Random Thoughts From Josh: Josh’s Top 5 albums of 2009: #4 7 Worlds Collide

Welcome back, everybody. Lest you think I’ve been swallowed up with “stuff” as December can get a tad busy, you’re right but I would really like to get on with the countdown. Although at this pace, I’ll finish sometime next month…maybe. Now, as opposed to the drama, as it were, of my last selection of going with Outer South over Monsters of Folk, I think this one should be easier.

Josh’s Top 5 albums of 2009: #4 7 Worlds Collide – The Sun Came Out

Let’s step into the waaaaaaay back machine to 2001, shall we? Former Crowded House front man, Neil Finn, brings together a host of famous musician friends, (including Eddie Vedder, Johnny Marr, Ed O’Brien and Phil Selway of Radiohead, and Lisa Germano) and they record a live album, featuring songs mostly from Neil (either as a member of Split Enz, Crowded House and as a solo artist). Anyway, it’s a great listen and I’ve always loved all the different voices coming together to play and sing these songs.

Okay, so step back on the way back machine set that bad boy to about one year ago. Neil gets the idea to bring the band back together, but with a twist or two. Instead of simply having a number of concerts, how about they write and record an *entire album* of new material…in three weeks? How about everybody come down to New Zealand and bring the family? And not only that, but also have the proceeds go to charity (in this case, Oxfam)? Neil made the contacts and got most of the original participants back, but with a few extra friends (including most of Wilco and KT Tunstall) as well.

It was quite the undertaking and results are good…but a taaaaad uneven simply due to length. There is a lot of good stuff; it’s just a bit long to slug through but there a good number of diamonds along the way. If this were a single disc (to be fair, there *is* a single disc version but that doesn’t count as far as I’m concerned) and they had sifted out some of weaker tracks, it may have shot up a spot or two. So I suppose that even though it *was* possible to crank out an entire double disc of new songs, it may not have been the most advisable. Having said that, here are a few highlights (as always, Facebook friends, just visit my blog for the vids).

Here’s an overview of the project: