| Author | Message | ||
     Bob Mail Member Username: Bob Post Number: 15 Registered: 03-2006 |
Well its nearly 1 year since Oceans Apart was released - April/May according to this site. I think its been landmark for the band in terms of kudos and actual sales from what I have seen over the last year. Also in that year the album has grown on me. I still have the old master version (no don't start that thread again) but I do think its a great GBs album and up there with their best etc. | ||
| Hardin Smith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 140 Registered: 03-2006 |
Completely with you on the greatness of OA and its place in the "pantheon", Bob. Let's just hope it put some jingle in their pockets. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 231 Registered: 10-2004 |
Funny you bring this up because I was listening to OA the other night, which got me thinking about how it holds up a year on. Basically, my enthusiasm for OA hasn't diminished one bit. My favorite songs from the album still send chills up my spine, and the album still holds my attention amazingly well. So far, I'd say it's aged quite nicely. Which is so much more than I can say for the other 2 post-reunion albums. With TFORW, I was kind of excited by it for a week, simply because it was a new Go-Betweens album, something many of us thought would never happen. But after several listens, I became increasingly frustrated with FORW, as I felt that the songs and production were pretty below par, and each listen revealed more things to be disappointed about. I could probably live a perfectly decent life without ever listening to it again. BYBO excited me for about a month. Better than FORW, but ever since that first month, my reactions to BYBO when listening to it have been increasingly lukewarm. In fact, I listened to it last week, after not having heard it for at least a good year, and it really hasn't aged well at all. I enjoy a few songs, but for the most part, I find it kind of uninspiring. I think some songs, like "Old Mexico," "The Poison in the Walls," and "Unfinished Business" still hold up pretty well, but the rest of the album just doesn't do much for me. But so far, OA really seems to have the kind of staying power of their 80s records. Let's hope they keep the momentum up with the next album. | ||
| Hardin Smith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 143 Registered: 03-2006 |
Though I try to keep it positive and also manage to find things I love about every GBs record, BYBO is starting to emerge as a clunker for me, too...I would add Mrs. Morgan to the list of good cuts from it, cuz it's based on such a magnificent, jangly guitar riff, and possibly, "Make Her Day", catchy, though it really sounds like it was dashed off in about 5 minutes... Easily the weakest of the reformation records. It's almost as though the relative weakness of it inspired them to do better next time and forced them to come up with the ass-kickin' OA! | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 274 Registered: 05-2005 |
Quite agree Jeff, it still sends the shivers within me too, I'll always hold a torch for this album, it shall never fade for me... | ||
| Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 211 Registered: 04-2005 |
Hmm...am I the odd man out here, finding that my fondness for OA is fading a bit as time passes? Although I have to say that "Here Comes A City" has become one of my all-time favorite GoBs tracks and "Mountains Near Dellray" and "Finding You" have been major growers. But I may ruffle some feathers by saying that I didn't like "Lavender" much from the get-go, and now I always skip through it. One of their worst ever, to my ears. I think the fourth Mk II album is going to be the ONE. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 252 Registered: 03-2005 |
What a lovely thought, Kurt! One thing is certain, the stability of the current lineup has permitted them to become quite an effective band. Glenn and Adele keep the propulsion going and are now a pretty normal source of extra vocals and instrumentation. So all we need is a little more self-criticism from Grant and Robert in the song-editing process and #4 can be amazing. And get a decent mastering engineer. | ||
| Guy Ewald Member Username: Guy_ewald Post Number: 124 Registered: 02-2005 |
Having just recieved the remaster I've been enjoying/discovering this album for the past month or so and I love it. I guess I'm in the minority of those who love BYBO... 'Make Her Day' is one of my favorite Go-Betweens songs. So what if it sounds like it was dashed off... you like your rock and roll labored? | ||
| Hardin Smith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 145 Registered: 03-2006 |
Somewhere between dashed off and labored over...I like Make Her Day, too. | ||
| Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 212 Registered: 04-2005 |
Guy, I'm not sure I "love" BYBO, but I think it gets a bad rap here. I like "Caroline & I" and "Make Her Day" because they're examples of Robert writing intentionally simpler (maybe even "dumber") songs a la "Lee Remick"--just because they're fun, not because they're great art. I really like "Too Much of One Thing" because of the Robert/Grant collaboration on it. The rest of the album is fairly thin, admittedly. "Old Mexico" is the best of the Grant songs; "Poison in the Walls" doesn't really work (except for the nice slide guitar break) and was especially weak live, while "Crooked Lines" and "Unfinished Business" are just that...unfinished business. They needed to try harder on this album, but I don't think its lows are much lower than OA's lows. Fewer highs than OA, though. | ||
| Andrewnz Member Username: Andrewnz Post Number: 10 Registered: 08-2005 |
OA remains a marvellous car cd a year on - especially when slowly crawling down the motorway to work (or home) | ||
| Geoff Holmes Member Username: Geoff Post Number: 80 Registered: 05-2005 |
It's been interesting here in Auz to see how the Go Betweens are now revered, since Oceans Apart, as "elder statesmen of songwriting" that people defer to even in the mainstream press. They used to be like "some bunch of wet indie types who couldn't write a song to save themselves." Me? I still love it....easily one of their best...even Lavender. I agree with Hardin. BYBO is a clunker for me. It sounds poor and thin and it sags greatly against the production (but not initial mastering) of Oceans. By the way, does anybody else here think that Lavender is another Tasmania song like Delray? Tassie has THE most amazing Lavender farms set in bright orange dirt against a backdrop of blue mountains. I always think of that when I hear it. Lavender is also the only colour excluding black and white on the album cover too, so maybe the GoBees see the song as essential to the set. If you are having trouble with it, try it after a couple of glasses of 5 year old Coonawarra Shirazes in the middle of winter and it sounds pretty good indeed!! | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 253 Registered: 03-2005 |
A fine solution to almost any problem, Geoff. | ||
| Hardin Smith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 150 Registered: 03-2006 |
Put me in, Coach! A glass of good Aussie Shiraz would probably go well with many songs from the GB repertoire... I was curious about that, Geoff...is going to wineries in Auz a big deal like it is here in Cali? It's all the rage here - visiting wine country,etc...the movie Sideways has made that take off even more, particularly in that part of CA. And, are there obnoxiou wine snobs in Auz? There sure are in CA. The wine snob character in Sideways was not really a caricature - there are many I've encountered here who indulge in the same pretentious behavior - the gargling, the snifffing, etc... Another point of trivia: there's a very good winery, up in Sonoma, called Matanzas, that also grows lavender..it really is very cool to see big fields of it. Maybe the climate needed for lavender is similar to that needed for grapes... | ||
| jerry hann Member Username: Jerry_h Post Number: 94 Registered: 07-2005 |
I like it more my intrerest has been rejuvenated by the new copy, but still a very slightly disappointed as I think some of the titles Darlinhurst Nights and mountains are slightly let down by the songs.Still love thme non the less. Might start another thread on best wines/Wine regions etc, so for now I'll go for New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from Villa Maria and for red a Lebanese Chateau Musar | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 211 Registered: 08-2004 |
I like BYBO a lot. In the odd way I listen to music, I've only recently started to enjoy the album. OA is slowly creeping into a favourite, it's good as a playlist with Erotic Sunshine, Stone, the World's apart B-sides + Barbican bonus tracks. I'd prefer to hear the OA songs with BYBO's more organic production. As for wine, half a bottle of Blue Nun for me. | ||
| Hardin Smith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 159 Registered: 03-2006 |
I presume, Jerry, by Barbican, you're referring to the "Live in London" disc...is it good? I'm jonesing for a copy...there was another thread reference to it, but there oughta be a way for those of us on this board who don't have it to consolidate our buying power and get our mitts on some copies of it...there must be at least a couple of dozen people who'd want copies if we could do some kind of mass order... Also, I realized I have a possible gap in my GBs collection. Has "Very Quick on the Eye" ever been released on CD? Is it available anyplace? | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 212 Registered: 08-2004 |
