•
Rating: I have already introduced the New Zealanders Split Enz with a review that dealt with the Progressive phase of the group led by the eclectic Tim Finn.
Today we will discuss the decisive turn that our (now no longer) heavily made-up heroes took on the cusp of the '80s. The record would be called "Waiata," but in Australia (perhaps the only country that seriously embraced this band of daredevils), it was released under the name "Corroboree," and even in the West, there remains some doubt as to which was the original edition.
"Waiata" and "Corroboree" are terms from their respective countries (New Zealand and Australia) to indicate the entirety of the sacred rites and dances to the Maori and Aboriginal peoples.
Once again, we do not start with the "first" of the New Wave albums by the Enz, which would actually be True Colors (incidentally very commendable). Instead, I chose "Waiata/Corroboree." Why? Because I consider it one of the most pure and sincere albums of the New Wave era. It fully encapsulates that dual romantic-gothic nature, which, combined with that typical plastic and echoing sound, makes this album with three chords on the cover a true masterpiece of its genre.
And then it contains "One Step Ahead," which in itself would raise any album's ratings to 4-5. And not only for the fact that, as reported by every appropriate source, anticipating the late Jackson, the keyboardist Reyner performs a short moonwalk in the video.
Paradoxically, after leaving Geoff Emerick (McCartney's technician, kicked in the behind by an increasingly alienated John Lennon) and the experimental-progressive phase, by the way, never renounced (the video of "History Never Repeats" conveys the concept quite well), but rather set aside (indeed, reprised at live performances), Finn and Co. wash their faces, still dirty with makeup, and wear the guise of the archetypal downtrodden hero of the '80s; not much different from the tragicomic clown of the '70s, in fact. The album is a succession of rhythmic escapes and bittersweet sounds; the tracks always alternate between a dark and melancholic melody and the classic fluttering and ethereal pieces in the style of Genesis (I understand that the Genesis New Wave period may not appeal to you, but c'est la Vie).
In itself, the first ten tracks are masterful in their ability to impose themselves as a small musical 'pedia of the New Wave and absolutely exploit what was good (perhaps not much, but c'est la vie) that was introduced at the time, especially in terms of production. In the face of the wide range of sounds, noises, machinery, and possible experiments, the ingenious lightbulb of the multifaceted New Zealanders lights up and brings to life a respectable album full of personality.
But so far we have only talked about ten tracks. In reality, there is also an eleventh one; we start listening to it: but what is it? It's called "Albert Of India" and it's the final legacy of an inspired Rayner (who, where Finn is an indomitable and creative spirit, stands in contrast as an elegant and refined pianist) that accompanies the listener to the end of the Waiata. It is an oriental-sounding piece (although from their perspective, India is to the west) that is universally very deep and serene; it thus strongly reconnects to the sweet prog that was definitively fading away in those years.
And this pleasure is also fulfilled in an album that, if you love New Wave or even just the '80s, you should not miss obtaining.
If you find something to complain about, c'est la vie.
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 Hard Act to Follow (03:17)
There's a lot of good acts around
Plenty of profound performers
But there's only one who really gets through to me
Whenever you come on I light up
Everything you do goes down well
I can tell, after you it's all downhill
Proving you're a hard act to follow
You're a hard act to follow
You make it difficult, so difficult
Hard act to follow, you're a hard act to follow
Keeping me at arms length, sapping my strength from a distance
Hard act to follow
Watch a lot of foreign movies
See a lot of late night TV
Looking for a girl to distract me from what you are
I try to lose my concentration
Acting out of sheer frustration
I go out at night, but after you it doesn't feel right, hey
Proving you're a hard act to follow
You're a hard act to follow
You make it difficult, so difficult
Hard act to follow you're a hard act to follow
Keeping me at arms length, sapping my strength from a distance
Hard act to follow
There's a lot of good acts around
Plenty of profound performers
But there's only one who really gets through to me
And I'm not looking for an actress
No, no, not a saki hostess
All I want is you and you and you and you and you
Encore, encore, encore, encore
Proving you're a hard act to follow
You're a hard act to follow
You make it difficult to even think of taking in another play
Hard act to follow, you're a hard act to follow
Keeping me at arms length, sapping my strength from a distance
Lie like Ophelia
Proving you're a mean scene stealer
Proving you're a hard act to follow
Hard act to follow
Difficult, it's difficult
Hard act to follow
You're a hard act to follow
Keeping me at arms length, sapping my strength from a distance, yeah
Yeah
Hard act to follow
02 One Step Ahead (03:52)
One step ahead of you
Stay in motion, keep an open mind
Love is a race won by two
Your emotion, my solitude
If I stop, I could lose my head
So I'm losing you instead
Either way I'm confused
You slow me down, what can I do?
There's one particular way I have to choose
One step ahead of you
Always someone makes it hard to move
She says, "Boy I want you to stay"
But I save it all for another day
If I stop, I could lose my head
But I'm ready for romance
Either way I'm confused
I don't know what I'm supposed to do
I can only stay one step ahead of you
Da
Da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, dum
Da
Da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, dum
Stop, I confess sometimes
I don't know where I'm going
Part of me stays with you
I'm slowing down, what can I do
It's hard to stay one step ahead of you, uh-huh
One step ahead of you
Time is running out, catching up with you
One step ahead of you
When I hold you close, can I really lose?
One step ahead
Only one step ahead
She's one step ahead of you
07 History Never Repeats (02:58)
History never repeats
I tell myself before I go to sleep
Don't say the words you might regret
I lost before, you know I can't forget
There was a girl I used to know
She dealt my love a savage blow
I was so young, too blind to see
But anyway that's history
I say history never repeats
I tell myself before I go to sleep
Don't say the words you might regret
I lost before, you know I can't forget
You say I always play the fool
I can't go on, if that's the rule
Better to jump than hesitate
I need a change and I can't wait
History never repeats
I tell myself before I go to sleep
And there's a light shining in the dark
Leading me on towards a change of heart, ah
History never repeats
History never repeats
Deep in the night it's all so clear
I lie awake with great ideas
Lurking about in no-man's land
I think at last I understand
History never repeats
I tell myself before I go to sleep
And there's a light shining in the dark
Leading me on towards a change of heart, ah
Never repeats
Never repeats
Never repeats
Hey hey
Hey
Never repeats
Loading comments slowly
