The Very Very Best of Crowded House

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The Very Very Best of Crowded House
VeryVeryBestofCrowdedHousealtcover.jpg
Greatest hits album by
Released22 October 2010
Genre Rock, pop rock, jangle pop, alternative rock
Length70:55
Label Capitol/EMI
Crowded House chronology
Intriguer
(2010)
The Very Very Best of Crowded House
(2010)
Dreamers Are Waiting
(2021)
Alternative cover
TheVeryVeryBestOfCrowdedHouse.jpg
Cover of the CD + DVD box set

The Very Very Best of Crowded House is a compilation album featuring 19 singles from the period spanning Crowded House's first five studio albums. A CD and DVD box set is available, which includes a DVD of 25 of the band's music videos. The album is also available as a 'Deluxe Digital Version' which features 32 tracks including a rare 1987 live recording of the band's cover version of the Hunters & Collectors song "Throw Your Arms Around Me".

Contents

History

The band left Capitol/EMI Records in 2010 [1] and this album documents their time with that label. The album has not been mentioned on Crowded House's official website, although an email was sent to subscribers to their mailing list to announce its release, which suggests that the band had little involvement with it. An official press release from Capitol/EMI states that the album was released to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the formation of the band. [2] No tracks from the band's 2010 album Intriguer are included because the band had left Capitol/EMI prior to the recording of that album, which was released on Universal and Fantasy (US).

Track listing

This album largely duplicates the band's 1996 compilation Recurring Dream , but has been revised to include two songs from their 2007 album Time on Earth ("Don't Stop Now" and "Pour Le Monde"). Also included are two songs from 1993's Together Alone ("Fingers of Love" and "Nails in My Feet") and "Chocolate Cake" from 1991's Woodface , which were omitted from the previous compilation. Four early Crowded House singles, "World Where You Live", "When You Come", "Into Temptation" and "I Feel Possessed", which featured on Recurring Dream, have not been included on this new album. "Everything Is Good for You", one of three tracks specially recorded for the 1996 compilation, is also omitted.

Disc 1 (CD)

  1. "Something So Strong" (Neil Finn, Mitchell Froom) – 2:53
  2. "Weather with You" (Neil Finn, Tim Finn) – 3:44
  3. "It's Only Natural" (Neil Finn, Tim Finn) – 3:30
  4. "Chocolate Cake" (Neil Finn, Tim Finn) – 4:01
  5. "Fall at Your Feet" (Neil Finn) – 3:18
  6. "Distant Sun" (Neil Finn) – 3:51
  7. "Better Be Home Soon" (Neil Finn) – 3:08
  8. "Four Seasons in One Day" (Neil Finn, Tim Finn) – 2:48
  9. "Don't Dream It's Over" (Neil Finn) – 3:56
  10. "Mean to Me" (Neil Finn) – 3:16
  11. "Locked Out" (Neil Finn) – 3:17
  12. "Don't Stop Now" (Neil Finn) – 3:54
  13. "Pineapple Head" (Neil Finn) – 3:29
  14. "Instinct" (Neil Finn) – 3:09
  15. "Fingers of Love" (Neil Finn) – 4:26
  16. "Private Universe" (Neil Finn) – 5:39
  17. "Not the Girl You Think You Are" (Neil Finn) – 4:10
  18. "Nails in My Feet" (Neil Finn) – 3:42
  19. "Pour le Monde" (Neil Finn) – 5:10

CD & DVD box set: Disc 2 (DVD)

  1. "Mean to Me" (Neil Finn) – 3:16
  2. "Now We're Getting Somewhere" (Neil Finn) – 4:08
  3. "Don't Dream It's Over" (Neil Finn) – 3:56
  4. "World Where You Live" (Neil Finn) – 3:06
  5. "Something So Strong" (Neil Finn, Mitchell Froom) – 2:53
  6. "Better Be Home Soon" (Neil Finn) – 3:08
  7. "When You Come" (Neil Finn) – 4:46
  8. "Into Temptation" (Neil Finn) – 4:33
  9. "Sister Madly" (Neil Finn) – 2:54
  10. "I Feel Possessed" (Neil Finn) – 3:49
  11. "Chocolate Cake" (Neil Finn, Tim Finn) – 4:01
  12. "Fall at Your Feet" (Neil Finn) – 3:18
  13. "It's Only Natural" (Neil Finn, Tim Finn) – 3:30
  14. "Weather with You" (Neil Finn, Tim Finn) – 3:44
  15. "Four Seasons in One Day" (Neil Finn, Tim Finn) – 2:48
  16. "Distant Sun" (Neil Finn) – 3:51
  17. "Nails in My Feet" (Neil Finn) – 3:42
  18. "Locked Out" (Neil Finn) – 3:17
  19. "Private Universe" (Neil Finn) – 5:39
  20. "Everything Is Good for You" (Neil Finn) – 3:56
  21. "Not the Girl You Think You Are" (Neil Finn) – 4:11
  22. "Instinct" (Neil Finn) – 3:08
  23. "Don't Stop Now" (Neil Finn) – 3:54
  24. "She Called Up" (Neil Finn) – 2:54
  25. "Better Be Home Soon" (Neil Finn) – 3:08

Deluxe Double-disc version

Disc 1:

  1. "Now We're Getting Somewhere"
  2. "World Where You Live"
  3. "Weather with You"
  4. "Something So Strong"
  5. "When You Come"
  6. "Fingers of Love"
  7. "Four Seasons in One Day"
  8. "Distant Sun"
  9. "Don't Stop Now"
  10. "Sister Madly"
  11. "Chocolate Cake"
  12. "Locked Out"
  13. "Never Be the Same"
  14. "Hole in the River"
  15. "Not the Girl You Think You Are"
  16. "Better Be Home Soon"

Disc 2:

  1. "Mean to Me"
  2. "It's Only Natural"
  3. "Fall at Your Feet"
  4. "Recurring Dream"
  5. "Private Universe"
  6. "Pineapple Head"
  7. "She Called Up"
  8. "I Feel Possessed"
  9. "Instinct"
  10. "Everything Is Good for You"
  11. "Into Temptation"
  12. "Nails in My Feet"
  13. "Don't Dream It's Over"
  14. "Pour le Monde"
  15. "Whispers and Moans"
  16. "Throw Your Arms Around Me" (Live from the Roxy, Los Angeles, 26 Feb. 1987)

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The Music FixStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
BBC positive [4]
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [5]
musicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Classic Rock Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]

The Music Fix website described this release as a "shameless cash in" and recommended Recurring Dream as a cheaper and superior purchase. [3] A BBC review also questioned, "Whether the world needs another Crowded House best of," but praised the album, saying that "several of these 19 tracks are solid-gold greats." [4] AllMusic described the 32 track digital version of the album as, "The best Crowded House comp so far, verging on the definitive." [5] The website musicOMH praised the album for being, "Littered with modern pop classics," but also recommended Recurring Dream as a better purchase, whilst admitting that the album, "will do enough business to warrant their record company's shameless opportunism." [6] Classic Rock reviewer remarks how the band has progressed since the time when the material of the collection was recorded, but she says that "it's hard not to be wowed by this back catalogue of golden pop genius." [7]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2010)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [8] 11
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [9] 12
UK Albums Chart [10] 49

Year-end charts

Chart (2011)Position
Australian Albums Chart [11] 79
Chart (2012)Position
Australian Albums Chart [12] 90
Chart (2016)Position
Australian Albums Chart [13] 56
Chart (2017)Position
Australian Albums Chart [14] 46
Chart (2018)Position
Australian Albums Chart [15] 73

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [16] 4× Platinum280,000
United Kingdom (BPI) [17] Gold100,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crowded House</span> New Zealand / Australian / American pop rock band

Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were New Zealander Neil Finn and Australians Paul Hester (drums) and Nick Seymour (bass). Later band members included Finn's brother Tim who was in their former band together Split Enz, sons Liam and Elroy, as well as Americans Mark Hart and Matt Sherrod, with Neil Finn and Seymour being the sole constant members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Finn</span> New Zealand musician (born 1958)

Neil Mullane Finn is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known for being a principal member of Split Enz, of which he shared lead duties with his brother Tim, and the lead singer, guitarist, and a founding member of Crowded House. He was also a member of Fleetwood Mac from 2018 until 2022. Ed O'Brien of Radiohead has hailed Finn as popular music's "most prolific writer of great songs".

<i>Woodface</i> 1991 studio album by Crowded House

Woodface is the third studio album by Crowded House. The album was produced by Mitchell Froom and Neil Finn and was released by Capitol Records in July 1991. It features five singles: "Chocolate Cake", "Fall at Your Feet", "It's Only Natural", "Weather with You", and "Four Seasons in One Day". Woodface was a major hit in Australia and New Zealand as well as giving the band their first top ten hit album in the UK. It was listed at No. 3 in the book 100 Best Australian Albums in October 2010. It was voted number 80 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).

