7 Worlds Collide: Neil Finn and Friends Live at the St James

By RUSSELL BAILLIE

(Herald rating: * * * )

Neil Finn fans certainly have been spoilt for choice of late. There's been his second solo album One Nil, the soundtrack to Rain, a couple of books (one photos, one lyrics) and his Band of Strangers tour which flushed out the latent musical talent of the nation as he recruited local musicians to be his pick-up band for the night.

But the highlight of the Finn-fan's year still has to be his season at the St James in April where he recruited a multinational supergroup, which included members of three of the most important American and English rock bands of the past 15 years, as well as a few close relatives.

The momentous five-night season has its echoes in a DVD and a live CD of the event, both of which mix not only the Finn-led performances but wander neatly into the night's fireworks-heavy sideshows.

These include Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder playing a musical tag team with Tim Finn fronting young Liam Finn's band betchadupa on I See Red (and on the DVD, History Never Repeats as well); Lisa Germano's beguiling solo spots of Paper Doll (and on the DVD Cry Wolf); and Johnny Marr's Brit-rock party piece Down on the Corner.

As you may have gathered, the 129-minute, 26-song DVD is basically the live double to the 17-track CD.

While the album alone is colourful enough, the DVD manages to capture the energy of the event, from its hasty rehearsals to its final bows, and the curious rock variety show that ensued.

The footage is culled from the five nights - Neil Finn's ever-changing shirts can be an initial continuity distraction - but director Paul Casserly and his multi-camera team help to make the performances vivid.

It sounds good, too. And if the set takes a little while to get going, you can always freeze-frame to see if that's you in the front row.

Finn is interviewed briefly about the rock'n'roll circus he put together. He beams with pride when he recalls watching his oldest son (whom he says was briefly paranoid about joining in) with Vedder and the band playing Split Enz tunes that were written before he was born: "It doesn't get much better than this."

And, as a bonus, there is compelling evidence that the supposedly earnest Vedder has a sense of humour in both a backstage chat and during the end credits in what looks like a personal tribute to the "Hello Cleveland!" scene in This Is Spinal Tap.

Label: Parlophone