Crowded House - Afterglow

The unreleased residue of popular recording careers is typically the stuff of box-set "extra" discs and sometimes suspicious reissue "bonus tracks." Even the Beatles' vaunted Anthology series argued that serving up leftovers as a main course is a risky proposition at best. Afterglow, a collection of 13 surplus tracks from New Zealand popmeisters Crowded House, fares better than most such efforts, if only because of the old-fashioned dedication to songcraft that Neil Finn and company displayed throughout their career. Stretching from the band's pre-signing days ("Recurring Dream" and "Left Hand"), through no fewer than seven outtakes from the band's 1991 standout, Woodface (including some outstanding harmony work between Neil Finn and elder brother and fellow Split Enz mainstay Tim) to sparely produced tracks for an unfinished fifth album, Afterglow possesses a surprising cohesiveness as an album. While there's no stellar pop hits like "Don't Dream It's Over" lurking in this scrapyard, there's enough solid B+ material to perk the interest of Crowded House devotees. --Jerry McCulley Amazon.com

Tunes that stick in your head

When I first listened to this, I had to agree that it is not quite up to the standard set by other Crowded House CDs. But these tunes stick in your head and grow on you. It just shows what a phenomenal musician Neil Finn is. This is not the best CH collection to start with, but if you are a fan, you will not be disappointed. Great price, too. November 7, 2007

Surprisingly Consistent.

"Afterglow" is a collection of outtakes, alternate versions and oddities recorded by Crowded House during 1985-94. Very often such collections come out uneven and pale compared to the artists' regular releases. For me this was not the case with this 1999 release, which not have hits like "Don't Dream it's Over" or "Weather With You", but still shows strong and consistent playing and writing.

When the band split up in 1996 they left behind them an unfinished album and a great number of other unreleased recordings. When you listen to this album it's big wonder why so many of these songs never made to the album, but fortunately the songs work really well as a whole in this context. Of course some songs stand out from the rest; for me especially the alternate version of "Private Universe", which is softer and spacier and without the distorted guitars of the "Together Alone" version.

"Anyone Can Tell" is a catchy commercial type of song that might have made it to the charts. Songs like "I Am Alone" and Sacred Cow" are more of the same melodic vein.

Also the John Lennon inspired "I Love You Dawn" and the waltzy folky closing-track "Time Immemorial" stand out.

All but one song, Paul Hester's charming "My Telly's Gone Bung" were written by Neil Finn.

A surprisingly consistent album. October 22, 2007

Must have for Crowded House fans

I am very pleased with this CD. It is full of the reasons that caused all of us fans to become fans in the first place. I have been a CH fan since their debut CD came out when I was in high school, and this disc is very reminiscent of that era. Enjoy! March 22, 2007

Afterglow and Northern Lights

Did you like me love Crowded House? Did you spend lonesome nights in wintery Scandinavia (or elsewhere) feeling sparkles of sunshine come from your speakers as Neil Finn gave us his little life lessons and musings? Did you like me perhaps shed a few tears when you watched the Farewell to the World concert from the steps of Sydney's Operahouse on the telly? And have you like me, been craving just one more hit like some recovering junkie? Then buy buy buy buy this afterglow. I recommend it with all my heart. It is after all like a Recurring Dream.
December 30, 2006

Better Than Most

"Afterglow" is Neil Finn and Crowded House's obligatory b-side album that seemingly every band fortunate enough to last past a couple of albums seems to release. Albums comprised predominantly of b-side and "extra" material are notoriously hit-and-miss. Typically, the disc will highlight a few gems that for one reason or another never saw the light of day on a proper album. The disc will also usually highlight several tracks that for very obvious reasons never appeared on an album--they're unfinished or simply not very good.

To some extent, "Afterglow" fits this criteria, with two notable caveats--Neil Finn is such an accomplished and gifted songwriter that the overall quality of the songs is ratcheted up quite a bit. Also, the album also flows exceedingly well considering that it is a hodge-podge of tracks recorded at various eras throughout their career. These two items make the album a worthwhile listen, particularly for anyone who is a fan of the Crowded House/Split Enz/Finn Brothers body of work.

First, let's assess what, exactly, we have here. The vast majority of the material consists of outtakes from the "Woodface" sessions, a period for the band when Neil's brother Tim joined them and they were, in Neil's own words, especially prolific. Internal conflicts notwithstanding, it's virtually beyond question that the Woodface era was the most productive time for the group. We also have two tracks (the catchy "Recurring Dream" and the perennial live favorite "Left Hand") recorded before the band was signed to a label. A couple of holdovers from the "Together Alone" sessions are here, as is a stunning acoustic rendition of that album's standout track, "Private Universe". Finally, the disc has a home demo from Neil, and the only finished track from the sessions that were to be the never-completed fifth album for the band. So we are given an abudance of material to sift through.

In Neil's comments about various tracks on this album, he talks about how hearing some of these songs now makes him re-think why they weren't originally included on their respective albums. I have to agree. The thoughtfulness and attention paid to many of these tracks--from arrangements to lyrics and production--mimics tracks that did make it onto the album, so it's easy to picture some very contentious arguments between the band members about what should or should not make it onto an album. "I Am In Love", "Sacred Cow" and the phenomenal "Time Immemorial" are but a few of the highlights of this collection.

As with all works penned by Mr. Finn, the listener can easily become swept up in Neil's personal lyrics about life, love and--by his own admission--nothing in particular. This particular collection--more so than any other Crowded House album--shows a very personal side of Neil. Songs such as "I Love You Dawn" (a love song for his wife) and "Lester" (an acoustic demo Neil wrote the night his dog, Lester, had been hit by a truck) give listeners a rare glimpse into Neil's own private life (universe?).

Still, the fact remains that this *is* a b-sides album, after all, and so you're going to get some less-than-stellar material. "Dr. Livingston" is a rare political song from the group, and is a good example of why Neil and the group typically stayed away from such songs throughout their career. "Left Hand", always a favorite live, comes off as sterile and under-performed in the studio. "My Telly's Gone Bung", the only track penned by the band's drummer, Paul Hester, is quickly forgettable.

Regardless, fans of the band and Neil's solo work will find plenty to enjoy in this collection. Not a good starting point for exploring the canon of works of this Aussie-by-way-of-New Zealand group, it nonetheless does a satisfying job collecting the various odds-and-ends the band produced throughout their career, and shows why Neil Finn is rightfully considered to be among the greatest pop songwriters of his generation. May 5, 2006

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