Album Review: The ENZcyclopedia Volumes 1 & 2

50 years ago, iconic New Zealand band Split Enz released their first album, Mental Notes. It’s a beautiful and obscure record that laid the platform for the incredible career that unfolded over the next decade. To celebrate the anniversary, Eddie Rayner – Split Enz’s legendary keyboard player – has been busy, really busy…

He has recently remastered and reimagined Mental Notes, Second Thoughts, and The Beginning of the Enz. In the ENZcyclopedia box sets, the albums come in both CD and vinyl, and the art is as striking as ever. Mental Notes features artwork painted by original member and vocalist Phil Judd, while The Beginning of the Enz has been refreshed with redesigned artwork by percussionist Noel Crombie. Everything about this release screams quality – every detail has been poured over and perfected.

The remasters are beautiful: clear, vibrant, and full of life. Songs like Time For A Change and Stranger Than Fiction are real standouts. These remixes and reimaginings take a moment to settle in – it took me a couple of listens to fully get a feel for them. Die-hard Enz fans will notice some pretty big differences, but it’s important to remember these are intentional reinterpretations, offering a fresh perspective on songs we know so well. Eddie Rayner’s Titus is a thing of beauty and has given me an entirely new appreciation for a song I’ve grown up with for as long as I can remember. One very noticeable shift is the prominence of the vocals – Phil and Tim’s voices feel brought to the front, the clear focal point.

The Beginning of the Enz is also a great addition. It has often felt like a bit of an afterthought in their catalogue, but the new tracks are stunning. The opening version of Spellbound is haunting, with an air of mystery and liberation.

The final record, Wide Angle Enz, is a collection of rarities and revitalised live versions – polished, energetic, even if some mixes are a little rough. It opens with Sweet Dreams live at Ormond Hall, a version I had never heard, and it’s deeply impressive to hear how Split Enz pulled off their incredibly complex arrangements and shifting time signatures live. There’s also a live version of 129, a major highlight – Tim’s vocals are incredible, and the performance is vibrant and full of energy.

This box set is exciting. Although it’s essentially a rerelease of early Enz material, the songs feel new – and in some cases, completely transformed. For many listeners, these tracks will be unfamiliar, a far cry from the iconic hits like I Got You, Six Months In A Leaky Boat, and I See Red. The ENZcyclopedia is an incredible way for people to dive deeper into Split Enz and discover the true breadth of their early creativity. It reminds you just how bizarre, ambitious, and different they were – and how these songs, written so long ago, remain haunting and beautiful.

Eddie Rayner has done what I don’t think anyone else could: reimagine Split Enz songs in a way that feels true to how Split Enz intended them to sound.

Well done, Eddie Rayner – what a way to celebrate 50 years of one of our most iconic bands.

Split Enz in 1975, photographed by Peter Hill-Travis