Woodface

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title: "Woodface" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1991-albums", "crowded-house-albums", "albums-produced-by-mitchell-froom", "albums-recorded-at-a&m-studios", "albums-recorded-at-united-western-recorders"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodface" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]

FieldValue
nameWoodface
typestudio
artistCrowded House
coverCrowded House-Woodface (album cover).jpg
released(UK)
(Australia)
recorded1989–1991
studio*A&M (Los Angeles)
genre
length
labelCapitol
producer
prev_titleTemple of Low Men
prev_year1988
next_titleTogether Alone
next_year1993
misc{{Singles
nameWoodface
typestudio
single1Chocolate Cake
single1dateJune 1991
single2Fall at Your Feet
single2dateAugust 1991
single3It's Only Natural
single3dateDecember 1991
single4Weather with You
single4dateFebruary 1992
single5Four Seasons in One Day
single5dateJune 1992
::

| name = Woodface | type = studio | artist = Crowded House | cover = Crowded House-Woodface (album cover).jpg | alt = | released = (UK) (Australia) | recorded = 1989–1991 | studio = *A&M (Los Angeles)

Woodface is the third studio album by Crowded House. The album was produced by Mitchell Froom and Neil Finn and was released by Capitol Records in July 1991. Woodface was a major hit in Australia and New Zealand as well as giving the band their first top ten hit album in the UK. It was listed at No. 3 in the book 100 Best Australian Albums in October 2010. It was voted number 80 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).

Background

During a break from Crowded House following the Canadian leg of the tour in support of their second album, Temple of Low Men, band-leader Neil Finn began recording songs with his older brother and former Split Enz bandmate Tim Finn. These songs were originally intended for a Finn Brothers album. Once these sessions were complete, Neil teamed back up with Nick Seymour and Paul Hester to write and record Crowded House's third album. Capitol Records rejected most of the new Crowded House songs, so Neil asked Tim if the band could use some of the new Finn Brothers songs. Tim agreed, on condition that he would join the band, although he has since indicated he meant this as a joke. Whatever the truth of that claim, the group that returned to the studio included Tim as a full band member.

The album was titled Woodface and was released in July 1991. The cover was designed by Nick Seymour and Tommy Steele. It was co-produced by Mitchell Froom and Neil Finn, and mixed by Bob Clearmountain. Eight tracks were co-written by Neil and Tim Finn and mainly feature the brothers harmonising on lead vocals, although Neil takes the lead on "Four Seasons in One Day" and Tim sings "All I Ask", which later featured in AIDS awareness commercials in Australia. Five other tracks were solo compositions by Neil Finn and the remaining two were written by Paul Hester, including "I'm Still Here", a hidden track. Former Beach Boys drummer Ricky Fataar, and member of the Rutles, is credited on three of the Finn Brothers songs, "All I Ask", "There Goes God" and "Weather With You". The addition of Tim Finn and the inclusion of songs originally written for the Finn Brothers project gave the album a more upbeat and optimistic sound compared to its darkly personal predecessor, "represent[ing] the joy of reunion and the freedom of a collaborative effort", as Chris Woodstra of AllMusic remarked.

During the UK leg of the Woodface tour, Tim and the band parted company. Multi-instrumentalist Mark Hart, who had played some keyboards on Woodface, was recruited to replace Tim for the remaining dates. The final date of this tour at The Town & Country Club in London was recorded and given a limited release in Australia, while individual tracks were used as B-sides for the album's singles in other countries. The group described their work in the 2007 documentary Great Australian Albums.

Music

Instrumentally, Woodface employs more acoustic guitar and less organ than on previous releases by Crowded House. The album also makes heavy use of vocal harmonies. The album's style has been characterized as pop rock, drawing comparisons to the works of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Terry Staunton of Classic Rock described Woodface as "the sound of a band embracing the pop mainstream with bravado, while slyly biting the hand that feeds."

Reception and legacy

Chris Woodstra of AllMusic gave the album four and a half stars out of five, saying: "Woodface represents the joy of reunion and the freedom of a collaborative effort. [...] The songs are easily their finest to date, combining flawless melodies and the outstanding harmonies of the brothers' perfectly matched voices."** The album was included in the 2005 book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Kate Taylor of Beat wrote: "Woodface will be remembered as bridging the gap between the Antipodes and the UK."

