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marc horton
Member
Username: Armenianthunder

Post Number: 2
Registered: 02-2006
Posted on Sunday, February 19, 2006 - 03:53 am:   

hullo--

longtime fan, first time poster....one of my favorite songs of late is robert's "girl lying on a beach," which to me is a startlingly good song, musically simple, but lyrically great in the way that classic poems and short stories are great, and showcases robert's storytelling talents at their finest....i can't believe that this song never made it to an actual album, considering some of the less-than-amazing songs that have found their way onto their last 2-3 records. any other nominations for under-recognized gems?
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David Matheson
Member
Username: David_matheson

Post Number: 42
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Sunday, February 19, 2006 - 11:41 am:   

Rock 'N'Roll Friend
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Alex Bolton
Member
Username: Alexb

Post Number: 19
Registered: 01-2006
Posted on Sunday, February 19, 2006 - 12:34 pm:   

I've always liked You Won't Find It Again which also wasn't included on the original 16LL but is on the reissue.
It's an indication of just how good the GoBs were that tracks of that quality didn't make the cut.
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Donat
Member
Username: Donat

Post Number: 121
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Monday, February 20, 2006 - 07:48 am:   

'Instant Replay' from the BYBO bonus disc is a nice summer song.
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Matthias Treml
Member
Username: Matthias

Post Number: 60
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Monday, February 20, 2006 - 01:31 pm:   

Wow, all four listed are tops. Certainly my favorites too.

Another demo to add around the time of "You Won't find It Again" is: I Love You Still by Robert. He should resurrect that one and put in on a record with the Go-Bees.
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kuba a
Member
Username: Kuba

Post Number: 31
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Monday, February 20, 2006 - 01:50 pm:   

Slow Slow Music
This Girl Black Girl
You Won't Find It Again
Instant Replay
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Eke
Member
Username: Ekewebb

Post Number: 33
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Monday, February 20, 2006 - 03:26 pm:   

The second album in the 1978-1990 set wraps up all the overlooked songs by the Mark 1 version for me. It's a great "lost" album.
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jerry hann
Member
Username: Jerry_h

Post Number: 49
Registered: 07-2005
Posted on Monday, February 20, 2006 - 04:07 pm:   

Mexican Postcard
When People are Dead
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jerry hann
Member
Username: Jerry_h

Post Number: 50
Registered: 07-2005
Posted on Monday, February 20, 2006 - 04:12 pm:   

I wish they would rerelease the 1978-1990 album I listen to this a alot in the car. I've got the tape version ( the only tape I play now),but I think it's their best compilation ( the CD and LP had different track on it- with the CD missing some of the rarer tracks)So can we petition Lomax to rerelease this as a double CD
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Guy Ewald
Member
Username: Guy_ewald

Post Number: 87
Registered: 02-2005
Posted on Monday, February 20, 2006 - 04:27 pm:   

I completely agree about Robert's "I Love You Still" - that one really gets under my skin. I can only imagine that there's something about the sentiment in the song that Robert isn't comfortable with... maybe his wife would object to his recording the song. There isn't much to it, just a series of verses with a single line resolution and break, no chorus as such or middle-eight. It's not quite as musically minimal as something like Positively 4th Street, but it's close.
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Jeff Whiteaker
Member
Username: Jeff_whiteaker

Post Number: 163
Registered: 10-2004
Posted on Monday, February 20, 2006 - 04:38 pm:   

the peel session versions of five words and rare breed. these particular versions are among my very favorite go-betweens songs, and are what helped catapult them to favorite band status for me.

also worth noting - the life at hand
mexican postcard
a little romance
hope
casanova's last words (earlier version on liberty belle bonus disc)


i agree with above comments that when people are dead and rock 'n roll friend are absolutely brilliant, but i definitely wouldn't say that they are unheralded. that these songs wound up as b-sides and not album tracks is certainly a disservice to their brilliance. but i feel that much has been made of their brilliance (as well as the sad fact that they were relegated to b-sides) by both fans and the band. i think just a king in mirrors is another such b-side that was criminally kept off the LP of its particular era, yet which is recognized by most fans *and* the band as a stellar tune.

