'It's pretty stupid comparing us to the Beatles. There were four of them. There's only three of us.' - Paul Hester
Crowded House promised to become the most successful band ever to have come out of Australasia. When 'Don't Dream It's Over' and 'Something So Strong' exploded in the US charts, worldwide success looked inevitable. Critics compared them musically to the Beatles and fans adored them for their warmth and humour on stage. Four brilliant albums later, their rollercoaster ride of achievements and disappointments came to an end on the steps of the Sydney Opera House, in front of one of the largest audiences in Australian history. The dream was over, the band had finally broken up, their enormous promise was only partially fulfilled.
In this definitive account, New Zealand journalist Chris Bourke has written the true story of the first phase of Crowded House. With unparalleled access to all the band members, their families, friends, musical collaborators, managers, and record company personnel, he has captured their essence. It is a unique tale of musical chemistry, family bonds and the personal costs of pursuing an artistic vision.
From the manic energy of the recording studio to the machinations of the record industry, this riveting account is a book for every Crowded House fan. This latest edition of Crowded House: Something So Strong includes new material from the author.
Chris Bourke is a New Zealand writer, journalist, editor and radio producer. He first met Neil Finn in 1984, to write about the demise of Split Enz for the New Zealand Listener. While the editor of New Zealand's leading music magazine Rip It Up, he attended the showcase party/concert given in a private house in Auckland in October 1986 to introduce Crowded House to the country's media. Afterwards, he interviewed the band in a bedroom, with everyone sprawled on a double-bed. First published in 1997, Crowded House: Something So Strong was described by Stuart Coupe in the Australian Book Review as a book 'by which writing about popular music in Australasia will be measured for years to come'. In 2010 Auckland University Press published Bourke's Blue Smoke: the Lost Dawn of New Zealand Popular Music, 1918-1964. This won three prizes at the 2011 New Zealand Post Book Awards: the "public choice" award, the general non-fiction award, and the premium award for the book of the year. Bourke lives in Wellington, where he attended Victoria University and graduated with a degree in music history.