<i>She Will Have Her Way</i> 2005 compilation album by Various Artists

She Will Have Her Way is a compilation album featuring female Australian and New Zealand musicians performing songs written by Neil Finn and Tim Finn, members of Split Enz and Crowded House. A follow-up album, He Will Have His Way, featuring male artists, was released in 2010.

<i>Together Alone</i> 1993 studio album by Crowded House

Together Alone is the fourth studio album by New Zealand-Australian band Crowded House. It was released in October 1993 and was their first album to feature multi-instrumentalist Mark Hart as a full band member. Unlike the band's first three albums, which were recorded in the US and Australia and produced by Mitchell Froom, Together Alone was recorded in New Zealand with producer Youth. Six singles were released from Together Alone, including "Distant Sun", which was a top 10 hit in New Zealand and Canada, and "Locked Out" which reached number 12 on the UK singles chart and number 8 on the US Modern Rock chart, the latter on the strength of the song's inclusion on the soundtrack of the 1994 film Reality Bites.

<i>Crowded House</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Crowded House

Crowded House is the debut album by New Zealand-Australian band Crowded House. Produced by Mitchell Froom, it was released in August 1986 and was certified platinum in four countries. The album includes the hit singles "Don't Dream It's Over", "Something So Strong", "Mean to Me", "World Where You Live" and "Now We're Getting Somewhere".

<i>Recurring Dream</i> 1996 greatest hits album by Crowded House

Recurring Dream: The Very Best of Crowded House, usually abbreviated to Recurring Dream, is a compilation album by rock group Crowded House, released in 1996. It includes most of their singles, as well as three new songs, "Not the Girl You Think You Are", "Instinct", and "Everything Is Good for You".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's Only Natural (song)</span> 1991 single by Crowded House

"It's Only Natural" is a song by New Zealand-Australian rock group Crowded House from their 1991 album, Woodface. The single was originally issued as a promotional single in June 1991 with the intent to release the song as the lead single for Woodface; however, due to changes made, the single wasn't released until December 1991, when it served as the third single from the album. In the UK, "It's Only Natural" was the fifth Woodface single, released in September 1992. The song reached number 15 in Australia, number 24 on the UK Singles Chart, and number five on the US Modern Rock Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Into Temptation (song)</span> 1988 single by Crowded House

"Into Temptation" is a song by Australasian rock group Crowded House. It was the third single from the group's second album, Temple of Low Men (1988). The single peaked at number 59 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart in January 1989 and reached the top 20 in the Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crowded House discography</span>

This is a discography for the rock band Crowded House. As of 2021 Crowded House have sold over 15 million albums worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chocolate Cake (song)</span> 1991 single by Crowded House

"Chocolate Cake" is a song by rock music group Crowded House from their third studio album, Woodface (1991). Released as a single in May 1991, the song reached number seven in New Zealand, number nine in Canada, and number two on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The John Hillcoat-directed music video won the ARIA Award for Best Video at the ARIA Music Awards of 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fall at Your Feet</span> 1991 single by Crowded House

"Fall at Your Feet" is a 1991 song by Crowded House, from their 1991 album, Woodface. It is the only single from Woodface to be written solely by the group's leader Neil Finn, who co-wrote all other singles from the album with his brother Tim Finn. It peaked at number 17 in the UK, making it Woodface's second most successful single behind the follow-up, "Weather with You".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nails in My Feet</span> 1993 single by Crowded House

"Nails in My Feet" is a song by Australian rock group Crowded House, released in November 1993 by Capitol Records as the second single from their fourth studio album, Together Alone (1993). The song was written by Neil Finn and produced by Youth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Instinct (song)</span> 1996 single by Crowded House

"Instinct" is a 1996 song by rock group Crowded House. It was the first single released from the group's greatest hits compilation Recurring Dream in the United Kingdom, and the third and final release in Australia. It was a top-20 hit in New Zealand and the UK, peaking at number 17 and number 12, respectively. In Australia, "Instinct" peaked at number 90 on the ARIA Singles Chart in March 1997, spending two non-consecutive weeks in the top 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weather with You</span> 1992 single by Crowded House

"Weather with You" is a song by Australian-New Zealand rock band Crowded House. It was the third and most successful single released from the group's third studio album, Woodface (1991), reaching top 50 in 10 countries, including the United Kingdom, where it reached number seven. At the APRA Music Awards of 1994, the song won Most Performed Australian Work Overseas. The song was intended to be part of the Finn Brothers' unreleased 1990 debut, but after Capitol Records found the recordings, they were merged with a Crowded House session to become Woodface.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Four Seasons in One Day</span> 1992 single by Crowded House

