Mental Notes, the 1975 debut album by Split Enz, has mesmerized generations of music lovers and can rightfully claim the epithet 'timeless cult classic.'

Starting out as a folk-art duo in the early '70s, the group would become one of Aotearoa's most successful cultural exports - and spawn a musical dynasty that continues to this day.

Mental Notes, a symphonic, inventive prog rock/art rock creation, marks a high-water point for the early line-up of the band, led by lead songwriter Phil Judd. Yet, by the time the album was released the cracks in the band were already starting to show, with the brooding, recalcitrant genius of Judd set against the home-spun optimism of live-wire lead singer and front man Tim Finn.

This book unravels the intriguing true story of Mental Notes and how early Enz rose to become a significant force in the growth of New Zealand music, and took what they were doing to a wider audience around the world. Along the way they created an ambitious, odd, yet enduring recording that remains one of the most significant albums in Australasian musical history.