| Author | Message | ||
     marc horton Member Username: Armenianthunder Post Number: 2 Registered: 02-2006 |
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? | ||
| David Matheson Member Username: David_matheson Post Number: 42 Registered: 12-2004 |
Rock 'N'Roll Friend | ||
| Alex Bolton Member Username: Alexb Post Number: 19 Registered: 01-2006 |
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. | ||
| Donat Member Username: Donat Post Number: 121 Registered: 11-2004 |
'Instant Replay' from the BYBO bonus disc is a nice summer song. | ||
| Matthias Treml Member Username: Matthias Post Number: 60 Registered: 05-2005 |
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. | ||
| kuba a Member Username: Kuba Post Number: 31 Registered: 05-2005 |
Slow Slow Music This Girl Black Girl You Won't Find It Again Instant Replay | ||
| Eke Member Username: Ekewebb Post Number: 33 Registered: 05-2005 |
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. | ||
| jerry hann Member Username: Jerry_h Post Number: 49 Registered: 07-2005 |
Mexican Postcard When People are Dead | ||
| jerry hann Member Username: Jerry_h Post Number: 50 Registered: 07-2005 |
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 | ||
| Guy Ewald Member Username: Guy_ewald Post Number: 87 Registered: 02-2005 |
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. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 163 Registered: 10-2004 |
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!) | ||
| gareth w Member Username: Gareth Post Number: 29 Registered: 05-2005 |
'Wait Until June' 'Unfinished Business' (Grant should write more mimimal things like this - a beautiful track) 'Something For Myself' 'I Just Get Caught Out' | ||
| Matt Ellis Member Username: Matt_ellis Post Number: 51 Registered: 11-2004 |
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?) | ||
| Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 133 Registered: 04-2005 |
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. | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 144 Registered: 08-2004 |
The Sound Of Rain, On My Block, Near The Chimney... and yes, Casanova's Last Words ('86) | ||
| Peter Senning Member Username: Peter_senning Post Number: 11 Registered: 05-2005 |
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. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 162 Registered: 03-2005 |
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. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 164 Registered: 10-2004 |
Randy, that's certainly what the Smiths did, with great regularity. | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 146 Registered: 08-2004 |
Jeff, The Jam & The Stone Roses also. | ||
| Paul Wright Member Username: Wallaby Post Number: 9 Registered: 05-2005 |
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 | ||
| Dusty Member Username: Dusty Post Number: 19 Registered: 05-2005 |
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. | ||
| Mark Tuffield Member Username: Mark_t Post Number: 7 Registered: 05-2005 |
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. | ||
| abigail law Member Username: Abigail Post Number: 35 Registered: 06-2005 |
'that way' has always been a favourite of mine, also 'unkind/unwise' | ||
| Simon Withers Member Username: Sfwithers Post Number: 9 Registered: 08-2005 |
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). | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 147 Registered: 08-2004 |
You Can't Say No Forever is masterful, it sounds so '80's, but in a good way. Best song on 16LL. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 155 Registered: 05-2005 |
That wasn't a movie Mark, it was Queensland under Joh Bjelke Petersen! | ||
| Michael Leach Member Username: Mike_l Post Number: 10 Registered: 05-2005 |
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. | ||
| Alfredo L Soto Member Username: Alfred_soto Post Number: 8 Registered: 05-2005 |
"You Tell Me." Robert's "c'mon, C'MON"s at the conclusion are exhilirating. | ||
| Mark Tuffield Member Username: Mark_t Post Number: 8 Registered: 05-2005 |
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”! | ||
| Simon Withers Member Username: Sfwithers Post Number: 10 Registered: 08-2005 |
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. | ||
| Michelle M Member Username: Michelle Post Number: 7 Registered: 09-2004 |
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 | ||
| Mark Tuffield Member Username: Mark_t Post Number: 9 Registered: 05-2005 |
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 | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 110 Registered: 05-2005 |
All of them!, Hopefully that is about to change around the world!!!!! | ||
| Michelle M Member Username: Michelle Post Number: 8 Registered: 09-2004 |
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. | ||
| just maisie Member Username: Maisie Post Number: 2 Registered: 02-2006 |
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? | ||
| Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 143 Registered: 04-2005 |
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. | ||
| M. Mark Burgess Member Username: Fortysomething Post Number: 72 Registered: 05-2005 |
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. | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 148 Registered: 05-2005 |
Twin Layers of Lightning, its like something from Marquee Moon, what a track! Oh, and Apology Accepted, say no more for me. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 181 Registered: 03-2005 |
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. | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 168 Registered: 05-2005 |
Quiet Heart, its great it sounds like U2! | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 187 Registered: 03-2005 |
except it's not big and bombastic. | ||
| Hardin Smith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 22 Registered: 03-2006 |
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. | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 41 Registered: 01-2005 |
Nobody mentioned "Apples In Bed", I like that from the bonus 16LL disc. | ||
| fsh Member Username: Fsh Post Number: 73 Registered: 05-2005 |
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. |