"Four Seasons in One Day" is a song by rock group Crowded House, released as a single in June 1992. It was co-written by Neil Finn and brother Tim Finn, originally intended for their debut Finn Brothers album; however, it was moved onto the Woodface project as the two projects amalgamated. The song's title references a common saying used in Melbourne to describe the city's changeable weather. The song reached number 26 on the UK Singles Chart and number 47 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart. The song also peaked at number 68 in Canada, but was not released in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Not the Girl You Think You Are</span> 1996 single by Crowded House

"Not the Girl You Think You Are" is a 1996 song by rock group Crowded House. It was the third and final single released from the group's greatest hits compilation Recurring Dream (1996). According to the songwriter Neil Finn, the song was written as both his homage to The Beatles and his attempt at writing a song like them. It reached No. 37 on the ARIA Singles Chart, No. 41 in New Zealand, and No. 20 on the UK Singles Chart.

<i>Dreaming: The Videos</i> 2002 video by Crowded House

Dreaming: The Videos is a music video compilation DVD of songs by rock group Crowded House, released in 2002. It includes twenty-one of their music videos from 1986 to 1996, but excludes "Instinct" from their greatest hits album Recurring Dream, and "Fingers of Love" from Together Alone. In 1987, New Zealand television show Catch 22 interviewed Crowded House while on tour. This interview, at 26 minutes long, is featured with live footage and scenes from all of the music videos until that point edited throughout the interview. The front cover of the DVD features the 1992–1994 lineup of Crowded House featuring Neil Finn, Nick Seymour, Mark Hart and Paul Hester. The rear of the DVD features the prior lineup from 1991 to 1992 which did not include Mark Hart, however featured Neil Finn's elder brother Tim Finn. Unlike Recurring Dream, Dreaming follows closer to the chronological releases of all of the singles, the only difference to original release being that "Everything Is Good for You" was released before "Not the Girl You Think You Are" and "Chocolate Cake" was released before "Fall at Your Feet" and "It's Only Natural". The DVD also features a live performance of fan favourite "Sister Madly", as there was no music video ever made of the song. The band also made a promo video for 'Instinct' but it was not included in the compilation as a consequence of the band reportedly disliking it.

<i>Classic Masters</i> (Crowded House album) 2003 compilation album by Crowded House

Classic Masters is a compilation album of songs by rock group Crowded House, released in 2003.

<i>Dreamers Are Waiting</i> 2021 studio album by Crowded House

Dreamers Are Waiting is the seventh studio album by Australian rock band Crowded House, released on 4 June 2021 through EMI Music Australia. It is their first studio album since 2010's Intriguer, with the band reuniting with producer Mitchell Froom, who is now also the band's keyboardist, for the first time since Recurring Dream (1996). It is also Crowded House's first album with Neil Finn's sons Liam and Elroy as members of the group.

References

  1. Brandle, Lars (23 March 2010). "Crowded House Plots Comeback, Moves Labels". Billboard .
  2. "Crowded House's Top Hits and Fan Favorites Gathered for 'The Very Very Best Of Crowded House,' to be Released October 26 by Capitol/EMI". PR Newswire . 1 September 2010.
  3. 1 2 "The Music Fix review".
  4. 1 2 Diver, Mike. "BBC - Music - Review of Crowded House - The Very Very Best of Crowded House". www.bbc.co.uk.
  5. 1 2 "Allmusic review".
  6. 1 2 "musicOMH review".
  7. 1 2 Catherine, Yates (January 2011). "Crowded House – The Very Very Best Of". Classic Rock . Vol. 153. London, UK: Future plc. p. 115.
  8. "Australiancharts.com – Crowded House – The Very Very Best of Crowded House". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  9. "Charts.nz – Crowded House – The Very Very Best of Crowded House". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  10. "Crowded House" Chart Stats
  11. "ARIA Top 100 Albums 2011". ARIA. Archived from the original on 27 January 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  12. "ARIA Top 100 Albums 2012". ARIA. Archived from the original on 7 March 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  13. "ARIA Top 100 Albums 2016". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  14. "ARIA End of Year Albums 2017". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  15. "ARIA End of Year Albums 2018". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  16. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2022 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  17. "British album certifications – Crowded House – The Very Very Best of Crowded House". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 28 May 2021.