European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 24, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Entertainment Batterson grunter Paul Hester by Paul Batterson crowded House is Back on the Road and surging Forward. For Paul Hester that is Good news. A the Buzz is Back Quot said Hester the drummer and Confounder of the group. Quot i feel like things Are starting to move. I am Happy for anything. I Don t lose sleep that we won t be the next Michael Jackson or the next u2. I am Happy As Long As we Hester and band mates Nick Seymour and Neil and Tim finn have Good reason to be Content. Wood face the group s latest release received critical acclaim and is helping increase the crowds turning out for the group s current european tour. Crowded House Drew 1,400 tans and turned away More during a recent performance in Hamburg Germany a vast improvement Over the 130 people who showed up when the group played there in 1988. The australian group has had mixed Success among american record buyers. The group s first album crowded House went Platinum and produced two top 10 singles a Don t dream it s Over and something so Strong. The band then a Trio of Hester Seymour and Neil finn was selected As mtg s new artist of the year for 1985. Along with the achievement came the pressure to duplicate the first album s Success said Hester during a Telephone interview from Bonn Germany earlier this month. The group considered naming the second allium a the mediocre follow up Quot As a joke. A there was a lot of weight on our shoulders Quot Hester said. A we had two big singles on the first album and there was a lot of speculation on what the next album would be like. It was a bit of a joke but it would have been an edgy thing to the group instead t ailed the album Temple of Low men but judging by its sales the Tongue in Cheek title might have been better. Although lauded by the critics the album was a Dud commercially. Crowded House glad it made room for one More a Quot and in of crowded h 1ouse. For a amps Paul batters son such peaks and valleys Are not new to crowded House. The group is a bit of an oddity. Three of its members Hester and the finns were members of split Enz which followed a similar pattern of hit or miss albums. Split Enz a 70s cult band used flashy costumes bizarre videos and one International hit to build a following. When it became apparent the Enz were splitting Hester and Neil finn Laid the foundation for crowded House. The two auditioned several guitarists before signing Seymour a new zealand bassist and Art student who has designed the covers for All three of the group s albums. A we wanted to form More of a guitar band Quot Hester said. A we Are not very Gimmicky now. We Are More a traditional sort of band with All the traditional crowded House s sound blends in with other acoustical musicians like Tracy Chapman suzanne1 Vega Tesla extreme and Paul Mccartney who Are finding less is Best when it comes to the music Industry. All have released albums rediscovering the Joy of acoustical instruments. Even mtg the chief outlet for prefabricated sounds created unplugged a show whose acts perform without electrical instruments. A we have always tried to do acoustical things for mtg Quot Hester said. Quot i guess the Penny must have dropped and somebody at mtg thought we could do a show like this it is a Good thing. It is Good to Sec some of these bands work for a living. It is funny to see the heavy Metal bands perform on unplugged. Some of the vocalists sound just like Ethel the addition last Winter of Tim finn six years older than Neil helped the band broaden the variety of sounds on its current album Hester said. The new songs arc. In the most part less introspective and More humorous. Rolling Stone Magazine described woo face As a mix old Cole Porter the beatles and a a that a a lot to live up to Quot Hester said. Hester said that having two finns writing instead of one has also made the group s current songs a lot Moie topical. A Tim threw a lot of ideas at Neil. That seemed to unlock Neil from his introspective Way of writing Quot he said. A Tim is a very Strong personality very opinionated. Tim is also Neil s big brother he can Tell him things the rest of us could t. It is still the Early Days of having 1 input it has definitely had some Good the twin finns Are not the album s Only composers. Hester got his first writing credit on Wood tace penning the playful italian plastic. A collection of Odd sounds and instrumentation accompany this tale of True love and a set of plastic souvenir dishes. A i have written quite a few songs that weren t use but Neil heard this one and really liked it Quot i Luster said a we pursued it a couple of different ways and dec need on the Funky Type Check the on stage listings on Pagos 14-15 Lor dates and venues of me group s tour. Paul Batterson is a staff writer for the Frankfurt chronicle in germ my pop a singles 1. Emotions Mariah Carey 2. Do anything natural selection 3. Romantic Karyn White 4. Hole hearted extreme 5. Can t Stop this thing we started a Bryan Adams 8. Cream a Prince. New Power generation 7. Real real real Jesus Jones 8. Something to talk about Bonnie Raitt 9. Good vibrations Tarky Mark amp the Funky Bunch p p. Naughty by nature top a albums 1. Robin the wind Garth Brooks 2. Use your illusion ii guns n roses 3. Decade of decadence Motley Crue 4. Apocalypse 91 the enemy strikes Public enemy 5. Diamonds amp pearls Prince. New Power generation 6 emotions Mariah Carey 7 use your illusion i guns n roses 8 Metallica Metallica 9 waking up the Neighbours Bryan Adams 10 no fences Garth Brooks country a singles 1 anymore Travis Tritt 2. New Way Joe Diffie 3 someday Alan Jackson 4 keep it Between the lines Ricky Van Shelton 5 brotherly love Keith Whitley Earl Thomas Conley 6 Mirror Mirror a Diamond Rio 7 Ball and Chain Paul Overstreet 8 the walk Sawyer Brown 9 tempted Marty Stuart 10 a picture of me without you lome Morgan amp by singles 1 it s so hard to say goodbye buy ii men 2 emotions Mariah Carey 3 forever my lady Jodeci 4 keep on Loving me o jays 5 tender kisses Tracie Spencer 6 o p p naughty by nature 7 romantic Karyn White 8 Hou Socall Shabba Banks. Maxi Prosl 9 right Down to it Damian Dame 10 i m on your Side Jonter Holliday jazz a albums 1 Blue Light red Light Harry Connick or ? thick in the South Wynton Marsalis 3 unforgettable Natalie Cole 4 the Gershwin connection Dave Grusin 5 another hand David Sanborn 6 new York reunion Mccoy Tyne 7 Patrice Mark Whitfield h to roots Macro Parker 9 Uptown ruler Wynton Marsalis 10 the Beautiful ones Are no f or i born Branford Marsalis compiled by billboard of Tohvri 24, 199/ stripes Magazine 11
