The Go-Betweens - what's it all about?

I actually prefer the earlier work, especially Before Hollywood, over the late '80s stuff like 16 Lovers Lane. I dunno, I just find a track like 'A Bad Debt Follows You', with its spiky guitars and shifting time signatures, much more interesting than the U2-isms of 'Quiet Heart'.

"Quiet Heart" only sounds like U2 because of "With or Without You."

The female harmonies in Streets Of Your Town are the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. Beyond that, I dig Spring Rain because of that guitar riff that's in Kingpin that I spent 10 years trying to identify. That's about it for me though.

Hey, don't ruin "Quiet Heart" for me by making a U2 association!

feel like i've heard Forster say that song started out as a jesus and mary chain thing?

My fav T-shirt ever.
http://www.gobetweensstore.co.uk/products/hammert-large.jpg

where the streets of your town have no name

i don't get the u2 thing at all, but yes i would love to hear more spiky guitar go-betweens a la man o'sand to girl o'sea

Every line in "Quiet Heart" reverberates ("We're trying hard to keep this warmth in"). Plus: harmonica solo instead of guitar!

http://damienpower.com.au/2013/04/spleen-archives-grant-mclennan-interview/
coincidence not

Well, our Third Annual Grant McLennan Tribute Day was a proper treat, not least (but not only) because Robert Forster showed up and treated us to a couple of songs. Amazing.

oh wow! that's fucking great!

Is Robert coming out with a new album anytime soon? "The Evangelist" was his greatest work.

that's awesome re: robert showing up...maybe he's in London recording?

Would go to great lengths to see him play.

"The Evangelist" was his greatest work.

sure is

i'd say it's neck and neck with danger in the past in terms of his solo work, but that is high praise from me.

Forster video at Hangover lounge blog

I love The Evangelist, one of the most moving albums I've ever heard. Would love another album soon.

Tylerw, apparently he played in Barcelona on Saturday night and then took an early flight (without sleep) to London to be at our event. Not sure how long he's planning to stay, but I haven't heard that he's playing any shows here. We were all extremely thrilled that he was there, as you can probably imagine. There were a bunch of his old friends around on the day, including (coincidentally) Mick Harvey, who was played a show in the same room that evening.

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

Soothing, comforting, reflective. Just lovely. Especially today.

Waking up this morning to that video. Thank you.

A+

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU-RsLRICX4

thanks, i had forgotten how good that song was. one if those few tunes which touch something deep inside. that chord sequence is magic indeed. it has got this melancholic feel, i think it encapsulates a wisdom about the transience of life. and if you think about the early disappearance of grant mclennan, it even gets more under your skin.

McLennan's harmonies on the original are beautiful -- it's as much a song about male friendship as it is a romance.

i was thinking recently about how the go-betweens might be the only group that reunited after a long period where i wouldn't necessarily prefer a concert without post-reunion material to a concert with post-reunion material. Really wish that I could, too.

Mclennan's tunes on 16 immediately grabbed me but Forster's seemed more rewarding long term

yep. I think McLennan peaked as a Go-Be on Tallullah.

I think McLennan's four solo albums are packed with great stuff.

Agreed, particularly Horsebreaker Star. I meant as a Go-Be though. "Streets of Your Town" and "Quiet Heart" aside, the 16LL stuff is mushy.

Has anyone seen this? Supposedly released last month (http://www.go-betweens.net/news.htm).
http://www.go-betweens.net/images/GBboxs.jpg

mysterious! seems like the people over on the go betweens message board don't know much either -- don't think it's actually out though.

Box set coming in a couple of weeks. I'm very curious about the unreleased stuff on the CDs but honestly if it's all like "78-79 The Lost Album" it's not much more than a curiosity.

i don't know, i love that 78-79 material -- but it is kind of like an entirely different band in a lot of ways.
wish i could afford this thing! anyone seen any awesome deals on it?

Is there much unreleased stuff? My nearest Go-Betweens expert told me that there was very little.

