| Track: | Rating: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. I Feel Possessed | | | | | |
| 2. Kill Eye | | | | | |
| 3. Into Temptation | | | | | |
| 4. Mansion In The Slums | | | | | |
| 5. When You Come | | | | | |
| 6. Never Be The Same | | | | | |
| 7. Love This Life | | | | | |
| 8. Sister Madly | | | | | |
| 9. In The Lowlands | | | | | |
| 10.Better Be Home Soon | | | | ||
In their decade-long existence (1986-1996), Crowded House effectively continued bringing the Split Enz gospel to interested parties. Sure, their output was marred by a certain degree of artistic schizophrenia at times (alternately commercial and introspective; poppy and obscure) ... but the Enz went through the very thing in their own existence (which lasted for roughly the same period of time, despite producing several more albums of material).
For those who aren't familiar with the SE/CH transition, a bit of background information may be in order. After Conflicting Emotions (1983), Tim Finn left the Enz order, leaving Neil in charge of operations for their final album. Drummer Paul Hester, a late-comer to the Enz fold, was also a member of the group at this time.
Finn ensembled a new lineup after the Enz dissolved completely, and took them to the United States for work on their debut release. Unfortunately, the revered status which the Finn name commanded in the Southern countries didn't quite carry over across the Pacific -- urban legend suggests that cramped living confinements of their Los Angeles lodging inspired the group's name, and their level of recognition in the American market was fairly limited in any event.
After the surprise success of their first album (with the hit, "Don't Dream, It's Over" and the lame follow-up, "Something So Strong"), their position had changed somewhat. The critical community was generally willing to embrace this group, and the radio and video play of their hit singles allowed their reputation to expand into areas where the Enz had never been terribly well-known to begin with. (This isn't necessarily to say that their stature in the industry was much improved, though; notes on the All-Music Guide would suggest that their masters at Capitol Records did little to promote either of their first two releases).
When Temple Of Low Men was released in 1988 (the year after their rise to fame), it was to critical acclamation and commercial mediocrity. The primary features of the album have been repeated by various critics: a more dark and brooding work than the band's debut, showcasing Neil's mature songwriting and obsessive personal themes. It can probably be agreed that fans expecting lighter material were offput by the work; the fact that they chose the weakest track as their first single probably didn't help matters either. Whatever the cause, this almost-brilliant pop album was almost-overlooked by the general public upon its release.
Ten years later, the album still speaks volumes of Neil Finn's underrated songwriting talents. With the exception of "Sister Madly", all of the tracks tell the stories of obsessed characters, struggling to understand their thoughts and actions -- the lyrics aren't always "on", but are extremely powerful in their best moments. That he got away with this in the pop world of 1988 is commendable in itself. If there is a serious weakness to the album, it may be that the tight, pop harmonies of the group sometimes seem to turn up in the least appropriate moments -- perhaps if Finn had gone all out in making the album, it might rank with the true legends. But, on the other hand, it might never have been released at all under these conditions. And it's still fairly close to perfection, regardless.
As far as the rest of the band goes ... well ... Crowded House were never famous for their rhythm section, and Hester & Seymour could probably have been replaced without much alteration to the finished product (which isn't to say that they don't do their jobs well enough, but ...). This makes Mitchell Froom the "unsung hero" of this album, occasionally propelling the music to higher levels with his keyboard additions and production work (in terms of contributions to the album, he probably deserves to be listed as a full member). And he's also perhaps the most "progressive" element on the recording, for which many fans in this part will probably be thankful.
As per the standard for "pop classic" albums, the individual songs and the overall flow of the album are of rather high importance. As such, it's probably for the better that "I Feel Possessed" is the opening track -- the second best number on the album, this song perfectly introduces the general theme of the work. Beginning with a vaguely disturbing jazz piano line (with an echo-based production oddly similar to the Enz's "Ghost Girl" -- does anyone else notice this?). As far as lyrics go, this is probably the apex of the work -- consider, for example, the second verse as an example of an obsession which threatens to destroy the individual's grasp on reality:
It was one of those times I wish I had a camera on me Six foot off of the ground I know how that sounds Above you and beyond you too That kind of view don't lead an explanation I'm not lying, or asking for anything I just want to be there when it happens again
This occurs after the lead character has made a proposition to the other character which is deemed intrusive. This combination of innocence and creeping instability is as impressive as it is disturbing. Unfortunately, the actual performance isn't quite as good as the song merits (though it comes close at times) -- the chorus and verses seem awkwardly matched, and the seeming need to add a bit of "pop" to the mix is a bit unfortunate. Still, it's a pretty impressive way to start things out. [Note: Neil Finn was well aware of the comparisons made between CH and assorted classic groups in the 1960s. Given this, the addition of the line "People are strange, God only knows" in the chorus strikes me as rather clever.]
