''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 ...

. The album cover was painted by band member

Phil Judd Philip Raymond Judd (born 20 March 1953) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter known for being one of the founders of the bands Split Enz and The Swingers. Split Enz In 1972, Judd and Tim Finn founded the arty folk band Split Enz. In its early ...

. 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 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'' 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 Crowd ...

- vocals, piano *

- vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin *

Eddie Rayner Anthony Edward Charles Rayner (born 19 November 1952) is a New Zealand musician who spent twelve years as a keyboardist in the band Split Enz. He has also played in the groups Orb, Space Waltz, Crowded House, The Makers, The Angels in 1986-19 ...

- piano, mellotron, synthesizer, organ, clavinet, electric piano * Wally Wilkinson - lead guitar *

Mike Chunn Jonathan Michael Chunn (born 8 June 1952 in London) is a former member of the New Zealand bands Split Enz and Citizen Band. He performed alongside his brother Geoff Chunn in both bands. His musical performing career was cut short due to agoraph ...

- 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