Finchy sent me a Split Enz video, review:

[Dave_G]

Our fellow AR bud Plinch Flatte sent me the old VHS tape of a collection of old Split Enz videos.

What a weird collection of videos!

Their real old stuff is way bad. The videos are cool in that while I was watching them, I was thinking, "who in the heck thought this crud would sell"? The songs are simply bad. And their outfits and makeup make old hair bands look like seasoned pros. It's cool thinking that they actually had the gall to record that crap. Looks like high school level stuff.

But the more modern toons off of the good albums (4th album +) are actually pretty good, altho the sound quality is downright horrible. It kind of helped me understand what the songs were about. Lots of "ocean" based stuff.

The Enz made some excellent recordings, and these videos are real weird but enjoyable for a 1 off watch. I don't know why the audio quality on these things is so bad, but it's bad. The videos do not give the songs themselves real justice.

I bet if I took it to the concert to get them to autograph they would throw it away in embarassment, esp. the real old stuff.

I will also comment that you can kind of infer the transition between Tim Finn and Neil Finn as being the band leader. Neil actually is just as good of a singer as Tim is, and maybe even better, but he of course went to form Crowded House. Neil kind of moves up as the leader in these videos as the timeline passes. Pretty interesting. But Tims solo album "Escapade" is excellent.

Thanks Gar-ree, will get it back to ya soon.

Dave

(I think this is my longest post ever)

[Finch Platte]

What struck me as funny was that almost every video, the concept is the same. Band pretending to play, singer lip-synching. Dorky dancing, too. Makes you wonder if the guys ever got outside and actually hung with real people.

That one where the camera follows him w/ out a cut around the soundstage is kinda neat.

The whole thing is worth a look. Just once.

Thanks for that long-ass review, Geez.

fp

NP: Matchstick Men. Nik Cage is one wacked out dood.

[Troy]

Do your fingers hurt, Geezer?

That video sounds like a riot. Someplace I have a CONCERT vhs of the Enz from like 1979.

(checks)

Actually, I don't seem to be able to find it. It wasn't very good anyway. 70s technology tape. It's crrrrrap.

And if you think the videos were stupid, just remember that ALL videos back there were stupid.

Matchstick Men is realllllly good. I did NOT see that coming.

[Finch Platte]

Matchstick Men is realllllly good. I did NOT see that coming.

A friend of mine suggested it. Halfway thru, I emailed him to thank him. He thought I had watched to whole thing, so he mentioned a twist at the end. Right then and there, I began having nagging doubts about that little girl.

Boy, she sure grew up at the end, dinshee?

fp