on a slightly different tangent, i feel like there are some amazing album tracks that tend to be overlooked. most of the songs i listed above are b-sides or rarities, but there are a few albums tracks that come to mind as being brilliant and perhaps a bit underrated:

on my block
to reach me
you can't say no forever
the ghost and the black hat
slow slow music
careless
unkind and unwise (actually this one seems to get mentioned sometimes, though not nearly enough as far as i'm concerned!)
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gareth w
Member
Username: Gareth

Post Number: 29
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Monday, February 20, 2006 - 05:49 pm:   

'Wait Until June'
'Unfinished Business' (Grant should write more mimimal things like this - a beautiful track)
'Something For Myself'
'I Just Get Caught Out'
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Matt Ellis
Member
Username: Matt_ellis

Post Number: 51
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Monday, February 20, 2006 - 06:56 pm:   

Watching That Striped Sunlight Sound made me realise how much I enjoy hearing a striped down (oops no pun intended!) song as the opening song in a set. i.e. Black Mule (which seems to have been included in recent sets) - I know its McLennan solo but it made me think how good it would be to have Haunted House included live.
I would also go with Go-Betweens Compositions:

Mexican Postcard (have they EVER done this live?)
Just A King In Mirrors
Ask (when was the last time they performed this live?)
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Kurt Stephan
Member
Username: Slothbert

Post Number: 133
Registered: 04-2005
Posted on Monday, February 20, 2006 - 07:07 pm:   

Most of the overlooked gems have been mentioned here already, but to add to what you Jeff said about underappreciated album tracks, I'd throw in "As Long As That," which I initially thought was too long and a little boring, but now is one of my absolute favorites by the band. I don't recall this one getting much mention in past discussions.
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Jerry Clark
Member
Username: Jerry

Post Number: 144
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Monday, February 20, 2006 - 07:37 pm:   

The Sound Of Rain, On My Block, Near The Chimney... and yes, Casanova's Last Words ('86)
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Peter Senning
Member
Username: Peter_senning

Post Number: 11
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Monday, February 20, 2006 - 11:46 pm:   

My favourite song is "You Can't Say No Forever" from 16LL. And when I say favourite song I mean this is the best song I've ever heard by anyone! I remember it took a few listenings to 16LL back in 1988 to unfold the incredible beauty of this song, but it has remained my uncontested favourite since then.

I completely agree with the previous posts about "You Won't Find It Again", "The Sound of Rain", "This Girl, Black Girl". I don't know if "Apology Accepted" and "Bachelor Kisses" qualify as overlooked but they're certainly very fine songs anyway.
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Randy Adams
Member
Username: Randy_adams

Post Number: 162
Registered: 03-2005
Posted on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 - 12:07 am:   

To my mind, squirreling away total classic songs on b-sides of singles and leaving them there is the ultimate sign of a first-rank band.
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Jeff Whiteaker
Member
Username: Jeff_whiteaker

Post Number: 164
Registered: 10-2004
Posted on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 - 12:34 am:   

Randy, that's certainly what the Smiths did, with great regularity.
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Jerry Clark
Member
Username: Jerry

Post Number: 146
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 - 07:31 am:   

Jeff, The Jam & The Stone Roses also.
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Paul Wright
Member
Username: Wallaby

Post Number: 9
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 - 09:18 am:   

First GBs track I ever heard (on a cassette compilation called Another Spark, that also introduced me to Microdisney) was Newton Told Me. Still one of my favourites. Finally got a copy on the 2 CD Springhill Fair
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Dusty
Member
Username: Dusty

Post Number: 19
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 - 11:05 am:   

I've always had a real soft spot for the Forster non-LP songs off 'Tallulah', namely 'Time in the Desert' and 'A Little Romance'. I always assumed that most other people like them too until I read earlier threads on here. I also think the released Peel Session is fantastic - in fact for me it is almost the perfect Go-Betweens record. Having said that there are many excellent Go-Between no-LP tracks and I'd concur with most of what's been said here.
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Mark Tuffield
Member
Username: Mark_t

Post Number: 7
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 - 12:03 pm:   

I would like to add “You Won’t Find It Again” to the list, some great imagery and a plaintive sound that fits so appropriately at the end of “The Go-Betweens 1978 – 1990” retrospective.

Having gushed elsewhere about “Mexican Postcard” I promise I won’t again, I’d also agree with the comments about “A King In Mirrors” a truly fantastic song !

