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

XP: NZ! High five!`

My God, somebody slap that cunt, Murdoch.

LOL. You've not grown fonder of B&S in the past six months then!

:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=7dEgNfpKwi8

While we're on the subject (sorry Tom), there's a line in their song about the Go-Betweens, Shoot the Sexual Athlete, that says Robert "dressed like Sherlock Holmes". It's very apt but does anyone know if he ever literally did this? And, just as importantly, did Grant dress as Dr Watson?

Belated thanks to Nag! Nag! Nag! for this poll, it's been great fun. I had 'Bachelor Kisses' at #1 but I can't quibble with 'Cattle & Cane' winning, absolutely amazing song, the opening lines are some of my favourite lyrics in all music. Hadn't realised 'Bye Bye Pride' was so widely loved but on reflection it's one I really should have had on my ballot.

Nice to see Love Goes On finish so high. That should have been a single.

Also IMHO this poll had the single most obvious winner of any poll. Cattle and Cane was always going to win by a comfortable margin

here's my ballot:

Dive For Your Memory
Dusty In Here
Bye Bye Pride
As Long As That
Was There Anything I Could Do?
Draining The Pool For You
A Bad Debt Follows You
Cattle and Cane
Love Goes On!
In The Core of a Flame
Bachelor Kisses
Streets Of Your Town
You've Never Lived
Two Steps Step Out
Spring Rain
Five Words
Someone Else's Wife
Right Here
Palm Sunday (On Board With The S.S. Within)
Love Is a Sign
Head Full of Steam
Man O'Sand to Girl O'Sea
Here Comes a City
That Way
I'm Alright
Darlinghurst Nights
Clouds
The Old Way Out
Born To A Family
By Chance

Albums:
Before Hollywood
16 Lovers Lane
Spring Hill Fair
Tallullah
Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express

here comes the ballot!

I've always wondered about this, never having owned or cared for a swimming pool. Shouldn't it more accurately be Cleaning the Pool for You? I thought that draining is normally done only once or twice a year. It's the drudge work of cleaning a pool at least weekly that a pool boy would get hired for then tired of. Or is it a case where the owner repeatedly needs to have the sucker drained because their debauched pool parties involve broken champagne glasses tossed in? Maybe that's the whole point, and I'm the last to get it?

Not that this has ever bothered my enjoying and loving the song. Draining is certainly more suggestive than prosaic cleaning, and has the added songwriterly benefit of revealing cracks.

Robert Forster is just a wastrel who thinks two days of work a year is tiring.

I'd imagine in NZ you wouldn't have to drain it at all? ppl do you up here because obv water would freeze

can't speak to the colder island climes of NZ, but in Australia ppl will go years without draining a chlorinated and regularly-maintained pool

thanks and huzzahs to N!N!N! for the poll! as a casual G-Bs enjoyer it's been a great time following along, and I especially appreciate the decision to do a thorough separate solo poll.


(something that occurred to me for the first time when I noticed that no Far Out Corporation placed -- is that band the reason that Steve Kilbey cold-called Haug to join The Church sans audition? having long held that P0wderfing3r are the third-worst band in Australia, that was bemusing at the time, but it's not implausible that Kilbey impulsively phoned him on an "anyone good enough for Grant is good enough for me!" principle)

Yeah thanks for this poll, nnn. Still getting into this band myself, but 16LL and Liberty Belle are great and it seems I'm gonna wanna listen to some of the solo stuff as well

Inevitable question for sic: what are the two worst bands in Aus?

Interesting thought re Haug. I think the FOC record is also the first time either Forster or McLennan worked with Pickvance too. I have no affection whatsoever for that record but am suddenly enjoying the idea that it, of all things, is secretly central to an entire nation's pop music industry. :)

silverchair and Something For Kate

I have no affection whatsoever for that record

as far as late-90s Brisbane supergroups go, it knocks The Boat Show into a cocked hat. and having just watched the two videos for the first time, the CGI in If You Want Release >>>> CGI in the Wu-Tang's Triumph video

While most of the Far Out Corporation album is unmemorable, I put this track pretty high on my solo / side projects ballot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04NHQhUsJEA

Another FOC song, 'Suicide at Home', is also good.