Track listing

| all_writing = Neil Finn and Tim Finn, except where noted | title1 = Chocolate Cake | length1 = 4:02 | title2 = It's Only Natural | length2 = 3:32 | title3 = Fall at Your Feet | note3 = Neil Finn | length3 = 3:18 | title4 = Tall Trees | length4 = 2:19 | title5 = Weather with You | length5 = 3:44 | title6 = Whispers and Moans | note6 = Neil Finn | length6 = 3:39 | title7 = Four Seasons in One Day | length7 = 2:50 | title8 = There Goes God | length8 = 3:50 | title9 = Fame Is | note9 = Neil Finn | length9 = 2:23 | title10 = All I Ask | length10 = 3:55 | title11 = As Sure as I Am | note11 = Neil Finn | length11 = 2:53 | title12 = Italian Plastic | note12 = Paul Hester | length12 = 3:39 | title13 = She Goes On | note13 = Neil Finn | length13 = 3:15 | title14 = How Will You Go (includes a hidden excerpt of "I'm Still Here" (Hester, Neil Finn, Seymour) | length14 = 4:14

"I'm Still Here" follows "How Will You Go" in track 14 as a hidden track at 3:37 after 30 seconds silence. The version released as a hidden track in 1991 is an excerpt containing the first minute of the full track, which appears on the 2016 deluxe edition of the album.

The following songs were recorded by Crowded House for Woodface before Tim Finn became involved but were not included on the album. Seven appeared on the 1999 rarities collection Afterglow; "Fields Are Full of Your Kind" and "My Legs Are Gone" appeared on the bonus disc to the deluxe edition. "My Legs Are Gone" had previously been released on I Like It Rare, a rarities compilation available through Frenz of the Enz, the official Crowded House fan club. "Fields Are Full of Your Kind" remained unreleased until the deluxe edition of Woodface.

  • "Anyone Can Tell"
  • "Left Hand"
  • "Dr. Livingstone"
  • "Sacred Cow"
  • "I Love You Dawn"
  • "My Telly's Gone Bung"
  • "Time Immemorial"
  • "Fields Are Full of Your Kind"
  • "My Legs Are Gone"

Several songs initially recorded by Tim and Neil were temporarily considered for Woodface, but not used. "Catherine Wheels" would later be recorded for their next album, Together Alone (1993). "In Love With It All" and "Strangeness and Charm" would be recorded for Tim Finn's 1993 album Before & After, with Neil Finn accompanying.

  • "Catherine Wheels"
  • "In Love With It All"
  • "Strangeness and Charm"
  • "Prodigal Son"
  • "Cemetery in the Rain"

2016 reissue

Includes the original album for the first disc.

| headline = Disc 2 (Unreleased and rare material) | all_writing = Neil Finn, except where noted | title1 = Burnt Out Tree (Home Demo) | length1 = 1:36 | title2 = I May Be Late (Home Demo) | length2 = 3:06 | title3 = She Goes On (Home Demo)* | length3 = 3:13 | title4 = As Sure As I Am (Home Demo)* | length4 = 2:37 | title5 = My Legs Are Gone* | length5 = 4:33 | title6 = You Got Me Going (Home Demo) | length6 = 3:23 | title7 = Italian Plastic (Home Demo)* | note7 = Paul Hester | length7 = 2:54 | title8 = Be My Guest (Home Demo) | length8 = 2:03 | title9 = Weather With You (Home Demo)* | note9 = Neil Finn, Tim Finn | length9 = 3:08 | title10 = Chocolate Cake (Home Demo)* | note10 = Neil Finn, Tim Finn | length10 = 3:50 | title11 = How Will You Go (Home Demo)* | note11 = Neil Finn, Tim Finn | length11 = 2:46 | title12 = It's Only Natural (Home Demo)* | note12 = Neil Finn, Tim Finn | length12 = 3:21 | title13 = Four Seasons in One Day (Home Demo)* | note13 = Neil Finn, Tim Finn | length13 = 2:42 | title14 = There Goes God (Home Demo)* | note14 = Neil Finn, Tim Finn | length14 = 2:43 | title15 = Catherine Wheel (Home Demo)* | note15 = Neil Finn, Tim Finn | length15 = 3:00 | title16 = All I Ask (Home Demo)* | note16 = Neil Finn, Tim Finn | length16 = 2:43 | title17 = Fields Are Full of Your Kind | length17 = 3:29 | title18 = Creek Song / Left Hand | note18 = Hester, Finn | length18 = 3:04 | title19 = Fall at Your Feet (Rehearsal Early Version) | length19 = 3:22 | title20 = The Burglar's Song (Medley) - Around the UK in 7 Minutes (Live) * # | note20 = Neil Finn, Liam Finn, Eddie Rayner, Tim Finn, Paul Hester | length20 = 7:21 | title21 = I'm Still Here (Full Version) | note21 = Hester, Finn, Nick Seymour | length21 = 2:19

Notes

    • Previously released

  • features excerpts from "The Burglar's Song" (Neil Finn, Liam Finn), "Don't Dream It's Over" (Neil Finn), "When You Come" (Neil Finn), "Hole in the River" (Neil Finn, Eddie Rayner), "Money's No Object" (Tim Finn), "It's Only Natural" (Neil Finn, Tim Finn) and "Still Emotional" (Paul Hester).

