Dream'n' away (Phil Judd) (LP 2912)

Phil Judd  Private Lives (Vinyl, Mushroom Records, 1983) ***  

Genre: NZ Music, pop 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Dream'n' Away

Gear costume: Laydown

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4

Active compensatory factors: I am not a Split Enz completist (having one in the whanau is enough - hey Kevy!), nor am I a slavish collector of solo efforts by SE members.

That said, I do have a lot of Tim Finn, Crowded House, Neil Finn albums in my collection. I have two Swingers singles and this album by Phil Judd (and 1982's Starstruck - the stage show that Phil and The Swingers contributed to).

This was his first solo album and it's a lot of fun. It's full of pop hooks, the music is inventive but not Mental Notes inventive, and Phil sings well on an album of his own songs. 

It starts off really well - those featured songs above are the first two on the album. By side two it's become a little less impressive, it must be said.

He really needed Tim on board to help with writing and variety, I feel. Interestingly, Tim tried to get together with Phil for his Big Canoe album in 1986, but apparently the two spent the time drinking and reminiscing, so Phil only contributed guitar to that Tim Finn solo album.

The outer sleeve is great - surely a painting by Phil, and the inner sleeve has the recording history and lyrics but no information on the musicians who contributed to the album - which is annoying!

Where do they all belong? I would certainly be tempted by his later albums on CD. The man is a unique talent and a national treasure.

I'm flying through space, I'm an asteroid (The Swingers) #394 - 395

The Swingers One Good Reason/ All Over Town (Ripper Records, RIP 002, 1980)
The Swingers Counting The Beat/ One Good Reason (Ripper Records, RIP 012, 1981)

Three posts in a row on kiwi rock! Nice.

Phil Judd is an interesting character to say the least. He was a founding member of NZ's favourite sons - Split Ends/Enz but finally left in 1978 after 6 years.

The Swingers existed for even less time, from 1979 to 1983. Life since then has been lived in Australia where he got into strife with the law in the late 2000s. A problematic private life has also been mixed in with infrequent musical adventures.

These two singles, however, contain his most poptastic work without a doubt. Weirdly (sensing a theme yet) they came about after Phil flirted with two of NZ's seminal punk bands - The Suburban Reptiles and The Enemy (with Chris Knox).

The man could write a catchy chorus that's fer sure. Gimmie one good reason not to love these singles or 5 6 7 8 9.

Hidden gems: The B side version of One Good Reason is a re-recorded one; I prefer the original spark on the earlier one. All Over Town is another ace slice of kiwi pop from Phil.

It's hard to stay one step ahead of you (Split Enz) #356-358

Split Enz One Step Ahead/ In The Wars (Polydor, POLY 100, 1980)
Split Enz History Never Repeats/ Holy Smoke (Polydor, POLY 110, 1980)
Split Enz I Don't Wanna Dance/ Shark Attack; What's the Matter With You (Polydor, POLY 113, 1981)


These singles trace Neil's increasing ability to stay one step ahead of brother Tim - both One Step Ahead and History Never Repeats are landmark songs in the Enz's catalogue and therefore in New Zealand music. 

Although neither single could break into the top spot on NZ charts they both sold well at the time, assisted by some cheap but clever MTV friendly videos.

One and History are both light years away from the Phil Judd years (although, with The Swingers, Phil would also move right away from his experimental SE years). Instead these are more mainstream pop songs.

Tim tries a bit too hard to be current with I Don't Wanna Dance and comes up short.

Hidden gems: Tim's In The Wars is spirited - a nice chorus, but wasn't considered strong enough for parent album Waiata. 

Neil's Holy Smoke is lively but also wasn't good enough to appear on Waiata.

Shark Attack and What's The Matter... are live versions. I saw the band live a number of times and their live excitement has never been communicated well onto live vinyl.

If there's a better way I'll learn it (Split Enz) #354-355

Split Enz I See Red/ Hermit McDermitt; Message Boy (Mushroom, K 7284, 1978)

Split Enz Things/ Semi Datached (sic) (Mushroom, K 7643, 1979)

To my mind there are distinct phases to the Split Ends/Enz story:

• Prologue - Split Ends release two singles and appear on New Faces
• Act 1 - Split Enz - Phil Judd and Tim Finn in control, Mike Chunn on board
• Act 2 - Tim Finn in control (Neil ascending)
• Act 3 - Neil in control (Tim descending, then no Tim)
• Epilogue - reformations

These two singles are firmly in the transitional zone into Act 2 with Tim in control and younger brother Neil finding his feet.

I See Red is a Tim song and is a frenzied blast of raw kiwi rock and roll. It works, spectacularly! A classic!

Things is a Neil song (although Tim and Neil sing great co lead vocals) and is catchy in a clever XTC pop way. Although undeniably catchy, it's still not quite firing on all cylinders. 

Neil was paying attention though as we'll see in the next post.

Hidden gems: The bizarre image years of weird haircuts, weird makeup, and weird clothes were becoming a thing of the past but Hermit and Message both have that kind of weird vocal quirkiness to them still.

Semi Detached (but spelled incorrectly on my copy) is a kind of Charlie or Stuff And Nonsense style ballad. For my money Tim nailed it more on those other two titles.  

How's your day been today? (Split Ends) #353

Split Ends The Sweet Talkin' Spoon Song/ One Two Nine (EMI, HR 512, 1973)

The first time is often the best, in my experience.

The first time I clapped eyes on SE was on the New Faces TV programme in 1973. It wasn't quite the same experience that I'd had watching The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, but it was close.

They came second to last in the finals but Sweet Talkin' Spoon Song by the uber cool looking fellow kiwis had already become absorbed into my brain for evermore.

A school friend (take a bow Michael Budd) gave me a copy of the single (their second as Split Ends - the name would change to Split Enz for the third), and it quickly became a favourite in my collection.

This was a clever, fun, singalong, inventive song and a huge moment in NZ music. The song shape shifts around old time music hall, Small Faces mod, Beatles inspired invention/ harmonies, The Who's Pictures Of Lily style lyrics and barbershop. 

It just burrows into your skin. Cor!!!

Hidden gem: Oh yeah baby! One Two Nine retains the mandolin hook from the A side, as well as the invention and the pop smarts in glorious style. 

Sorry to be so gushy but this was a secret world of musical wonder that was right up my alley in 1973 and still is!