What do you think?
Rate this book
Crowded House: Something So Strong
376 pages. 37 B&W photos, 15 colour plates. Extensive UK, US and Australian discography. 376 pages. ISBN 0 7329 0886 8
- GenresMusicNonfictionBiography
376 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1997
10 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 28, 2014
I love Crowded House and found this book to be informative and fascinating. I really enjoyed watching interviews and videos on YouTube as they were mentioned in the book. A few things I didn't know:
1. They smoked a lot of weed
2. Session artists played bass and drums on "Now We're Getting Somewhere"
3. The titles Temple of Low Men and In the Lowlands were found in a dictionary of urban slang
4. Mark Hart's other gig is playing with Supertramp
5. Mitchell Froom is married to Susanne Vega.
I'm not saying that this book is for everyone, but I had a blast.
1. They smoked a lot of weed
2. Session artists played bass and drums on "Now We're Getting Somewhere"
3. The titles Temple of Low Men and In the Lowlands were found in a dictionary of urban slang
4. Mark Hart's other gig is playing with Supertramp
5. Mitchell Froom is married to Susanne Vega.
I'm not saying that this book is for everyone, but I had a blast.
March 8, 2019
Very detailed work for the truly devoted Crowded House/Neil Finn fan. Stops at the farewell concert in Australia.
Read
April 24, 2018A solid, chronologically accurate, well researched and written history of the first era of the band. Focuses quite heavily on the band's relationships with their record company and management, which while genuinely interesting often comes at the expense of capturing the vibe and humor of the band itself. It often feels like it's attempting to answer the question "Why weren't they massive?" rather than "What made them so good?". To be fair, this may very well be the result of when it was written (as the band was breaking up) and the tone of the interviews given.
November 25, 2008
I think this is one of the best reads I've encountered in the genre.
My estimation of the book has doubtless been affected by listening to all my Crowded House, Finn Bros, Neil Finn & Split Enz albums whilst reading and my appreciation of the music has been well served with this excellent account of the band.
It still breaks my heart to see the pictures of Hessie with the boys; why oh why did it have to end that way?
Vale Paul Hester, Vale the Crowdies.
My estimation of the book has doubtless been affected by listening to all my Crowded House, Finn Bros, Neil Finn & Split Enz albums whilst reading and my appreciation of the music has been well served with this excellent account of the band.
It still breaks my heart to see the pictures of Hessie with the boys; why oh why did it have to end that way?
Vale Paul Hester, Vale the Crowdies.
July 17, 2011
fabulous read
April 21, 2020
For Crowded House fans, this is the encyclopaedia of the band which covers the early childhoods of the band members right up to the final concert in Sydney. Later editions, which I read also cover Neil’s career after the demise of Crowded House and the tragic death of Paul Hester. Having an ebook version also helps with searching names as you can be taken instantly to passages about whoever you want to read about.
But that is exactly what this book should have been, an A to Z encyclopaedia of Crowded House. Reading this book from cover to cover was tedious. It was often very dry and very full. At the beginning of the book the author mentions that Neil said there was too much in the book about the record companies, which the author tries to justify. I agree with Neil. There was way too much about record companies with a flurry of names of people who I don’t care about and quickly forgot who they were. Then when they were mentioned later in the book as if I should know who they were, I didn’t and really didn’t care. History lessons on the Capital records tower and St Kilda East amongst others were unnecessary and overwhelming. The book even covered some radio station worker meeting his future wife when she called asking about Crowded House and their subsequent courtship were covered... WTF???
I know Crowdies love this book and I can see why. I gave it 3 stars as it’s a valuable resource. But fir a book to be read from start to finish, I’d give it 1 star at best. Way too much drivel and not enough about the inner workings of the band. I guess we will have to wait for Nick or Neil to write that story,
But that is exactly what this book should have been, an A to Z encyclopaedia of Crowded House. Reading this book from cover to cover was tedious. It was often very dry and very full. At the beginning of the book the author mentions that Neil said there was too much in the book about the record companies, which the author tries to justify. I agree with Neil. There was way too much about record companies with a flurry of names of people who I don’t care about and quickly forgot who they were. Then when they were mentioned later in the book as if I should know who they were, I didn’t and really didn’t care. History lessons on the Capital records tower and St Kilda East amongst others were unnecessary and overwhelming. The book even covered some radio station worker meeting his future wife when she called asking about Crowded House and their subsequent courtship were covered... WTF???
I know Crowdies love this book and I can see why. I gave it 3 stars as it’s a valuable resource. But fir a book to be read from start to finish, I’d give it 1 star at best. Way too much drivel and not enough about the inner workings of the band. I guess we will have to wait for Nick or Neil to write that story,
August 8, 2020
In 1987, just before we were about to leave for a family vacation, my Dad took us to the store and let us each buy a cassette for the trip. My choice was the debut by Crowded House. The two singles were fairly well known at this point but I didn’t know much more about the band. I had actually run across two Split Enz videos on MTV or some other video show but had no idea of the connection between the bands until a year or so later when I read an article included with a song book for that album. That tape was worn out and 33 years later it still makes me think of that trip. I’ve been a huge fan of Crowded House ever since and Neil Finn is, in my opinion, possibly one of the greatest songwriters alive.
As much as I love the band, and also reading rock biographies, I found the book a bit of a slog. I tore through the early chapters quickly but as the band settled into the later stages of their pre-1996 era, it became a little repetitive. Most of that, I think, is down to the subject of the book. Their story is interesting to a fan but I doubt there’s much here to inspire a non-fan to read it.
A plus is that the book is unusually honest for an authorized biography. You get a real view into the personalities within the band and their quirks - especially Finn’s.
So if you’re a fan that wants every last detail from the end of the Enz to the farewell concert in Sydney, you’ll find something to like. For a casual fan, you’d be far better served to seek out the albums - the debut is a classic and the other 3 + a rarities collection are all fantastic and Albums that I’ve rediscovered while reading the book.
As much as I love the band, and also reading rock biographies, I found the book a bit of a slog. I tore through the early chapters quickly but as the band settled into the later stages of their pre-1996 era, it became a little repetitive. Most of that, I think, is down to the subject of the book. Their story is interesting to a fan but I doubt there’s much here to inspire a non-fan to read it.
A plus is that the book is unusually honest for an authorized biography. You get a real view into the personalities within the band and their quirks - especially Finn’s.
So if you’re a fan that wants every last detail from the end of the Enz to the farewell concert in Sydney, you’ll find something to like. For a casual fan, you’d be far better served to seek out the albums - the debut is a classic and the other 3 + a rarities collection are all fantastic and Albums that I’ve rediscovered while reading the book.
March 19, 2020
A fascinating look into the history of this group, full of interesting information and different viewpoints of what took place in those years.
April 26, 2023
Authoritative and meticulous. Also in dire need of editing. Loses a star for being at least a hundred pages too long.
December 7, 2025
How great.
May 6, 2021
Enjoyed reading this lengthy tribute, although tinged with great sadness. Was disappointed by no photos in the e edition. Like other readers, I heavily relied on YouTube due to their enormous wealth of music from that of Enz, Finn Bros and of course, Neil himself.
RIP Paul.
RIP Paul.
June 18, 2015
If you're a Crowded House fan this book is a must read. I won't spoil anything here but I've been a Crowdies fan all my life and thought I knew a lot about the band, but this book showed me I knew much less than I thought. It's well written, with plenty of funny anecdotes and interesting tidbits of info that gives one a new appreciation for the band's albums, songs and live performances - and the fascinating personalities involved. Even if you're not a huge fan of the band I think it would still be a very interesting read. 5/5
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews