| Author | Message | ||
     Matthias Treml Member Username: Matthias Post Number: 40 Registered: 05-2005 |
A friend of mine recently told me he had browsed a newstand and saw the an English magazine (he couldn't remember but thought it was Mojo) had a cover story about U2 and included a CD with the magazine that had band picks of favorite songs on it. He said the Go-Betweens were on it. Not sure what track but thought he said Streets of Your Town. Can anyone confirm this story? | ||
| Matthias Treml Member Username: Matthias Post Number: 41 Registered: 05-2005 |
Found the link. It was June 2005 Mojo and the song was actually Cattle and Cane. How Sweet! http://www.u2wanderer.org/disco/odd010.html | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 103 Registered: 08-2004 |
Peter Buck chose Darlinghurst Nights or a recent Uncut CD. Also, loosely related, Oceans Apart made #39 in Uncut's top 50 for 2005. | ||
| fsh Member Username: Fsh Post Number: 37 Registered: 05-2005 |
We don't need the HEdge to tell us how good the Go-betweens are. A strong empirical relationship is well established between the artistic kiss of death and public validation by U2. Hopefully the GB's will prove the notable exception, as they have done for most of their lives. Is there anything those guys [U2] don't feel the need to express an opinion on. | ||
| Matthias Treml Member Username: Matthias Post Number: 42 Registered: 05-2005 |
Whether you like U2 and/or REM or not, the fact is many in the masses do so it is good publicity for the Go-Betweens and hopefully will help eith sales. It would be great if they had Gold or Platinum records in their future. | ||
| fsh Member Username: Fsh Post Number: 38 Registered: 05-2005 |
I find U2's endorsement of the GB's insulting. They are contemporaries and even though the GB's haven't enjoyed the commercial success of U2, they have enjoyed considerable artistic success on their own terms. They don't need to be patronised by a bunch of has beens who try to attach kudos to themselves by name dropping bands they think it's cool to like. I don't witness Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen or other luminaries engaging in this type of infantile behaviour. At least REM actually gave the GB's some practical support by giving them the guest spot on the 1989 Green Tour. | ||
| Graham Twyford Member Username: Graham_twyford Post Number: 18 Registered: 05-2005 |
fsh steady on! I'm no great fan of U2 but all The Edge did was pick a GBs track for a magazine CD compilation. I wouldn't exactly call that 'patronising' or 'infantile'. He probably just likes the song Cattle and Cane. | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 104 Registered: 08-2004 |
It's a shame Mr. Hedge has adopted so little subtlety, from his love of G-B's. It's possible he is a recent convert, having missed the best pop group of the new wave era, first time around. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 77 Registered: 03-2005 |
I confess I have the same attitude about U2 as fsh. "Cattle and Cane" is a really nice piece of work but I can't help wondering if "The Edge"--please can't you grow out of using such a childish nom?--hasn't really heard the GoBees' whole ouvre. If the end result is that it's easier for Grant and Robert to live civilized lives, then I'm all for it. Would any U2 fans even like the GoBees' music? | ||
| Matthias Treml Member Username: Matthias Post Number: 43 Registered: 05-2005 |
Randy, I beg your pardon but your last line reeks of the elitist mentality of High Fidelity record store workers. Com'on y'all music is compartmentalized for sales purposes not by consumers. Everyone I know has the most eclectic taste in music that spans many different genres. | ||
| gareth w Member Username: Gareth Post Number: 8 Registered: 05-2005 |
Agree with you 100% Matthias. Both U2 and the Go-Betweens have made some fantastic music. Think i was a fan of U2 before i was into the Go-Betweens too. | ||
| jerry hann Member Username: Jerry_h Post Number: 18 Registered: 07-2005 |
I liked both but prefer Go-betweens by a country mile, but U2 have done some great songs. Though Johnny Cash's cover of one is dificult to beat. I remember when 16LL came out and Grant and Robert were saying that Bruce's Tunnel of Love and U2's ( I think) Joshua Tree were the benchmarks at the time. So perhaps there's a bit of history if not rivalry. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 59 Registered: 05-2005 |
Randy, I think this is the first time I've ever disagreed with something you've written here. I am a U2 fan and I love The Go-Betweens. U2 don't mean anything near as much to me as The Go-Betweens do but they are still a great band.I have not seen U2 live since 1987 but I am looking forward to seeing them if, as is rumoured, they play Sydney next March. I would have gone to see them in Slane Castle in Ireland in 2001 but I was due to become a father very close to the concert date so I thought it best not to go. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 78 Registered: 03-2005 |
Padraig, when I saw your name on this thread I knew you'd be rapping my knuckles for this one. But sometimes I find myself laughing with, rather than at, fsh's more sententious entries and this was one of those cases. I stand corrected, though, on the matter of people being fans of both groups. | ||
| Ted Member Username: Ted Post Number: 3 Registered: 01-2005 |
In a magazine I do remember The Edge choosing 16LL as one of his albums of the year when it first came out, whenever that was... | ||
| Matthias Treml Member Username: Matthias Post Number: 44 Registered: 05-2005 |
sententious ~ great word | ||
| M.J.L. Member Username: Mjl Post Number: 11 Registered: 09-2005 |
I'm also in agreement with FSH's sentiments here. I see the Edge's "shout-out" to the Go-Betweens as being embarrassing and self-aggrandizing. Admittedly, I am hauling a fair bit of U2-antipathy here. How else is this then different to Peter Buck selecting 'Darlinghurst Nights' for a similar disc? Well, I do admire Buck's more modern choice of track... | ||
| abigail law Member Username: Abigail Post Number: 10 Registered: 06-2005 |
for no particular reason... u2 are the second worst band in musical history (1st being queen) thank you for letting me get that off my chest | ||
| jerry hann Member Username: Jerry_h Post Number: 19 Registered: 07-2005 |
Queen is music for people who don't like music! | ||
| M.J.L. Member Username: Mjl Post Number: 12 Registered: 09-2005 |
Oh Abigail! To hear a woman of such exemplary poppy tastes bag Freddy and co... well it does indeed pang that area of my heart that perks at such wonderfully windy pop rock! And Jerry! Well... Excuse me while I embrace the absurd, and sigh. | ||
| Adam Sanderson Member Username: Adam_sanderson Post Number: 6 Registered: 09-2005 |
A lot of people that have never heard Cattle and Cane before will have heard it now. I can't see that as a bad thing. | ||
| gareth w Member Username: Gareth Post Number: 9 Registered: 05-2005 |
There's nothing wrong with a bit of Queen! Granted they made some terrible stuff and they should have stopped when Freddie died but some of the 1970's stuff is great. The soundtrack to 'Flash Gordon' is all time classic too. Camp as a row of tents. | ||
| fsh Member Username: Fsh Post Number: 39 Registered: 05-2005 |
If I'm not mistaken the contemporary female member of the GB's rhythm section has (in the not too distant past) professed a liking for the band 'The Queen' and Bury Football Club amongst other things. All we hear is RADIO GA GA, RADIO GU (GOO?) GU, RADIO GA GA, RADIO GU GU. RADIO - WHAT'S NEW, SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU .... the last line was RF's inspiration for a track called 'I love you still' circa Botany Sessions. This was confirmed by a close acquaintance of RF who runs a gallery in Brisbane. Anyone heard the new single yet? | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 106 Registered: 08-2004 |
Freddy's dead, noooooooooo! Additionally, would the kind of U2 fan who is actually willing to listen to a comp of Mr. Hedge's faves, not already be a Go-B's fan. The average U2 fan subsequently, is the exact same kind of moron who likes R.E.M., simply because they know 10 of their songs because they heard them on the radio. No fsh I haven't heard it yet, but I did find it on HMV Digital, there's no 30 second sample, yet. But you can pay £3.99 for it as a download, as opposed to £2.99 for the 7". Is it just me or have the big music retailers entered a realm of the post-ridiculous? | ||
| Peter Collins Member Username: Tyroneshoelaces Post Number: 32 Registered: 05-2005 |
Very interesting this. I saw U2's first ever gig in London a very long time ago, when they were third on the bill at the Hammersmith Palais behind Talking Heads and, er, A Certain Ratio. I hated U2 from the off and I still do. I loved the GBs from the first I heard of them, which was Cattle and Cane. | ||
