- Audio CD (6 Oct 1997)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Emi
- ASIN: B000026L6F
- Other Editions: Audio CD | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 172,189 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product details |
Track Listings
| 1. Late Last Night |
| 2. Another Great Divide |
| 3. My Mistake |
| 4. Stranger Than Fiction |
| 5. Walking Down The Road |
| 6. Crosswords |
| 7. History Never Repeats |
| 8. Matinee Idyll |
| 9. Lovey Dovey |
| 10. Time For A Change |
| 11. Charley |
| 12. Bold As Brass |
| 13. See Red |
| 14. Got You |
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Famous bands with large back catalogues are frequently honoured with 'best of' collections, even Split Enz themselves have at least three others at present, and they don't mix up the order of songs on the CD case like this one does(tracks six and seven in case you're interested) and whilst the sleeve does give songwriter credits, it fails to distinguish between Neil and Tim Finn. In all honesty the presentation seems to be compiled by someone with little knowledge of Split Enz's exploits. So what separates this collection? I wouldn't be commited enough to thumb down a particular reason but the album does flow as though the songs were supposed to be together, despite the years that separated them. Perhaps EMI were lucky or maybe the guys choosing the tracks had a fantastic appreciation for the songs of Split Enz.
The CD starts with 'Late last night' (just as 'Mental notes' did all those years ago), a good choice; it begins with that light-hearted quirkiness that one would associate with Split Enz and the big band sounds paves the way for the darker, possibly more thought-provoking tracks that are to follow. Of the two possibilities that I posed earlier the second choice is bolstered by the inclusion of 'Another great divide'. As a non-album track the producers of 'The gold collection' must know the Split Enz catalogue as this is a beauty of a song. The majority of the lyrics are quite simple but they do hit home. Quirkiness doesn't come much more than 'My mistake' and 'Stranger than fiction', whilst undoubtedly weird, steers the album well. 'Walking down the road' is one of my favourite tracks and is comparable to Queen's 'Bohemian rhapsody' in that it is a mix of distinct sections, starting with the slow, dreary sound that 'Stranger than fiction' finished on before erupting in a great guitar rift. 'History never repeats' is undoubtedly one of Split Enz greatest ever songs (so much in fact that two 'greatest hits' compilations have had it as their title) and it opens the album up in spectacular style. The descending notes when entering the verses (e.g. "There was a girl...") will have banging your head in time and tapping your fingers like you were Noel Crombie. Other songs on the album all have their own special qualities, such as the ever ascending power of 'Time for a change' and the toe tapping (or rather thumping)'Bold as brass'. The album ends with two of Split Enz's other hits 'I see red' and 'I got you' which for me is another good move. Compilations are often too quick to dish out the classics, leaving the tail end rather bland, 'The gold collections' layout allows one to appreciate the lesser-known songs and then end on a smile when 'the best' is finally played.
When compiling a greatest hits for Split Enz, one might question the absense of 'six months in a leaky boat', 'Message to my girl' and other songs, but to it's credit 'The gold collection' not once states itself as 'the best of Split enz', but merely as a collection and in doing so it actually surpasses most 'best ofs' in terms of worthyness to your collection. For someone new to Split Enz this album is well worth considering, along with 'Spellbound', a monster of a collection consisting of two CDs and thirty-nine songs, after which die-hard fans can comb over their back catalogue, including the 'anniversary' CD.
Format:Audio CD
An excellent album that is still growing on me. I bought it because I heard it on a New Zealand Airways flight and wanted my own copy. A masterful pop song is "History Never Repeats".
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
One of the greatest singles ever recorded
19 April 2001
Format:Audio CD
Worth the price just for the ultimate classic single "I Got You". I had never heard most of the songs on this disc. It illustrates that Enz was way more than just a great new wave band, but actually quasi-progressive. A nice collection.
CLASSIC EARLY ENZ
26 Jun 2001
Format:Audio CD
Split Enz were different early in thier career but even then they created great music. The inclusion of "I Got You" and "History Never Repeats" on this collection is rather odd as all the other cuts are pre 80's Enz. Somewhat strange, hypnotic melodies rule on all the other cuts which are Enz classics in thier own right. If you are expecting the Enz of the 80's this might not be your cup of tea but if you are a true fan you should enjoy these rare gems.
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