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

I think I've only had three tracks on my ballot show up in the #40-#66 range so far. I'm assuming most of my ballot will turn up in the top 40. 'Ghost and the Black Hat' is my favourite song so far. The McLennan childhood memories trilogy of 'Cattle and Cane', 'Unkind and Unwise', and 'The Ghost and the Black Hat' are all among my favourite Go-Beteweens songs. Those three songs are on consecutive albums.

There's been nothing from 'Send Me A Lullaby' of '16 Lovers Lane' yet - I'm assuming a bunch of stuff from the latter will place, but maybe nothing from the former?

I suspect there might be at least one from Send Me A Lullaby.

http://i68.tinypic.com/20jmulz.jpg

#39
Two Steps Step Out
from Before Hollywood (1983)

Points: 148
Votes: 10 (0)

Youtube audio

I'm distracted by bbcode in peak times, so this is where I say what I've voted for since #66:

'Five Words', 'Bow Down', 'Hammer the Hammer', 'Before Hollywood', 'This Girl, Black Girl', 'By Chance', 'The Sound of Rain', 'Hope Then Strife', 'Secondhand Furniture'. All TOO LOW, etc, etc

Would have, with another ten slots:

'Don't Let Him Come Back', 'Spirit of a Vampyre', 'On My Block', 'Two Steps Step Out'

Quite a number of my selections were out on the far side of #66, such that my ballot is already more than halfway accounted for.

Can anyone break down what's going on with the time signature in this song? (the non-4/4 part)

Morrison's drumming on "Two Steps, Step Out"!

Another one I voted for highly and another one with awesome interplay between grant and Robert, vocally and musically

They were secretly prog for a couple of years there, innit.

Last one for a wee while...

http://i65.tinypic.com/mw5pac.jpg

#38
Going Blind
from The Friends of Rachel Worth (2000)

Points: 149
Votes: 8 (0)

Youtube audio
Youtube, Later with Jools Holland

That pic pre-dates the actual official reunion by several years, but I like Forster here.

Sleater-Kinney in the housssssse

I love that bit of guitar at the 15 second mark that sounds like every Sleater-Kinney song ever.

This was my number seven. Way too low here!

http://i63.tinypic.com/243l2cj.jpg

#37
You Can't Say No Forever
from 16 Lovers Lane (1988)

Points: 152
Votes: 10 (0)

Youtube audio

One more for now. I'll return in a few hours and hopefully reach #21 perhaps 10 hours from now.

http://i63.tinypic.com/29ghra0.jpg

#36
He Lives My Life
from The Friends of Rachel Worth (2000)

Points: 155
Votes: 9 (0)

Youtube audio
Youtube, Later with Jools Holland

That song chills me.

http://i65.tinypic.com/2dhv39i.jpg

#35
Lee Remick
from Lee Remick 7" (1978)

Points: 168
Votes: 11 (0)

Youtube audio

http://i67.tinypic.com/2e22sut.jpg

#34
Was There Anything I Could Do?
from 16 Lovers Lane (1988)

Points: 170
Votes: 10 (1)

Original promo video

Ah, their only charting hit of any kind in America.

TOO LOW for “Was There Anything I Could Do?”!

I think I may have been who placed it as their no 1.

My records confirm that that is indeed the case. :)

My introduction to the Go-Betweens was the Bellavista Terrace comp, so Was There Anything...? was the first song I heard, and I'm still fond of it. Another eye-watering video though.

Lee Remick was also a hidden track on that CD, and not knowing the title, for a long time I thought the chorus was "aye-aye-aye aye-aye, lovely rimming". Being 15 and only hazily aware this was something sexual, I didn't realise the gravity of the mistake until, perhaps, right now.

‘Bellavista Terrace’ was also my way in, so maybe that has something to do with it. I’ve tended to feel “more is more” when it comes to compilations, I only make two exceptions; ‘Bellavista Terrace’ and ‘Donkeys’ by Tindersticks. Both are great encapsulations of the respective bands.

