SPLIT ENZ

This DVD is the most essential item that SE has ever released. Why? you might ask because you get to see SE, there fascinating early muisc videos, some of their live shows. SE is a band that has to be seen as well as heard, and believe me you'll become a fan once you watch their shows. Enz always presented their concerts as theatre with the curtains down before the show started. So noit only were these guys gifted with fine crafted songs they were an incredible live show. This DVD is also fantastic as it includes their 'Spellbound' documentary, with interviews, interactive discography with samples of their songs, a photo and poster gallery and easter eggs that include an unreleased song that they created in 1999. This DVD is loaded with everything that an Enz fan could possibly want. Out of all the music DVD and videos I have seen this is only second to the fantastic Can DVD. Curiously though the videos Last Exit and Never Ceases to Amaze me are missing. Last Exit was a pretty bad sounding song, but Never Ceases to Amaze me was quite good apparently Tim is embarrased by his afro from that particular video and that explains its ommission. All the videos have digitally remastered sound, and interestlingly Late Last Night has been changed a little bit with some scenes shot in black and white? But nevertheless this is both a top quality DVD collection and you get to see Enz. Absolutely a must for you music education!

This is the definitive Split Enz DVD that showcases the early high strangeness of the band that became one of the most well loved acts of Oz/NZ.

It is difficult to compare the brilliance, polish and precise rhythmic radio friendly sound of later Enz to their early efforts, but it is nonetheless an intriguing excursion into how this band developed from zany, unimbellished, brash prog to the crystal vocals and echoing synth of 'I Got You', 'Poor Boy' or '6 Months in a Leaky Boat' that are so familiar to Australian and New Zealand airwaves.

Clips such as Sweet Dreams, Lovey Dovey, Late Last Night, Bold As Brass and My Mistake show the early Enz with all their quirky, zaniness and colourful makeup and zoot suits - they effectively look like pantomine clowns on acid. I saw these costumes up close at the Powerhouse Museum some years back and it was a pleasure to visualise just how weird this band was - Australia and New Zealand was shocked into submission.

The more commercial Enz began with the much played number one single 'I Got You'. This was the first time I had noticed the band, having discarded them as bizarre forces of the lunatic fringe with their jittery 'I See Red' and 'My Mistake'. There was a more serious side to the band and Neil Finn entranced us with his vulnerable rendition of 'I Got You'. When Neil Finn jumped on board he effectively transformed the sound of Split Enz - the real drawcard of the band as it turns out over the next few years. Neil went solo and Crowded House became his band when Split Enz split up. Neil sings 'I Got You' with a sincerity unheard on earlier albums. It resonated a chord in the Oz/NZ musical industry and became a swansong of the band, played at every concert and still plays on the airwaves. The film clip to accompany it showed Neil almost separate from the band singing to a picture frame containing the other band members. In a sense that is what happened. Neil became the spokesperson and main vocalist after this effort. He was the main stay of the band although I always loved Tim's renditions, Neil sang rings around him in every sense. It was still great to hear the diverseness of the band from these two diverse singers. That is what made them so great.

Quintessential Split Enz included on this release include History Never Repeats, Dirty Creature, I See Red, I Got you, One Step Ahead, Pioneer/ Six Months in a Leaky Boat, Poor Boy, I Hope I Never, Message to My Girl and I Walk Away. The non concert clips feature bizarre imagery such as samurai swords that lob off Tim's head, weird boats emerging from the fog, animated dogs on leashes, beautiful women that eye off the camera at every whim and moments of transcendental beauty that compliment the music. The special features are terrific featuring rare clips and conversations about what the band encapsulated. Some of it is eye opening particualry how they act on stage in their early years - it was like a different band; the jumpy clowning of the 70s is unrecognizable from the 80s pop radio orientated clean cut boys of later years.

Overall the DVD captures all that was great and ordinary about the band. You may not like everything the band touched, a lot of it is not really progressive at all, but they were highly experimental and dramatic enough for the music industry to sit up and take notice.