CROWDED HOUSE : FAREWELL TO THE WORLD

 

Disc One (59:31)

  1. Mean To Me
  2. World Where You Live
  3. When You Come
  4. Private Universe
  5. Four Seasons In One Day
  6. Fall At Your Feet
  7. Whispers & Moans
  8. Hole In The River
  9. Better Be Home Soon
  10. Pineapple Head
  11. Distant Sun
  12. Into Temptation
  13. Everything Is Good For You

Disc Two (51:14)

  1. Locked Out
  2. Something So Strong
  3. Sister Madly
  4. Italian Plastic
  5. Weather With You
  6. It's Only Natural
  7. There Goes God
  8. Fingers Of Love
  9. In My Command
  10. Throw Your Arms Around Me
  11. Don't Dream It's Over

Label : Parlophone

Venue : Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia

Recording Date : November 24, 1996

Release Date : November 20, 2006

Review (AllMusic) : Crowded House called it a day on November 24, 1996, with a farewell concert at the Sydney Opera House attended by well over 100,000 people, making it one of the largest concerts in Australian history. The double-disc set Farewell to the World was released a decade later to commemorate the ten-year anniversary of the event, and while the performance lacks the loose energy and off-the-cuff banter that made Crowded House's concerts memorable, it has aged well, and not just because Neil Finn's songs sound every bit as fresh and sharp as they did upon their initial release. That much can be discerned from a listen to any of the group's albums, or their excellent hits compilation, Recurring Dream, but what Farewell to the World reveals is what a tight, professional live band Crowded House could be if the occasion called for it - and certainly, this farewell show was an occasion that called for it. This was a large-scale, historic performance, and it sounds like it: the band plays all the hits and standards, with none of the left-field detours that could characterize their live shows (and are well documented on the many fan club-only live releases over the years), and they play with focused precision that may not be as exciting as some of their other live shows, but it certainly is easy to enjoy, whether it was in person at the Sydney Opera House in 1996 or hearing it on record years later. This may not be a major release, but for fans it is a welcome one: a souvenir of a fine farewell show, and a nice reminder of the strengths of Crowded House as a live band.

Review (Wikipedia) : Farewell to the World is a 1996 concert by rock group Crowded House, which was released on video in 1996 and on CD and DVD in 2006. The concert was recorded on the outside steps of the Sydney Opera House, as a charity event to raise funds for the Sydney Children's Hospital. The event was originally scheduled for the night of 23 November 1996; however, it was delayed one day due to rain. The concert was to be the last that the group played, as the group had announced their dissolution several months prior. The concert attracted a crowd of greater than 100,000 people, with some estimates of 250,000 people in attendance. Since then, several concerts have been performed in the same place, such as the Mushroom Records anniversary celebration. Every Australian Idol year finale uses the outdoor as well as the indoor of the Opera House. The concert was originally aired on Network Ten in Australia in November 1996, however, this performance was incomplete as it did not include five songs performed from the concert (due to time constraints). In December 1996, the group released the concert on VHS which included some press coverage of the band's breakup and the concert. The VHS version contained all of the same songs as the television version other than "Weather with You", which was replaced by the fan favourite, "Hole in the River". The CD and DVD of the concert were released in November 2006, on the ten-year anniversary of the original concert. These versions were remastered, and the DVD included all previous footage along with an interview with Neil Finn by Jana Wendt on Channel Nine's Sunday program. All songs were included on the DVD and CD release, including those omitted previously and the sound (and, for DVD, picture) was digitally remastered. The setlist included many of Crowded House's most famous hits and many fan favourites also. The supporting bands were Custard, You Am I and Powderfinger. As the album was to be the final performance by the group, they called upon previous members Tim Finn and tour drummer Peter Jones to play for a small portion of the event. Drummer Paul Hester, though he had previously left the band while on tour, was considered a member of the band again for the performance, as he had been one for the majority of the group's tenure.