Spellbound: Very Best of [Ltd Tour ed.] [Australian Import] [Import]

New Zealand is (by and large) an egalitarian, progressive, pleasant place, which builds solid, earnest, probably above average but, if truth be known, not entirely interesting citizens. And if that's New Zealand generally, then it's Te Awamutu, the Waikato farming town which spawned Split Enz, specifically: Dull doesn't begin to describe the place.

So the first remarkable thing about Split Enz is the fact that they are in anyway remarkable at all. Their origins couldn't possibly have been more mundane.

When you've got over the shock that this great music has its origins in Nowhere City, the next remarkable thing is that, seeing as they did escape the sheep paddocks, got as far as London and even managed to attract the (disdainful) attention of Margaret Thatcher (she ignorantly banned "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" for its apparent (but non-existent) political connotations on the eve of the Falklands campaign), that Split Enz didn't conquer the world, rewrite pop history and finally give the UK music press something to write about other than the Beatles (alas, this is something it still does monotonously.)

This I am not able to explain and, should you listen to the forty odd tracks on this compilation, I daresay neither will you.

Split Enz rocks, it fizzes, it boogies, it piano-rolls, it slinks, and it pops. It's witty, it's poignant, it's smarty-pants, (but never too smarty pants for its own good), it's consummately performed and beautifully recorded, the Enz had an outstanding live show. For a band which didn't manage to beat the world, there are more world-beating songs on this collection alone than can be rationally explained.

Enz were a good fifteen years ahead of their time. Maybe that's the problem - indeed, fifteen years after their heyday, one of their number did manage to forge his name on rock history, with a diluted version of his old band.

The proof that I'm not exaggerating (should you need it) is the success Neil Finn did manage, second attempt, with Crowded House. You have to feel sorry for the other Enzers, though, who have by and large drifted back into obscurity. The thing is, Split Enz's material is every bit as good as Crowded House's - much of it better - it's not like Crowded House represents any sort of paradigm shift or critical development in the blueprint.

The good news for Crowded House fans is, of course, that there are another dozen or so records to delve into once they've worn out the Crowded House repertoire. For the more casual listener, there's this double album.

For my money, truly essential pop music.

And I a m pleased to say that this compilation, Like the ENZ carrer, is Good, Respectable, Brilliant and definatly important.

Good song writing trancends cultures, nations and even decades and these songs still have a feeling about them which I can honestly say will make any good music fan sing on for years to come. Neil and Tim Finn are New Zealand's, or for that matter, the southern hemispheres, Lennon and McCartney. Just see what Paul thinks of Neil Finn as a song writer.

All the good stuff is here and to a new listener you may find some of the 'have not heard before' material a little dated. But once again, after a few listenings you won't be laughing at 'Haul Away' but singing along to it.

A true show case of the ENZ talent as a band, and as a nod towards the Neil Finn best known in Crowded House.

Best songs: Always up to you but, Then again, History Never Repeats.