Neil Finn released the subtle and understated
One Nil in 2001 to most parts of the world except the U.S., where he remained without a record deal. By 2002
Finn signed a distribution deal with Nettwerk America for the album, though by this point, the widely imported
One Nil had already fallen into the hands of his die-hard fans. With that deal,
Finn rethought the album's U.S. incarnation, maybe for commercial reasons and maybe for artist reasons (most likely a bit of both). The resulting album,
One All, evolved into a different record, which dropped two tracks (the quirky rocker "Don't Ask Why" and the awkward and moody "Elastic Heart") in favor of two others ("Lullaby Requiem," an achingly beautiful role-reversed lullaby sung by a son to his dying mother, and "Human Kindness," a seeming B-side made good). Four songs were also remixed: "The Climber," "Driving Me Mad," "Hole in the Ice," and "Turn and Run." Additional resequencing of the tracks led to a much better flow and consistent feel. Overall,
One All is a stronger album than the already great
One Nil, though the differences are quite subtle. Anyone who missed the album the first time around will undoubtedly be impressed by
Finn's masterful songwriting, which is here in abundance. Those who picked it up in the earlier form will certainly need this version as well -- the first take seems somewhat of a work-in-progress in comparison. ~ Chris Woodstra