Draining the POLL for you - ILM artist poll #98 - The Go-Betweens

Look at me
Not at the floor

What a song. I'm still not sure if it's about a polluting industrialist, a toxic lover, or both.

I'll try to go through to #11 now...

http://i68.tinypic.com/6rhpww.jpg

#16
from ROBERT FORSTER - Let Me Imagine You
from Songs to Play (2015)

Points: 86
Votes: 4 (0)

Official promo video

He gives good photo, the big fella.

The only song to successfully include Twitter in its lyrics?

I was the #1 for The Evangelist. I'm surprised it didn't finish higher, it's an obvious highlight of the album.

^ 'tis good. If I hadn't foolishly opted for an unranked ballot it'd be a bit higher.

http://i66.tinypic.com/2hwirrs.jpg

#15
GW MCLENNAN - Stones For You
for Watershed (1991)

Points: 88
Votes: 4 (0)

Acoustic performance on Aus TV

Er, "from" not "for"

What is Annette Shun Wah doing these days anyway?

Remind me how many ballots were submitted for the solo/spinoff poll please?

A modest 14. The distribution looks a bit less flat shortly. :)

http://i67.tinypic.com/t7zwba.jpg

#14
ROBERT FORSTER - Learn to Burn
from Songs to Play (2015)

Points: 95
Votes: 5 (0)

Youtube audio

Whoops, the above is actually tied for #13, with...

#13
ROBERT FORSTER - Did She Overtake You?
from The Evangelist (2008)

Points: 95
Votes: 5 (0)

Youtube audio

http://i65.tinypic.com/1iyedc.jpg

#12
GW MCLENNAN - Black Mule
from Watershed (1991)

Points: 107
Votes: 5 (0)

Youtube audio

Forster and McLennan killed "Black Mule" in '05.

http://i63.tinypic.com/344wq6s.jpg

#11
ROBERT FORSTER - If It Rains
from The Evangelist (2008)

Points: 129
Votes: 7 (0)

Youtube audio

Haunting (and haunted) intro.

I'll have to suspend proceedings there. I should have gone to bed hours ago!

Discover tomorrow whether there are any further 49ers hat appearances in the top 10.

I got hired
but I got tired
of staying up late for you

Man, that Jack Frost album is another one with horrible cover art. These guys really were not visual.

Don't worry, Kilbey fixed it for the 2006 reissue on his own label.

https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a2419217267_16.jpg

What is Annette Shun Wah doing these days anyway?

https://www.caap.org.au/

Hehehehe

The "not visual" thing is especially interesting given McLennan was initially destined for filmmaking.

Re ASW, I actually thought "sic probably knows" immediately after typing the query! Though I no know doubt could have Googled it.

http://i63.tinypic.com/35apzwy.jpg

#10 ROBERT FORSTER - It Ain't Easy
from The Evangelist (2008)
Points: 133
Votes: 6 (0)

Youtube audio

#9 ROBERT FORSTER - Pandanus
from The Evangelist (2008)
Points: 157
Votes: 6 (0)

Youtube audio

both among Forster's best -- the "Pandanus" lope is all-time.

So ILM was very much 'down', it wasn't just me! I remember trying to say, 9 hours ago, that I feel like I ranked "Pandanus" very highly indeed but... oh yeah, unranked ballot.

I'll drop another entry now and hopefully complete this part of rollout a little later...

http://i66.tinypic.com/4didz.jpg

#8
GRANT MCLENNAN - In Your Bright Ray
from In Your Bright Ray (1997)

Points: 161
Votes: 8 (1)

Youtube audio (over fan video)

Glad that this one placed so highly - it's one of his best.

It got my vote in the end. David Nichols suggested he was interested in the vibe of then-recent Underground Lovers records when choosing personnel. Can easily believe it on this one. (eg. this sort of thing.)

as for Learn To Burn - hate to be the person who films bits of gigs on his phone, but just had to for this (and very glad I did):
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxlUljLF3En/

So close! Groovy.

I've given myself 2-3 hours to get this bit finished, so...

http://i65.tinypic.com/qz29vn.jpg

#7
ROBERT FORSTER - I've Been Looking For Somebody
from Danger In the Past (1990)

Points: 164
Votes: 7 (0)

Youtube audio

Pretty sure I was one of the seven votes here. It was a question of which DOTP tracks not to vote for, tbh.

so plaintive, this

http://i63.tinypic.com/1zxawwi.jpg

#6
GW MCLENNAN - Haven't I Been A Fool
from Watershed (1991)

Points: 167
Votes: 8 (0)

Youtube audio

His catchiest song ever.

Not knowing any of the solo material before this rollout, "In Your Bright Ray" and "Thought That I Was Over You" have been my favorite discoveries so far.

http://i63.tinypic.com/1z5outd.jpg

#5
GW MCLENNAN - Easy Come Easy Go
from Watershed (1991)

Points: 170
Votes: 7 (0)

Original promo video

This is a good looking top 20 so far. I thought In Your Bright Ray might be a number one contender. It was my highest Grant track.

I'm so delighted to see all these Evangelist songs make it. I wonder if any will actually miss out? Did She Overtake You is one of my favourites. It's all about those backing vocals.

Great to see Let Me Imagine You and Learn To Burn so high as well. Songs To Play wasn't as instant as The Evangelist for me, but I've really come round to it and now rate it as one of his best albums. The bit when he sings in that high register just before the solo in Learn To Burn is a great Forster moment.

http://i68.tinypic.com/29ekaic.jpg

#4
ROBERT FORSTER - Let Your Light In, Babe
from The Evangelist (2008)

Points: 209
Votes: 8 (2)

Youtube audio

Incidentally, thanks to the writer whose blog led me to this pic! :)

This is weird. There's now not room for at least two of the dead certs I'd have picked before this countdown started.

Still no sign of my favourite Grant track, my two favourite tracks from Danger in the Past or my two favourite tracks from Warm Nights.

Curiously, this is the first track with 2 first-place votes. Two us went unweighted so there were 12 such votes, and we've only seen six of them so far!

Love this one. It's just so joyful.

http://i67.tinypic.com/16awklx.jpg

#3
ROBERT FORSTER - Danger In The Past
from Danger In the Past (1990)

Points: 236
Votes: 10 (2)

Youtube audio

danger in the pahhhhst

So I went back to my own city / To find I'd made enemies while I'd been away

My #1

http://cdn8.openculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Joyce-and-guitar.jpg

I remember seeing that picture of James Joyce playing guitar shortly after Danger in the Past came out and noting the resemblance to the album cover, but it wasn't until recently that I read that Forster had been consciously imitating the photo.

Yes, one of the many things from my youth where I experienced the pastiche and the pastiched in the wrong order.

So, what are the dead certs?

I should probably have made this a mock #1 or something, seeing as they haven't come up at all here.

http://i65.tinypic.com/292a0de.jpg

#2
ROBERT FORSTER - Baby Stones
from Danger In the Past (1990)

Points: 273
Votes: 9 (3)

Original promo video