by Stephen Thomas ErlewineCrowded House called it a day on November 24, 1996, with a farewell concert at the Sydney Opera House attended by well over 100,000 people, making it one of the largest concerts in Australian history. The double-disc set Farewell to the World was released a decade later to commemorate the ten-year anniversary of the event, and while the performance lacks the loose energy and off-the-cuff banter that made Crowded House's concerts memorable, it has aged well, and not just because Neil Finn's songs sound every bit as fresh and sharp as they did upon their initial release. That much can be discerned from a listen to any of the group's albums, or their excellent hits compilation, Recurring Dream, but what Farewell to the World reveals is what a tight, professional live band Crowded House could be if the occasion called for it -- and certainly, this farewell show was an occasion that called for it. This was a large-scale, ...