I thought the Jetset doubles ten years ago took care of unreleased material.

Ah, I've looked it up now; four CDs of rare, hard to-find and unreleased material apparently. I imagine when he said "there's nothing new", he meant new to him.

Rare and hard to find if you don't have the previous reissues, probably.

Is there a track source listing for the CDs in the new box set? I can't tell which are live, demo, radio session, etc.

wondering the same thing, not really willing to crack open the cd shrinks to find out

i must say lee remick / karen has never sounded better

LP #1 The First Five Singles
side A: Lee Remick
People Say
I Need Two Heads
Your Turn, My Turn
Hammer The Hammer
side B: Karen
Don’t Let Him Come Back
Stop Before You Say It
World Weary
By Chance

LP #2 Send Me A Lullaby
side A: Your Turn, My Turn
One Thing Can Hold Us
People Know
The Girls Have Moved
Midnight To Neon
Eight Pictures
side B: Careless
All About Strength
Ride
Hold Your Horses
Arrow In A Bow
It Could Be Anyone

LP #3 Before Hollywood
side A: A Bad Debt Follows You
Two Steps Step Out
Before Hollywood
Dusty In Here
Ask
side B: Cattle And Cane
By Chance
As Long As That
On My Block
That Way

LP #4 Spring Hill Fair
side A: Bachelor Kisses
Five Words
The Old Way Out
You’ve Never Lived
Part Company
side B: Slow Slow Music
Draining The Pool For You
River Of Money
Unkind And Unwise
Man O’Sand To Girl O’Sea

CD #1 Life As Sweet As Lemonade
Rarities Volume One: 1978-79
I Want To Be Today
The Sound Of Rain
People Say
Don’t Let Him Come Back
Long Lonely Day
Day For Night
Love Wasn’t Made For You And Me
Just Hang On
Summer’s Melting My Mind
Obsession With You
The Night
Rare Victory
Big Sleeping City
Beachcomber
The Missing One
I Am An Architect
8 Pictures
The Green Light Don’t Mean Go
Cold Flame (It Burns)
Help Or Something
Only Sinners Care
Lies

CD #2 Skeletons That Cry
Rarities Volume Two: 1980-81
Don’t Let Him Back
The Clowns Are In Town
Serenade Sound
Sunday Night
Hope
It Took You A Week
Day After Tomorrow
I Know Why
Circle You
I Need Two Heads
All About Strength
One Word
Red Epaulettes

CD #3 Live 82
Rarities Volume Three: Live at The Mosman Hotel April 23, 1982
Metal And Shells
Your Turn, My Turn
Careless
Distant Hands
Hammer The Hammer
People Know
I Need Two Heads
One Thing Can Hold Us
Near The Chimney
Undo What You Did
By Chance
It Could Be Anyone

CD #4 A Suicide Note To Satan
Rarities Volume Four: 1982-84
A Peaceful Wreck
Heaven Says
On My Block
Cattle And Cane
Hammer The Hammer
Man O’Sand To Girl O’Sea
Newton Told Me
Man O’Sand To Girl O’Sea
This Girl, Black Girl
Emperor’s Courtesan
Attraction
Marco Polo Jr.
Sweet Tasting Hours
Part Company
Bachelor Kisses
The Old Way Out
Unkind And Unwise
Just A King In Mirrors
Rare Breed
Secondhand Furniture
The Power That I Now Have
Five Words
For Him

sooooo is it true there are speed issues w/ some of this set? people are saying the lost album stuff is really slowed down?

Yah, that's the tracklisting but it needs annotations. Honestly there's not much unreleased material that's more than merely interesting. "Red Aeppalets" Is probably the best of them. I'm quite happy with the 2cd reissues, I don't think they skipped any studio b-sides.

sooooo is it true there are speed issues w/ some of this set? people are saying the lost album stuff is really slowed down?

i haven't played the vinyl but the downloads sound 100% correct

The "lost album stuff" is all alternate recordings, save one tune. For the record, there are 52 songs on the CDs which are otherwise unavailable on CD.

