Split Enz- "Time And Tide"

At the outset of the 1980’s there were several groups lumped into the “New Wave” category that rode to popularity despite having no real attachment to the movement.
One of them, New Zealand’s Split Enz, were actually more influenced by the UK progressive rock era that had taken place a decade earlier. By the time they achieved success outside their homeland, they were already grizzled veterans of studio craftsmanship with four long playing records under their belt.

The band would certainly not complain while singles like “I Got You” and “One Step Ahead” earned them enough attention and MTV airplay to tour the States and garner a positive buzz. However, the long playing records that these singles were extracted from (“True Colours” and “Waiata”, respectively) tended to be uneven in spots and gave the impression that they were consciously streamlining their sound to become more palatable. Some research through the band’s back catalog would confirm this, as earlier efforts were arranged and delivered in more of a progressive rock style.

The band’s 1982 release, “Time And Tide” would attempt to bridge these two approaches. In doing so, the band merged pop sensibility with melodic sophistication and ultimately delivered their best record. Hugh Padgham was signed on to produce, and in a bit of an ironic twist, proved to be a key element in helping the band achieve the heavier sound they were seeking. Only a year earlier, Padgham was the engineer for UK prog veterans Genesis on their album “Abacab”, a band that was a major influence on Split Enz’s earlier work. Genesis however, was looking to Padgham to deliver a more radio friendly sound like he did with Phil Collins’s mega seller, “Face Value”.

Brothers Tim and Neil Finn handled the bulk of the songwriting duties and like two sides of a coin, Tim’s jittery isolationist lyrics contrast starkly against Neil’s love lost/love longing melancholy. These contrasting styles work especially well on “Time And Tide” as it hits the ground running with “Dirty Creature”. Written about the demons and conflicts in all of us, the lyric exclaims “Dirty Creature’s got me at a disadvantage from the inside” , and the chorus laments “I don’t wanna sail tonight”. Devil on one shoulder , angel on the other.

Younger brother Neil’s “Giant Heartbeat” takes on the heavy topic of mortality, reminding us that “the time of yearning is the same at any age” and how “hearts and souls move together in time”. The rhythm track coupled with a jangling guitar figure lopes persistently to the finish, where it seems the end of life itself is examined. “Is anybody listening/A giant heartbeat is fading”.

“Hello Sandy Allen”, is a song written by Neil Finn about meeting the world’s tallest woman while waiting to appear on a talk show. It is one of the few tunes here that departs from the albums many loosely constructed themes. So it sticks out a little, but it is still a fine song with a tremendous arrangement. Conversely, Tim Finn’s “Never Ceases To Amaze Me” is a bit of an awkward stab at funk, and the next song, “Lost For Words” is a herky-jerky jam session that seems like it was created in the studio on the spot.. If we were hard pressed to pinpoint a misstep on the LP, it would be right around this juncture.

The good news is that from here on out, “Time And Tide” fires on all cylinders right to the very end. “Small World” uses a lyrical twist to emphasize how small the world is in contrast to the vastness all around us, exclaiming how we are all “a drop in the ocean”. Musically, the vocal harmonies really take off in tandem with the exquisite keyboard work of Eddie Rayner. His contributions to these tracks are an integral piece of the band’s overall sound.

“Take A Walk” kicks off side two with swirling orchestral flourishes. An irresistible shuffle beat sneaks in through the back door and drops right in to create the groove punctuated by scat guitar and more piano textures. The impeccable vocal blend of the Finn brothers is also put to good use here.

The centerpiece of the record is a type of three movement suite. “Pioneer” is entirely made up of keyboards with some nicely understated windy sound effects. This links up directly to “Six Months In A Leaky Boat”, the single from the LP that was not a top 40 hit in America, but got steady play within the now deceased FM album format. The tune percolated in the lower regions of the hot 100, and an “American Bandstand” appearance also helped. Great upper register harmonies, anchored by a punchy persistent bass line drive this tune forward, and the sea chantey instrumental break that links back into the main melody is inventive and thrilling. As the second section completes, a lonesome final passage appears as the musical equivalent of the vast loneliness of the ocean.

We need a break from all that excitement by now and Tim Finn’s autobiographical “Haul Away” provides a small glimpse of the Finn family tree with musical backing that again draws off of the albums loose nautical theme.

