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

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

http://i67.tinypic.com/103c1m8.jpg

#1
ROBERT FORSTER - Demon Days
from The Evangelist (2008)

Points: 307
Votes: 12 (1)

Youtube audio

His talk-singing in "Baby Stones" is a marvel.

Fascinating poll - thank you.

So, biggest surprise for me was Loneliness not being on there. I guess the other track from Warm Nights, Rock N Roll Friend, people just think is a cheat to include.

And maybe Hot Water is the solo Grant track for people who don't really like solo Grant.

Just cobbled together everything down to the lowest-ranking entry that received 2+ votes. There were a further 30-ish that received just the one.

SOLO / SIDE-PROJECTS
                                                                                Pts    Votes      #1s
 1  Demon Days                     FORSTER - The Evangelist (2008)              307       12        1
 2  Baby Stones                    FORSTER - Danger In the Past (1990)          273        9        3
 3  Danger In The Past             FORSTER - Danger In the Past (1990)          236       10        2
 4  Let Your Light In, Babe        FORSTER - The Evangelist (2008)              209        8        2
 5  Easy Come Easy Go              MCLENNAN - Watershed (1991)                  170        7        0
 6  Haven't I Been A Fool          MCLENNAN - Watershed (1991)                  167        8        0
 7  I've Been Looking For Somebody FORSTER - Danger In the Past (1990)          164        7        0
 8  In Your Bright Ray             MCLENNAN - In Your Bright Ray (1997)         161        8        1
 9  Pandanus                       FORSTER - The Evangelist (2008)              157        6        0
10  It Ain't Easy                  FORSTER - The Evangelist (2008)              133        6        0
11  If It Rains                    FORSTER - The Evangelist (2008)              129        7        0
12  Black Mule                     MCLENNAN - Watershed (1991)                  107        5        0
13= Did She Overtake You?          FORSTER - The Evangelist (2008)               95        5        0
13= Learn to Burn                  FORSTER - Songs to Play (2015)                95        5        0
15  Stones For You                 MCLENNAN - Watershed (1991)                   88        4        0
16  Let Me Imagine You             FORSTER - Songs to Play (2015)                86        4        0
17  Is This What You Call Change   FORSTER - Danger In the Past (1990)           86        3        0
18= Dear Black Dream               FORSTER - Danger In the Past (1990)           85        4        0
18= Lighting Fires                 MCLENNAN - Fireboy (1993)                     85        4        0
18= From Ghost Town                FORSTER - The Evangelist (2008)               85        4        0
21  A Poet Walks                   FORSTER - Songs to Play (2015)                82        4        0
22  Providence                     JACK FROST - Jack Frost (1990)                80        3        1
23  Coming Up For Air              MCLENNAN - Horsebreaker Star (1994)           78        4        1
24  The Evangelist                 FORSTER - The Evangelist (2008)               74        4        1
25  If I Should Fall Behind        MCLENNAN - Surround Me (1992)                 69        2        0
26  2541                           FORSTER - I Had a NY Girlfriend (1994)        64        3        0
26  Surround Me                    MCLENNAN - Surround Me (1992)                 64        2        0
28  Fingers                        MCLENNAN - Fireboy (1993)                     63        3        0
29  The Dark Side Of Town          MCLENNAN - Fireboy (1993)                     59        4        0
30  Lamp By Lamp                   MCLENNAN - In Your Bright Ray (1997)          58        4        0
31  Falling Star                   FORSTER - Calling From a (1993)               55        3        0
32= Simone And Perry               MCLENNAN - Horsebreaker Star (1994)           54        4        0
32= One Plus One                   MCLENNAN - In Your Bright Ray (1997)          54        4        0
34  No Fame                        FORSTER - Inferno (2019)                      53        3        0
35  Thought That I Was Over You    JACk FROST - Jack Frost (1990)                52        3        0
36  121                            FORSTER - Calling From a (1993)               51        3        0
37  Don't Touch Anything           FORSTER - The Evangelist (2008)               51        2        0
38  Crazy Jane on the Day of Judg  FORSTER - Inferno (2019)                      50        3        0
39  Life Has Turned a Page         FORSTER - Inferno (2019)                      49        3        0
40  Put You Down                   MCLENNAN - Horsebreaker Star (1994)           47        2        0
41  Songwriters On The Run         FORSTER - Songs to Play (2015)                46        3        0
42  The River People               FORSTER - Danger In the Past (1990)           45        2        0
43= Haunted House                  MCLENNAN - Watershed (1991)                   44        3        0
43= Beyond Their Law               FORSTER - Calling From a (1993)               44        3        0
45  Cave In                        MCLENNAN - In Your Bright Ray (1997)          43        4        0
46  Love Myself (And I Always H    FORSTER - Songs to Play (2015)                42        3        0
46  Riddle In The Rain             MCLENNAN - Fireboy (1993)                     42        2        0
48  I'll Jump                      FORSTER - Warm Nights (1996)                  41        3        0
49  Inferno (Brisbane in Summer)   FORSTER - Inferno (2019)                      40        2        0
50  Hot Water                      MCLENNAN - Horsebreaker Star (1994)           39        2        0
51= Can You See The Lights?        MCLENNAN - In Your Bright Ray (1997)          39        2        0
51= Leave Here Satisfied           FORSTER - Danger In the Past (1990)           38        2        0
53  Echo Beach [Martha And         FORSTER - I Had a NY Girlfriend (1994)        36        2        0
54  Turn On The Rain               FORSTER - Songs to Play (2015)                35        2        0
55  Drop                           FORSTER - Calling From a (1993)               34        3        0
56  Parachute                      FAR OUT CORPORATION (1998)                    33        1        0
57  The Morning                    FORSTER - Inferno (2019)                      33        2        0
58= When Word Gets Around          MCLENNAN - Watershed (1991)                   31        2        0
58= Open My Eyes                   MCLENNAN - Horsebreaker Star (1994)           31        2        0
58= Comet Scar                     MCLENNAN - In Your Bright Ray (1997)          31        2        0
61  I Can Do                       FORSTER - Warm Nights (1996)                  30        2        0
62  Loneliness                     FORSTER - Warm Nights (1996)                  30        1        0
63  Dropping You                   MCLENNAN - Horsebreaker Star (1994)           27        2        0
64= Locked Away (Richards)         FORSTER - I Had a NY Girlfriend (1994)	 26        1        0
64= And I Knew                     FORSTER - Songs to Play (2015)                26        1        0
66= Cryin' Love                    FORSTER - Warm Nights (1996)                  25        1        0
66= One Bird in the Sky            FORSTER - Inferno (2019)                      25        1        0
68  Don't You Cry For Me No More   MCLENNAN - Horsebreaker Star (1994)           23        2        0
69= Rock 'n' Roll Friend           FORSTER - Warm Nights (1996)                  23        1        0
69= Disaster In Motion             FORSTER - Songs to Play (2015)                23        1        0
71  Horsebreaker Star              MCLENNAN - Horsebreaker Star (1994)           22        1        0
72= Just Get That Straight         MCLENNAN - Watershed (1991)                   21        2        0
72= Ice In Heaven                  MCLENNAN - Horsebreaker Star (1994)           21        2        0
74= All Her Songs                  MCLENNAN - Horsebreaker Star (1994)           21        1        0
74= I'll Look After You            FORSTER - Inferno (2019)                      21        1        0
76  Ballad Of Easy Rider           MCLENNAN - Horsebreaker Star (1994)           20        1        0
77  A Place To Hide Away           FORSTER - The Evangelist (2008)               20        2        0
78  No Peace In The Palace         MCLENNAN - Horsebreaker Star (1994)           19        2        0

