Crowded House (album)

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Crowded House
Studio album by Crowded House
Released	June 1986
Recorded	1985
Genre	Rock
Length	38:40
Label	Capitol EMI
Producer(s)	Mitchell Froom
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link High Fidelity (Favorable) link
Crowded House chronology
	Crowded House (1986)	Temple of Low Men (1988)

Crowded House is Crowded House's debut studio album, released in 1986. It was produced by Mitchell Froom.

Contents 1 Album 2 Personnel 3 Additional musicians 4 Track listings 4.1 Original release 4.2 Original international release 4.3 International & DVD-A release 5 External links

[edit] Album

The single "Don't Dream It's Over" was an international hit that made it to #2 on the US Billboard charts on April 25, 1987, and has recently also been used in TV commercials by the New Zealand Tourist Commission; its follow-up "Something So Strong" peaked at #7 on the charts. The album itself reached #12 on the US charts in 1987 and made it to 6x platinum status in Australia by 2006.

Seymour and Hester do not appear on "Now We're Getting Somewhere," which was recorded early on in the sessions with drummer Jim Keltner and bass player Jerry Scheff. Producer Mitchell Froom had doubts about the rhythm section's abilities at the time, but these were dispelled the next day by the sombre recording of "Don't Dream It's Over."

Initially, the album was released in New Zealand and Australia with ten tracks all originally written and recorded for Crowded House, however when the album was being prepared for export internationally, it was decided to re-record the song "I Walk Away", previously a Split Enz song (written by Finn), and re-order the track listing. With the re-ordering, the song "Can't Carry On" was removed from the listing. After recording the following album Temple of Low Men, EMI decided to re-release Crowded House internationally, but used the original Australian/New Zealand track listing but with the addition of "I Walk Away". This is now considered the "standard" track listing of Crowded House.

A DualDisc version of this album is also available. The DVD side features a DVD-A version of the album and also lyrics, a discography, and music videos for "Don't Dream It's Over" and "Something So Strong".

The album's single "Something So Strong" lent its title to a book of the same name in 1997, a biography of Crowded House, telling the story of the career of Crowded House from inception until the disbanding that occurred in 1996. Since reuniting, there have been no plans announced to re-write or re-release the book with further up-to-date details, filling the gap of the ten years since its initial printing.

[edit] Personnel

• Neil Finn - vocals, guitar, piano
• Nick Seymour - bass guitar
• Paul Hester - drums, backing vocals

[edit] Additional musicians

• Tim Pierce - guitar
• Jim Keltner - drums on "Now We're Getting Somewhere"
• Jerry Scheff - bass guitar on "Now We're Getting Somewhere"
• Noel Crombie, Jim Gilstrap, Andy Milton, Joe Satriani - background vocals
• George Bermudez - percussion
• Heart Attack Horns - horns
• Mitchell Froom - keyboards

[edit] Track listings

[edit] Original release

Released in Australia and New Zealand only.

1. "Mean to Me" (Neil Finn) – 3:15
2. "World Where You Live" (Finn) – 3:07
3. "Now We're Getting Somewhere" (Finn) – 4:09
4. "Don't Dream It's Over" (Finn) – 4:03
5. "Love You 'Til the Day I Die" (Finn) – 3:31
6. "Something So Strong" (Finn, Froom) – 2:51
7. "Hole in the River" (Finn, Eddie Rayner) – 4:02
8. "Can't Carry On" (Finn) – 3:57
9. "Tombstone" (Finn) – 4:29
10. "That's What I Call Love" (Finn, Paul Hester) – 4:22

[edit] Original international release

1. "World Where You Live" (Finn) – 3:07
2. "Now We're Getting Somewhere" (Finn) – 4:09
3. "Don't Dream It's Over" (Finn) – 4:03
4. "Mean to Me" (Finn) – 3:15
5. "Love You 'Til the Day I Die" (Finn) – 3:31
6. "Something So Strong" (Finn, Froom) – 2:51
7. "Hole in the River" (Finn, Rayner) – 4:02
8. "I Walk Away" (Finn) – 3:06
9. "Tombstone" (Finn) – 4:29
10. "That's What I Call Love" (Finn, Hester) – 4:22

[edit] International & DVD-A release

1. "Mean to Me" (Finn) – 3:15
2. "World Where You Live" (Finn) – 3:07
3. "Now We're Getting Somewhere" (Finn) – 4:09
4. "Don't Dream It's Over" (Finn) – 4:03
5. "Love You 'Til the Day I Die" (Finn) – 3:31
6. "Something So Strong" (Finn, Froom) – 2:51
7. "Hole in the River" (Finn, Rayner) – 4:02
8. "Can't Carry On" (Finn) – 3:57
9. "I Walk Away" (Finn) – 3:06
10. "Tombstone" (Finn) – 4:29
11. "That's What I Call Love" (Finn, Hester) – 4:22

[edit] External links

• Crowded House MySpace
• Screen captures from the DVD-A
• Liner notes