7 Worlds Collide
culls the best live renditions from a series of all-star concerts staged by
Neil Finn
in Auckland in April 2001. This special lineup includes ex-
Smiths
guitarist
Johnny Marr
,
Radiohead
Ed O'Brien
and drummer
Phil Selway
Soul Coughing
bassist
Sebastian Steinberg
, and
4AD
songstress
Lisa Germano
on keys and violin (the last two have become part of
Finn
's regular touring band). Oh yes, and
Pearl Jam
's
Eddie Vedder
(a devout fan of
Split Enz
) even joins in on the fun. Selections include
's then-current material (from
One Nil
), of course, and these come off well. But the real treats here are those renditions that could only result from such a unique gathering of musicians, such as hearing
and
Marr
cover
the Smiths
'
"There Is a Light That Never Goes Out,"
Vedder
's heartfelt rendition of an
Enz
tune,
"Stuff and Nonsense"
(off
Frenzy
), followed by
Tim Finn
together on an aggressive
"I See Red."
Listeners also get to hear the
brothers perform
"Angel's Heap,"
a song off of their joint recording (
), a few
Crowded House
tunes, and an original each by
Germano
. In all, the collaborations and the resulting alternate versions are exciting to hear, especially for people who are already fans of the songs. ~ Joslyn Layne