My ballot:

Cattle and Cane
That Way
Bachelor Kisses
Part Company
Bye Bye Pride
Man O'Sand to Girl O'Sea (single)
Draining the Pool for You
Right Here
Spring Rain
Clouds

Streets of Your Town
Rock and Roll Friend
Dusty in Here
On My Block
A Bad Debt Follows You
Two Steps Step Out
Head Full of Steam
I'm All Right
Apology Accepted
As Long As That

Twin Layers of Lightning
Just a King in Mirrors
Love Goes On
Love Is a Sign
The Wrong Road
The Clarke Sisters
Rare Breed
The Ghost and the Black Hat
Dive for Your Memory
Before Hollywood

Albums:
Before Hollywood
Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express
Spring Hill Fair
Tallulah
16 Lovers Lane
Send Me a Lullaby

My list:

1. Bye Bye Pride
2. Bachelor Kisses
3. Right Here
4. Cattle and Cane
5. Part Company
6. Lee Remick
7. I'm Allright
8. People Say
9. Going Blind
10. The Statue
11. Spirit
12. Streets of Your Town
13. Before Hollywood
14. Clouds
15. As Long As That
16. When People Are Dead
17. Spring Ran
18. Casanova's Last Words
19. Finding You
20. German Farmhouse
21. Dive For Your Memory
22. Slow Slow Music
23. Newton Told Me
24. The Clock
25. Darlinghurst Nights
26. Love is a Sign
27. You Tell Me
28. Two Steps Step Out
29. You've Never Lived
30. That Way

One thing I've noticed over the years is something of a change of loyalties - It was Grant's songs that initially hooked me into the Go-Betweens and were very much my favourites... but as the years have gone by Robert's capture me much more. I'm listening to Before Hollywood for the first time in years, possibly decades, and this really strikes me. I think it's that Grant's heart-on-his-sleeve style affects me less now I'm older and is more likely to come across as sentimental. Whereas Robert comes at things at more of an angle, he remains a bit more oblique...

Same for me.

My God though, Before Hollywood is so good! Much better than 16LL, good as that is...

Oh yeah, we haven't had all that much posting of ballots, etc...

Pretty sure these are my track selections wot didn't make the cut. Proud member of Team Send Me A Lullaby Is Not Worthless, clearly.

69 Casanova's Last Words
71 Emperor's Courtesan
74 Ask
79 Newton Told Me
82 The Mountains Near Dellray
83 Eight Pictures
91 It Could Be Anyone

thanks for running the poll!

my ballot, which really should've had to reach me on it:

Finding you
Going blind
The Statue
Spirit of a vampyre
Bye bye pride
Hope then strife
The wrong road
The Clarke sisters
Boundary rider
You can’t say no forever
Someone else’s wife
Streets of your town
As long as that
Darlinghurst nights
Spring rain
Born to a family
That way
Was there anything I could do
Love goes on!
I just get caught out
The House jack Kerouac brought
You tell me
German farmhouse
Twin layers of lightning
This Night’s for you
Cattle and cane

Oceans apart
tallullah
16 lovers lane
Danger in the past
Liberty belle and the black diamond express

Grant's solo career has at last clicked for me in a big way in the last month or so. But I can't get away from thinking this

https://img.discogs.com/39EAhdwLjXmnAtAzWCSLjBg7ni0=/fit-in/541x474/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-2250743-1272378366.jpeg.jpg

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PN_vlrY18Jg/WapOKUGRAjI/AAAAAAABow4/x_UUqs7HeC4yAOnxOYu1MpSvGuyIrdnlwCLcBGAs/s1600/Jim%2BDiamond%2B-%2BI%2BShould%2BHave%2BKnown%2BBetter.jpg

I am not surprised by the winner but I think they have about fifty songs which I prefer. Here are my three ballots.

Songs (unranked):
Apology Accepted
Bachelor Kisses
Caroline & I
The City of Lights
The Clock
Crystal Shacks
Dive for Your Memory
Finding You
Heart and Home
He Lives My Life
Here Comes a City
Love Goes on!
Magic in Here
Make Her Day
Mrs Morgan
Quiet Heart
Something for Myself
The Statue
This Night’s for You
Streets of Your Town
Surfing Magazines
Too Much of One Thing
Was There Anything I Could Do?
Woman Across the Way
Your Turn, My Turn

Solo etc. (unranked):
Crazy Jane on the Day of Judgement (Forster)
Demon Days (Forster)
Did She Overtake You (Forster)
Fingers (McLennan)
Haven’t Been a Fool (McLennan)
Let Your Light in, Babe (Forster)
Lighting Fires (McLennan)
No Fame (Forster)
No Peace in the Palace (McLennan)
Turn on the Rain (Forster)

Albums (ranked):
Bright Yellow, Bright Orange
16 Lovers Lane
The Friends of Rachel Worth
Oceans Apart
Send Me a Lullabye

Concerning revisions by now I would put Before Hollywood in the album ballot.

One thing that didn't make my albums list, because it doesn't really fit, is the bonus disc that came with That Striped Sunlight Sound. It's McLennan and Forster with acoustic guitars going through:

Lee Remick
Cattle And Cane
Part Company
Bachelor Kisses
Head Full Of Steam
Bye Bye Pride
Dive For Your Memory
German Farmhouse
Too Much Of One Thing
Here Comes A City
Finding You

and telling stories. It's well worth watching if you're a fan - more essential than the main live disc at the Tivoli.

songs

Twin Layers of Lightning
Streets of Your Town
Spring Rain
Quiet Heart
I'm All Right
Cattle and Cane
Bye Bye Pride
Boundary Rider
Head Full of Steam
The House That Jack Kerouac Built
Bachelor Kisses
Love Goes On
Part Company
No Reason to Cry
He Lives My Life
Was There Anything I Could Do?
This Girl, Black Girl
You've Never Lived
The Wrong Road
The Sound of Rain
Born to a Family
As Long As That
Careless
Old Mexico
Five Words
The Clock
Apology Accepted
That Way
The Statue
Magic in Here

albums

Liberty Belle & the Black Diamond Express
16 Lovers Lane
Oceans Apart
Spring Hill Fair
Tallulah
Before Hollywood
The Friends of Rachel Worth
Horsebreaker Star
Songs to Play
Send Me A Lullaby

Perhaps we could have a quick round up of Go-Bs soundalikes. Someone mentioned "The Sun a Small Star" by The Servants upthread

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2R-dV6uwYk

and I'm going to throw in "When Daddy Blows His Top" by Frontier Scouts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDYhjZGI7Cs

Going to have to seek more Frontier Scouts methinks!

I think I suggested in the other thread that the Servants sounded like ever earlier GBs as time went on. Didn't realise there was an official video for this excellent example. I understand one of those there people is Luke Haines!?

I know Trembling Blue Stars (the Field Mice chap) named Her Handwriting after "Part Company", though I don't recall an obvious resemblance.

there's also, uh, the goon sax

I was once told Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever sounded like the Go-Betweens but better. The first part proved sort of true, the latter not.

I don't hear many similarities myself: the rhythms, uh, roll too powerfully for a Go-Be's album, and they run out of tunes quickly.

otm re: RBCF.

Re: The Frontier Scouts: They were from Brisbane—there's a compilation. Grant and Lindy play on two tracks (it was a 7" single if I remember correctly), and Robert wrote the liner notes.

Correction—I see they formed in Sydney.

Oh yeah! I've been meaning to pay proper attention to that comp. Thanks.

Re RBCF, it's never been clear to me that they resemble the GBs much more than they resemble... I don't know... The Feelies or The Clean.

Big shout out to the other person who voted for I Had A New York Girlfriend. Forster described the collection of cover versions as "the one mistake of my recording career", but it's a great album to relax to with a glass of wine in your hand. He interprets other people's songs with the same degree of empathy with which he writes about them as a journalist, and the band (including Mick Harvey, Warren Ellis, Clare Moore, Conway Savage & 'Evil' Graham Lee) are strong too.

Here's a chunk of Dave Graney's weekly community radio show from late last month (recorded during a supporter drive) - about half an hour in, he prompts Clare Moore for amusing memories from the recording of the album.

Box set vol 2 up for pre-order - missed the first one but couldnt resist this one
https://www.dominomusic.com/releases/the-go-betweens/g-stands-for-go-betweens-the-go-betweens-anthology-volume-two/box-set

aka the tinypic thread

Ooh at the Go-betweens versions of songs that ended up on Danger In The Past.

Tinypic announced they were shutting down about the time I posted the final image. I considered requesting short term edit privileges or whatever, but I don't imagine that's actually a thing.

Kinda frustrating how they don't mention what versions of songs appear on the bonus discs, unless I'm missing it somewhere?

Also, all the Botany sessions are just Grant and Robert Acoustic aren't they?

Going to see Forster tomorrow in BK!

Fun fact: Lindy Morrison is suddenly a regular fixture in prime time TV ad breaks in Aus now. (Associated interview snippet HERE too.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68CnsqpQO38

woah

Looking forward to the day Stephen Pastel advertises Ralgex or incontinence pads on UK TV.