Chrysalis Records is honoring inimitable New Zealand band Split Enz with a lavish new compendium of their earliest recordings, Enzyclopedia Volumes One & Two. Which highlights their long out-of-print debut album, 1975's Mental Notes, their sophomore effort from the following year, Second Thoughts, as well as 1979's The Beginning of the Enz, which collects non-album singles and demos from the same period. Enzyclopedia Volumes One & Two not only commemorates the 50th anniversary of Mental Notes, but also offers an in-depth look at the band's embryonic, groundbreaking early years. With a trove of B-sides, unreleased and rare tracks, rough mixes, and never-before-heard live tracks, with many of them recently remixed by the band's original keyboardist, Eddie Rayner.
Unquestionably unique among New Zealand bands—or from anywhere, for that matter—Split Enz was formed in 1972 in Auckland by fledgling songwriters Tim Finn and Phil Judd, and quickly developed a sound and style entirely their own. Beginning as a folk combo mostly out of necessity (none of them had any electrified instruments), Split Enz soon evolved into a heavily theatrical fusion of prog and art-rock. Often seeming to be more of a genre-bending, flamboyant performance troupe than a traditional rock band, the band members sported angular suits and often hyper-stylized haircuts. Split Enz was an unusually large, seven-man ensemble, and the indelible visual impression they made was punctuated by their sterling musicianship. While they eventually found greater commercial acceptance with an embrace of synth-pop and new wave, Split Enz remained trendsetters who defied categorization, inspiring countless bands that followed in their wake. They achieved their greatest success outside of New Zealand and Australia with 1980's True Colors, whose sales were fueled by the irrepressibly offbeat single "I Got You." Which within a year of its release gained a significant boost from heavy rotation on MTV, but their seminal early works continued to remain largely unknown, especially in the US.
Enzyclopedia Volumes One & Two aims to remedy that, offering a comprehensive survey of their formative years across multiple formats, including three-LP and five-disc CD box sets, a standalone Bluray audio disc, and high-resolution digital files for streaming and download on most major services. I received the LP and CD sets for evaluation, and both arrived in identical LP-sized hardboard outer cases adorned with the original artwork for Mental Notes; and each was fitted with a custom OBI strip that detailed its contents. The three LPs were individually encased in heavy outer sleeves, with Mental Notes and Second Thoughts replicating their original cover art. The third LP, The Beginning of the Enz, is a compendium of singles, B-sides, and demos. The CD box set features a gatefold LP-type outer sleeve that replicates the artwork for Mental Notes, with the addition of a fold-in third panel. Die-cut slots for the five compact discs were strategically arrayed across the interior panels, and provided surprisingly effortless access.
Both sets were also accompanied by beautiful, full-sized, 40-page booklets filled with remembrances from band members and Second Thoughts producer Phil Manzanera (of Roxy Music), along with a host of rare, full-color photographs and memorabilia. In terms of box sets, both are perfectly realized, and purchasers of the CD set will especially appreciate its large-scale visual presentation. The BD Audio disc includes high-resolution stereo versions, 5.1 surround and Dolby Atmos mixes by Michael Carpenter, along with a selection of early Split Enz music videos. The LP and CD sets can be ordered from a variety of online retailers, and will also be available at brick and mortar locations like your local independent record store. The BD Audio disc is exclusive to Super Deluxe Edition's SDE Shop—you can order a copy HERE.
Split Enz: Enzyclopedia Volumes One & Two, Chrysalis Records. CD or LP set: $59.99, BD Audio disc: $33.
When Tim Finn and Phil Judd joined forces in 1972, they named their new band Split Ends, with an early focus on acoustic and folk music. Following numerous lineup changes, the musical direction quickly shifted to an amalgamation of prog and flamboyant art rock, and the band's name was transmogrified to Split Enz—with the "nz" a nod to their native New Zealand. For their first album, 1975's Mental Notes, they sequestered to Sydney, Australia's Festival Studios to begin the recordings. Split Enz then consisted of principal songwriters Tim Finn (vocals and piano) and Phil Judd (vocals and guitars); the pair alternated vocal leads on the songs. Split Enz also featured Eddie Rayner on synths and keyboards, Wally Wilkinson on lead guitar, Mike Chunn on bass and piano, Emyln Crowther on drums, and Noel Crombie on percussion.