| John Flood Member Username: Floodjo Post Number: 35 Registered: 05-2005 |
I like both a lot. U2 & the GBs came into being around the same time too. And both have survived this far, U2 without any breaks. I like the way U2 have not stuck to the same formula even if some of it didn't come off (I can hear some of you howling in disbelief at that!). I also admire them for controlling everything they've ever done from day 1. Jacko will never own One or New Year's Day or Vertigo - that's for sure! The GBs have given me more musically though, all in all. And I see nothing wrong with the Edge endorsing Cattle & Cane at all. I doubt if the GBs do either! | ||
| M. Mark Burgess Member Username: Fortysomething Post Number: 36 Registered: 05-2005 |
Ugh! Bono seems so full of himself I just can't listen to any of their music anymore. I suppose I'm being a hypocrite since I love the Bunnymen (Mac is the epitome of the self-absorbed rock star) but then again it seems like there was some bad blood between those two bands in the 80's with Mac saying something like U2 was music for bricklayers or some such rot. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 84 Registered: 05-2005 |
Enough with the U2 dissing. If including The Go-Betweens on a U2-picked CD with a music magazine entices a few hundred people to check out a Go-Betweens album (and it will have done) then this is indubitably a good thing. That same Mojo CD also featured a Bunnymen track, proving either that U2 have no hard feelings for Mac the mouth... or they have a wicked sense of humour. My money's on the latter. | ||
| Cichli Suite Member Username: Cichli_suite Post Number: 74 Registered: 08-2004 |
Mac included plumbers too! I think the quote came from an NME interview around 1984. I thought it was hilarious at the time. I've scraped a reference from the web: "Who buys U2 records anyway? It’s just music for plumbers and bricklayers. Bono, what a slob. You’d think with all that climbing about he does, he’d look real fit and that. But he’s real fat, y’know. Reminds me of a soddin’ mountain goat." I'm with Mac on this one! | ||
| simon o toole Member Username: Simon Post Number: 1 Registered: 10-2005 |
I can't believe there is a thread dedicated to U2 picking a GB song for a compilation....U2 are for people uninterested in music and an embarrassment to Ireland...though they are half-British... | ||
| Cichli Suite Member Username: Cichli_suite Post Number: 78 Registered: 08-2004 |
Why can't you believe it? Is the monitor of your computer giving trouble? I don't like U2's music but I'm not embarrassed by them and I'm Irish. Simon, have you conducted some sort of poll to be able to make a statement like that? (you know the sort of thing - 6.4 Irish adults aged between 18 and 35 said U2 were a grave embarassment to them) Otherwise, it comes across as just another moronic generalization based on half-baked notions of national identity. Cichli o' Suite | ||
| Eke Member Username: Ekewebb Post Number: 21 Registered: 05-2005 |
Yes, welcome to the Go-Betweens message board Simon. I'm sure you'll find it a warm and friendly place. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 103 Registered: 05-2005 |
Well said Cichli. Simon, I take it you are a teenager or in your early 20s? If not then their is absolutely no excuse for your ignorance. You wrote: "U2 are for people uninterested in music and an embarrassment to Ireland...though they are half-British..." I love music from a huge range. I was at the opera last night, I'm going to a punk gig tomorrow night, I'm going to see The Go-Betweens in three weeks time and I'm going to see U2 in March. U2 are not music for people uninterested in music. I loved the opera last night and I'm also looking forward to all the other concerts mentioned. U2 are not an embarrassment to Ireland either. What an imbecilic thing to say! And for you to dismiss them as "half-British" displays a knee-jerk anti-British xenophobia that I'd hoped modern Ireland had outgrown. Obviously I was mistaken. (You may have to look up xenophobia in the dictionary Simon, but it will do you good to look at a book). | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 117 Registered: 03-2005 |
Psst, Simon. Some of us on here aren't too keen on U2 either. | ||
| Eke Member Username: Ekewebb Post Number: 22 Registered: 05-2005 |
