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     Austin McLean Member Username: Bruegelpie Post Number: 12 Registered: 09-2004 |
Here is an interview with Robert on "That Striped Sunlight Sound" and a review, both articles from the Brisbane Courior Mail: ROBERT Forster simply couldn't imagine creating the first Go- Betweens DVD in any venue other than Brisbane. The band's singer-songwriter says although he hasn't lost sight of the group's continuing European and UK success -- which far outweighs its hometown fame -- no other city could have done its debut DVD justice. "We could have done it anywhere else, but it had to be Brisbane - - I just couldn't imagine seeing a DVD cover with The Go-Betweens live at Liverpool," Forster says. "I couldn't imagine seeing a DVD cover with The Go-Betweens live at Zurich -- it had to be Brisbane, it had to be The Tivoli and it had to be in that hall and it had to be in front of those particular people that were there." The result was That Striped Sunlight Sound, released through Capitol last week. Forster says the name itself offers an insight into The Go- Betweens' local history -- inspired by the effect of sunlight streaming through the louvres of a Toowong share-house while the band practised in the late 1970s and early '80s. He says the DVD could just have easily been called a weekend in Brisbane, featuring the famed sold-out live performance at Fortitude Valley's The Tivoli as well as a chance to get up close and personal with Forster and songwriting partner Grant McLennan playing their favourite acoustic songs and offering unique insights into their music. "There's no big band documentary, there's no 10,000 video clips, there's none of that -- it's just a weekend in Brisbane," he says. "It took us a long time to come up with that idea, but that was the one that we felt most comfortable with." The Go-Betweens have been described as perhaps the quintessential cult band of the '80s, forming in the city's western suburbs in 1978. The band released six critically acclaimed but commercially negligible albums during the early to late 1980s, endured two relationship breakups and yet somehow managed to keep its passion for music alive. Forster says despite a long history, which includes an almost 10- year hiatus over most of the '90s when he and McLennan split to explore solo careers, The Go-Betweens are still to reach their musical peak. He says even winning the band's first ever ARIA this year -- for Best Adult Contemporary Album with Oceans Apart -- was not enough to satisfy the fire that continues to burn in the band's belly after more than 25 years in the business. Forster says he believes the secret to staying relevant after so many years in the business is simply not to think about it. "As soon as you start to chase trends too slavishly, you're finished -- everyone can see that it's just not heart-felt," Forster warns. "It's a hard balance -- you've got to stay curious, you've got to stay interested in what's happening, but at the same time it's just got to seep into your work in a gradual way." Meanwhile, Forster says The Go-Betweens, which have just finished a European tour, will play next in January at the Sydney Festival, where he and McLennan will perform acoustically. After that he says it's time for a lengthy, but well-earned, break. That Striped Sunlight Sound by The Go-Betweens out now through Capitol -- The Go-Betweens That Striped Sunlight Sound Capitol **** THE Go-Betweens hit the stage at Brisbane's Tivoli Theatre in August in buoyant spirits after the warm reception to their exceptional Oceans Apart album. It was an emotional homecoming, beautifully preserved on this DVD, which also includes an "acoustic stories" session recorded in the living room of a West End Queenslander house plus a bonus CD of concert material. The chemistry between Grant McLennan and Robert Forster is on full display here, the heart of Brisbane's greatest band which stands with the Velvet Underground and Talking Heads as a benchmark of intelligent minimalist rock. This performance also underlines how bassist Adele Pickvance and drummer Glenn Thompson round out the ensemble with tight playing and lovely backing vocals. The concert selection is a nice blend of favourites and offbeat selections, opening with Black Mule, a little solo gem from McLennan, and coming to a shuddering halt with the wonderful Karen from 1978. Some of the best moments are reserved for the acoustic section. McLennan tells how when he was battling the London cold in 1982, Cattle and Cane "carried sunshine in it". It still does. David Costello | ||
| Austin McLean Member Username: Bruegelpie Post Number: 14 Registered: 09-2004 |
And another article, this one from the Sunday Herald-Sun There is nothing in-between about the recent success of the Go- Betweens, as GRAEME HAMMOND reports A HOME-TOWN crowd and a film crew were enough to turn Robert Forster into a nervous wreck on the night the Go-Betweens were being filmed for a concert DVD. Half the new DVD, That Striped Sunlight Sound, comprises footage from a sell-out concert at Brisbane's Tivoli Theatre in August as the band ran through material from their 1978 garage band days to their latest album, the critically-applauded Oceans Apart. "I'm nervous on that video," admits Forster. "I'm more nervous than I normally am. And Grant (McLennan, co-founder of the band) is great. He looks fantastic and relaxed, he's got the whole thing under control and I'm a nervous wreck. It takes me about halfway through until I relax. It's all Grant. I'm just sort of there, and I'm good, but it's his show." On the second half of the DVD the two sit in a sunny lounge room and duet on acoustic guitars as they tell the stories behind the songs. Forster, clad in sports jacket and looking for all the world like a harried English lit lecturer, takes command, outshining McLennan, who strains to deliver his vocals. "That's the sort of band we are," he says by phone from his home in Brisbane. "In terms of personalities Grant and I are quite different. But what's good is neither of us is particularly explosive. Neither of us is prone to blow-ups and we're both diplomatic enough in a way -- some people may say repressed -- that we can just dance around each other and know when to give the other one a bit of leeway. "That's what we always saw it as, when one goes forward towards the audience the other gives him a bit of room, that's the strength of the Go-Betweens -- you've got two people coming at you all the time." The Lennon-McCartney combination of the two -- the glumness of Forster's more introspective lyrics and brightness of McLennan's melodic jangle pop -- laid the foundations for a powerful run of albums (interrupted by a 12-year lay-off that began in 1988). And they wormed