Band of Brothers

It must have seemed a good idea at the time, it was the seventies and theatricality was all the rage but did it put the punters off? I'm referring to Split Enz bizarre appearance, very original and a good laugh for all concerned but did it distract attention from two great songwriters, Neil and Tim Finn.

Split Enz- My Mistake



'My Mistake' really makes me smile, the twists and turns of the arrangement, the fairground ooompah of the rhythms and dissonances, you can tell somebody clever is at work here. At the same time it's recognisably pop music. Once Neil Finn had joined, Split Enz got more 'Noo Wave', 'I Got You' is a pop classic but to me their high point is 'Six Months In A Leaky Boat'

Split Enz- Six Months In A Leaky Boat



This caused great controversy as it was accused of being a sarcastic reference to the Falklands War, it was recorded in January '82, before the war but if the cap fits...To me this song finds Split Enz using the sounds from their homeland, New Zealand. It's a great singalong but it has a lovely widescreen sweep to it. The Finn Brothers have never been cool but their collective scrapbook of songs should impress even the most cynical and jaded.

Split Enz Fansite

The Finn Brothers

Buy The Best of Split Enz

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stevedomino
marc-o, you're mental - thanks for these, never heard 'em before.

'my mistake' = the "chorlton and the wheelies" theme tune
'six months...' = "johnny and mary" as played by Grandaddy

you know i have a soft spot for the Finn's on the QT... yes, they're clever (and, let's be honest, a bit "Driving With Dad") but they're overriding pop-nous stops their best songs from being strictly academic ventures, or the results of a Paul McCartney fan-club songwriting workshop...

i'll get mi coat... 

marc-o
Spot on with the Grandaddy bit...arpeggiators set to stun.

Anonymous
Nothing wrong with Split Enz. "I got you. That's all I want.''