Split Enz – Second Thoughts & Wide Angle Enz (Enzyclopedia Volumes One & Two Appendices) (expanded Edition) (2xLP, Deluxe Edition)

Split Enz's Second Thoughts captures a crucial 1976 turning point for the band: after the commercial failure of Mental Notes, they headed to London to rework the material with Roxy Music's Phil Manzanera producing. The result sharpens Split Enz's early art-pop and progressive leanings into something more theatrical and focused, while still keeping the eccentric edge that made the group stand out in the first place.

This expanded edition is especially appealing because it pairs the original 1976 mix, remastered from the source tapes, with Wide Angle Enz, a companion set of live recordings, rough mixes and alternate versions. That second disc shows the band in motion rather than in retrospect, from live takes cut at Ormond Hall to an Eddie Rayner remix of “Stranger Than Fiction/Time For A Change.” A previously unreleased archival rough mix of “129 (Matinee Idyll)” adds a genuinely useful glimpse into how these songs were taking shape.

It also preserves details that matter to longtime Enz listeners: the distinctive Australia/New Zealand sleeve with John Prew's band portrait, and the locked-groove ending of “Mental Notes,” which keeps the album's eerie, unresolved finish intact. If later Split Enz records moved toward cleaner pop, Second Thoughts documents the moment when their early ambition, oddness and confidence were still colliding in full view.

Features

• 2xLP, Expanded Edition
• Original 1976 mix remastered from the original tapes by Phil Kinrade, overseen by Eddie Rayner
• Lacquers cut by Harry Rudkins at AIR Studios
• Companion bonus LP Wide Angle Enz with live recordings, rough mixes and rarities
• Wide-spine sleeve with printed inner bags
• Australia/New Zealand sleeve artwork featuring John Prew's band portrait