Introduction
There is a saying, “Never underestimate the power of consistency and desire.” Individuals can apply this saying in various fields to motivate themselves to achieve their goals. A person can always appreciate the power of consistently releasing quality songs in music.
Regularity in releasing quality songs can be used to affirm why Crowded House, a band from New Zealand, became one of the best in the 1990s. In 1989, the members of Crowded House were working on the follow-up to their second album, Temple of Low Men. Tim, Neil’s brother and a founding member of Split Enz, joined the band during the recording period. Tim is an accomplished performer who has made many top hits.
After joining the band, Crowded House’s third album, Woodface, served as a test run for their record label. With this new album, the band’s record company, Capitol, was interested in seeing whether they could regain the fame they achieved with their self-titled debut album. Before the release of Woodface, Crowded House signed a record deal with Capitol, and a new member, Tim Finn, joined the group. After its release, the album succeeded in many countries, with fan reception being significantly positive. It later influenced the creation of many other albums, even though some members had to leave due to other commitments.
Before the Album
Before the release of the Woodface album, Crowded House consisted of Neil Finn, a former Split Enz member and a New Zealander, along with two Australian musicians, Nick Seymour and Paul Hester. The three were renowned top performers who had performed in many bands before (Bourke, 2023). Neil Finn’s outstanding musical ability enabled the nameless band to secure a record deal with Capitol Records.
After signing the record deal, the nameless band had to find a suitable name that both members and the recording team would accept. When the company rejected the first name “Mullane’s” that the members chose, they had to go for “Crowded House,” which referred to the small apartment the members shared in West Hollywood. Crowded House released a self-titled album to prove to the recording label that they could be at the top of the industry.
Immediately before Woodface, Crowded House released Temple of Low Men, which performed significantly better than the self-titled debut album. However, unlike the debut album, it did not sell well, and fans criticized it for being composed of sad songs (Gava, 2015). A promotional tour of many top North American cities, where Crowded House would perform live for the press and merchants they were trying to woo, was a vital component of the band’s and album’s launch strategy. Although Capitol finally gave it an appropriate promotion, the album only cracked the top 40 songs in the United States.
Woodface underwent a challenging and unique development procedure. While the band was on tour supporting Temple of Low Men, Neil Finn cooperated with Tim Finn on their new album (Gava, 2015). Tim Finn was Neil Finn’s brother, with whom they collaborated to release top hits. Capitol rejected most songs in the Temple of Low Men album, even though Neil had assumed that he, Seymour, and Hester had completed writing its follow-up. Neil suggested that Tim utilize some of the songs they had jointly composed for their album, Woodface (Larkin, 2011).
The agreement between Tim and Neil to include some of the songs they had created for their project made Tim an official member of this band. Eight of all the songs in Woodface belonged to Tim and Neil. Paul Hester wrote two tracks, including the hidden track, and Neil provided five additional tracks he wrote by himself. According to Gava (2015), Bob Clearmountain mixed the album, and Mitchell Froom, a seasoned band producer, and Neil Finn cooperated in producing it.
Performance Evaluation
The first performance by Crowded House during the Tim Finn period took place in Sydney as part of the AUSMUSIC concert series in November 1990. On February 14, 1991, Valentine’s Day, they made their rather garish US debut when they participated in a morning boat cruise hosted by top LA radio station KROQ (Gava, 2015).
According to Doole (2013), Capitol launched an effective global campaign for Woodface after recognizing the new record’s genuine potential. Additionally, the band performed in many international clubs to promote their album. For instance, on June 6, 1991, the band performed at a trendy Paris nightclub called Les Bains Douches. At this club, Crowded House put on a scorching performance that included both new songs from Woodface and fan favorites from their debut and second albums.
On July 2, 1991, Woodface was made available internationally. Given Crowded House’s prominence in Australasia, it was not surprising that it debuted at No. 3 in New Zealand and was among the best 10 in both nations (Doole, 2013). On the UK chart on July 20, the album peaked at No. 25 but quickly fell. It left the Top 100 USA Billboard chart in barely two weeks. Canada welcomed it more enthusiastically, reaching No. 17 on the charts and earning it a gold certification.
When the group’s international tour commenced, they sold out a show at their tour in the United Kingdom at Hammersmith Odeon. Additionally, one of the songs on the album, “Fall At Your Feet,” succeeded and peaked at number 13 on the UK charts in November, which played a significant role in the album’s success (Gava, 2015). The conclusion of the relatively flimsy Tim Finn experiment made that tour noteworthy. When Tim finally left Crowded House mid-tour in Glasgow, his time with the group was over.
Crowded House’s album features its strongest collection of tracks to date. Given the circumstances, Woodface needed a well-earned dusting off and reevaluation. According to Gava (2015), on Woodface, the band created many three-minute melodic wonders that were transcendent, pure pop. The group wrote poetic songs reflecting their desire to pursue the musical whimsy ingrained in their DNA. It showcased Neil and Tim’s incredible songwriting talents.
Critics have long recognized and praised Neil for his talent in crafting lyrics that distinguish the band from the competition, but with Woodface, he outdid himself. Gava (2015) notes that the material outperformed all competitors in terms of theme and lyricism. While doing so, Finn also offered catchy choruses and lovely melodies that addressed happiness as both natural and fleeting, as well as love songs that were turned on their heads by thinly veiled biting realism (Larkin, 2011). From this, the first track in the album was the force behind its success.
Long-Term Impacts on the Music Scene
Woodface had a long-term impact on both the group and its members. Firstly, the album’s success had a significant long-term impact on Crowded House. Following the album’s release, the group attracted more fans from around the globe, who yearned for more music from them. As a result, Neil Finn was influenced to create a new album for the group.
According to Doole (2013), Neil Finn began planning the upcoming Crowded House album while still on tour in the UK for Woodface in June 1992. Finn contacted “Youth” Martin after speaking with other renowned British record producers and making up his mind. The process of creating Together Alone (the new album) was a perilous undertaking. The band developed a 64-track studio in a home in the little beach town of Karekare, just west of Auckland, to create what is said to be the most costly album ever produced in New Zealand.
Another impact the album had on some group members was that some had to quit for other commitments. According to Gava (2015), Paul Hester, one of the group members, quit after the album launch during a 1994 tour to attend to family commitments. The passage of time would show that he was already experiencing persistent depression. Though unintentionally, his leaving caused the band to disband.
On the other hand, Tim Finn would also depart Crowded House while they were on a UK tour because he struggled to fit in when the band performed live and would often be seen pacing the stage. Since some members quit, Crowded House had to recruit new members, including Wally Ingram, Peter Jones, and Mark Hart. Lastly, Nick Seymour would go on to start the band Dead Star, work as a record producer, and pursue his artistic goals.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Crowded House from New Zealand created one of the best and most memorable 1990s pop/rock albums, Woodface, released in the latter part of 1991. It is a masterwork of empathetic songwriting, evocative singing, and superb guitar playing. With Neil Finn’s commitment as the band leader and cooperation with Tim Finn, other members got the motivation to create an enticing album. The album was received positively by both fans and critics. Overall, it gave Crowded the opportunity to create more top albums.
References
Larkin, C. (2011). The encyclopedia of popular music. Omnibus Press.
Doole, K. (2013). Crowded house. Web.
Gava, L. (2015). Classic album: Crowded House – Woodface. Web.
Bourke, C. (2023). Finn Brothers, 1996: It’s Only Natural. Web.