Guys, guys - look at us. Squabbling, bickering, like children. What's happening to us? We never used to be like this. | ||
| fsh Member Username: Fsh Post Number: 63 Registered: 05-2005 |
Yeah guys, less of that diversity - let's all agree for once that U2 are meglomaniac dogshit, an embarrasment to Ireland and therefore half British, har har. That Bono guy for instance is very reserved and shy .... not like me, me, me. He's not in the slightest bit competitive, in fact it would be good if he came out of his shell a little more often. Saw his wife Ali recently at a Kevin Ayers performance in Dublin and she looked fantastic. How does she put up with him? | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 118 Registered: 03-2005 |
You are right, Eke. But, apropos of another thread on here, "a man is a boy, a boy is a child, a woman's son." | ||
| John Flood Member Username: Floodjo Post Number: 43 Registered: 05-2005 |
It's a human syndrome - everyone resents when something they hate does so well. For me it would be, for example, Germany winning the World Cup - aaagh! I hate their football but they always slither through. Italy are only marginally less loathsome...sorry back to U2 U2 are and always have been fine by me. Not even vaguely embarassing to me - in fact they generally give Ireland a good name. Would I say the same about Foster & Allen or Daniel O' Donnell or Boyzone.....NO! But as long as people like music for the kick or thrill it gives them, who am I to dictate......everyone to their own. | ||
| Donat Member Username: Donat Post Number: 105 Registered: 11-2004 |
Mark E. Smith once said something along the lines of "If Jesus had seen U2 he'd have been very mad indeed, Jesus would throw bottles at U2." | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 118 Registered: 08-2004 |
U2's finest hour was Rattle & Hum, although it was over ambitious, the new songs on there would have made a good & varied record. The half British argument is a funny one considering the best British bands are more often than not at least half Irish. | ||
| Guy Ewald Member Username: Guy_ewald Post Number: 64 Registered: 02-2005 |
fsh wrote: "I find U2's endorsement of the GB's insulting. They are contemporaries and even though the GB's haven't enjoyed the commercial success of U2, they have enjoyed considerable artistic success on their own terms. They don't need to be patronised by a bunch of has beens who try to attach kudos to themselves by name dropping bands they think it's cool to like. I don't witness Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen or other luminaries engaging in this type of infantile behaviour. At least REM actually gave the GB's some practical support by giving them the guest spot on the 1989 Green Tour." A dollar short and two-months late... Right-thinking artists have always tipped their influences and the work of less-popular contemporaries whom they admire. If it turns a few people on to the artist in question, that's a good thing. I remember reading a Bruce Springsteen interview back in the 70's where he raved about Suicide and in particular, "Frankie Teardrop." That was probably the only time that song was mentioned in Rolling Stone magazine. Back in the 1960's bands used to talk about their heroes a lot, turning their young audiences on to a racially-mixed batch of artists. Even The Clash had both Lee Dorsey and Bo Diddley as opening acts on their tours, kicking sand in the face of punk convention. I honestly can't understand how one would think that it's in any way "insulting" or "patronizing" for a popular artist to use their celebrity to promote the worthy work of someone who is MUCH LESS popular. How many people do you think ran out and bought a U2 album just because they were hip enough to put The Go-Betweens, Pere Ubu and Suicide on a CD comp? There was nothing self-serving about it. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 120 Registered: 03-2005 |
Guy, I am sure that you are right. It IS appropriate for people to tip their hats to their own influences and to other artists whose work they admire. I suppose the cranky tone of some of the entries on this thread (including mine) comes from the fact that some of us ran into the open arms of the Go Betweens to get away from the likes of post-Them Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, the Clash ("punk" for the imported beer crowd) and U2. Some of us just like our artists to be more unassuming and personal instead of grandiose or hectoring. | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 40 Registered: 05-2005 |