No Hardin, I haven't got the 2-disc set yet, I mean the one that came with OA. VQOTE is an occasional find on vinyl on ebay, a few of the songs are on SMAL's bonus disc. | ||
| Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 214 Registered: 04-2005 |
There's nothing special about the graphics of the official release, and as noted many times here, it already has amateurish gaps of silence between the tracks. Let me know if you're interested. It would be great if unsold GoBs tour merchandise (if any is left) could be sold through this Web site. They didn't bring the tour T-shirts to the States, much to my disappointment. (post edited by admin, March 28 2006) | ||
| Hardin Smith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 160 Registered: 03-2006 |
Thanks, Kurt. That's a great offer - I'll take you up on it and would be delighted to reciprocate if there's anything I might have that you're interested in (I probably don't have anything as tasty, unfortunately). I'll just email my address, etc., if that works and will reimburse you for shipping. I would happily have purchased a copy if they'd played anywhere near this last time... They could sell a buttload of merchandise through this site, couldn't they? Get some kind of Pay Pal set up, and Bob's your uncle! | ||
| admin Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 44 Registered: 08-2004 |
Copies of "Live in London" are on sale in the Go-Betweens store - just click on the 'shop' link on this site and you'll be taken there. | ||
| TROU Member Username: Trou Post Number: 19 Registered: 05-2005 |
Thank you Mr admin. | ||
| Hardin Smith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 163 Registered: 03-2006 |
I second those thanks - I did not realize it was available here. | ||
| Andrewnz Member Username: Andrewnz Post Number: 11 Registered: 08-2005 |
just ordered live in london - now only 390 left! | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 278 Registered: 05-2005 |
This thread made me ask the question to all the people that I know who are GB's freaks! (my GB's trustees) but are not party to this msg board, and the general feeling is that they still play and love Oceans Apart. However, like most of us, they have a fondness for the back catalogue that will never waiver. | ||
| Eke Member Username: Ekewebb Post Number: 51 Registered: 05-2005 |
Thanks for that. I had no idea Live In London was available to buy. | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 213 Registered: 08-2004 |
Thanks Admin. Don't be bashful, tell us things we might be interested in. You do know we're fans, right? There's too much to read on the MB at the moment, no time to navigate the website. Thanks again. | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 281 Registered: 05-2005 |
Is the website still going!?? LOL | ||
| jerry hann Member Username: Jerry_h Post Number: 97 Registered: 07-2005 |
May be I'm being an idiot but where is the shop link to grt the live in london | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 220 Registered: 08-2004 |
http://www.gobetweensstore.co.uk/ It's on the last page under albums. | ||
| Hardin Smith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 186 Registered: 03-2006 |
Mr. Admin, I tried to order Live in London via the Shop, but alas, they don't have the US listed as a shipping option...Any thoughts? Could you let the folks who administer the shop know? There are probably other people from the states who're interested...we could talking a lot of money here - tens, even hundreds of dollars. It's really a shame, because I saw all kinds of other swag I'd like to order, T-shirts, vinyl, etc... Thanks | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 294 Registered: 05-2005 |
I think GB's Merch could be a BIG seller if it were only promoted propeley, you never see it! Its neve a feature anywhere is it? | ||
| Hardin Smith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 187 Registered: 03-2006 |
Yeah, particularly the vinyl...I'm surprised more folks aren't salivating over it. | ||
| David Matheson Member Username: David_matheson Post Number: 75 Registered: 12-2004 |
I've never really been into merchandise, but it's good to know that it's easily available, especially for people who can't make it to gigs. Regarding Oceans Apart. It's not quite a year since it was released in Australia. I remeber feeling envious of people overseas who had it while I was still waiting. Anyway, to me it still holds up very well one year on. Played it a few times over the last month and thoroughly enjoyed it. An album that can still bring pleasure after repeated playings over time is for me a great album. |