Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Top stuff from Down Under!, 24 Aug 2001
I was always aware of Crowded House's presence, but never really took the time to bother with them. I guess I was more into my 'cool' indie music to worry about their stuff. It was only last year when I saw Recurring Dream in an HMV sale, so I kinda thought 'What the hell, why not?'. I knew of quite a few of their UK singles, but the rest of it was alien to me. It was only when I listened through the album that I realised what I'd been missing - what an absolutely outstanding group!! They effortlessly combine elegant and sweeping melodies with gorgeous music, inspired lyrics and overall an accomplished sound which always amazes me when I hear it. The CD is rarely out of my player - a year on it isn't even slightly exhausted. My favourites would be 'Fall at Your Feet', 'Private Universe', 'You'd better be home soon' and 'Four Seasons in One Day' - although thats not to say that I dont love all the others too! So I would honestly urge anyone who appreciates great songwriting to check this album out - and for all you indie purists, have no fear either, its soooo worth it!
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An album crowded with hits, 28 April 2006
This is a very good "best of" in my books.
Let's get some things into perspective. I'm twenty years of age, and an avid fan of popular rock. So you won't be surprised to hear that music that has branded itself on my life includes bands like the Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Oasis and so on.
I was familiar with some of Crowded House's work before now, but I only had limited knowledge (I knew they were a popular band and wasn't completely unaware of them while growing up), and as far as this album is concerned I'm honest enough to say I took a fair old stab in the dark with it. I deduced that even though summative compilations aren't always the best, this was probably a safe bet. I was listening to it in the garden this afternoon. It's been a pleasant, sunny day, complimented by some superb music. I stayed out there on my own all afternoon and listened to the album from start to finish; bliss.
What struck me as odd was that as I was listening to it, even though it felt like a bit of a memory test (having only listened to several songs once or twice before, and many years ago), I felt the pangs of nostalgia - most peculiar given the circumstances. Almost every track had the feel of a classic to it, and I felt like an old fan of the band who'd lost his cassette player.
To the all those die-hard fans of Crowded House: I'm afraid I'm not the one who will give as balanced and considered an opinion as you could, but given the cavernous expanse of time between the album's release and now, I'm sure you've formed your own views on it. To the compilation skeptics amongst you: the quality here is obvious and hard to resist.
Excellent.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What was I doing all these years?, 17 May 2006
Recurring Dream is Crowded House's main Greatest Hits compilation. It represents 4 tracks of each of the group's 4 albums. The selection process has hardly been difficult; all the big hits are here. Omissions of note are Chocolate Cake, the first single of their Woodface album (and also a commercial disaster), Fingers of Love and Nails in My Feet from Together Alone. These songs were, however, minor hits and thus understandably omitted.
There are also 3 songs Crowded House recorded towards the very end of their career. Not the Girl You Think You Are and Instinct are fine tunes while Everything Is Good for You is sub-par Crowded House. The magic often associated with the group had though gone and an indication that maybe it was time to wrap it up.
This album highlights the greatness of Crowded House. I have played these tunes to death and yet never seem to get bored of them. There is Beatles-esque quality littered all over the album. If Paul heard it he must have wondered what in the world he was doing all that time (until recently, he couldn't muster a fine tune for ages.
There are at least 3 editions available. One is the standard one with a single CD. Another one released initially during the same period includes a fantastic live CD. Songs such as There Goes God and Sister Madly showcase their drive that lacked on the studio versions. Mediocre songs from their debut like Love You 'til the Day I Die and Hole in the River become fresh, as if they have been released from some kind of bounds. There is humor spread all over the set with the audience participating without ruining the songs. The fun and energy associated with Crowded House shines more on this live CD than any other studio recording of theirs (even including their masterpiece Together Alone) making it worthwhile for many to buy this edition, although it is rather expensive. Recently another edition emerged with a greatest hits DVD included. The songs are still great but most of the videos have aged rather poorly. An exception is Weather with You (my son's favorite!) which is joyful and fun and Distant Sun, a dreamy video that tastefully complements one of their best songs. My son actually loves most of the songs post Weather with You but he may simply like the overuse of colors (huge Yellow Submarine fan) and simply great songs. Being a big fan myself, this is a must have for me but friends and family mostly laugh when they see most of these videos.
Recurring Dream is thus a great buy for most people. Any fan should add a few extra dollars and purchase the edition including the live set and only the hard core fans should also get the DVD version (that can be actually bought separately).
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