I like U2, in small doses. But, Randy you are dead right. When I was first going to see the Go betweens, '83/'84 as a young boy, I was 15, it was to get away from the shite that resembled anything like U2. Although, Unforgettable Fire, the track I thought was amazing then, and still do. Simple Minds were wandering into Stadia rock, after sounding quite interesting up to Sparkle in the rain, and then there was shite like The Alarm, Marillion et al, we had a lot to put up with, although The Icicle Works are very much overlooked retrospectively, they had a BIG sound but transcended the dirge quite admirably. So my 'Indie' sanctuary, led by The Go Betweens, Aztec, The The, and God forbid The Farmers Boys, was most welcome - at the time. | ||
| Peter Azzopardi Member Username: Pete Post Number: 134 Registered: 09-2004 |
Randy: surrender to the Boss. | ||
| simon o toole Member Username: Simon Post Number: 3 Registered: 10-2005 |
Is saying U2 are half British as 'xenophobic' as saying My Bloody Valentine are half British? Lighten up all U2 fans.... | ||
| Guy Morton Member Username: Guym Post Number: 4 Registered: 09-2005 |
it's hilarious that some of you are so precious about your own tastes in music and the sacrosanctity of the GBs. I'm sitting here listening to Oceans Apart and thinking how MOR and "commercial" it is. Also, some of the songs on this album suck - Lavender comes to mind - gimme an REM or U2 track (or Cattle and Cane) over that song any day. | ||
| Lawrence Maroney Member Username: Between16lovers Post Number: 1 Registered: 02-2006 |
This is such a juvenile reaction. U2 is who turned me on to the Go-Betweens 18 years ago when I heard them praise 16 Lovers Lane. Bought the record and have been a fan ever since. Both are good bands. That one is commericially successful and the other is not doesn't affect my appreciation of either band in the least. | ||
| RÓT Member Username: Rotbowie Post Number: 1 Registered: 03-2006 |
1st and foremost I love so many GB songs, and so many U2 songs. They are special to me and some of my friends. I reserve the right to pick and choose whatever songs I like, even if they are by bands I normally detest. As an Irishman I find it bizzare that someone thinks they are an 'embarrassement' and it's more than ironic that someone would be so daft as to post that here. I tried to work out whether to laugh at how daft this msg from fsh was, or get really annoyed at how totally stupid it was. Like Lawrence I became aware of GB's directly as a result of being a U2 fan in my school days. Funnily enough the biggest U2 fan I know received 16 LL from me for his 18th Birthday and he is the only real GB fan that I know. (He sat in the chair that I am in almost crying with laughter when he read the postings above by the way). So that kind of blows the idiotic notion that being a fan of band X means that u CANNOT be a fan of band Y. Secondly, Personally speaking, U2's music from 1997 to recently has been less than inspiring. However, to dismiss U2 completly, (or treat one of their members picking out a great Go Betweens track as being 'insulting') displays a lack of music knowledge and is way off the mark. Fair enough, if u don't like/hate U2, but you're the one missing out and dismissing them utterly is just your opinion, but you need to re educate yourself if you think U2 are so below GB's. If I picked out some less than respectable tracks from U2's catalogue up to 1987 and GB catalogue of the same period I think the GB list would be longer. (before you leap on my words that DOESN'T equal U2 score is higher than GB, therefore U2 are better/more special/etc than the GB, that's not what I'm saying) While U2's big single hits are often very one dimensional, have u ever listened to their original 11 O'Clock tick tock single? If you don't hear any similarities to 'Your Turn, My turn' then you need to listen again. Similarly, have you ever heard An Cat Dubh, Walk to the Water, Promenade, Miss Sarajevo, or Running to stand still? Is Quiet Heart so far from With or Without You that it wouldn't sound right on the same album? Is RF's Is this what you call change that different to U2's So Cruel? I am honestly shocked that (some) Go Between's fans sound so adolescent about their love of music. I thought that GB fans would be a little smart, not very 'cool' or