The Go-Betweens - POX or CDR

The Evangelist really is a marvelous album: definitely an album to savor as one becomes old enough to understand the tug of spouses and adopted homeland, and the pain of missing dead friends one probably loved more than a spouse or adopted homeland. How amazing that he's writing songs this good.

In that Believer interview, Forster cautions Christgau and the audience not to expect another album for another few years.

Just listened to this interview with Forster in which he elucidates his ten rules of rock 'n' roll. From his book. I was actually somewhat disappointed--great bands never make solo records, great artists hide behind their managers. True enough. I did like the one about how great bands never do anything new after the first 20 minutes on stage and the one about show-offs who change guitars after every three songs: they're not really playing, they're just exhibiting their guitar collections. But in general, not as sharp as I would've expected--funny enough, I guess.

I also like Evangelist. Fine indeed. He's one droll man and just has it as a songwriter, in my book.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYxWpYaw_vE

3 years pass. More like 30.

Never understood the reverence , so made another effort tonight.

I always loved 'Streets of your Town'. I realise that could be a typical pick for a GB newbie

The only other song I think is excellent is ' Love is a Sign'. Beauty.

Apologies to the diehards. I only have the 78 - 90 thing.

The only other thing I remember is 'i don't wanna be Grant McClennan' but I think that was by Buffalo Tom ; -)

Guess I don't understand lyrics - it's all just babble

For me it's the overall effect, good phrases and ones I don't always catch, caught up in the music. Re the rain at an outdoor show in Denmark, one of 'em says, "We'll try to do something about that," and they already are: sounds like the sun's keeping time as they lope through the dust and rust of Down Under distances, which keep getting "older and longer and higher," while the singers are older anyway, not pretending to be wiser, but been at it so long, can't help remembering some of how people places and things go, despite all the flights and a few fights, at least. Not that they're really tough guys: the epic finale is about bugging on a librarian who "stands behind the counter, and solves all the problems I encounter," in terms of finding books, anyway. On the road to that counter: "Visions of blue! Might be perverse but it's true," and "I don't blame her, people don't know what they want," and "Clouds lie on their backs and rain on everyone/You're always dry, gotcher own pirate sun...People say I'm mad to want you." Good set: a coople of fast-enough strummers, then the whole band. mp3s and lossless.
http://doomandgloomfromthetomb.tumblr.com/post/113517138382/the-go-betweens-roskilde-festival-denmark-june Thanks again, Tyler.

Reminds me of how Janet Weiss's drumming fit right into that last Go-Betweens album (was it the last? Think so).

best song not yet mentioned on this thread: "mrs morgan"

The Evangelist really is a marvelous album

Yes. If you are not familiar with this, you should seek it out.

The only other thing I remember is 'i don't wanna be Grant McClennan' but I think that was by Buffalo Tom ; -)

dammit why can't you FP on zing

Even better sound quality on this Grant/GW McLennan collection I'm listening to: euphoric, driving full band show on the first ten tracks (with a really good singer-guitarist he addresses as Anna; Anna who, dammit?). 15 more solo acoustic, also clear and strong, so far. Beware of the stripedsunlight blog Rob mentions here as a source: good reading matter, but all the links I tried were dead or polluted. No prob with Rob's repercussion round-up though; thanks again, Rob:
http://dbs-repercussion.blogspot.com/search/label/Grant%20McLennan

Happy to oblige, dow.

Too bad about the links at stripedsunlight. He/they shared some great stuff over the years...

where should I go after Tallulah and 16 Lovers Lane? I tend to like Quiet Heart, Right Here, Streets of Your Town....or the singer that doesn't sound like Verlaine. though he's growing on me too. tia

Before Hollywood. It's harder and treble-ier.

And now for something--not completely different, but the earliest and post-punkiest Go-Betweens I've heard, as a trio, on a good live FM tape from Sydney, in 1982. Short, sometimes curt phrases, tending to staccato and oblique strokes of pen and guitar, but some supple turns of phrase come through clearly enough already, like "His inner self left him for someone else," and "I know you, you're easy to find/Come see me," and lots more in the second half, especially starting in "our big single, that put us on the road to success," which sounds like they like the early Cure: "And with all of these things that are said/Sometimes I think I need two heads" (mention of a "child detective" in here too), followed by a semi-cryptic sex song--"This is what comes of dressing up like spies"---again, getting clear enough. especially after a penultimate scramble: "I forgot my jeans/I forgot your name."
Would like to hear some of these mixed in with their later, better-known style, especially when the transition happens in songs like that last," "Near The Chimney," but much moreso in the next one, "Undo What You Did": "Now---I can't--"
("He can't") "--say what I like, in front of, in front of---undo wot you did!/Take away the times/That I/Ev-en said...(guitar comes in to save him).
They also sound like they like Joy D. and early Wire (Tyler suggests The Birthday Party and The Fire Engines). But you can tell it's them, rattling along in an absurdist, earnest, worthy-apprentice way:
http://doomandgloomfromthetomb.tumblr.com/post/54019602979/something-between-you-and-i-a-rare-glimpse-of

[misc xposts]

There's one school of thought that maintains the even-numbered LPs, of the original batch, are the most accomplished, so yeah Before Hollywood and also the Liberty Belle..., by that line of thinking. Aside from the first LP, both singers get equal number of tracks.

"Don't Want to be Grant McLennan" was by Smudge. ie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZYifV6mb84

Janet Weiss was on the third-from-last LP only, in 2000. Went back to a strictly 'strayan rhythm section after that IIRC.

I knew Jim Elkinton was one cool motherfucker, I didn't know just how cool, though.

Yeesh, ELKINGTON. The man's name is JAMES ELKINGTON and he is delightful.

^ Bless.

Spooky that this has been bumped today as I literally just finished watching the full length Right Here documentary after the DVD distributor offered massive discounts over Xmas. Way better--in terms of dealing with musical context and actual specific songs--than the 1 hour version that was streamlined for ABC (Aus) general audiences. Though oddly, the 45 minutes of outtakes seemed to be exactly the same.

Thanks for the tip! is it this?: https://www.amazon.com/Go-Betweens-Right-Here/dp/B07HSM23W4/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1547052532&sr=1-1&keywords=go+betweens+right+here Note reviewer warning us against the other version---"lacks 45 minutes of bonus footage"---also on Amazon and a bit more expensive.

That's a shame. I have the Umbrella one which claims to be "NTSC - All Region". The bonus stuff is no less interesting, IMHO.