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.