Friday Afternoon Videos: Don't Dream It's Over

Many songs from the 80’s don’t stand the test of time; Crowded House’s “Don’t Dream It’s Over” is an exception. It’s been 20 years since it hit #2 on the charts and the song sounds about as fresh now as it did then. Even the video has aged well, compared to others from the same time period. A lot of that has to do with lead house member Neil Finn’s songwriting and musicianship. Ever since he joined his big brother’s new wave band Split Enz in the late 70’s (you probably remember “I Got You”), his focus has always been on timeless melodies and insightful lyrics.

Last week, Crowded House released a live CD and DVD of the farewell concert they gave for 120,000 fans in 1996 at the Sydney Opera House. This week, they gave those fans another treat – they announced that the band is reuniting for a new album and world tour, starting with the Coachella festival in California this spring. It will be a bittersweet reunion; Crowded House’s drummer Paul Hester, whose humor was the life of their live shows, sadly committed suicide a couple of years ago.

It’s a shame that the New Zealand/Australian band never reached the heights in the U.S. like they did overseas, but we’d be happy to welcome them back to our shores.