Mental Notes
Encyclopedia
† This version has Phil Judd singing lead vocals. An earlier version (found on The Beginning of the Enz
The Beginning of the Enz
The Beginning of the Enz is a 1979 release from New Zealand rock group Split Enz. The album is a collection of songs and demos from the early days of the band...
) recorded in 1974 has Tim Finn singing lead.
Split Enz
- Timothy FinnTim FinnBrian Timothy "Tim" Finn, OBE is a New Zealand singer and musician. Finn is most known for his music with New Zealand 1970s and 1980s rock group Split Enz, and later for his solo work, a temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowded House and his joint efforts with Neil Finn as the Finn...
– vocals, piano - Philip JuddPhil JuddPhilip Judd is a New Zealand singer-songwriter known for being one of the founders of the bands Split Enz and The Swingers.-Split Enz:...
– vocals, acousticAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
and electric guitars, mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single... - Jonathan Michael ChunnMike ChunnMike Chunn is a former member of the New Zealand bands Split Enz and Citizen Band. He performed alongside his brother Geoff Chunn in both bands....
– bass, piano on 'Titus' - Noel CrombieNoel CrombieNoel Crombie is a New Zealand singer and former member of the band Split Enz. He fulfilled multiple roles including costume and hair designer, percussionist, album cover designer, and music video director...
– vocals, percussion - Emlyn CrowtherEmlyn CrowtherPaul Emlyn Crowther was the drummer of Split Enz from July 1974 to November 1976.Before joining the Enz, Crowther played trumpet in an air training corp band but swapped to drums later on. Moved to Auckland in 1969 and played drums in a couple of covers bands and Alastair Riddell's band, Orb...
– drums - Eddie RaynerEddie RaynerEddie Rayner , is a New Zealand musician who has played in bands such as Split Enz, Space Waltz, Crowded House, The Makers and 801....
– organsOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, synthesizers, piano, clavinetClavinetA Clavinet is an electrically amplified keyboard instrument manufactured by the Hohner company. It is essentially an electronically amplified clavichord, analogous to an electric guitar. Its distinctive bright staccato sound has appeared particularly in funk, disco, rock, and reggae songs.Various...
, mellotronMellotronThe Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
, electric pianoElectric pianoAn electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented... - Wally Wilkinson – lead guitar
- David Russell – bass on 'Maybe' link
Production
- Engineered by Richard BatchensRichard BatchensRichard Batchens is an Australian record producer and recording engineer. He was the main in-house producer for the Australian recording company Festival Records in the early-mid 1970s and was one of the most prominent and successful producers of the era....
- Produced by: David Russell and Split Enz
- Recorded at Festival Studios, Studio 24, May/June 1975
- Tapes and Equipment: Murray Ward
- Artwork: Graeme Webber
- Cover painting by Phil Judd
Special Thanks to
- Robert Gillies – trumpet on "Maybe", saxophone on "129 (Live)" and "Lovey Dovey (Live)".
- Geoffrey Chunn
- Peter Madill
- James Farrell
- David Russell
- Miles Golding
History and features
The album was a moderate success on its release in July 1975. It sold 12,000 copies in Australia, reached #35 on the album chart for one week, and peaked at #7 in New Zealand. Much of the material derived from Tim Finn's and Phil Judd's fascination with the work of the renowned English writer and artist Mervyn PeakeMervyn Peake
Mervyn Laurence Peake was an English writer, artist, poet and illustrator. He is best known for what are usually referred to as the Gormenghast books. They are sometimes compared to the work of his older contemporary J. R. R...
– notably Spellbound, the epic track Stranger Than Fiction (their concert centrepiece) andTitus, named after the hero of Peake's Gormenghast
Gormenghast (series)
The Gormenghast series comprises three novels by Mervyn Peake, featuring Castle Gormenghast, and Titus Groan, the title character of the first book.-Works in the series:...
trilogy.