Somewhat off topic, but does anyone recall an Australian film from the late ‘70s early ‘80s involving a group of politicians/businessmen trying to create a breakaway state on the “Gold Coast” or somewhere similar, using a bunch of “drugged up hippies” as a nascent guerrilla army. If I recall correctly the day was saved by some “special forces” types (not exactly Rambo) and the film’s hero was a drunken ex-chief of police turned private eye whose ex-chauffer (or some such underling) ran the town/police/state whatever !!

I distinctly recall seeing this film here in the UK during one of those seasons of Australian or themed films that BBC2 used to have on a Sunday evening back in those days, usually hosted by Alex Cox or someone similar. I would love to know the film’s name and if it is available on DVD etc.
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abigail law
Member
Username: Abigail

Post Number: 35
Registered: 06-2005
Posted on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 - 12:40 pm:   

'that way' has always been a favourite of mine, also 'unkind/unwise'
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Simon Withers
Member
Username: Sfwithers

Post Number: 9
Registered: 08-2005
Posted on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 - 03:29 pm:   

I'll second "You Can't Say No Forever", "I Just Get Caught Out" and "That Way" - three of my all-time faves of any band ever.

And as an aside, I've managed finally to get a Go-Betweens reference into the science fiction magazine I work on (SFX). One of my jobs is writing captions, so when we have a picture of Lee Remick in The Omen, what other option was there but quoting the song lyrics...?

And I'm also trying to work out that film title. I'm a big fan of Australian Cinema, and I'm hoping to watch the 1978 film Long Weekend on DVD shortly (we've just reviewed it in the mag).
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Jerry Clark
Member
Username: Jerry

Post Number: 147
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 - 04:13 pm:   

You Can't Say No Forever is masterful, it sounds so '80's, but in a good way. Best song on 16LL.
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Pádraig Collins
Member
Username: Pádraig_collins

Post Number: 155
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 - 11:25 pm:   

That wasn't a movie Mark, it was Queensland under Joh Bjelke Petersen!
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Michael Leach
Member
Username: Mike_l

Post Number: 10
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 - 10:35 am:   

I agree with many above. 'Hope' is my favourite Go-Betweens song - it blew my mind when I first heard Very Quick on the Eye. How did that masterful pop-gem escape a genuine release? It would sit comfortably in the elite of the 60s pop pantheon.

Also with Jeff, love that version of Rare Breed (not the one you get now on the Jetset double album). And Who Told Newton. I find myself humming 'the life at hand' every 2nd day. And sometimes I put on Before Hollywood for the sole purpose of hearing the riff from On My block.
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Alfredo L Soto
Member
Username: Alfred_soto

Post Number: 8
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 - 03:11 pm:   

"You Tell Me." Robert's "c'mon, C'MON"s at the conclusion are exhilirating.
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Mark Tuffield
Member
Username: Mark_t

Post Number: 8
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 - 03:19 pm:   

Pádraig, you may well be right – but whisper it quietly as they (Qld’s) may not let you back in !

The hero/anti-hero of the film was played by a well known actor, so well known I can’t remember his name, but who had a somewhat pockmarked face, just in case that helps !!

Pádraig, you and Donat have discussed Australian films recently elsewhere on this board, in general what is the state of play with Australian cinema as very little seems to go on release in the UK ? In recent years the only Australian film that I have seen on the big screen is Lantana and TV coverage of Australian films has been minimal.

Simon, if SFX readers like Long Weekend, get the magazine to review the excellent Summerfield, (with Nick Tate of Space 1999 fame), John Waters the actor/director appeared in Summerfield (per Time Out – though I don’t remember him in it) and he was the used car salesman in Something Wild. A great excuse to quote the lyrics from “Spring Rain”!
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Simon Withers
Member
Username: Sfwithers

Post Number: 10
Registered: 08-2005
Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 - 03:56 pm:   

Mark,

Summerfield is a great film, one of my favourites (though I haven't seen it in a while). Sadly, though, neither that nor Something Wild films are films we could legitimately cover in a science fiction magazine, nor is another John Waters film from the mid-70s that I'm very fond of, End Play. One of the greatest Australian films ever, though, the fantastic Mad Max II, is science fiction, but I'm hard pressed to come up with a Go-Betweens link (I'm sure there is somewhere...). And while Mel Gibson's political/religious views may be questionable (as may many of his films), that takes nothing away from the first two Mad Max movies, the original of which is seriously underestimated.
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Michelle M
Member
Username: Michelle

