Crowded House regrouped at a beach house on the edge of the world to cut loose on these ragged ruminations and sonic experiments and produced their most adventurous and diverse album. The lineup had changed during the tour for 'Woodface' with Tim Finn leaving to pursue his solo career. They brought back Mark Hart, who had played keyboards on the tour for 'The Temple of Low Men'.
For 'Together Alone' the band decided to work with producer Youth (from Killing Joke) at Nigel & Jody Horrocks' house on Kare Kare Beach on the west coast of Auckland in New Zealand with equipment supplied and installed by Revolver Studios, Auckland. Additional recording was done at Platinum Studios and Periscope in Melbourne. The sessions featured Neil Finn on guitars, vocals, and keyboards; Paul Hester on drums, vocals, and percussion; Nick Seymour on bass and vocals; and Mark Hart on guitar, keyboards, and vocals; with Eddie Rayner on keyboards on "Kare Kare", "Pineapple Head"; Noel Crombie on percussion on "Private Universe"; Geoffrey Hales on percussion on "Fingers of Love", "Locked Out"; Tim Finn on background vocals on "In My Command", "Catherine Wheels"; Sharon Finn on background vocals on "Black and White Boy", "Fingers of Love", "Private Universe"; Dror Erez on accordion on "Walking On The Spot"; Joe, Tereo, Martie, Jamee, and Benjamin as log drummers on "Together Alone", "Private Universe"; Clyde Dixon, Stephen Brenner, Lauren Astridge, David Brenner, and Shaun Jarret. as the Brass Band on "In My Command", "Together Alone"; and Te Waka Huia Cultural Group Choir on "Together Alone", "In My Command", "Catherine Wheels": Ngapo (Bud) Wehi, Tapeta Wehi, Bussie Nanai, Colin Edwards, Blaine Te Rito, Charles Kake, Carl Ross, Tomika Whiu, Chad Brown, Fred Williams, Jim Williams, Danny Kingi, Karl Jeths, Des Aubrey, Richard Whei, Harry Clarke, Rerewa Kingi, Pimia (Nen) Wehi, Tearoha Cassidy, Cynthia Takiari, Monica Kautai, Donna Ross, Annette Gibson, Noeline Kake, Megan Tunks, Simone Edwards, Vicki Kerehoma, Kristen Kohere, Angela Smith, Pat Henare, Mandy Edwards, Michelle Williams, Missie Edwards, Pauline Hopa, Dell Henare, Monica Harawira, Mereana Henare, and Violet Williams.
'Together Alone' charted at eighty-nine in Japan, seventy-three in the US, fifty-five in Germany, twenty-five in Sweden, nineteen in the Netherlands, eighteen in Canada, fourteen in Norway, four in the UK, two in Australia, and number one in New Zealand. It became the band's last album until they reformed fourteen years later. Finn considers: "We lost our innocence in that experience, much as it's my favourite record. Which is strange because in one sense Youth is quite an innocent character but in another he's a bit of an inner city Londoner. I'm saying this for the first time but I don't think we got the full money's worth, and I kind of gave up on it near the end of it. It didn't end all that well with Youth. I felt a bit let down by then and he probably thought I was a bit of a fascist. Either way we made a great record together but I wouldn't want to do it again. I think it was the beginning of the end. I listened to the songs again at the end of it and I thought, Shit, a lot of songs here are about leaving and endings - I wonder if this is our last album, and it's called 'Together Alone'. Five relationships in and around the band broke up during the course of it. I got pissed off with everybody because nobody bought any food. I'd be in the studio from 10 'til midnight and I'd come back and there'd be no food, and everybody would be swanning around sunning themselves and not bothered to go and get any food. I remember going off at everybody and for a couple of days nobody talked to me."
http://www.crowdedhouse.com/
http://www.frenz.com/crowdedhouse/
promo video
part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6tB_e37KTZI
part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdQDQ1_Tijc
"Locked Out" was featured in the film 'Reality Bites' and released with 'My Sharona' as a single to promote the movie. It hit one hundred and nineteen on the US pop chart, eighty-one in Canada, seventy-nine in Australia, twelve in the UK, and eight on the US modern rock chart.
"In My Command" – 3:43
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm5DYEr3cwc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ns_AEiClkk
"Nails in My Feet" – 3:39
broke through to number thirty-four in Australia, twenty-two in the UK, and eleven in New Zealand.
"Distant Sun"
was the leadoff single charting at one hundred and sixteen on the US pop chart, seventy in Germany, twenty-six on the US modern rock chart, twenty-three in Australia, nineteen in the UK, five in New Zealand, and number four in Canada.
'Together Alone'
full album:
All songs written by Neil Finn unless otherwise indicated:
"Kare Kare" (Crowded House) – 3:35
"In My Command" – 3:43
"Nails in My Feet" – 3:39
"Black & White Boy" – 4:00
"Fingers of Love" – 4:26
"Pineapple Head" – 3:27
"Locked Out" – 3:17
"Private Universe" – 5:39
"Walking on the Spot" – 2:54
"Distant Sun" – 3:49
"Catherine Wheels" (Neil Finn, Tim Finn, Nick Seymour) – 5:12
"Skin Feeling" (Paul Hester) – 3:56
"Together Alone" (Neil Finn, Mark Hart, Ngapo 'Bub' Wehi) – 3:55
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