Crowded House's Together Alone

(Hardback)

Available Formats

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Intertextual, passionate and personal throughout, Crowded Houses Together Alone is a key addition to the surprisingly limited range of scholarship on one of Australasias most successful and adored bands. Released in 1993, Together Alone was an album that fundamentally reshaped Crowded House. Following the hugely popular Woodface (1991), with all its radio-friendly hits, Neil Finn pursued an artistic direction that would twist the bands chemistry, stretch them in experimental sonic directions and embrace a decidedly melancholy lyrical tenor. To achieve this, he opted for a concentrated and intentional immersion in place and landscape that place being Karekare, a rugged coastal locale in West Auckland. In partnership with English producer Youth, Crowded House created a record that both expanded their musical palette and provided a profound statement of connection to environment. The book approaches the album from several angles: it considers why Finn took the decision to record in an isolated private home in rural New Zealand, and what exactly he and the band were seeking there. It also celebrates the contributions of the other key figures in the albums making: Youth and multi-instrumentalist Mark Hart in particular. The book contains an account of author Barnaby Smiths visit to Karekare a psychogeographic exercise designed to deepen an understanding of Together Alone, and by proxy a consideration of what factors, such as music and literature, might go into forging an emotional relationship with a certain place. The book also features a thorough dissection of each song on Together Alone, embracing music theory, lyric analysis and biography.

Author Bio

Barnaby Smith is an award-winning writer, editor, critic, poet and musician based in New South Wales, Australia. He has written about music, art, literature and film for publications including The Quietus, The Guardian, Rolling Stone Australia, The Sydney Morning Herald, Australian Book Review, the BBC, the ABC and numerous others.