pretentious. I used to say to U2 fans that in my book being A U2, there was nothing worse than meeting a 'fellow' U2 fan (often so blindly U2 fanatical, air punching, earnest in your face etc...) but the manner in which the opionions and more exactly, the attitudes above are presented takes the biscuit over any sanctimonious U2 fan rant I've ever heard. Last point, When I was in school I knew a guy who was very put out by the fact that U2 became a no. 1 selling artist across the water in the Britain and were now appearing on TV shows and mainstream media. This was too far from the cool underground, not so successful band he and a small band of others were in to up till then. So anyway, he offered me a copy of the Chameleons album 'What Does Anything Mean? Basically', he was so pissed off when I told him that I already had it... He basically wanted to throw his (one and only) Chameleon's record in the bin with his U2 ones because other people had heard them. Perhaps some of you here should do as he did, but at least he will always have the excuse that he was 15 and was trying to identify with something elusive and unknown. Sorry if I sound condescending, I just can't get over this stuff. | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 145 Registered: 05-2005 |
to be honest, who gives a shit!? | ||
| abigail law Member Username: Abigail Post Number: 42 Registered: 06-2005 |
u2 are hated on these pages and everywhere else in the right-thinking world because they represent all that is dull, tedious and worthy in music. the sight of bono in his sunglasses and stetson makes me wretch. his humourless, ill-thought our rantings are a joke. the man has never had an interesting thing to say in his life. the thought of this multi-millionaire landowner preaching about world poverty makes me sick. U2, circa Joshua tree and rattle & hum, were the biggest joke in musical history. They bought intothe old rock n roll myth without understanding any of it. and their music smells of dog poo rant over | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 154 Registered: 05-2005 |
like I say who gives a shit, I really think people's comments about U2 should be left at the playground where this kind of childish slagging off of stuff used to happen, my dad's bigger than your dad, this bands better than that, all this slagging of U2 is a joke in itself, its the very thing kids used to do when their favourite group becomes popular like "I liked em first, in my own world this group belong to me - now the whole world knows them its crap, and the people who like them are crap!!" type stuff, then said kid marches off in a huff back to his'her bedroom...i know, this happened to me with Orange Juice, I was the only kid at school with an Edwyn Collins quiff and turned up jeans in '82, then when Rip it up became huge, everyone was walking around with bootlace ties!! I was well fed up. At least U2 exist, if you didn't have the U2 institution you'd have the Phil Collins or Whitesnake institution (and don't tell me that ther're ok anyone!!) Anyway, that's what this U2 thread reminds me of, very childish, let's get over it !! | ||
| fsh Member Username: Fsh Post Number: 69 Registered: 05-2005 |
Spence - embrace your dark side. It's obvious that you haven't quite gotten over your adolescent school mates jumping on the band wagon of you emulating Sir Edwyn (whose name shouldn't really be mentioned in close proximity to Bono's). I remember when I was at school, I tried to emulate Bono with his mid 80's mullet but strangely enough nobody jumped on that bandwagon.... in fact my wanky peers mistakenly thought I was trying to emulate Kevin Keegan of Liverpool F.C. fame. And for someone who thinks this thread should die, you sure are putting alot of effort into keeping it alive. | ||
| XY765 Member Username: Judge Post Number: 17 Registered: 01-2006 |
this is one of the funnier threads on this site, long may it live... | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 163 Registered: 05-2005 |
yeah and long may it live, it brings out the stadia rock persona in me!!!!!!! "Don't you forget about me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I couldn't give a shit, I have Endless Soul by Josef K playing, that's all that's importamt to me right now, and one way I stopped the kids copying my western Collins style at school was to wear armbands like Malcom Ross did in a Smash Hits shoot, no one got that baby!! hee hee |