Rocktrospectiva: The Acoustic Beautiful Set On "Woodface" Turns 35

Originally released on 1st., July in the UK and on 8th., July in Australia, "Woodface" was the 3rd., studio album by Crowded House. It featured five singles: "Chocolate Cake", "Fall at Your Feet", "It's Only Natural", "Weather with You", and "Four Seasons in One Day". The album was a major hit in Australia and New Zealand as well as giving the band their first top ten hit album in the UK.

During a break from Crowded House following the Canadian leg of the tour in support of their second album, Temple of Low Men, band-leader Neil Finn began recording songs with his older brother and former Split Enz bandmate Tim Finn. These songs were originally intended for a Finn Brothers album. Once these sessions were complete, Neil teamed back up with Nick Seymour and Paul Hester to write and record Crowded House's third album. Capitol Records rejected most of the new Crowded House songs, so Neil asked Tim if the band could use some of the new Finn Brothers songs. Tim agreed, on condition that he would join the band, although he has since indicated he meant this as a joke. Whatever the truth of that claim, the group that returned to the studio included Tim as a full band member. 

The album was titled Woodface and was released in July 1991. The cover was designed by Nick Seymour and Tommy Steele. It was co-produced by Mitchell Froom and Neil Finn, and mixed by Bob Clearmountain. Eight tracks were co-written by Neil and Tim Finn and mainly feature the brothers harmonising on lead vocals, although Neil takes the lead on "Four Seasons in One Day" and Tim sings "All I Ask", which later featured in AIDS awareness commercials in Australia.

Five other tracks were solo compositions by Neil Finn and the remaining two were written by Paul Hester, including "I'm Still Here", a hidden track. Former Beach Boys drummer Ricky Fataar, and member of the Rutles, is credited on three of the Finn Brothers songs, "All I Ask", "There Goes God" and "Weather With You". The addition of Tim Finn and the inclusion of songs originally written for the Finn Brothers project gave the album a more upbeat and optimistic sound compared to its darkly personal predecessor, representing the joy of reunion and the freedom of a collaborative effort. The Finn Brothers were also dually responsible for two memorable, radio-friendly staples courtesy of “It’s Only Natural” and the ridiculously catchy "Weather With You": the latter of which provided the band with their first UK Top 10 hit. Elsewhere, however, Neil self-penned several of Woodface’s perennials, including the affecting "Fall At Your Feet," the edgy, voyeuristic "Whispers And Moans" and the energized, Squeeze-esque "Fame Is."

Instrumentally, Woodface employed more acoustic guitar and less organ than on previous releases by Crowded House. The album also made heavy use of vocal harmonies. The album's style has been characterized as pop rock, drawing comparisons to the works of John Lennon and Paul McCartney and certain critics considered as "the sound of a band embracing the pop mainstream with bravado, while slyly biting the hand that feeds."

When Woodface was eventually released, in July 1991, it wasn’t hard to hear why Neil had been keen to utilize eight of the mooted Finn Brothers songs, as they were among the most melodic, infectious tunes he’d had a hand in to date. Most of them featured the brothers sharing lead vocals, though Neil sang the elegant, melancholic  "Four Seasons In One Day," while Tim took the lead on the filmic.

Curiously, despite presenting a feast of beautifully crafted, airwave-friendly pop, Woodface received mixed reviews from the critics and, surprisingly, stalled at No.83 on the US Billboard 200. However, this blow was cushioned by Crowded House’s burgeoning popularity in Europe, where the album went Top 30 in half a dozen territories and peaked at No.6 in the UK, The album represented the joy of reunion and the freedom of a collaborative effort. The songs were easily their finest to date, combining flawless melodies and the outstanding harmonies of the brothers' perfectly matched voices.

 

Woodface Track List: 

 

1. Chocolate Cake

2. It's Only Natural

3. Fall At Your Feet 

4. Tall Trees

5. Weather With You

6. Whispers And Moans

7. Four Seasons In One Day

8. There Goes God

9. Fame Is

10. All I Ask

11. As Sure As I Am

12. Italian Plastic

13. She Goes On

14. How Will You Go (includes a hidden excerpt of "I'm Still Here" (Hester, Neil Finn, Seymour)