Split Enz - Corroboree/Waiata (1981)

Australian Import

Note: The Australian release was titled Corroboree, Waiata in the rest of the world. Waiata is the Māori term for song and singing, while corroboree is the Aboriginal term. According to band member Noel Crombie, the intention was to name the album using a word from the natives of every country it was released in. Apparently, more marketing-minded heads prevailed and the plan was eventually scrapped. An even better idea might have been to title the album with a word that didn't need a pronunciation guide (see ad below). I always thought it was pronounced "way-oughta."

Album title aside, those Finn boys sure can write some hooks. The band had been around in one form or another since '72 and had their biggest "hit" with I Got You on the previous album, 1980's True Colours. Some of the quirky chord changes are an acquired taste worth acquiring, but the overall sound of the album is definitely new wave. I probably wasn't ready for this album in '81, but I woulda dug the thing if I'd bothered giving it a spin in '83. This CD was a relatively recent acquisition, and discovering this album immediately took me back to the days of listening to recently released New Wave albums in my bedroom when I was in high school. Now I'm wondering why I never picked up one of the many Split Enz 'best of' CD compilations.

Press of the time:

• Smash Hits (7 out of 10): "strong, consistently appealing collection"
• Stereo Review: "A very tasty album."
• Trouser Press: "Enjoy the magic"
• Robert Christgau: C+
• CashBox: "a startling blend of Ultravoxian prog rock, ’60s Brit Invasion pop and ’80s technology."
• Musician: "contains several tunes that could imprint whether you want them to or not"
• High Fidelity: "delivers head-spinning, witty, impetuous pop"
• Record Mirror: "this group could well become the ELO of the eighties"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard Top 200: #45
• Billboard Rock: #33
• CashBox: #41
• Rolling Stone: #40

Tracks: Let's rank 'em!

1. One Step Ahead (Bubbled Under at #104) - the hook isn't immediate, but once it grabs hold, it's in my ears for day
2. Iris - sounds a lot like the Police. Bonus points for rhyming "Iris" with "desirous."
3. History Never Repeats (#33 Rock) - see below
4. Wail - fun, driving instrumental that starts off sounding exactly like Billy Idol's cover of Mony Mony. Or is it the other way around?
5. Hard Act To Follow - catchy tune; not really a lead album track but nobody asked me
6. Albert of India - another strong instrumental featuring keyboards. Very poppish.
7. Ghost Girl - I love the moody atmosphere of this track, but it could use a stronger chorus hook.
8. Ships - I prefer the verse to the falsetto chorus
9. Clumsy - with a title like that, you're asking for it
10. Walking Through the Ruins - it's like they threw together 4 unfinished song ideas and tried to make a go of the combination. I dig the one idea they picked for the half-time feel chorus.
11. I Don't Wanna Dance - Out of tune vocals ruin an otherwise good rocker

History Never Repeats is notable for having the 12th video ever played on MTV during its first hour, August 1, 1981. In the video, a Finn brother lip-synchs from his bed while having odd visions in a concept video that turns into a performance video near the end. The video for track 2, One Step Ahead, was played later that morning in the #28 spot.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Speaking of MTV, my introduction to Split Enz was via that music channel when I saw the video for Six Months In A Leaky Boat and picked up the Tide And Tide album. I would have been well-served to go back in their catalog and pick up this album. Coulda woulda shoulda...

And while this is a CD blog, I'll admit to owning some vinyl and listening to this CD made me pull out my Time And Tide long-player as well as Tim Finn's 1983 album, Escapade.