The band's early live performances incorporated complex arrangements with abrupt tempo changes and even full-action stops mid-song. While the various band members—often adorned in heavy makeup and elaborately bizarre costumes—flung themselves about the stage with acrobatic precision. Despite the heavy focus on theatrics, it was always secondary to their musicianship, which was never less than consummate. Mental Notes was originally released on Australian indie label White Cloud, eventually transitioning to Mushroom Records throughout Australasia. The album was produced by David Russell and Split Enz, and was released in July 1975. Mental Notes reached number 7 on the New Zealand album charts and number 35 on the Australian charts, but had no worldwide distribution, so most of the planet was oblivious to its existence.
In the excellent booklet that accompanies Enzyclopedia Volumes One & Two, Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera looks back on his first encounter with Split Enz, which followed a nightmare journey enroute to a concert performance in Sydney via Mumbai. Upon arrival at the band's hotel, Manzanera quickly made for his room and turned on the television to GTK (Get To Know), a weekly live music show on the Australian ABC network. Split Enz were featured, and Manzanera was not only transfixed by their live performance, but absolutely blown away to find that they'd be opening for Roxy Music at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney. On the night of the concert, he watched their entire set from the side of the stage, and was so impressed, he stopped by their dressing room afterwards, offering to help them if they ever made it to London.
When Split Enz unexpectedly made the long trip to London in April 1976, Manzanera organized the recording sessions for Second Thoughts at Basing Street Studios in Notting Hill Gate, and also served as the album's producer. The band's lineup had remained stable, other than the departure of guitarist Wally Wilkinson and the addition of Rob Gillies on saxophone and trumpet. The group continually amazed Manzanera with their accomplished musicianship and complex arrangements, and he noted that "It was a joy to work with them." The decision was made to re-record some of the best songs from Mental Notes for inclusion in Second Thoughts, perhaps to help them get a broader level of worldwide exposure. Manzanera's skilled production helped refine the rough edges of the earlier songs, and he deftly integrated them with the band's new material. Forming a truly cohesive album statement that propelled the band forward without diluting their art-rock sensibilities. Despite a worldwide release on Chrysalis Records, Second Thoughts also failed to chart other than in Australasia.
My limited exposure to the early music of Split Enz
So here's where the confusion on the American side of the pond begins: because Split Enz's debut album was never made available outside of Australasia, it had little to no recognition here or in the rest of the world. And prior to the launch of Second Thoughts, Chrysalis Records—Split Enz's label for the rest of the world—also decided to rename the new album Mental Notes, using a slightly modified version of the debut's cover art. While their Australasian label, Mushroom Records, released Second Thoughts there following the band's original conception, and with the correct cover art. I can't even begin to imagine walking into a record store in the US in 1976 and attempting to order a copy of the original 1975 release of Mental Notes, with no guarantee that you'd actually get the Australian version of the album—at least on the first attempt. And attempting to get the Australasian version of Second Thoughts with its original cover art would probably prove just as daunting!
When I recently realized the convoluted nature of how the record labels chose to go about releasing these two albums, it made perfect sense to me that back in the day, both had been totally off my radar. And most everyone else's. Following the release of Second Thoughts, Tim Finn's younger brother Neil joined the band, and his arrival heralded a change in direction for Split Enz that would push them closer to mainstream acceptance. Regardless—and even with Neil Finn onboard—their next four studio albums also failed to chart stateside, and I have no recollection of seeing any of their albums in record stores, or even hearing them on local college radio. It's no wonder that seeing them on MTV in 1981 marked my initial exposure to the band, which made a huge impression on me. But obviously not enough for me to acquire anything other than True Colors.
About ten years ago, I stumbled onto a treasure trove of donated CDs in a thrift store that were all sourced from the Australasian market, and that included a Split Enz double-disc compilation, 1997's Spellbound. While the track selection was heavy on the Neil Finn era of the band—and especially their mid-to-late catalog of albums—I nonetheless was given some exposure to tracks from both Mental Notes and Second Thoughts, which definitely piqued my interest.
