Robert Forster: The Evangelist

(A McLennan song from Oceans Apart, BTW).

It IS great, but he's written tons of songs at that level (the man was amazingly consistent), whereas Forster's "Born To A Family" and "Darlinghurst Years" are unexpected. When I interviewed him a couple of years ago I remarked that Forster was writing the autobiographical narratives which were once McLennan's specialty.

Darlinghurst Years is the kind of Forster song that I couldn't get into, for whatever reason. Born To A Family is great.

Ex. B: Boundary Rider. A companion piece with what I think is their best song -- Cattle and Cane -- and almost equal to it.

I'm going to run out of examples fast, tho. I don't have the deep knowledge of this group (or their solo efforts) that you do. I'm certainly willing to be convinced otherwise. Must pull out my copy of Oceans Apart again, and maybe finally get around to downloading those Intermission discs.

Another piece I'm surprised isn't linked yet -- Forster himself on the making of the album.

McLennan's experienced no dropoff in quality, but he got complacent

I find Forster on this album to be pretty complacent tbh, I wish it were better :-\

This is so good — not a weak track on it. My fav of the year so far.

Darlinghurst Years was great! But I felt Grant had the better songs on Oceans Apart still (Boundary Rider, Finding You).

Anyway, I finally did pick up a copy of the album but haven't listened to it yet. Might do so later this week when I find time.

I think "It Ain't Easy" is my favorite. I guess Grant wrote the melody and Robert the words?

And I swear you can hear McLennan on the chorus too.

And I swear you can hear McLennan on the chorus too.
Yup. His ghost is all over the album.
This record stands head and shoulders above anything else Forster has done solo and rivals the best of Grant's albums, I think.

Didn't he "write" 3 of the songs?

The interviews linked above will answer the question.

yuh..

I still think this is pretty dull

have you liked any of his solo albums?

It should be noted that Mark Wallis produced this one, which makes all the difference.

XP Yeah I do like his music a lot. Maybe i just think people seem to be going a bit too bananas over this album.

i'm yet to hear this but i've felt his solo albums to be a bit disappointing generally since danger in the past - compounded by my opinion that his contributions to the last 3 go betweens albums are pretty much better than everything he's done since DITP.. but i'm going into this with an open mind.

i don't particularly love any of grant's solo things, they have their high points but i've always found them largely anodyne

i really like this - it feels and sounds so much more like a go betweens album than any of the other RF solo albums. it doesn't have the dramatic edge that i love so much about DITP but i think it may be a stronger album overall

man I dunno how you guys feel about the Forster album Warm Nights but I think it's just incredible

it's been a long time since i've heard it, but i don't remember being particularly in love with it. i remember thinking it had a kind of 'jokey' feel to it..

it does, but for me, the more I've listened to it over the past couple of years, the more the jokes seem a little harder & darker

i'll dig it out again

I think "Loneliness" on Warm Nights is the best solo thing Robert's done (haven't heard the new one though) and most of the rest of the songs are fabulous. I've always wondered why it seems to be his least valued solo recording.

So good.

this video!

I assume this is a Prince parody and/or pastiche?

i'm thinking this is probably my favorite album of 2008 thus far ... even the stuff i wasn't nuts about on my first dozen listenings i've really grown to love. Anybody catch him on his all-too-brief US tour? there's a nice show up at www.nyctaper.com from last week. At the end, Forster says, in typical Forster fashion: "In my humble opinion that was the best 70 minutes of music we've ever played!"

Yeah, this is definitely top ten for me, on the strength of "Pandanus," the title track, "Demon Days," "If It Rains," and the wondrous "It Ain't Easy,". "

This holds up soooo nicely.

Was just thinking about this album the other day. Maybe I'll give it a relisten here.

Forster has an essay collection.

I agree with Forster's judgments no more than half the time and probably less--he's fonder than I would have thought of various folkies, and, in a contrarian/revisionist trend I have no use for, champions such ignored or half-forgotten MOR heroes as Glen Campbell, Neil Diamond, and Nana Mouskouri.

Glen Campbell is pretty well-liked on this board, no? Not sure about Neil Diamond or Nana Mouskouri though.

Anybody buy the collection?

Not as yet...

This record is so good.

never get tired of it.

also, i posted this in the 'Danger in the Past' thread; still marvelling:
http://medicine-opera.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/James-Joyce.jpg

^ it's james joyce

!!!
had no idea that forster cover shot was a reference

ikr!

Yeah, I love this record as much as any Go-Be's album; it's become my touchstone for how I want aging guitar-anchored male singer-songwriters to sound.

hsa this been posted? http://www.furious.com/perfect/robertforster.html

kind of cool - robert playing 2541 w/ Grant Hart in Cologne last month...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbC1oTDTsrk

This record is so good.

― kornrulez6969, Tuesday, April 26, 2011

it's been a while, wonder if he's got something new coming out soon? i haven't heard anything.

Was wondering that myself! Maybe just concentrating on the writing...

He's just started a new Facebook page with some news coming this week. Please let it be for a new album.

saw that -- yeah, must be a new album. been long enough!

There was news about a new album several weeks ago in Australian press, so that's definitely it.

http://pitchfork.com/news/60126-the-go-betweens-robert-forster-announces-new-solo-record-songs-to-play/

So excited.

nice

just heard it, it's good!

gave the evangelist a spin this morning -- started out thinking, "why don't i listen to this more?" and then remembered why, since the first few songs pretty much reduce me to tears.

and hey, here's a snippet of a new song! https://soundcloud.com/tapete-records/robert-forster-let-me-imagine-you

The title track is one of the most heartbreaking songs I know. Love that album.

Thrilled to be getting a new album from Robert. The video embedded in the P4K announcement is one of the better EPK's I've seen in awhile.

The title track is one of the most heartbreaking songs I know.

OTM. The funny thing is, the melody and his vocal are so profoundly sad, but the song is just about moving to Australia from Germany.

It's the way he sings

"But something’s not right, something’s gone wrong"

that is so heartbreaking. It gets me every single time.

his natural tact

xp think you're thinking of "demon days" which, yeah, is very heartbreaking

new track! http://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2015/08/04/429022726/song-premiere-robert-forster-learn-to-burn
i like it

xp think you're thinking of "demon days" which, yeah, is very heartbreaking

― tylerw

You are completely right. I was just getting the titles mixed up in my head for some reason.

I like the new song, especially the high pitched vocals that lead into that awesome solo. Pre-ordered the limited edition vinyl this morning. Very excited for this.

gave this a go for the first time in well over a decade this morning and it's just such a ... (big sigh) pleasant album. very resonating and tyler sums it up well:

started out thinking, "why don't i listen to this more?" and then remembered why, since the first few songs pretty much reduce me to tears.

― tylerw, Thursday, July 23, 2015 7:19 AM

there's a thing where someone might make an album so bad, you stop paying attention. wondering an inverse phenomenon can be true: someone makes something so good, so late in the game that you just figure they'll never top it. kind of how it went with me and rf after this album.