The last two songs on the record is where things really heat up. “Log Cabin Fever” is a pensive abstract exploration of solitude with a side order of claustrophobia. The persistent tension that threads through the entire track is a complete contrast to the wild jubilation of the closing number, “Make Sense Of It”. This song ties all the musings and themes together, reminding us that life’s riddles will never be solved and we would be better served to keep our sense of humor and find comfort in friendship.

Although “Time And Tide” is based around a distinct concept, the themes and messages that exist within the record are never delivered in a heavy handed fashion. As a result the overriding musicality of the effort shines through. This is the main reason the album is an almost universal favorite among the groups fan base and critics alike.

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Looking Backwards and Pointing Forwards At The Same Time

Mitch Easter's magnum opus is a defining moment in the history of american pop.

If you listened really closely and filtered out all the fake drums and bad hair of the 1980’s pop scene, you would know that there were still some great buried treasures released that decade. I’ve spoken about them from time to time in this space, covering territory like Rockpile’s “Seconds Of Pleasure”, The Replacements “Let It Be”, and Husker Du’s “Zen Arcade”, to name a few.

I can’t think of another decade prior where there was such a vast chasm between what was popular and what was actually good. Music video bears much of the blame for this, because while it added the visual aspect it did so at the expense of the listener’s own imagination. As a result, we were bombarded with titillating images and colors, manufactured to appeal to the widest variety of people in order to maximize profits. This “boardroom” approach of treating music like margarine permanently blurred (and perhaps even wiped out for good) the fine line between art and commerce.

Somewhere in the midst of all this, a groundswell of sorts was emerging in the southeastern corner of the United States. A musician by the name of Mitch Easter set up a record studio at his parents garage in Winston-Salem, NC, with the intention of producing pop records for all types of regional talent. In summer 1981, an Athens , GA band named R.E.M booked time at Mitch’s “Drive In Studio” to record a 45 titled “Radio Free Europe”. Despite its extremely limited pressing of only 1,000 copies, the disc achieved critical acclaim, most notably by The New York Times which named it as one of the year’s ten best.

This relationship would prove to be a watershed moment for Easter. Soon he found himself producing and/or co-producing R.E.M.’s first three releases for IRS records. The success of these efforts quickly led to a recording contract of his own, and he along with his then girlfriend Faye Hunter and drummer Sara Romwebber formed the group Let’s Active.

Their first EP, titled “Afoot” yielded the minor hit “Every Word Means No”. Its accompanying video, shot of the band against a mostly white backdrop earned enough MTV airplay to get IRS records to request a full-fledged LP release. “Cypress”, despite it’s accessible jangle-pop leanings couldn’t crack the mainstream market, and the band split up during a 1984 tour of the UK.

Easter however, would continue to work under the “Let’s Active” moniker playing the odd show with Hunter and other temporary members throughout 1985. He was also writing and recording mostly on his own what was to become the next “Let’s Active” LP.

“Big Plans For Everybody”, released on May 17th, 1986 was for all intensive purposes a Mitch Easter solo LP. Other than some bass parts plus a few drum and keyboard tracks he played all the instruments himself, as well as handling the production and mixing duties.

The record spent 11 weeks on the Billboard charts, but never cracked the top 100. However, amongst the burgeoning college rock scene, the record was extremely well received. Unfortunately though, college rock charts were still about two to three years away from becoming a more influential piece of the pop music market, mostly due to the groundwork laid out by Easter and co-producer Don Dixon on those early REM records.

“Big Plans” has plenty to appeal to most rock fans, which makes it all the more puzzling as to why it didn’t fare better upon release. Chalk it up to being stuck in a decade where style over substance was quickly becoming the norm. If the record didn’t have a video stuffed with partially clad women in it, then it had no chance for airplay. However, “Big Plans For Everybody” is a record that has gained respect over an extended period of time.

Rhythmically, it possesses the charm and straight forward percussion stylings of early Todd Rundgren. The melodic layering of several tasty guitar parts recalls the studio work of Jimmy Page, as well as Johnny Marr of The Smiths. The songwriting is taut and concise. Most impressively though, is how “Big Plans For Everybody” looks backward and points the way forward at the same time. It’s nothing less than a defining moment in the history of American pop.