Listening to Enzyclopedia Volumes One & Two
Enzyclopedia Volumes One & Two was remastered by Phil Kinrade at AIR Studios in London, and both LP and CD box sets were manufactured in the Czech Republic, very likely at GZ. The trio of 140 gram LPs were perfect in every way, with razor-flat pressings that were impressively quiet during playback. Split Enz keyboardist Eddie Rayner was deeply involved in the remix/remaster process, and he felt that Mental Notes' original mix was about as perfect as possible, and it was remastered directly from the original analog tapes. I couldn't agree more with his choices, and the sound quality of the original mix was really astonishing for an album that's now fifty years old! Mental Notes plays like a lost great prog rock album of the era; I was truly stunned by how vital and essential I found all the album tracks, and it's been in constant rotation since arriving! And a truly nice touch was the looping run out of "Mental Notes" at the end of side two, which replicated the original New Zealand pressing. Having only previously heard a couple of tracks from this amazing album, I was in no way prepared for the level of sheer enjoyment finally listening to it in its entirety has given me!
Second Thoughts also makes for superb listening, and Eddie Rayner's LP remix is also spot on in giving this album an update compared to the sound of the remastered original mix as heard on the CD set. Original session engineer Rhett Davies' tapes sound great, but Rayner's remix definitely has an improved level of clarity, and again, the LP was absolutely perfect—and it's packaged with its original Australasian cover art! The re-recorded tracks, "Walking Down A Road," "Titus," "Stranger Than Fiction," and "Time For A Change" retain much of the essence of the originals from Mental Notes, but the addition of Robert Gillies' horns takes them in a different direction—more akin to the "Supertramp" flavor of prog. Phil Manzanera's stamp is clearly evident in the resulting sound of the album, and he's noted as saying in his comments that he felt Split Enz's style didn't differ terribly from that of Roxy Music. The stylistic change definitely foreshadows the pending arrival of Neil Finn, and the upcoming shift in the band's musical direction.
The third LP, The Beginning of the Enz, features non-album singles and demos that predate the band's first album, Mental Notes. This same group of tracks was previously reissued under the same name in 1979, but the songs have been resequenced for this compilation, and new cover artwork was created for this release. Side one replicates the lineup that's closest to that of Mental Notes and Second Thoughts, and features Eddie Rayner remixes of all the songs. Including "Spellbound," "No Bother To Me," "Malmsbury Villa," "Sweet Talking Spoon Song," and "Lovey Dovey." Side two features a pair of singles and their B-sides dating from 1973, "129," "Split Ends," "For You," and "Home Sweet Home"; this side was remastered directly from the original analog tapes. As with the other LPs, the vinyl was near-perfect, but due to the nature of the demos, etc, the sound quality was somewhat variable. That said, Split Enz fans will relish having the opportunity to hear these tracks in what is very likely the best sound they've ever been offered in.
I had no qualms with the sound quality of the compact discs compared to the excellent LPs. CD 1 contains the remastered version of Mental Notes; CD 2 features Eddie Rayner's remixes of Second Thoughts; CD 3 features the original album mix of Second Thoughts; CD 4 replicates the LP content of The Beginning of the Enz; and CD 5 features a collection of live tracks from a 1975 appearance at Ormond Hall in Melbourne, Australia, archival rough mixes, and rare remixes, all remixed by Eddie Rayner. As with the LPs, the sound quality is uniformly superb, taking into consideration the source material, which is somewhat variable. Whether ripped to my digital music server or played on my Yamaha BD universal player, the sound was consistently compelling.
Final impressions
Hearing Enzyclopedia Volumes One & Two helped put me back in touch with the genius of Split Enz, following a prolonged absence of their music from my usual rotation. And hearing both Mental Notes and Second Thoughts was particularly enlightening, easily elevating Split Enz's place in my mind in the pantheon of mid-Seventies bands. To say I was shocked by the goodness of these album sides is a complete understatement, and Chrysalis has given us LPs and CDs that are beyond reproach. I seriously doubt that any of this music has ever sounded so very good as it does here—and I've seen them listed at Amazon for as little as $53.99 each, so be sure to shop around! The Super Deluxe Edition Blurays tend to sell out very quickly, so if that's your choice, don't waste any time ordering. And if physical media isn't your thing, streaming the digital files will be a perfect choice.
Many thanks to Maria Malta for bringing these reissues to my attention; I really wasn't expecting this review opportunity to captivate my attention as fully as it has! Enzyclopedia Volumes One & Two comes very highly recommended!
Split Enz
Chrysalis Records
All images courtesy of Chrysalis Records.