Post Number: 7
Registered: 09-2004
Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 - 08:31 pm:   

re: Australian movie was it "Goodbye Paradise" -not sure if the storyline matches your description but the actor Ray Barrett does.
http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=131984
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Mark Tuffield
Member
Username: Mark_t

Post Number: 9
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 02:46 pm:   

Hi Michelle – it is ! It’s great to be able to at last “scratch an itch” that annoys me every time I listen to one of my favourite songs. Very many thanks ! As for Ray Barrett, shame on me for forgetting the name of an actor, who, as the voice of John Tracy and The Hood from Thunderbirds brightened up many a childhood Saturday morning.

This link has more on the background of the film and may be of interest http://nofreelist.com/review/?movieid=1382
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spence
Member
Username: Spence

Post Number: 110
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 08:02 pm:   

All of them!, Hopefully that is about to change around the world!!!!!
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Michelle M
Member
Username: Michelle

Post Number: 8
Registered: 09-2004
Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 10:08 pm:   

Pleased to be of help Mark. I didn't know Barrett was John Tracey which is a bit spooky as I was a little in love with John back then.
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just maisie
Member
Username: Maisie

Post Number: 2
Registered: 02-2006
Posted on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 - 08:21 pm:   

a few not-so-guilty pleasures:

Don't Let Him Come Back
Hold Your Horses
Orpheus Beach
Something For Myself
Loneliness (RF)
One Plus One (GM)

must go play Warm Nights right now... are we allowed under-recognized albums too?
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Kurt Stephan
Member
Username: Slothbert

Post Number: 143
Registered: 04-2005
Posted on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 - 08:50 pm:   

Has anyone here ever mentioned "Orpheus Beach" before, positively or negatively? I tend to forget about it--as apparently most everyone else does too--but it's a pretty good track.
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M. Mark Burgess
Member
Username: Fortysomething

Post Number: 72
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Thursday, March 02, 2006 - 05:33 am:   

Jeff, I totally agree about the Peel version of Five Words. I heard that before I heard the SHF version and I remember being very disappointed by that version in comparison. I think Dusty in Here is one of Grant's great songs. It perfectly invokes the mood of the lyrics.
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spence
Member
Username: Spence

Post Number: 148
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Friday, March 03, 2006 - 10:51 pm:   

Twin Layers of Lightning, its like something from Marquee Moon, what a track! Oh, and Apology Accepted, say no more for me.
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Randy Adams
Member
Username: Randy_adams

Post Number: 181
Registered: 03-2005
Posted on Saturday, March 04, 2006 - 02:13 am:   

I've long thought that "Dusty in Here" would make a really nice alt country ballad. Imagine someone doing it in the fashion of Gram Parsons. I guess that's for the covers thread.
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spence
Member
Username: Spence

Post Number: 168
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Monday, March 06, 2006 - 09:30 pm:   

Quiet Heart, its great it sounds like U2!
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Randy Adams
Member
Username: Randy_adams

Post Number: 187
Registered: 03-2005
Posted on Tuesday, March 07, 2006 - 03:55 am:   

except it's not big and bombastic.
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Hardin Smith
Member
Username: Manosludge

Post Number: 22
Registered: 03-2006
Posted on Wednesday, March 15, 2006 - 04:44 pm:   

Two songs stand out that didn't make it onto proper GBs albums. They are, in essence, the GBs own "Blind Willie McTell"s, and could hold their heads up with pride in any collection. Those songs are:

"You Won't Find it Again"
"Rock N Roll Friend"

Other songs that didn't make proper albums, well, you can understand the reasoning...one that comes to mind is "Head Over Heels", which GM ended up putting on "Horsebreaker Star" - a distinct b-side.
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Michael Bachman
Member
Username: Michael_bachman

Post Number: 41
Registered: 01-2005
Posted on Wednesday, March 15, 2006 - 05:06 pm:   

Nobody mentioned "Apples In Bed", I like that from the bonus 16LL disc.
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fsh
Member
Username: Fsh

Post Number: 73
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Thursday, March 16, 2006 - 09:54 am:   

Speaking of "Blind Willie McTell" - Grant did a version of the Blind one eyed trouser snake McTell for a session on Australian radio during the mid 90's. Some programme called the Sunday sessions.

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