Before Neil Finn led Crowded House to blockbuster status — and long before he briefly joined Fleetwood Mac — the Kiwi national treasure first came to fame as a member of Split Enz. Finn wouldn't join the young Auckland art-rock band, which was founded by his older brother Tim, until 1977. That means he wasn't in the band yet 50 years ago today, when Split Enz released their debut album Mental Notes.
That's a momentous anniversary, and Neil Finn is celebrating. On YouTube, he's posted a new recording of the Mental Notes track "Time For A Change," a piano ballad that fit right in alongside the work of Elton John, Queen, and Paul McCartney. In the video's caption, Finn writes, "I was absolutely enchanted and inspired by Mental Notes as a 17 year old. It made me believe anything was possible. 50 years later, it sounds as unique and timeless as it did then. Here’s my version of one of my favourite songs on it, written by Philip Judd, Time For A Change."
A tip of the hat to the whole Split Enz family. Hear the new and old "Time For A Change" below, and revisit our We've Got A File On You interview with Finn here.
Finn recently took the stage with Dua Lipa in Auckland to perform Crowded House's "Don’t Dream It’s Over" with her.
