Frenzy (Split Enz Album)

Frenzy (Split Enz Album)

Frenzy is a 1979 album by New Zealand New Wave band Split Enz. The album, like much of the band's work, featured mainly Tim Finn compositions. Frenzy ventured even further beyond the band's art rock roots to more of a pop sound.

The album is notable for being the first to feature Neil Finn on lead vocals – though the lyrics to "Give It a Whirl" and both music & lyrics to "Master Plan" were written by his brother Tim.

The album was primarily recorded at The Manor Studios in England between November and December in 1978, however the song "I See Red" had already been recorded at Startling Studios (also in England) in July 1978.

The song "Abu Dhabi" created controversy due to the use of phrases such as "greedy westerners" and "oil barons", considered to be racist by some. As a result, the song's vocals were mixed softly, the offensive lyrics were not printed anywhere on the album and with the exception of a few shouts of 'Abu Dhabi' left in, completely mixed out of the 2006 remix of the track.

Dissatisfaction with the original mix of the album led to Eddie Rayner remixing the album in 1981 for the North American and British releases. Side one comprised songs from the original release, while side two was a mix of songs recorded on the Rootin' Tootin' Luton Tapes from 1978. The sound of the original album apparently suffered from either bad tape stock used for the recording of the album, or misalignment of the tape machines used to record it – which limited what Eddie Rayner had to work with in the aforementioned 1981 remix.

Subsequent developments in recording technology led to the remix of album track "Stuff and Nonsense" for the 1997 compilation Spellbound, and an entire remix of the album by Eddie Rayner released in 2006. Release of the Rootin' Tootin' Luton Tapes finally eventuated in 2007 after many delays.