These are (broken down by CD and listed by track number on the relevant CD:

CD 1:
1) I Want To Be Today
3) People Say
4) Don’t Let Him Come Back
5) Long Lonely Day
6) Day For Night
7) Love Wasn't Made For You And Me
8) Just Hang On
9) Summer’s Melting My Mind
10) Obsession With You
11) The Night
12) Rare Victory
13) Big Sleeping City
14) Beachcomber
15) The Missing One
16) I Am An Architect
17) 8 Pictures
18) The Green Light Don't Mean Go
19) Cold Flame (It Burns)
20) Help Or Something
21) Only Sinners Care
22) Lies


CD 2:
1) Don’t Let Him Come Back
6) It Took You A Week
7) Day After Tomorrow
8) I Know Why
9) Circle You
10) I Need Two Heads
11) All About Strength
12) One Word
13) Red Epaulettes

CD 3: (live show - all 12 songs previously unreleased)

CD 4:
3) On My Block
4) Cattle And Cane
5) Hammer The Hammer
6) Man O' Sand To Girl O' Sea
14) Part Company
15) Bachelor Kisses
16) The Old Way Out
17) Unkind And Unwise
18) Just A King In Mirrors
19) Rare Breed

A lot of stuff (but not the stuff above) was made available on the 2xCD reissues, but these tracks are exclusive to those:

Send Me A Lullaby:
1) Hammer The Hammer (except this is on the vinyl LP of the first five singles)
3) Just A King In Mirrors
6) Near The Chimney
8) Exception Of Deception (or How The Broadway Bosses Beat Me Out Of My Bucks)

Before Hollywood:
3) I Need Two Heads (except this is on the vinyl LP of the first five singles)
7) Stop Before You Say It (except this is on the vinyl LP of the first five singles)
8) World Weary (except this is on the vinyl LP of the first five singles)
9) Distant Hands
10) Undo What You Did
11) Cracked Wheat
12) After The Fireworks

Spring Hill Fair:
2) Rare Breed
10) Unkind & Unwise (instrumental)

The alternate early stuff on CD #1 isn't all that enthralling, but things pick up on CD #2, and the live stuff on CD #3 is amazing and the unreleased stuff on CD #4 UTTERLY LIFE-CHANGING, including "new" versions of Man O'Sand, Cattle And Cane, Unkind And Unwise, Hammer The Hammer and others. The booklet is amazing. I got two signed books, all the other stuff and a handwritten letter from Robert thanking me for being a long-time fan. Sweet.

Some of the stuff on CD1 does sound a bit off, but not terribly. It's not my favorite period so it doesn't bother me.

It's true about the unreleased *songs* not being all that much - but there aren't too many of them anyhow - less than a dozen (?)

But the unreleased versions of the Before Hollywood / Spring Hill Fair eras are fantastic.

All the b-sides were on the relevant 2xCDs, with the exception of "Just A King In Mirrors," which makes its first appearance in the original recording here. And it's one of my favourite tunes / versions of theirs!

(Except "After, After The Firewords," the b-side of the Go-Betweens / Birthday Party collaboration, still unreleased on CD but no great shakes.

Kicking myself I didn't buy this on the pre-order.

Wheats of Your Town

Head Full of Cream (of Wheat)

and their steel-cut oats, their lovely steel-cut oats
the Clarke sisters

Cattle and Grain

Sorry, doesn’t work, too close to the original

I can't wait to see if my
Amaranth's accepted

Graining The Pool For You

er, Graining The Bowl For You

Sorry, doesn’t work, too close to the original

But that makes the song all the more viable for advertising - they missed their chance to cash-in with Quaker Oats!

Joking aside, it's strange how old white guys are like the go-to face for breakfast grains now, between the Quaker dude, the late Wilford Brimley, Bob's Red Mill and now Robert.