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

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...

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

#54
Magic in Here
from The Friends of Rachel Worth (2000)

Points: 100
Votes: 8 (0)

Youtube audio (+ seemingly unrelated footage)

Always thought Magic in Here was a perfect sentiment for the opening track of their reunion.

wow I had no idea that Janet Weiss and Sam Coomes played on this record!

Incidentally, I finally got the Spotify playlist in order. Turns out about 1/4 of the solo tracks were missing for me, which is nowhere near as bad as I'd been anticipating. So I'll keep that stuff there. Obviously feel free to add things available locally to you, if you're into that sort of thing.

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#53
Spirit of a Vampyre
from Tallulah (1987)

Points: 101
Votes: 5 (0)

Youtube audio

Poster used to be on my wall, don't know where it is now. I was going to say this my first 'too low' but I don't think it was on my ballot, so it's not too loow after all!

LOL. I was wondering myself. Neither of us voted for it, apparently.

I'm rather fond of it though. Thankyou to those who did vote for it.

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#52
Before Hollywood
from Before Hollywood (1983)

Points: 103
Votes: 9 (0)

Youtube audio

Good song for those people who can't tell the difference between Forster and McLennan's voices.

Interesting on Before Hollywood how often they share vocals; I only assume that the songwriter with the most lines in the song wrote it (Cattle and Cane is obvious; thinking more about As Long as That and On My Block re. Forster)

#53
Spirit of a Vampyre
from Tallulah (1987)

^^^ marvelous song, awkward rockabilly, wonderful opening line ("I was slowly dying in a clinic outside L.A.").

Spirit of a Vampyre is a precursor to Forster's solo work I think

XP

It's kinda sad how songwriting partnerships inevitably creep in that direction. It starts out with doubled vocals, trading off lines, "you can sing this song I wrote", etc. and inexorably moves towards a Speakerboxx/Love Below situation.

http://i67.tinypic.com/2z9d5io.jpg

#51
Too Much of One Thing
from Bright Yellow Bright Orange (2003)

Points: 104
Votes: 6 (0)

Youtube audio

One of my favourite of his 70s-Dylanesque songs. Glad a few people made up for me failing to vote for it.

I never once sensed tension between Forster and McLennan on the songwriting front -- quite the contrary, with each praising the other's songwriting till the end.

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#50
On My Block
from Before Hollywood (1983)

Points: 109
Votes: 7 (0)

Youtube audio

Now, if I can get home relatively swiftly, I think I'll try to get to about #40 over the next 3 or so hours!

Funny that Too Much of One Thing came up now, on the topic of trading lines. I miss that aspect of the early stuff. It's likely less a sign of tension than growing creative confidence/independence. You do get the sense in Grant & I that Robert and Grant were missing each other in the thick of the 80s.

These low Before Hollywood showings are turning my hair white.

Love "On My Block".

I don't think verhexen is going to like this much either...

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#49
Hammer the Hammer
from 'Hammer the Hammer' 7" (1982)

Points: 121
Votes: 8 (0)

Youtube audio

Yeah On My Block is great. Robert really discovering his flamboyant vocal persona and a fabulous baseline from Grant.

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

#48
Born to a Family
from Oceans Apart (2005)

Points: 122
Votes: 9 (0)

Youtube audio

Really not a big fan of Too Much Of One Thing. It has an apt title as it goes on way too long.

The Statue and Born To A Family are two of my favourite Oceans Apart songs. Wish they'd been a bit higher. Hopefully Finding You does well later on.

http://tinypic.com/m/kcb7g1/1

#47
Bow Down
from Liberty Belle & the Black Diamond Express (1986)

Points: 123
Votes: 8 (0)

Youtube audio

It doesn't want to embed that image, but probably not worth reposting - select 'view image' or equivalent if you want to see Robert Vickers in a fetching outfit. :)

TOO LOW

You opened my mail apart at the seams / Now you know I live beyond my means

Is one of my favourite ever opening lyrics

And Alba OTM. Though I now see I didn't give it as many as points as I could have...

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#46
Five Words
from Spring Hill Fair (1984)

Points: 123
Votes: 9 (0)

Youtube audio, album version
Youtube audio, Peel session, with different verses

When I interiewed Forster in 2006, he admitted that "Born to a Family" was his attempt at writing a McLennan-esque narrative about childhood.

Bow Down TOO LOW

In fact isn't that a lyric from the song?

Five Words is a lot of fun for a song about death.

And Bow Down is lovely - there's so much gold here.

bury them, don't keep them

those are the five words.

i voted for every song on spring hill fair side one, i think

Lovely Robert-Grant interplay and an irresistible clockwork feel to its rhythm

McLennan has quite a few songs where he passes on fairly obscure wisdom, no?

And I just say... five words: bury them don't keep them.
Two things I know, these things I'll tell: don't walk the wire, don't work (?) the well
There's only one thing I can say, and I will share it with you now: there is a place you cannot go.

etc. I'm sure there are more.

'Five Words' is so great, love all the vocal interplay.

i love the way the acoustic answers the electric with the titular melody

“Born to a Family” has my favorite intro of any of Robert’s songs.