Personnel

Crowded House

  • Neil Finn – guitar, vocals, keyboards
  • Tim Finn – piano, guitar, vocals
  • Paul Hester – drums, vocals, keyboards, percussion, lead vocal on "Italian Plastic"
  • Nick Seymour – bass guitar, backing vocals

Additional musicians

Production

  • Neil Finn – producer
  • Mitchell Froom – producer
  • Tchad Blake – engineer
  • Paul Kosky – engineer (Periscope Studios)
  • Rob Jaczko – second engineer (A&M Studios)
  • Andrew Horne – second engineer (Periscope Studios)
  • Max Garcia – second engineer (A&M Studios / Record Plant)
  • Bob Clearmountain – mixing (A&M Studios / Record Plant)
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering (Masterdisk)
  • Nick Seymour – art direction, cover painting
  • Tommy Steele – art direction
  • Dennis Keeley – photography
  • Stephen Walker – design
  • Timothy Eames – letter construction
  • Brenda Bentley – costumes

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table title="Weekly chart performance for ''Woodface''"] | Chart (1991–95) | Peak position | |---|---| ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table title="1991 year-end chart performance for ''Woodface''"]

Chart (1991)PositionAustralian Albums (ARIA)New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)
40
25
::

::data[format=table title="1992 year-end chart performance for ''Woodface''"]

Chart (1992)PositionDutch Albums (Album Top 100)New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)
36
9
::

Certifications

References

  1. "BPI > Certified Awards > Search results for 'Woodface' (from bpi.co.uk)". [[British Phonographic Industry]].
  2. "New Release Summary – Product Available from: 8/07/91 (from The ARIA Report Issue 76)". Imgur.com (original document published by [[Australian Recording Industry Association.
  3. Woodstra, Chris. "''Woodface'' – Crowded House".
  4. Kot, Greg. (4 July 1991). "Crowded House: ''Woodface'' (Capitol)". [[Chicago Tribune]].
  5. Staunton, Terry. (25 October 2016). "Crowded House – 30th Anniversary Reissues album review".
  6. Gardner, Elysa. (12 July 1991). "''Woodface''".
  7. Cromelin, Richard. (7 July 1991). "The House Needs a Deeper Setting". [[Los Angeles Times]].
  8. Fyfe, Andy. (13 July 1991). "Crowded House: ''Woodface''".
  9. Du Noyer, Paul. (July 1991). "Crowded House: ''Woodface''".
  10. McKenna, Kristine. (11–25 July 1991). "Crowded House: ''Woodface''".
  11. Kirsch, Michele. (August 1991). "Crowded House: ''Woodface''".
  12. Pinnock, Tom. (December 2016). "Crowded House".
  13. Kent, David. (1993). "[[Kent Music Report". Australian Chart Book Ltd.
  14. [http://australian-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Crowded+House "Crowded House Discography"] ''australian-charts.com''
  15. [https://charts.nz/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Crowded+House "Crowded House Discography"] ''charts.org.nz''
  16. [https://www.officialcharts.com/artists/ "Crowded House"] ''Chart Stats''
  17. (October 2010). "[[100 Best Australian Albums]]". Hardie Grant Books.
  18. (2006). "[[All Time Top 1000 Albums]]". [[Virgin Books]].
  19. ''Bourke'', 1997
  20. [http://www.amws.com.au/c/crowded-house/discography/discography.html "Crowded House Discography"] ''amws.com.au'' - 12 January 1994
  21. "''Great Australian Albums'' series 1 (2007) – The Screen Guide". Screen Australia.
  22. Taylor, Kate. "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". Universe Publishing.
  23. Copyright © 1997-98 EMAP Consumer Online, London. All Rights Reserved. "Reviews - Over 18,000 music reviews from the world's greatest music magazine".
  24. Stauntonpublished, Terry. (2016-10-25). "Crowded House - 30th Anniversary Reissues album review".
  25. "ARIA Top 100 Albums for 1991". Australian Recording Industry Association.
  26. "Top Selling Albums of 1991". Recorded Music NZ.
  27. "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1992".
  28. "Top Selling Albums of 1992". Recorded Music NZ.

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1991-albumscrowded-house-albumsalbums-produced-by-mitchell-froomalbums-recorded-at-a&m-studiosalbums-recorded-at-united-western-recorders