the UK, but you can order it from New Zealand, such as from here--  Tim Finn, Bic Runga, Dave Dobbyn - Together In Concert: Live (nz) --where you can also listen to samples of a few of the tracks--or get it from GEMM or possibly any re-sellers that are listed on the Links page.  It is worth the trouble*Actually, I noticed in January 2004 that Amazon.co.uk is now offering this album as an import.* 

Copyright © 2003 by TC. All rights reserved.

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