'tis true, there are some great songs in the CH wildcard section. I am quite impressed with how well "Catherine Wheels" is performing. It's a great song, no doubt, but I'm still surprised it's currently beating out some many other great songs in that poll.

Thanks, Paināporo! This is no trivial effort.

I did not think this round was all that easy, and waited to look at the results until after I voted.

quote:

Originally posted by adidasman:
I think it might have been better if you said we were voting on the RECORDINGS, not on the songs - those are, as I know you know, two very different things.

Certainly a song has a life that goes far beyond any one recorded or performed version of that song! Yet the original album/official release version of a given song by a given band is in some sense their definitive version. The song has been finished and fixed as part of a permanent document that gives it a certain precedence over earlier inchoate sketches or demos, and over later performances and edits.

That doesn't mean it's the best version. It may not be. But for good or bad, it bears a certain stamp of canonicity.

In my admittedly bigoted opinion.

However, having said that, for the purposes of the poll I've been voting on the merits of each song itself without regard to any particular recording. I just mentally promoted each song to "best version I've ever heard" of that particular song.

Done. Again some easy choices and some tough ones. I'm afraid I can't take most of the album versions as the definite ones, because the songs of both Finns, of Split Enz and Crowded House seem to really become alive when played before an audience.

Wow, with 40 votes cast there are some really interesting races going on.

"I See Red" and "Stuff and Nonsense" are neck and neck as are "Persuasion" and "Not Even Close".

Together Alone is now topping the charts in all three CH categories with "Distant Sun", "Private Universe", and "Catherine Wheels". I knew that album was popular but I'm still surprised that "Distant Sun" overtook "Don't Dream It's Over", which had a strong lead a couple days back.

"Bold As Brass" and "Give it a Whirl" are also tied in the Enz wild card competition.

quote:

Originally posted by Paināporo:
Together Alone is now topping the charts in all three CH categories with "Distant Sun", "Private Universe", and "Catherine Wheels". I knew that album was popular but I'm still surprised that "Distant Sun" overtook "Don't Dream It's Over", which had a strong lead a couple days back.

As am I! I know there's a sort of anti-their-biggest-hit mentality that kicks in amongst the jaded uber-fans of any band, but even factoring that in it seems to me that "Distant Sun" (lovely as it is, and I love it) isn't a patch on "Hey Now".

I always kind of put "Distant Sun" as a great song, but not quite in their top tier.

quote:

Originally posted by Mr. Sadly:

As am I! I know there's a sort of anti-their-biggest-hit mentality that kicks in amongst the jaded uber-fans of any band, but even factoring that in it seems to me that "Distant Sun" (lovely as it is, and I love it) isn't a patch

I love DDIO because I think it's the most perfect pop song ever. I love absolutely everything about it - the bass line, the hammond organ, the lyrics, the uplifting, sad, devastatingly beautiful melody, even the video rocks! I love the ending when the organ trails off. I love the guitar effects too - sorry dont know what its called but its sublime. [The overall sound always reminds me of Australia for some reason.] It's just pop perfection. I never tire of hearing it. The gods were watching over Neil the day he wrote it and the day they recorded it. And I dont care that it was such a hit. Having said that there is a bucket load of brilliant songs from the Crowdies but this song always hits me.
There must be a lot of songwriters out there who would die to write a song like this.

I've always stood back a little from DDIO... almost as if, "Yeah it's the one everyone knows and I'm getting a kick out of seeing the crowd sing along. I'm singing along too, but I can't wait until they play XXX..."

XXX equals Four Seasons in One Day or Distant Sun or other long time favorites...

And for listening non-live, DDIO is rarely played as I do skip around a lot. I like how Cinnamon described her love for it. I appreciate the song more after reading that. I think I'll give it a good listen on the iPod today.

quote:

I know there's a sort of anti-their-biggest-hit mentality that kicks in amongst the jaded uber-fans of any band

I think that's more to just having heard it so much. I know I don't particularly like DDIO anymore, but that's through hearing it wall to wall on the radio as a kid growing up. In the mid 80s that song was everywhere in Australia. I don't deny it's a good well written song though.

I wouldn't say I was an uber-fan of CH though

quote:

Originally posted by Camus:
I wouldn't say I was an uber-fan of CH though

I am.

quote:

Originally posted by double-H:
I like how Cinnamon described her love for it. I appreciate the song more after reading that. I think I'll give it a good listen on the iPod today.

Oh thats great! Hopefully you will have found an appreciation for it. It probably helps that I have never really listened to commercial radio, so I'm not inundated [wrong word - my brain is too tired to think of what the correct word is!] with particular songs.

quote:

Originally posted by Mr. Sadly:

quote:

Originally posted by Paināporo:
Together Alone is now topping the charts in all three CH categories with "Distant Sun", "Private Universe", and "Catherine Wheels". I knew that album was popular but I'm still surprised that "Distant Sun" overtook "Don't Dream It's Over", which had a strong lead a couple days back.

As am I! I know there's a sort of anti-their-biggest-hit mentality that kicks in amongst the jaded uber-fans of any band, but even factoring that in it seems to me that "Distant Sun" (lovely as it is, and I love it) isn't a patch on "Hey Now".

I always kind of put "Distant Sun" as a great song, but not quite in their top tier.