The vocal sample which begins "Kill Eye" -- "I made you ... forgive me" -- suggests that the mood isn't going to be lightened any time soon. Indeed, this particular number is sung from the perspective of a condemned (?) killer calling for both death and earthly redemption to fall upon himself. Musically, it's both more aggressive and more developed than the House were known for -- the strings, trumpet and unconventional arrangement might even yield a few prog comparisons (though the guitar solo probably won't). Another strong performance, if not quite as personal as the previous number. And that takes us to ...
"Into Temptation" was the second single from the album, and was one of the few numbers to mix popular restrictions with arty/obsessive sensibilities in equal portions (I would ask those readers who think that I'm overusing the term "obsessive" to tell me what term would better describe the drum brushes in the second verse). It's a bit less intense than the previous tracks (a lot less, really), and the lyrics never come too close to the edge of sanity, but it's still a nicely crafted number. Commercially, it failed.
Those who which to confront an intelligent specimen of "typical 1988 pop-rock" could do worse than "Mansion In The Slums", which manages to be fairly impressive while also being obviously a product of its time. The lyrics focus on the more demonic aspects of naked struggles for power and influence, with the characters ultimately being destroyed by their own endeavours (and laughing at themselves all the while). The guitar performance at the conclusion is fairly good. [Note: At the very end of the track, Finn sings the line "It'll soon be over" in a manner almost identical to Michael Hutchence on INXS's "New Sensation", which was realized as a single shortly before Temple Of Low Men was issued. Could this be more cleverness, given the minor hype in America at the time about Australian/New Zealander bands?]
"When You Come" has something of an "And Through The Wire" feel about it -- an album track which fits in well with the general flow of things, but isn't likely to specifically capture the attention of many listeners. Finn's paean to an emerging lover - and/or - armageddon is written fairly well, and his voice has more power here than on most other tracks. The guitar line verifies that, in fact, U2 were very popular in 1988. ;) This is another impressive song, if not exactly the most important one here.
The first two songs on the second half of the album seem a minor step downwards (and the fault seems to be both in the songwriting and the dry recordings of the works). From a musical standpoint, "Never Be The Same" seems a bit more consciously intended for a home in radio-pop-rock than most other things here (though the bass line is actually fairly notable). The lyrics focus on an abusive relationship, and one might wonder if the hopes for redemption in the lyric are lyric are necessarily the best approach ... in any event, though, Finn manages to portray the victim convincingly. I would also note that the vocals harmonies at the end are strongly Beatle-esque, and probably feature brother Tim in a fairly prominent role.
"Love This Life" is a rather more sparse number, with deeper vocal harmonies and a stronger emphasis on percussion than before (this is presumably at least part of Acuna's guest duty). The lyrics are somewhat obscure here, but apparently focus on a correspondence through prison lines; the track doesn't quite develop in a successful enough manner to make full use of this, though. Some might note that the mid-section of this number has an odd similarity to Elvis Costello's "Chewing Gum" (not released for another year); others might just make note of the impressive guitar part at the end.
Neil's focus changes from first- to third-person on "Sister Madly", though it's still apparent that some mysterious lurks within this number as well -- the "sister" in question undertakes some unspecified action in the lyric, with the singer simply noting that it "should have happened years ago". From a musical standpoint, the active rhythms and vocal harmonies benefit this particular song (the lyric works well in a pop context, in this case) -- and the elements of weirdness, such as the keyboard's power fading out in the second verse, aren't eliminated either. Fairport Convention fans might note that Richard Thompson's guest solo is ... very short, if still somewhat interesting.
The best song on the album is "In The Lowlands", which manages to tie together all of the various obsessions from previous tracks -- a guilty figure witnesses the destruction of his social order, and attempting to find a final comfort in the company of a beloved ("fear will take the place of desire", as the lyric says). There is an element of mystery in this particular story -- the cause of the destruction is never mentioned, and the possibility that it could simply be that of the individual in question cannot be ruled out. From a musical standpoint, the lyrical intensity generally meshes with the music fairly well (although the mixing of chorus and verses seems a bit strained again, at times). Finn's guitar work at the end of the track suits the mood quite well -- he was never a virtuoso, but this particular setting is highly appropriate. With the character in question seemingly approaching his demise in a cloud of uncertainly, it would seem a suitable time to end the album's journey.
Instead, we are treated to "Better Be Home Soon", which seems to have "obvious track for radio-play" emitting through every note of its restrained, poppy introduction. The actual song is decent enough (particularly the second verse and the keyboard solo), but it seems somewhat insubstantial in relation to the numbers preceding it ... and it seems like too much of an obvious compromise (the guitar line and vocal harmonies being suitable for most bar bands, for instance). Tony Banks once commented that CH's singles got worse as their albums got better; this track, in comparison to "Don't Dream, It's Over", would seem to verify this statement. The value of this track does very little damage to the album overall, however.
Temple Of Low Men is obviously not for everyone on these channels, but those progressive fans with an interest in post-Enz developments should probably check out this album before other related ones. For fans of intelligent pop, it is strongly recommended.
(review originally posted to alt.music.yes on 9 Jun 1998)