''Mental Notes'' is the debut studio album by New Zealand band
Split Enz
Split Enz were a New Zealand rock band formed in Auckland in 1972 by Tim Finn and Phil Judd and had a variety of other members during its existence. Originally started as a folk-oriented group with quirky art rock stylings, the band built a ...
. The album cover was painted by band member
Phil Judd. Original vinyl copies featured Judd saying "Make a mental note" in the runout groove of the record's second side, causing the phrase to be looped ad infinitum on manual turntables until the
stylus
A stylus (plural styli or styluses) is a writing utensil or a small tool for some other form of marking or shaping, for example, in pottery. It can also be a computer accessory that is used to assist in navigating or providing more precision w ...
is removed.
Recording
Chunn later complained about the "totally unsympathetic treatment we'd had when we were recording in Australia. The engineer in Sydney thought we couldn't tune our guitars and that we were unprofessional and he just showed total disinterest right through."
Much of the material derived from Tim Finn's and Phil Judd's fascination with the work of the renowned English writer and artist
Mervyn Peake
Mervyn Laurence Peake (9 July 1911 – 17 November 1968) was an English writer, artist, poet, and illustrator. He is best known for what are usually referred to as the '' Gormenghast'' books. The four works were part of what Peake conceived ...
– notably "Spellbound" the epic track "Stranger Than Fiction" (their concert centrepiece) and "Titus", named after the hero of Peake's ''
Gormenghast Gormenghast may refer to:
* ''Gormenghast'' (series), a trilogy of novels by Mervyn Peake
** ''Gormenghast'' (novel), second in the series
* ''Gormenghast'' (opera), an opera based on the books
* ''Gormenghast'' (TV serial), a BBC adaptatio ...
'' trilogy.
Track listing
:
* These songs were re-recorded for the ''
Second Thoughts'' album.
:† This version has Phil Judd singing lead vocals. An earlier version (found on ''
The Beginning of the Enz
''The Beginning of the Enz'' is the fifth studio album from New Zealand rock group Split Enz. The album is a collection of non-album singles and demos that pre-date the band's first album, 1975's '' Mental Notes''. Three of these songs, "129", " ...
'') recorded in 1974 has Tim Finn singing lead.
Personnel
Split Enz
*
Tim Finn
Brian Timothy Finn (born 25 June 1952) is a New Zealand singer and musician. His musical career includes forming 1970s and 1980s New Zealand rock group Split Enz, a number of solo albums, temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowde ...
- vocals, piano
*
Phil Judd - vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar,
mandolin
A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...
*
Eddie Rayner - piano, mellotron, synthesizer, organ, clavinet, electric piano
* Wally Wilkinson - lead guitar
*
Mike Chunn - bass, piano on 'Titus'
*
Emlyn Crowther
Paul Emlyn Crowther (born 2 October 1949 in Dunedin, New Zealand) is the former drummer of Split Enz who performed with the band from July 1974 to November 1976.
Before joining the Enz, Crowther played trumpet in an air training corp band but ...
- drums
*
Noel Crombie
Geoffrey Noel Crombie (born 17 April 1953) is a New Zealand percussionist and former member of the band Split Enz. He fulfilled multiple roles including costume and hair designer, singer, album cover designer, and music video director. Prior to ...
- percussion
Charts
References
{{Authority control
Split Enz albums
1975 debut albums
Chrysalis Records albums
Mushroom Records albums