I managed to pick up this CD in the UK when it was released in February. Don't expect anything breakthrough, new-style, earth-shattering. This is classic Crowded House - crooning Finn brothers, interesting harmonies, curious lyrics. Well, that's no surprise as this isn't new material - it's just previously unreleased. So as an album, it's kind of...disjointed...Clearly the songs were not written in the same period or mindset. The bonus interview at the end is great - Neil Finn expresses himself well, and it's a fairly good interview. If you're a first-time Crowded House album buyer, or if you're looking for a cohesive album, I suggest Temple of Low Men instead of this one.

Neil Finn may well be the best pop song writer currently working, and any release of his material is noteworthy. This cd, however, doesn't have the uniformity or consistency that the other studio albums have. There are some great cuts here that any Finn fan would want to have--"I Am In Love," "Recurring Dream," "Time Immemorial" are 3 gems in particular. Much of the remaining material belies why it wasn't originally released to begin with. That is not to say they aren't good songs, but they seem unfinished--either lyrically spotty or not quite baked from a production perspective--a few Mitchell Froom hybrids that don't quite work. The acoustic version of "Private Universe" appears to be the same version found on "Together Alone" with the percussion track silenced. Also, the studio version of "Left Hand" isn't nearly as driving and infectious as the live version available on the bonus cd that comes with the import version of their greatest hits compilation. In the final evaluation, if you're a dedicated Finn fan, then there's no question--buy it (but then you probably already have). If you're looking for an introduction to Finn or Crowded House, go with a studio album. The two most accessible of which are "Woodface" and the first release. "Temple of Low Men," "Together Alone" and Finn's solo release, "Try Whistling This," are artistically superior to either of those two, but require a bit more listening for the uninitiated.