Neil Finn & Paul Kelly
Goin’ Your Way
Omnivore Recordings OVCD-155
Legendary Antipodean Concert Finally Gets a Worldwide Release.
Neil Finn is or should be well known to everyone reading this, as he was a founder member of Split Enz and later, the wonderful Crowded House. Paul Kelly is less well known in the Northern Hemisphere, but every bit the legend in the Southern part of the globe.
Friends for many years, the two finally put a band together and toured the Antipodes in 2013; culminating with this concert at Sydney Opera House, which was recorded and released solely in Australia and New Zealand.
Son #1 is/was a Crowded House fan and was aware of the album; but when he once tried to buy it was quoted £35 plus postage…..funnily enough he passed!
Finally Omnivore Records have secured the rights to release it around the world (and beyond).
Was the wait worth it, you ask?
Most definitely is the answer.
The album opens with Kelly’s Don’t Stand So Close to the Window; and it’s immediately evident why he’s so revered in his home country. A delicate Folk-Rock song featuring lush harmonies, intricate guitar playing and some sweet harmonica is hard to beat in my book.
Weirdly it is followed by Finn’s most famous song ; Four Season’s in One Day. A genuine classic of its ilk and performed with grace and elegance; as you’d expect but why it’s dispensed with so early baffles me.
Not being a ‘fan’ as such; I’ve been pleasantly surprised by quite a few of Neil Finns songs; especially Not The Girl You Think You Are and the Byrdsian Only Talking Sense stand out on the first disc; with the beautiful Better Be Home Soon becoming a word perfect sing-along and but the stripped bare versions of Distant Sun and Fall At Her Feet are genuine timeless classics; showcasing Finn’s wonderfully expressive voice.
Discovering Paul Kelly has been something of a revelation; on disc #1 Careless and Leaps and Bounds, which follows are both eloquently beautiful and comfortably stand shoulder to shoulder with Finn’s songs.
Another track of his; You Can Put Your Shoes Under My Bed; played simply with piano accompaniment is simply spellbinding and well worth hunting down in its own rite.
On disc #2 the loudest applause you hear is when the crowd recognises the opening chords to How To Make Gravy. An odd song at first; becomes a tear jerker when you listen carefully to the eloquent lyrics. Later; when he again takes the lead on his song To Her Door the penny drops as to why he has had such a long and successful career Down South; but it leaves me baffled as to why he’s never crossed my path before.
The two songwriters more or less, equally share their songs over the course of the two discs; with honours shared by the final two tracks; a loving nod to Buddy Holly with a harmonious duet on Words of Love and the concert closes with song #29; a warm and tender rendition of Moon River.
Crowded House fans; of which there are millions and fans of quality music like me (and you) will love this album and fingers crossed it could be the forerunner to a studio album in the same vein.
Released December 11th 2015
Paul Kelly – http://www.paulkelly.com.au/news
Neil Finn – http://neilfinn.com/
The Rocking Magpie 