I like this song.
― Jazzbo, Thursday, 6 March 2008 15:47 (sixteen years ago) link
I've heard it all--the title track is aces and will make you cry.
― whisperineddhurt, Thursday, 6 March 2008 15:49 (sixteen years ago) link
it can be streamed here. just listening to the lushly orchestrated "demon days".
― alex in mainhattan, Sunday, 16 March 2008 11:01 (sixteen years ago) link
Just listening now... there are places I can hear where Grant's backing vocals would've been perfect. Sigh...
― Mr. Odd, Saturday, 29 March 2008 03:32 (sixteen years ago) link
I love this record. There are moments that are just heartbreaking.
― smash your phonograph in half, Saturday, 29 March 2008 03:48 (sixteen years ago) link
I should perhaps note that those two clauses are independent of one another.
― smash your phonograph in half, Saturday, 29 March 2008 05:09 (sixteen years ago) link
OK, I've got this now and I think it's pretty great. "Demon Days" right up there with the best things Forster & McLennan ever did. An album pregnant with loss, but without ever becoming maudlin with it. Exactly the kind of album Forster needed to make following McLennan's death.
― Zelda Zonk, Monday, 31 March 2008 15:58 (sixteen years ago) link
"It Ain't Easy" is the best kind of tribute: spry, casual, but unerringly precise. "If It Rains" is a terrific opener; instead of limning a situation, it captures a mood.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Monday, 31 March 2008 16:02 (sixteen years ago) link
Good Syndey Morning Herald interview today
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 19 April 2008 18:41 (fifteen years ago) link
Anyone else get this yet?
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Sunday, 27 April 2008 15:26 (fifteen years ago) link
I'm downloading this when my eMusic credits refresh in a few days (the full-album stream is still available on the Yep Roc website). In the meantime, I like Slant Magazine's (very favorable) review of the disc.
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 30 April 2008 18:27 (fifteen years ago) link
i'm planning on getting it soon! excited -- the clips I've heard are very promising ... anyone know if he's going to tour?
― tylerw, Wednesday, 30 April 2008 18:40 (fifteen years ago) link
Not likely, he says.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, 30 April 2008 19:10 (fifteen years ago) link
"From Ghost Town" and "Demon Days" slay me.
― Simon H., Wednesday, 30 April 2008 19:11 (fifteen years ago) link
Maybe it's simply that he's written his best batch of songs yet, but this is by far his greatest solo album.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, 30 April 2008 19:14 (fifteen years ago) link
(I'm not a fan of his solo years generally, Danger in the Past excepted)
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, 30 April 2008 19:15 (fifteen years ago) link
man Alfred I would think you'd dig Warm Nights!
― J0hn D., Wednesday, 30 April 2008 20:58 (fifteen years ago) link
Warm Nights has got some good tunes on it, but something about the production/playing feels kind of listless to me. Which seems strange since Edwyn Collins is so involved with it -- his records usually sound great. Not sure what it is. But yeah, in general, I'd agree that Danger In The Past is the only essential Forster solo release. That Intermission best-of is worth getting.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 30 April 2008 21:13 (fifteen years ago) link
Yeah, the production is what's wrong with a lot of those solo records. I heard the same problem on the Go-Betweens' otherwise terrific Bright Yellow Bright Orange.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, 30 April 2008 21:17 (fifteen years ago) link
I haven't heard nearly as much of this catalogue as I assume Alfred has, but I'm connecting better with this disc than almost anything else I've heard from either Forster or the Go-Betweens. Something about Forster's work, in particular, kept me at a distance/left me a bit cold. But there's a directness and guilelessness (I think that's the right word) about this disc in the lyrics. But maybe I'm hearing in it what I want to hear (in the wake of Grant McLennan's death).
And yeah, I also didn't like a lot of the production in the prior records. Too glossy and restrained, maybe?