their way into the hearts of a small, but devoted audience in Australia, Britain and Europe. Neither Forster nor McLennan feel cheated about the lack of mainstream commercial success. "When you're on independent labels, as we were in the '80s, then the charts weren't really an option," Forster says. "But I thought we did really well. I always think of the band as a success, coming from Brisbane in the late '70s and having made the records we did and the touring we did around the world." McLennan shows no regrets over their lengthy sabbatical. "I see it as part one and part two, and who knows, there might be a third part," he says on the DVD. "That intermission period allowed Robert and I to get some more experience, get a bit more life, be outside the rock bubble. If the band had stayed together and we'd have been on our 15th album as opposed to our ninth, I'd like to think we'd have still been doing good work, but I think we would have been dreadfully tired and mining the same seam over and over again." FORSTER agrees, adamant there were no tensions to overcome. "It just felt a good time. We came back hungry and fresh." Not that the product of the reunion has been universally acclaimed. Reviews of 2000's The Friends of Rachel Worth and 2002's Bright Yellow Bright Orange were warm rather than exultant, the heavy reliance on string arrangements drawing particularly harsh criticism. Oceans Apart's return to the taut, mid-'80s basics of Spring Hill Fair and Before Hollywood-- the latter Forster and McLennan's favourite album -- has raised the greatest praise, scooping an ARIA award for best contemporary album. Forster doesn't distance himself from any of their comeback albums. "They were all our decisions. On the first album we'd made in 12 years we wanted to come out of the mist. It's been stepping stones, it's been organic. I guess through all that, the last five years, there's been a sense of making our way through the landscape," Forster says. He explains the first half of Rachel Worth is "fantastic", but is oddly dismissive of Oceans Apart when asked to name his favourites: "The new one I like as well, but give me time on that." Surprisingly, the two are moving towards writing as a team. "The actual songwriting, Grant does in his house and I do in my house, but I do see it as a collaboration," Forster says. "But recently I've been writing some lyrics for some of his songs and we wrote a song together on Bright Yellow Bright Orange called Too Much of One Thing, which is on the DVD. We're working more together than ever, actually." And as both nudge 50, their thoughts are turning increasingly towards the past. Next month the pair present Danger in the Past, an "intimate evening" at the Sydney Theatre, Walsh Bay, in Sydney. They will share anecdotes with the audience, reliving their career through stories and acoustic versions of their songs. The one-off show, part of the Sydney Festival, will feature guest artists playing with the pair. Despite all evidence that the Go-Betweens occupy a special place in Australian musical history, Forster prefers not to contemplate it. "We were never thrust at people in that major record company marketing sense. People found us. I think that's a good feeling when you have to search for something, you find it and you like it, you draw it into the heart more. "We do the best we can and enjoy what we do, but our place in the grand scheme of things is out of my hands and I leave it there." That Striped Sunlight Sound is available now. Danger in the Past details at www.sydneyfestival.org.au | ||
| Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 94 Registered: 04-2005 |
This article mentions, as have some reviews I've read, that "FORW" and "BYBO" are heavy on string arrangements. Where? Do I own different versions of these albums than reviewers got? Even the few songs with strings ("He Lives My Life") are hardly dominated by them. And comparing "OA" to "Before Hollywood" and "Spring Hill Fair" is a reach too. Otherwise, pretty good article, though. | ||
| Graham Twyford Member Username: Graham_twyford Post Number: 25 Registered: 05-2005 |
Agree with Kurt. I think it was Pitchfork who mentioned something about 'reliance on strings' on FORW and BYBO. Ridiculous assertion from Pitchfork and a slightly lazy reference on Graeme Hammond's part. Although the article is a good read. | ||
| david pestorius Member Username: David_pestorius Post Number: 29 Registered: 08-2005 |
"But recently I've been writing some lyrics for some of his songs ..." I was wondering when this development was going to surface on the public record. This is happening quite a bit recently, apparently. 'Finding You', for example. What made me suspicious was the verse there about driving by in a car. Grant does not drive a car, so that verse we can perhaps attribute to RF. Either way, it sort of reminded me of certain things from the early days of Grant's songwriting, like Cattle and Cain, where RF makes a lyrical contribution. Not sure what it all means exactly, other than in living and working in close proximity again now for some years, perhaps this is giving rise to 'new' procedures. | ||
| M. Mark Burgess Member Username: Fortysomething Post Number: 48 Registered: 05-2005 |
It might also keep them from getting stale or developing writer's block. Nice to see that their egos aren't getting in the way of producing great work. | ||
| Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 96 Registered: 04-2005 |
I think it's great that Robert and Grant are collaborating more directly now, especially at this (relatively) late stage in the game. Usually, egos make songwriters more insular over time. It's so refreshing to see these guys not just getting back together to try to cash in or because solo inspiration was gone--but because they want to try some new things and see new places to take their music. Is it too early to get excited at the prospect of the next GoBs album? It's been said before--they're due for their "Liberty Belle" of GoBs Mk II. Another development I'd like to see more of is the two of them singing together or trading verses on recordings, as they did on "Before Hollywood" ("As Long As That" especially). Live, we hear more of it. There's one small example that I love on the "Live in London" set--the line "those who like diamonds and those who like dirt" in "In The Core of a Flame" when Robert joins in with a punky shout of "DIRT!" in unison with Grant. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 98 Registered: 05-2005 |
I don't think you need to drive a car to write a lyric about driving a car. | ||
| David Matheson Member Username: David_matheson Post Number: 38 Registered: 12-2004 |
On the new DVD Grant says that Robert pinched Too Much Of One Thing off him and wrote the lyrics. |