Just shy of its 40th anniversary, Crowded House’s self-titled debut album is getting a vinyl reissue. Released in August of 1986, the record featuring “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” “Something So Strong” and “World Where You Live” has achieved platinum status in four countries.
Crowded House was formed when two members of the disbanded group Split Enz, Neil Finn and Paul Hester, teamed up with bass player Nick Seymour to create a new trio. Originally called The Mullanes, the name Crowded House came from the cramped apartment the members lived in while recording their debut album in Los Angeles.
The band made that self-titled record with future Elvis Costello/American Music Club producer Mitchell Froom, who also added most of the album’s keyboard parts. The former members of Split Enz were used to success in their native Australia and New Zealand, but Crowded House propelled them to new heights, producing two U.S. top ten singles: “Don’t Dream It’s Over” and “Something So Strong.”
“Don’t Dream It’s Over” was the catalyst for the album’s success when it was released as a single in December 1986. It shot to No.2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 before hitting No.1 in Canada and eventually topping the charts in the band’s native New Zealand. Initially a commercial slow burner, Crowded House also then caught fire, reaching No.1 in Australia and an impressive No.12 on the US Billboard 200.
The album has stood the test of time, continuing to appear on ‘Best Of’ lists–including a number seven spot on Rolling Stone Australia‘s 200 Greatest Albums Of All Time. In 2016, it made Paste’s list of Best New Wave albums, where it was praised for the “bittersweet melancholy that pervades Finn’s lyrics, serving as a poignant counterpart to the songs’ barbed hooks and sunny ’80s production. It was music for grown-ups that feckless kids could easily hum along to.”