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 30 April 2008 21:20 (fifteen years ago) link
I'm surprised no one's cited this excellent VV interview.
btw I love glossy Go-Betweens! They needed baroque arrangements to complement their reserve and a certain moroseness.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, 30 April 2008 22:26 (fifteen years ago) link
yeah, the problem with Warm Nights in particular is that it ain't glossy enough. sounds more like demos than the real thing.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 30 April 2008 22:30 (fifteen years ago) link
I'm one who thinks that Forster's songs surpassed McLennan's on the last couple of Go-Be's records. McLennan's experienced no dropoff in quality, but he got complacent; Forster seemed to want McLennan's bluntness and mastery of melody, and got it in never-more-assured vocals and really surprising story-songs. I mean, he didn't stop growing.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, 30 April 2008 22:36 (fifteen years ago) link
Just listened to the Intermission Forster disc, and it's certainly good, but it is funny how it seems like he needed McLennan for some kind of pop sheen in the arrangements and instrumentation. And McLennan on the other hand needed Forster for a kind of ironic distance. McLennan's solo stuff is so heart on the sleeve, almost to a cringe-inducing point. It's probably been said before but those two were weirdly (and greatly) complementary songwriters. So it'll be interesting to see how Forster develops without Grant.
― tylerw, Thursday, 1 May 2008 01:30 (fifteen years ago) link
And yeah, i agree, Forster' songs were waaaay better on the last three go-betweens albums.
― tylerw, Thursday, 1 May 2008 01:35 (fifteen years ago) link
Jack Rabid talks with Robert
― smash your phonograph in half, Thursday, 1 May 2008 01:39 (fifteen years ago) link
You all are mad. Ex. A: Finding You.
― Daniel, Esq., Thursday, 1 May 2008 02:19 (fifteen years ago) link
(A McLennan song from Oceans Apart, BTW).
― Daniel, Esq., Thursday, 1 May 2008 02:20 (fifteen years ago) link
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.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Thursday, 1 May 2008 02:27 (fifteen years ago) link
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.
― Daniel, Esq., Thursday, 1 May 2008 02:39 (fifteen years ago) link
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.
― Daniel, Esq., Thursday, 1 May 2008 02:41 (fifteen years ago) link
Another piece I'm surprised isn't linked yet -- Forster himself on the making of the album.
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 1 May 2008 02:50 (fifteen years ago) link
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 :-\
― wilter, Thursday, 1 May 2008 23:46 (fifteen years ago) link
This is so good — not a weak track on it. My fav of the year so far.
― Jazzbo, Tuesday, 6 May 2008 11:23 (fifteen years ago) link
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.
― King Boy Pato, Tuesday, 6 May 2008 15:14 (fifteen years ago) link
I think "It Ain't Easy" is my favorite. I guess Grant wrote the melody and Robert the words?
― Jazzbo, Tuesday, 6 May 2008 15:17 (fifteen years ago) link
And I swear you can hear McLennan on the chorus too.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 6 May 2008 15:33 (fifteen years ago) link
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.
― Jazzbo, Tuesday, 6 May 2008 15:37 (fifteen years ago) link
Didn't he "write" 3 of the songs?
― wilter, Wednesday, 7 May 2008 02:25 (fifteen years ago) link
The interviews linked above will answer the question.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, 7 May 2008 02:30 (fifteen years ago) link
yuh..
― wilter, Wednesday, 7 May 2008 02:35 (fifteen years ago) link
I still think this is pretty dull
― wilter, Wednesday, 7 May 2008 02:40 (fifteen years ago) link
have you liked any of his solo albums?
― electricsound, Wednesday, 7 May 2008 02:42 (fifteen years ago) link
It should be noted that Mark Wallis produced this one, which makes all the difference.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, 7 May 2008 02:44 (fifteen years ago) link
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.
― wilter, Wednesday, 7 May 2008 03:05 (fifteen years ago) link
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
― electricsound, Wednesday, 7 May 2008 03:15 (fifteen years ago) link
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
― electricsound, Saturday, 10 May 2008 02:44 (fifteen years ago) link
man I dunno how you guys feel about the Forster album Warm Nights but I think it's just incredible
― J0hn D., Saturday, 10 May 2008 03:10 (fifteen years ago) link
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..
― electricsound, Saturday, 10 May 2008 03:12 (fifteen years ago) link
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
― J0hn D., Saturday, 10 May 2008 05:14 (fifteen years ago) link
i'll dig it out again
― electricsound, Saturday, 10 May 2008 05:28 (fifteen years ago) link
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.
― deedeedeextrovert, Saturday, 10 May 2008 07:58 (fifteen years ago) link
So good.
― James Redd and the Blecchs, Friday, 16 May 2008 17:42 (fifteen years ago) link
this video!
I assume this is a Prince parody and/or pastiche?
― henry s, Friday, 16 May 2008 17:57 (fifteen years ago) link
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!"
