All I can say is that this is a must for any one who enjoys a great singer songwriter...but to categorize Neil Finn as just that, would understatement his talents. He is more than that.

Finn is a tremendously gifted writer of the last twenty years and these new songs show that he is worthy a place in the upper echelons of rock with the likes of Paul McCartney, another musician who crafts songs that are catchy, romantic, and atmospheric.

Neil Finn works with top notch musicians, and they bring out the best in these songs on this album. I also recommend his live SEVEN WORLDS COLLIDE DVD AND CD--BUY IT!

...but after a year or so of spinning this in my player, I just can't get into it like I have Neil's other work. After listening for so long, I can't help but think these are good songs severely stunted by misguided production. In so many places on the CD, there are beautiful turns of phrase or melody where some change in instrumentation or tempo or pause or whatever would be perfect to accompany them, but all of these songs are locked in tempo, with no room to breathe and no change in mood or style--supposedly there are real drummers keeping time, too, but you'd think it was drum machine the way it comes off. It's all pleasant enough-sounding music, I guess, but very vanilla in my opinion. I have no problem with the raw material; Neil Finn is a terrific songwriter. But the presentation really bothers me. If I had to contrast, I would say some of the tracks would have been more successful in a "Finn Brothers" (1996) format, intimate and stripped-down. Here it's sing and play to the metronome beat. I paid import price to pounce on this CD when I saw it. It's kind of disappointing. I know, make my own record...That said, even so-so Neil is better than a lot that's out there. He deserves more attention, but newbies won't fall in love with Neil Finn through this disc. Crowded House spoiled me, perhaps...Anyone out there in cyberspace even halfway agree with me? :)

I believe that's how one reviewer once described Crowded House, and if anything, Neil sounds a bit more Crowded House-y on this solo project than he did on Try Whistling This, if only for the presence of Mitchell Froom on some tracks. I vastly prefer this original over the remixed, reordered One All US release for many reasons, not the least of which is that is flows better. One Nil is an album about fidelity and maintaining a relationship, and while Don't Ask Why is a bit of an oddball in that theme, I've always liked it. Much more central to the theme, if indeed one takes this as a concept album, is Elastic Heart, which has some lovely brass work (think Together Alone) and lyrics that speak to the concepts of forgiveness, compromise, and reapprochment - it's not a date song, it's a marriage song, and it's one that means a lot to me. The whole album is highly recommended.