I'm happy to shout it from the rooftops... I think Neil Finn is brilliant. He's my favorite songwriter out there. I've alluded to wanting to blog about him for a while now, but I had to find the right time to do it and try to find the words to describe how his music really makes me feel. That time is today. This is going to be long, so sit back, relax, get comfortable and I hope you'll stick with me on reading the whole thing!

I've been a fan of Neil's since his days in Split Enz, then in Crowded House... but it wasn't until the Crowded House "Woodface" album came out that I really became the huge fan that I am today. I saw Crowded House live for the first time on that "Woodface" tour and I was beyond hooked! My favorite song of all time by anyone EVER is "Fall At Your Feet," a Crowded House song. I could listen to that song 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Mike and I got to see Crowded House live a bunch of times before they broke up in 1996. I still cry when I watch the DVD of their final show on the steps of the Sydney Opera House in Australia, and all of 100,000 fans singing along. I remember thinking at the time that I didn't know what I would do without more Neil Finn music. Granted, I had a nice catalog of stuff to enjoy at that point, but I wanted more. (As an aside to this, I harbored a not-so-secret hope that Crowded House would reunite and tour again at some point... but when drummer Paul Hester committed suicide last year, those hopes were dashed...)

But my man Neil went solo in 1998 and with the release of "Try Whistling This" that year, I was smitten all over again with his artistry, perhaps even moreso than before. The man writes such truly amazing songs -- he is so gifted at his craft. Perhaps a slight side discussion is in order right now, because it will help me to explain how Neil's music makes me feel...

I have a theory about music. I think it's possible to have crushes on music. Almost like it’s the cute boy in science class who you just love to gaze upon. You get that giddy little butterfly feeling in your stomach whenever you contemplate Cute Science Class Boy. And when you see him... that lovely giggly, happy feeling. Well, I get that with music. I get crushes on music. I don’t get crushes on the people making said music, but I get crushes on the music. On certain albums. On certain songs. On everything a certain artist does. Basically, I have had a huge crush on every note Neil Finn has made for years now. And I get that giddy, thrilling butterfly feeling in my stomach from the music. Just from the music. Does that happen to anyone else out there?

That is the only way I can think to explain how Neil's music makes me feel. Even if it's a sad, melancholy song (so many of his songs have a bit of the melancholy about them), I still feel giddy and happy to hear it because I love the songs so much. I have two compilation CDs of his stuff that I keep in the CD changer in the car and listen to ALL the time. ALL THE TIME. I never get sick of it.

When Neil performed a set for the PBS TV show "Sessions at West 54th" around the time "Try Whistling This" came out, I scored tickets and Mike and I went. Imagine sitting in a small TV studio mere feet from your favorite performer in the world... Well, not only did I get to experience it live, but they later released the performance on DVD. You can actually see me in the audience between songs for a few seconds! What's really funny is that several years after that (in 2002 as a matter of fact), I was at a lot of shows by the band The Tragically Hip, who I was working with at at the time. The drummer in the band asked me if I'd been at the "Sessions at West 54th" show taping. I said yes. (I believe the DVD had just come out if memory serves.) I asked him if he'd seen me on it. He said, "Not yet, but the guys in Wayne [their opening band on much of their US tour that year] saw you!" I'd only met those guys a few times, so for them to recognize me in a split-second sighting while watching the DVD on the tour bus was AMAZINGLY funny to me. Guess you had to be there...

When Neil toured on his last solo album ("One Nil" and/or "One All" -- the album had different titles in different parts of the world and featured different songs -- I have both versions of course!), I managed through some complete fluke of luck to score front row seats to one of two NYC shows he was performing at Webster Hall. I was on top of the world that night. Perfection.

Mike had the opportunity to interview Neil a few years ago and I desperately wanted to go with him. I was all set to pose as a co-worker or his assistant -- anything so that I could meet the man. Well, needless to say that didn't happen. But Mike told Neil what a big fan his wife is and he had Neil sign some things:

That was a signature for both of us in Neil's book. And this one just for me:

(Kiaora is a Maori word for hello. Since he's from New Zealand and all that...)

When Neil toured with his brother Tim for the most recent Finn Brothers record, Mike and I trekked to Philly to see them because we couldn't make the NYC show. Well, I knew his publicist at the time (I'd pitched myself to the label to hire me for tour press, but it didn't happen because they were handling it in-house), and she hooked us up with after show passes. This was it! My opportunity to meet Neil, finally! I was even more excited than usual during the show. We waited and waited after show, only to find out that there was nothing going on after show and that Neil had already left the building because they had a long overnight drive to the next tour stop!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I will meet him someday. I have faith.

I had a dream last night (which is really what told me it was time to write this!) that I finally got to meet Neil. As he was signing something for me (he was writing a lot), I was talking nervously and I told him the story about how the opening band had recognized me on the DVD of his "Sessions" performance. When he didn't really laugh, I said something to him like, "Well, it was much funnier when it happened..." And then he busted out laughing. Which I found odd because it hadn't been THAT funny of a comment. And I went on to tell him that I'd been afraid I would be all tongue-tied when meeting him, which worried me since I work as a music publicist and I better be able to talk to musicians. He found that hysterical. So we're both laughing like I'm a comedian or something... It was a strange dream, but I woke up with that warm, fuzzy "love my Neil music" feeling, so I've been playing him all day as I've been working.

Fellow scrapper Cathy Zielske is a HUGE Neil Finn fan like I am. She talks about him all the time on her blog.

If you haven't listened to Neil before, you should. I have two links under my "misc cool places online" section of my blog off to the left -- "A Good Tune Is Always In Short Supply" parts one and two. Check them out. It's a perfect Neil primer.

His stuff makes me smile. It makes me cry. It makes me glad there is such a thing as music and that Neil Finn makes some that I love. Discover it. Discover Neil. I hope you get as big a crush on his music as I have!