Overlooked Alternatives: Crowded House, Ron Sexsmith
Published January 18, 2007
Crowded House - Farewell To The World (CD and DVD): It took ten years, but Crowded House's final concert has finally been released on CD and DVD. Playing in front of an astonishing 120,000 fans at Sydney's famous Opera House, the band runs through an incredible selection of their very best songs. The only thing missing now is a reunion - sadly impossible due to drummer Paul Hester's unfortunate suicide in 2005. But at least fans have this great reminder of a great band.
Ron Sexsmith - Time Being: Shhh - don't tell anyone, I'm late reporting on this one from last week. Better late than never, right? Actually released last year everywhere but America, this finally saw release here and the wait was worth it. More infectious but dark songwriting from one of the best, most sadly overlooked songsmiths out there. A recent discovery for me, I have found Sexsmith's voice is probably the one thing that less adventurous listeners might have an issue with - you might call it "Kermity" at times, if you were cruel, but it's a warm, velvety "Kermit the Frog" and his earnest, compelling lyrics are so powerful that good listeners should easily be able get past this quickly. Time Being is just another album of great songs following a string of great albums from this guy - nothing new, but not a letdown in the slightest.
- Overlooked Alternatives: Crowded House, Ron Sexsmith
- Published: January 18, 2007
- Type: News
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Music: Adult Alternative, Music: Alternative Rock, Music: Rock, Music: Video
- Part of a feature: Overlooked Alternatives
- Writer: Tom Johnson
- Tom Johnson's BC Writer page
- Tom Johnson's personal site
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"Don't Dream It's Over" is one of my favorites of all time, Mark, and Neil Finn's is one of my favorite voices. His 7 Worlds Collide live set has grown to be one of my favorites, as well - it covers both the CW catalog as well as his solo album with a great band made up of his favorite musicians (the rhythm section of Radiohead, Lisa Germano on vocals, keyboard, and violin, Johnny Marr on guitar, plus some guest appearances that actually don't screw up the event.) Extremely highly recommended if you were even a casual fan - which I was until I picked this up! (And get the DVD - it has a LOT more material than the CD does.)
Ron Sexsmith's Time Being is well worth it, as well as all his other cd's. His songwriting is second to none, voice is one of a kind very soothing, fitted for his music. Elvis Costello, Paul McCartney and many others admire him. Must be something special about him. Check him out..
One of my most favorite concert moments was seeing Crowded House at Astroworld in Houston, TX sometime in the summer of '86. I had always been a huge fan of Split Enz, but never had the chance to see 'em live. Neil Finn said they were bringing out a special guest, and out popped Tim Finn to sing Enz's "Six Months in a Leaky Boat." Pure magic...
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wow. i might have to get the Crowded House disc. i have a live show of theirs that i taped off the radio a long time ago, but there's nowhere near this much material.
and dang, i love "Don't Dream It's Over"