I'm not at all surprised by how popular Distant Sun is. From memory it has come top of just about every poll and I believe it is widely regarded as Crowded House's best song by fans. It is certainly my favourite and as much as I love Don't Dream It's Over it beats it hands down.

It's like DDIO's optimistic cousin!

I use the radio to wake me in the morning (but it's not top 40 or pop hits style radio) so I have never been over-exposed to DDIO or WWY or any CH song (and it's not as though US-radio has ever exposed CH much anyway).

Cinnamon, I still like the way you love the song, but upon listening on the bus last night, it's still pretty far down on my list. I like it way more live, with all the audience good cheer.

quote:

Originally posted by cinnamon:
Hopefully you will have found an appreciation for it. It probably helps that I have never really listened to commercial radio, so I'm not inundated [wrong word - my brain is too tired to think of what the correct word is!] with particular songs.

I love "Distant Sun" - especially live with that extended "with your finger on my pulse" ending! But there's also something about it that strikes me as a near miss.

Is it just the refrain? No one does transcendently vague imagery like Neil - no one. It's part of his unique genius. Yet occasionally for me, there will be a misconnect - and as great as this song is - lovely guitar, perfect verses, the refrain SOUNDS absolutely brilliant! - but lyrically, somehow neither "your seven worlds collide" nor "dust from a distant sun / shower over everyone" make it through the shimmer for me.

I hope no one things I'm trashing the song, because it's a great song. Different people love different things about different Finn songs. That's what it's all about!

Anyway, genius can't really be dissected, but it's kind of fun to try sometimes.

Hm. "Strikes me as a near miss"...that's a bit of a malapropism I bet.

quote:

Originally posted by Mr. Sadly:
Hm. "Strikes me as a near miss"...that's a bit of a malapropism I bet.

Indeed, things that "nearly miss" are hits. If you come close to hitting something then in reality you actually "nearly hit" it. DDIO was a near miss, but then radio picked it up and it became a hit. DS, however, was a near hit that never quite made it all the way.

Isn't there a story about Neil's dad nicknaming him "Almost There", or something along those lines, because "Neily" sounded so much like "Nearly" (with the kiwi accent, of course)?

quote:

Originally posted by Mr. Sadly:
I hope no one things I'm trashing the song, because it's a great song. Different people love different things about different Finn songs. That's what it's all about!

Yes, and people love songs for reasons that have only a little to do with the song and more to do with where you were when you heard it. DDIO is like that for me.

And while I know that we're voting on the quality of the songs themselves, my personal experiences and memories of it can't help but inform my opinions.

Memory: I was in second year at university and walked by Frank's room one day. (Frank was the guy who always had the best and coolest taste with an extensive music collection. Everybody knows a Frank.) He pulled me in to listen to this song that was being touted as "the most perfect pop song ever written". And I was hooked, right then.

DDIO is not my favourite CH song, probably because I've heard it soooo many times in grocery stores and on easy-listening stations while seated in the dentist's chair. But it still warms my heart when I stop and actually listen to the song, let it play over me. And it reminds me of a time when I was young and vivacious and free of responsibility.

So much more than just a series of notes, yes?

quote:

Originally posted by Paināporo:

quote:

Originally posted by Mr. Sadly:
Hm. "Strikes me as a near miss"...that's a bit of a malapropism I bet.

Indeed, things that "nearly miss" are hits.

Hm! Well what I was thinking was more some conflict between "strikes me" versus "miss"! But I see what you're saying. It's a reasonable point. Not to be difficult, though...

Of course I agree with you that "nearly miss" would have to describe a hit. But there's a sound argument to be made that "near miss" accurately and grammatically describes a miss, where the word "near" indicates only how close to the target the miss came. "Miss" being a noun, it takes the adjective - and the adjective "near" doesn't necessarily have same sense of "almost but didn't happen" that is automatic when using "nearly missed." In this case it just indicates proximity. I'd argue that "near hit" might even be a contradiction, since "hit" is the noun and if we're talking about a hit...then it was not near.

quote:

Originally posted by Paināporo:
Isn't there a story about Neil's dad nicknaming him "Almost There", or something along those lines, because "Neily" sounded so much like "Nearly" (with the kiwi accent, of course)?

Wonder why that one didn't stick! LOL

MAN I CANNOT WAIT FOR ROUND THREE!!

What's the vote count target for round three?

quote:

Originally posted by GraceToo:
Memory: I was in second year at university and walked by Frank's room one day. (Frank was the guy who always had the best and coolest taste with an extensive music collection. Everybody knows a Frank.) He pulled me in to listen to this song that was being touted as "the most perfect pop song ever written". And I was hooked, right then.

I remember reading an account of the recording of that song, how people from other bands and stuff were kind of wandering in and transfixed (I don't know how that works in a recording studio, presumably soundproofed, but the way they described it sounded plausible. Maybe there was "buzz" in the hallways).

I always wondered about that Joe Satriani backup vocal credit on DDIO. Is that legit, the Joe Satriani?

EDIT: disregard the question - a quick 'Find' on "Satriani" did the trick turning up an existing thread on the topic.

Hey, good work painaporo! That poll was pretty difficult. Sadly most of my choices don't seem to be terrible popular... looking forward to the next installment!