― tylerw, Friday, 19 September 2008 16:19 (fifteen years ago) link
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,". "
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Friday, 19 September 2008 16:33 (fifteen years ago) link
This holds up soooo nicely.
― The Screaming Lobster of Challops (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 10 March 2009 01:42 (fifteen years ago) link
Was just thinking about this album the other day. Maybe I'll give it a relisten here.
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 10 March 2009 02:02 (fifteen years ago) link
Forster has an essay collection.
― The Magnificent Colin Firth (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 11 March 2010 15:48 (fourteen years ago) link
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.
― o. nate, Thursday, 11 March 2010 16:19 (fourteen years ago) link
Anybody buy the collection?
― Rich Lolwry (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 29 January 2011 02:15 (thirteen years ago) link
Not as yet...
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 29 January 2011 02:23 (thirteen years ago) link
This record is so good.
― kornrulez6969, Tuesday, 26 April 2011 14:15 (twelve years ago) link
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
― nerve_pylon, Tuesday, 26 April 2011 14:59 (twelve years ago) link
^ it's james joyce
― nerve_pylon, Tuesday, 26 April 2011 15:00 (twelve years ago) link
!!!had no idea that forster cover shot was a reference
― tylerw, Tuesday, 26 April 2011 15:01 (twelve years ago) link
ikr!
― nerve_pylon, Tuesday, 26 April 2011 15:02 (twelve years ago) link
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.
― My mom is all about capital gains tax butthurtedness (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 26 April 2011 15:05 (twelve years ago) link
hsa this been posted? http://www.furious.com/perfect/robertforster.html
― tylerw, Tuesday, 26 April 2011 15:56 (twelve years ago) link
kind of cool - robert playing 2541 w/ Grant Hart in Cologne last month... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbC1oTDTsrk
― tylerw, Thursday, 16 January 2014 16:37 (ten years ago) link
― kornrulez6969, Tuesday, April 26, 2011
― Bryan Fairy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 16 January 2014 16:54 (ten years ago) link
it's been a while, wonder if he's got something new coming out soon? i haven't heard anything.
― tylerw, Thursday, 16 January 2014 16:57 (ten years ago) link
Was wondering that myself! Maybe just concentrating on the writing...
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 16 January 2014 16:57 (ten years ago) link
He's just started a new Facebook page with some news coming this week. Please let it be for a new album.
― Kitchen Person, Wednesday, 24 June 2015 22:53 (eight years ago) link
saw that -- yeah, must be a new album. been long enough!
― tylerw, Wednesday, 24 June 2015 22:55 (eight years ago) link
There was news about a new album several weeks ago in Australian press, so that's definitely it.
― crustaceanrebelisback, Friday, 26 June 2015 11:45 (eight years ago) link
http://pitchfork.com/news/60126-the-go-betweens-robert-forster-announces-new-solo-record-songs-to-play/
So excited.
― Kitchen Person, Friday, 26 June 2015 18:37 (eight years ago) link
nice
― tylerw, Friday, 26 June 2015 18:39 (eight years ago) link
just heard it, it's good!
― geoffreyess, Friday, 26 June 2015 22:23 (eight years ago) link
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.
― tylerw, Thursday, 23 July 2015 14:19 (eight years ago) link
and hey, here's a snippet of a new song! https://soundcloud.com/tapete-records/robert-forster-let-me-imagine-you
― tylerw, Thursday, 23 July 2015 14:20 (eight years ago) link
The title track is one of the most heartbreaking songs I know. Love that album.
― Kitchen Person, Thursday, 23 July 2015 14:21 (eight years ago) link
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.
― doug watson, Thursday, 23 July 2015 15:28 (eight years ago) link
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.
― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 23 July 2015 15:38 (eight years ago) link
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.
― Kitchen Person, Thursday, 23 July 2015 20:37 (eight years ago) link
his natural tact
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 23 July 2015 20:49 (eight years ago) link
xp think you're thinking of "demon days" which, yeah, is very heartbreaking
― tylerw, Thursday, 23 July 2015 20:50 (eight years ago) link
new track! http://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2015/08/04/429022726/song-premiere-robert-forster-learn-to-burni like it
― tylerw, Tuesday, 4 August 2015 17:15 (eight years ago) link
― 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.
― Kitchen Person, Tuesday, 4 August 2015 22:22 (eight years ago) link
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
― 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.
― I'm ANTIFA and I vote. (Austin), Sunday, 5 June 2022 19:05 (one year ago) link