Spellbound: The Very Best of Split Enz

Performer: Split Enz
Distributor: E1 Distribution (USA)

Notes: OTHER ENZ contains tracks by Split Enz as well as Tim Finn, Neil Finn, Crowded House, Byrdhouse, Philip Judd and The Swingers. Contains 41 tracks. Collecting Split Enz has never been an easy thing -- tracking down all of the limited editions, laser-etched LPs, various colored covers, etc., has been very frustrating for fans over the years. If that wasn't enough, it has been next to impossible to go beyond the already twisted discography to collect the various side projects that have come from the band. Other Enz seeks to rectify that with two discs worth (41 songs in all) of rare tracks from Split Enz side projects. While the combining of wildly different styles of music -- ranging from Noel Crombie's twisted country take of "My Voice Keeps Changing on Me" (which is worth the price of the disc alone), and the synthy new wave of Mal Green's "Follow Me," to more straightforward tracks like the highly underrated Citizen Band's "The Ladder Song", latter-day Tim Finn, and Crowded House rarities -- and somewhat random sequencing doesn't make this the easiest listen for the uninitiated, it is an invaluable addition for collectors, showcasing some excellent moments that were most likely missed the first time around. Of course, this is only the tip of the iceberg of rarities -- fortunately, a second volume is hinted at in the liner notes. ~ Chris Woodstra Spellbound is an Australian-only two-disc collection that offers 39 of Split Enz's biggest hits and best-known favorites. There is no shortage of Enz collections on the market, and this is the best to date. All of the tracks have been remastered, and as an incentive to collectors, the rare Luton version of "Semi-Detached" and a drastically remixed version of "Stuff and Nonsense" have been added. The one major flaw is the non-chronological sequencing, which, for a band with two distinct phases and a clear career arc, misses the opportunity to tell the band's story completely. Minor complaints aside, Spellbound is a good starting point for those who want more than any of the single-disc collections have to offer. [In typical Enz fashion, Spellbound was released in several different-colored covers.] ~ Chris Woodstra

Split Enz were New Zealand's homegrown heroes--art-rockers who reveled in theatricality, face-paint, strange outfits, and quirky prog-pop numbers. By the late '70s,they began to focus on material that was more accessible, yet had a new-wave spikiness that retained their earlier sense of daring. The band's new direction and success may or may not be attributed to the addition of leader Tim Finn's brother Neil, but Neil was responsible for one of the band's most enduring hits, "I Got You," from their breakthrough album, 1980's TRUE COLOURS. By 1983, the band began to disintegrate, quietly ending for good in 1984 when Neil left to form '80s pop stalwarts Crowded House.

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