Many thanks for compiling this. It's always interesting when you have no idea which tracks people will have chosen. Only 6 songs received votes from over 50% of the 14 people who voted, so opinions were pretty divided.

http://i67.tinypic.com/15ps3z7.jpg

31 people voted for up to 30 Go-Betweens tracks each.

Let's countdown the most popular sections from #60. After I sleep anyway. :)

no sleep 'til brisbane

http://i63.tinypic.com/hrnd61.jpg

Okay, here's a bonus while I do sleep. 1980 Lindy presents an extra 10% more tracks as an entree.

Points awarded for 'TOO LOW!' posts.

#66
Secondhand Furniture
from Peel Session, October 1984

Points: 60
Votes: 5 (0)

Youtube audio

#65
Hope Then Strife
from Tallulah (1987)

Points: 65
Votes: 5 (0)

Youtube audio

#64
Palm Sunday (On Board the SS Within)
from Liberty Belle & the Black Diamond Express(1986)

Points: 69
Votes: 4 (0)

Youtube audio

#63
Don't Let Him Come Back
from the 'People Say' 7" (1979)

Points: 69
Votes: 5 (0)

Youtube audio

#62
You Won't Find It Again
from demos, circa 1988.

Points: 72
Votes: 4 (0)

Youtube audio

#61
Spirit
from The Friends of Rachel Worth (2000)

Points: 80
Votes: 6 (0)

Youtube audio

ABOUT RIGHT

Hooray for Demon Days winning the solo part of the poll. I'll still never forget the first time I heard that song (and album). It was the first ever gift I got from my girlfriend (now my wife) who I'd met traveling in New Zealand not long before. We were living in Sydney and she surprised me with the album one evening. We put it on and I remember struggling to keep it together with how devastating Demon Days was. Possibly my favourite vocal of Forster's career, especially the way his voice almost breaks as he sings, "the dreams that we smoked puffed up and ran". Then there's incredible poignancy to the lines, "but something's not right, something's gone wrong". Throw in that beautifully sad solo and string arrangement and it really is one of the most heartbreaking songs I've ever heard.

Yes, some not very good songs there. (xp)

guess i should listen to the evangelist, huh

I'm not familiar enough with the solo records to have voted in that part of the poll but I'll definitely be using these results as a guide, so thanks everyone!

The only "too low" I have from that first batch is for "You Won't Find It Again"... inexplicable that it didn't make it onto 16LL.

