Split Enz – Waiata

After "True Colours", this is another masterpiece full of barnstorming, intelligent pop-tunes of the eighties! Highly recommended to everyone who likes simply GOOD music!

On The RTR Turntable this morning The Finns sounding fine as always

This is an interesting one. Immediately it sounds substantially different to the original mix, if only for the focus on the mid range and the peak limiting. It's definitely a more intense sound, and that's not a bad thing. Despite the limiting the album does not sound like a mess and there is some room in the mix. It seems that where possible the 80s sheen has been removed, although it appears to be baked into the vocals.

Highlights of the remix for me so far are Hard Act To Follow which benefits from the added intensity and Walking Through The Ruins where the hi-hat was almost the lead instrument in the original mix. In this version it very much isn't and the track is allowed to fade which to me makes much more sense in the feel of the song.

If you're into DR numbers then you could be inclined to write this off as a disaster. It isn't.

I hadn't listened to this album in almost 40 years when I decided to digitize it. As I looked at the song list, I only recognized a couple of songs (basically the first tracks on each side, Hard Act To Follow and History Never Repeats). However, as I listened to the album play, I realized, I knew almost every song and found myself singing along happily ing how the songs felt when I first heard them.

I kind of treat this album as their sophmore offering, even though it's clearly their 6th album. But it's really the sophmore offering of Split Enz in the Tim and Neil Finn era. So - it's not quite as good as True Colours. But - it does stand on it's own as a REALLY strong offering.

The songs are solid pop offerings, though there are hints of the progressive rock in it (Wall is an example of this). The effect is mostly because of the virtuosity of the musicians playing, but Wall is - an instrumental piece.

Unlike True Colours, which is funky and punky. This album is a more emotionally mature album. It's not just about young love. It's about maturing love and maturing songwriters, Neil Finn specifically. Tim FInn's songs are still funky and punky and artsy. Neil's are deeper and more pop.

New Zealand’s Split Enz continue with their quirky jittery (but catchy) rhythms, arty pretence, goofy characters & lyrical songs on this splendid New Wave art pop album. To fully appreciate SE you had to see them live – wow! Solid effort.

Different track listing on this remaster, don't know why.

Waiata is the sixth studio album by New Zealand New Wave band Split Enz, released in 1981. Its Australian release was titled Corroboree. Waiata is the Māori term for song and singing, while corroboree is the Aboriginal term