It actually took me years to get around to buying the six pre-reformation albums, so happy was I with ‘BT’. Did have the post-reformation albums, though.

Seconding the too low for “ Was...”, a clear highlight of 16LL, mixes the sweeping grandiosity of their late 80s work with the jumpy paranoia of their early stuff

Lee Remick would probably have made my ballot had I known about the rimming version in time.

Lee Remick was also a hidden track on that CD

wat

I bought Bellavista Terrace at a Borders in Plantation the summer of '00 after picking up SHF at the long gone Tower Records on Times Square.

On my version it played about a minute after Dive For Your Memory ended, although on the first couple of listens I thought of it as a coda to that - with something of a different flavour.

Speaking of incomplete knowledge and Bellavista Terrace, that comp resulted in a resurgence of airplay of "Was There Anything" here. My brother remarked that he quite like this new song he'd been hearing, whatever it was. I informed him it was the Go-Betweens and a decade old! None of this would have been surprising if he didn't own and love multiple McLennan and Forster solo CDs. Surely a rare consumer category there. :)

Yeah, 'Lee Remick' was unlisted track on the copy I heard too. (Borrowed from local library for sake of possible interesting liner notes.)

http://i67.tinypic.com/2128vx2.jpg

#33
Unkind and Unwise
from Sprill Hill Fair (1984)

Points: 179
Votes: 9 (0)

Youtube audio

Lee Remick was also a hidden track on that CD, and not knowing the title, for a long time I thought the chorus was "aye-aye-aye aye-aye, lovely rimming". Being 15 and only hazily aware this was something sexual, I didn't realise the gravity of the mistake until, perhaps, right now.

Post of the day.

'Unkind and Unwise' took a few years to settle. Now it's a more than worthy sequel to "Cattle and Cane."

"U&U" was always going to be high on my ballot. Slightly confusing time signature, kinda sorta sequel to "Cattle & Cane", etc, etc. What's not to like?

it's moreorless Cattle & Cane with different lyrics, isn't it? great song.

Incidentally, I forgot where I found that photo, but the source seemed to suggest it captured a ceremonial handing-over of bass guitar duties. Nice.

Better pick up the pace methinks...

http://i68.tinypic.com/2rqn9t3.jpg

#32
As Long As That
from Before Hollywood (1983)

Points: 185
Votes: 11 (0)

Youtube audio

I love 'Unkind and Unwise', it's all about the pre-chorus.

Another top tenner for me, guess I just want different things from my Go-B’s than y’all

This is the only dud on Before Hollywood for me, I just don't get what it's trying to do.

I've got a feeling, sounds like a fact
It's been around as long as that

I'll rush this one through. The next interval will be a bit longer!

http://i65.tinypic.com/wahy8k.jpg

#31
I'm All Right
from 16 Lovers Lane (1988)

Points: 191
Votes: 10 (0)

Youtube audio

"As Long As That" is one of those songs where the traded-off lead vocals really work. Hard to tell if it was a Robert song or a Grant song.

Just re-read 'Grant & I' along with the poll, where I think Robert claims it as his, and a Lindy love song. Feels weird tbh.

Also more songs should have oboe in them

The oboe in "I'm Allright" takes one of my favorite solos.

http://i66.tinypic.com/nod5pg.jpg

#30
The Clarke Sisters
from Tallulah (1987)

Points: 198
Votes: 13 (0)

Youtube audio

I'm confused by the length of your intervals lol

The third (?) and possibly most compelling bit of evidence that the second side of Tallulah is the best thing ever. Maybe.

XP: LOL. I had to drive home and switch computers, etc. I was trying to make it short but feared it would not be.

As Long As That also starts with the incredible line “Were you born or just conceived?”

http://i67.tinypic.com/2wddd1g.jpg

#29
Rock and Roll Friend
from 'Was There Anything...' single (1988)

Points: 203
Votes: 13 (0)

Youtube audio