| Author | Message | ||
     matt |
i'm a new listener and i was wondering what the good albums are to get by them? | ||
| michael |
Depends what attracted you to them ? I think the best albums are 1. Liberty Belle, 2. Tallulah, 3. 16 Lovers Lane. In that order. If you want immediate access go the Lovers Lane. There are 3 earlier albums and 2 more recent and 3 or more compilations. See the reissues thread on this site for repackaged albums. | ||
| Pete Azzopardi |
They are all great, Matt, but if you're after their most widely acclaimed albums that would be "Before Hollywood", "Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express" and "16 Lovers Lane". Michael asks a good question though: "Depends what attracted you to them". For instance, I have a friend who only likes the later, poppier stuff like "Tallulah" and 16LL but finds "Before Hollywood" and "Send Me A Lullaby" too dark and sinister for his taste. | ||
| cortez |
Not my fave but BYBO would be a great place to start-very accessible and fairly consistent. The Go Betweens 78-90 compilation provides a fine overview. Tell us how you get on Matt. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker |
I'd have to agree with the above post that said it depends on what it is you want out of them. For lilting melodic pop, I'd start with Liberty Belle, Before Hollywood, or 16LL, followed by Sring Hill Fair. For art-damaged post-punk w/ poppy overtones, I'd start with Send Me a Lullaby (though I'd hold off on this one if fractured post-punk isn't what you're looking for). I'd hold off on the two come-back albums because to me they don't really represent the signature Go-Betweens sound that attracted many of us to the band. Not that they are bad albums by any stretch (they're quite good, especially BYBO), but they just aren't "classically" Go-Betweens, IMHO. | ||
| matt |
well i heard that they're old stuff was kind of dark like the cure and etc., and that they're newer stuff is different. so i was looking to get some early and some new. | ||
| Alfred |
Yeah, the Cure were an influence on early Go-Betweeens, but imagine the Cure done right if that makes sense: the martial drums, dark guitar tunings, and yelped vocals deployed with considerable melodic and lyrical preociousness. The Cure always sounded (and now look) like a bag of old wet hemp to me - past the age of 18 anyway. | ||
| Randy Adams |
I still like the "Boys Don't Cry" LP and never had much use for what came afterwards. I recommend "Send Me a Lullabye" ONLY after you've heard everything else. My introduction to the GoBees was via the 1978-1990 antho which is still a great sampler and a great listen. It includes a few rarities (soon to be rarities no longer) and ends with the totally inspired choice of Grant's "You Won't Find It Again" a bittersweet song which seemed to sum it all up when the anthology was put together. | ||
| Duncan H |
My introduction was through the 1978-1990 album as well, through tape in my case. Amusingly this means that the first Go-Betweens song I ever heard was "Karen", though in 1990. (I'd never heard anything they'd done before I bought the tape, though I had heard the name. It was a sunny spring day, and I just liked the cover to 1978-1990.) Side one of the tape blew me away, though side 2 had me hitting the fast-forward buttons a few times (e.g. "8 Pictures"). I would have thought the more recent Best-of is the best way to now get into the band. It's cheap, and has "hit" after "hit". | ||
| Nigel Wheatley |
I have to say I agree with Jeff, I have been disappointed with the new stuff, compared to the older material which is fantastic. Buy the Best-of by all means, but you'll miss out on weird and wonderfull classics like "River Of Money" from "Springhill Fair", if you don't delve any deeper. As for the "Cure" comparison, can't see it myself. I always thought the "Cure" were pretty shit, a few singles apart. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker |
Yeah, I think the most Cure-ish moments by the Go-Betweens were on the I Need Two Heads/Stop Before You Say It 7", and "Sound of Rain," with shades of early Cure in spots on Send Me a Lullaby. I've heard people say Robert Forster's voice can sometimes sound a wee bit like Robert Smith, albeit less whiney. The Go-Betweens were undoubtedly into the first Cure album. | ||
| Alfred |
I hear Jonathan Richman's first incarnation of the Modern Lovers and The Only Ones as well as "Boys Dont Cry"-era Cure in early Go-Betweens (SMAL and BH). Robert may always have had a soft spot for the sound of Richman's records, as even as late as Liberty Belle you heard vestiges of it; but thank god they outgrew the Cure stuff. | ||
| scott |
I've just recently started listening to GB's too... The 78-90 compilation was my introduction as well. With the albums, I've started with Friends of Rachel Worth followed by Send Me A Lullaby, if only because they were the only ones my local record store had in stock (and I was too impatient to wait for anything to be delivered). I love both. I got Before Hollywood the other day and so far, I'm slightly disappointed- Not sure it was such a big improvement on SMAL like I'd heard it was... but I'll give it time. | ||
| cortez |
Matt, c'mon man it's 5 days since you posted the message, reckon you should have made that first purchase by now, especially since the above have given such sound advice. Look forward to your review | ||
| Steve |
Hi. Just found this site. I've only ever really heard 'Jack Kerouac' (about 10 years ago), so I'm looking for a way to get 'into' the band too. A lot of people say the '1978-1990' collection is good. Will all the tracks on that be on the re-issues? | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker |
Steve, in my ever so humble opinion, "Bellavista Terrace" is a much better introductory compilation than "1978-1990." Not that 78-90 is bad, it just has several seriously questionable omissions. However, if you get into them and become an obsessive completist, '78-90 is worth owning because the 2nd half is full of lot's of rare tracks, b-sides, etc... most of which are fabulous. Also worth noting, the elusive vinyl version of '78-90 is better than the CD because it adds several excellent songs. Personally, I think it's best to just dive into any of their original 6 albums (except for Lullaby). Liberty Belle, Before Hollywood, Spring Hill Fair, and 16LL are all great places to start. Keep in mind that Go-Betweens albums tend to take several listens before the brilliance fully sets in. And to answer your question, only a portion of the tracks from '78-90 will be on the upcoming reissues. | ||
| Steve |
Thanks Jeff.... I know the re-issues are coming, but is there a good place to look for second-hand stuff on cd in the meantime? I've had a lot of trouble tracking GB's stuff down. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker |
I see their CDs on ebay quite a bit. I'm assuming you've tried Amazon? There's also musicstack.com, and half.com. Other than that, I'm not sure how to go about finding them, though I know that the Circus reissues of the first three albums are still easy to find in any decent record shop. | ||
| jerry |
This could be helpful. http://www.101cd.com/search/artistall.asp?artist=GO%2DBETWEENS |