Although their best known and loved collaboration. ('rowded House. was vastly successful (the Finns were awarded ()Blis in I993 and the band‘s farewell concert at Sydney Opera House in November l‘)‘)() attracted l0l).l)l)() fans). it came at
the expense of cutting edge credibility. Yet their
knack for carefully crafted songs. bittersweet lyrical detail and a gift for melody has attracted an impressive roll call of fans. Johnny .\lai'r. liddie Vedder. Radiohead‘s l’hil Selw'ay and lid ()‘Brien all appeared as a 2—1 carat backing band at Neil's ‘7 \Noi'lds (‘ollide‘ sel of shows in Auckland in Mill.
lt was at these star studded shows that 'lidible lilow‘ers‘. a track that features on the new album. first appeared in skeletal form. It seems to summarise what makes the partnership tick. as Tim explains: ‘lt‘s on the abstract side. which I like. It has an existential moment you‘re losl in a street somewhere. there‘s traffic and there‘s rain and there‘s the reflections on the windows and il's one of those moments in llie city. I suppose. It started off with the verse and then Neil came up with the really uplifting chorus. so it had the two sides. It had the losl moment feeling and then a soil of bittersweet rise in the chorus. A very satisfying when it came logelhei‘.‘
But the partnership hasn‘t all been plain sailing. with the power balance
song
shifting several times since they first worked together
in Split linx. when Neil joined in May l‘)7(y. He was
soon sharing lead singer's duties. and wrote their
biggest hit international hit "I (iol You‘. The group disbanded shortly after Tim left in 198-1 to pursue a solo career and a relationship with actress (ireta Scacchi. Neil. who had married and started a family. formed Crowded House with Paul llester and Nick Seymour.
Their eponymous debut was released in 1986 and featured ‘l)on’t Dream It's Over"; by the time 'Temple of Low Men‘ was released in 1988. Tim had joined forces with his brother again. contributing backing vocals after patchy solo success. He officially rejoined in 1990 and during a week in l\*lelbourne the pair wrote. among others. ‘It's Only Natural'. ‘l‘our Seasons in One Day“ and ‘Weather With You‘. which all appear on the group‘s breakthrough 190] album ll'omI/ircr'.
Immortality and long term mortgage repayments assured. everything went swimmingly until the strains of touring exposed the cracks in their volatile relationship. Neil read Tim the riot act in (ilasgow. and although Tim contributed backing vocals on
‘THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE TELEPATHICALLY JOIN BITS TOGETHER THAT MAKE WONDERFUL SONGS'
l‘NR's 'Iiia’cllir'r .-l/onc. they didn't collaborate again properly for another four years.
Lessons learnt. [lil't'l'yrlllt' is Here seems to have benefited from a relased approach and in methodical planning. .'\s Neil says: ‘The timing needed to be right. We wanted to make the songs fleshed out and fully formed.‘ .-\nd an enviable production schedule which finished offal miser Bob (‘Iearmouiitaiii‘s l..-\ home i‘lle‘s got this great studio under his house and you just sit out by the pool in the consistently gor‘geoiis l..-\ weather. and have single malts and cups of coffee and then get fed and check the mi\ and go home.‘ raves Neil i.
()f the strains of collaborating with his sibling. Neil now says: ‘When the two of Us are working together. there‘s a lol more at stake in many ways because when its family. it's a wry intense. close relationship. lt‘s one of the strengths the way we sing together in a musical sense it‘s \ery good. but it obviously means we have to take on board a whole other raft of things. that if you're jtist working with somebody purely on a musical basis. you don't hay e to take into account.‘
Tim adds: 'l’eople have said. “How on earth do you manage to work with your brother?" and there is an element of tension. bill I think out of that comes really good music. That kind of tension. as long as it's resolved and absorbed into the work. can be really good. There are times when Neil and I just telepathically’ almost join bits together that make wonderful songsf
The death of their Irish mother Mary. in 2000. was another incentive to reunite. Neil says: ‘If there were times when we felt it was loo difficult or awkward to work with your sibling. we were drawn to persevering partly in our mother's memory. because she would have loved it. She would have loved tis working together. because she was always anxious about iis having separate careers. She thought one might do better than the other.‘
Their appeal looks set to endure. and explaining their attitude to songwriting. Neil says: ‘Some of my favourite moments are ones that are a little bit obscure. and I just know that the line has emotional impact and I can‘t quite figure out why. Later on you‘ll find that other people relate to them in very
surprising ways. That‘s the greatest mystery of
songwriting and what I love the inost.'
Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 16 Oct; Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, 17 Oct.
release. Hoe. to Dismant/e an Atomic Bomb by U2 <22 November i. as well as Billy
I92 November) which features collaborations yvith Outkast's Andre 3000. Dr Dre and New Order.
On a hip hop front. the mighty Mos Def Wlll hopefully astound With his first album in half a decade With The New Danger. ihe Grind Date is De La Soul's newie while releases by' Lauryn HiII. Destiny's Child and Encore by Eminem Will provide plenty to shout
'Smashing Pumpkins Corgan's solo debut ii Novemberi.
Still on a rocking tip come
about in the coming months Towards the end of the
year we get the rush
releases from Beck i25> October l. the Mars Volta i213 Octoberi. Nine Inch Nails With B/eed Through i2?) Octoberi then maybe. iust maybe. the first Queens of the Stone Age record minus Nick Oliver. iio Noy'ernberi won‘t suck tragicaliyi.
Rouble \l‘y/iIIiains' Greatest Hts i-l October; is only the tip of the public bleeding. greatest hits iceberg this season: expect coilectioiis from Travis. Pearl Jam. Placebo. Marilyn Manson. Annie Lennox. Kc'n, Super Furry Animals. Biue ar‘d Pet
Shop Beys too. Topping all of that are a box of Deoeche Mooe TQ'WIXE‘S and three gigantic pox ‘rom Mc'iaei aacxsc". Nirvana and Siri‘pie Minds. ahis: in
l‘ :9: K/l istIJt/w ya x) . gag,
Ci‘r stri‘as Isis. "o dour;
highlights
I DON’T MISS
I Natasha Bedingfield Garage. Glasgow. 23 Nov. Daniel's feisty wee sister. now a chart-topping popster in her own right.
I Jill Scott Barrowland, Glasgow, 26 Nov. Modern diva Willi extraordinary vocal gymnastic routine and real soul.
I Shellac Liquid Room, Edinburgh. 28 Nov. American Liber- producer Steve Albini's own band in full—on hardCOre mode.
I Lambchop Usher Hall. Edinburgh. 1 Dec. American alternative c0untiy collective with live SOundtraCk project.
I Blink 182 SECC. Glasgow. 1 Dec. Former idiot-bunkers turned intelligent post-punk tunesmiths.
I Electric Six Barrowland. Glasgow. 2 Dec. Detron disco- metal meisters. part sleaze. part cheese. all daft.
I Groove Armada Carling Academy. Glasgow. 3 8 4 Dec. Funky, kitschy and eclectic British dance duo.
I KD Lang Royal Concert Hall. Glasgow. 3 Dec. Acclaimed and edgy Canadian singer songwriter with a 00untry twist.
I Busted SECC. Glasgow. 5—7 Dec. Kings of gurtar pop. no doth creating frenzies wrth every riff.
I The Prodigy Carling Academy. Glasgow, 8 Dec. SOLD OUT. Angry. old-school punk rock dance. orchestrated by Liam Howlett.
I Marianne Faithfull Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, 13 Dec. Four decades of experience from infamous singer songwriter stalwart. I The Pogues Carling Academy, Glasgow, 13 & 14 Dec. Famoust shambolic Irish folk rock troubadours in festive mood.
I Interpol Carling Academy. Glasgow. 17 Dec. Ultra-Sharp New York new wave art rock strutters. I Snow Patrol Barrowiand. Glasgow, 18—21 Dec. SOLD OUT. Scotland's Irish ex-pat indie rockers turned pop stars in festive home Show.
See page 52 for all the live music on this fortnight and all
the upcoming gigs in Book Now
"/3 .’/.',-'. THE LIST 25