Atlanta Lie Low and Girl to a World both surprising omissions from the solo list. By far my favourites on Calling From a Country Phone.

Got a big soft spot for Don't Let Him Come Back and ranked it highly, with the 80s version in mind.

Solo poll results are pretty much bang on, and the Surround Me video is now seared onto my retinas, so we're off to a great start.

TWO TOO LOWS>>>>>

You people are insane, and wrong (aside from verhexen). Don't Let Him Come Back is a classic. Also Spirit is the best Robert song on Friends of Rachel Worth. "Do you have any whiskey? Don't like to drink but I like to know it's along there with me." LOVE IT.

Surround Me video is likewise seared into my retinas. I couldn't watch any other Grant videos after seeing that.

Palm Sunday and Spirit are my favourites from that opening stretch. One thing that I really love about Rachel Worth is the sequencing. The transition of Spirit from Magic In Here is just perfect.

Re: Don't Let Him Come Back travesty -- I mean, I guess only four of you like the Clean or something? WHAT GIVES?

I'm not a massive fan of the first two singles, but Don't Let Him Come Back is my favourite of those tracks and was just a few places off making my ballot.

Hopefully the Clean contingent are keeping their powder dry for a shock People Say #1.

jesus, would've thought hope then strife was a lock

“Spirit” is a tune. I can’t stop listening to that album...

http://i68.tinypic.com/2z56cl2.jpg

#60
The Statue
from Oceans Apart (2005)

Points: 83
Votes: 5 (0)

Youtube audio

guess i should listen to the evangelist, huh
Yes yes yes!

I am very surprised the song The Evangelist only finished at 24. That to me seems like an obvious standout. It was my #1 but it's hard to argue with Demon Days winning.

The lyric from that album that gets me every time is from It Ain't Easy, "I write these words to his tune that he wrote on a full moon"

I really think GM should have sought better advice re headwear post-'80s.

http://i63.tinypic.com/16aw5n7.jpg

#59
The Sound of Rain
Would-be b-side for aborted Beserkley single, ca. 1979

Points: 86
Votes: 5 (0)

Youtube audio

Last one for now.

http://i64.tinypic.com/dx1emh.jpg

#58
By Chance
from 'Hammer the Hammer' 7" (1982), re-recorded for Before Hollywood (1983)

Points: 92
Votes: 5 (0)

Youtube audio, single version
Youtube audio, album version

Oh that's disgustingly low. One of my favourites - the album version, at least. His vocal is so good.

Agreed. Before Hollywood was the first LP I heard, a decade late. "By Chance" had me all "why didn't anyone tell me they sometimes sounded like THIS?" etc. It was high on my ballot.

The trebly guitar sound on BH attracted me from the start; they never approximated it again.

I kind of wish Grant stayed on bass, nobody could replicate the frustrated-lead lines. I never think of him and Lindy together as a Great Rhythm Section (for many reasons, not least the interpersonal tension) but they're monstrous on Before Hollywood.

by chance was #30 on my ballot. it's too fucking short!

By Chance is way too low. Verhexen otming like crazy.

My instinct is to restrict this to a trickle during the European night. But here's another...

http://i67.tinypic.com/2ib2e85.jpg

#57
In the Core of the Flame
from Liberty Belle & the Black Diamond Express (1986)

Points: 96
Votes: 6 (0)

Youtube audio

Well-written, sharp use of marimba, too slow.

this is too low. a dry run for "was there anything i could do?", but the strings and that hook..

the middle 8 (or whatever it is) soars too

And a tied pair, before I wander off again...

#55 --TIE--

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

#55 (i)
This Girl, Black Girl
from 'Man O Sand...' single (1983)

Points: 96
Votes: 7 (0)

Youtube audio

http://i64.tinypic.com/21o1t2d.jpg

#55 (ii)
You've Never Lived
from Spring Hill Fair (1984)

Points: 96
Votes: 7 (0)

Youtube audio

"You've Never Lived" is the closest the came to Talking Heads.

The howl that Robert lets out just before that electrifying solo is one of my all time favourite Go-Betweens moments. Such an urgent and thrilling performance.

These approximations of Conventional Rock Guitar Solos circa SHF still startle a little. Bless. [Haha. xpost]

The howl that Robert lets out just before that electrifying solo is one of my all time favourite Go-Betweens moments. Such an urgent and thrilling performance.

― kitchen person, Tuesday, July 9, 2019

I'll assume McLennan played it?

"You've Never Lived" is the closest the came to Talking Heads.

― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, July 9, 2019 7:08 PM (two hours ago)

Here Comes A City = Life During Wartime

Here Comes A City = Life During Wartime

― SA

I always thought Here Comes The City was very similar to I've Been Here Before by Lush. I might be on my own on that one.

you've never lived was high on my ballot, probably the song that's been stuck in my head the most through all my go-b's listening.

right here's for me. RIGHT HERE AND NO WHERE ELSE!

Big chunks of SMAL have been known to bring More Songs About Buildings & Food to my mind.

Time for another track, I think. Can't say I like this one much...