| Author | Message | ||
     Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 3179 Registered: 05-2005 |
Robert's book - The 10 Rules Of Rock And Roll - is released in a couple of weeks. I have a preview copy, so here's a little something to whet your appetite. My favourite from the title story: 5 The band with the most tattoos has the worst songs. | ||
| Geoff Holmes Member Username: Geoff Post Number: 571 Registered: 05-2005 |
CLASSIC!!!!!!! I laughed out aloud at that one! Hopefully I will have finished the Triffids book by then. Sad but true, both my youngest nephew and neice have multiple tattoos. I despise them...the tattoos that is. Someone's going to be making an AWEFUL lot of money in tattoo removal in 20 years time! | ||
| Charles Coy Member Username: Coy Post Number: 157 Registered: 10-2006 |
..cant wait to get the book..cheers Padraig | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 2158 Registered: 03-2005 |
Triffids book? | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 1647 Registered: 01-2005 |
Rock tattoos have come a long way from the small mushroom tattoo that all of the members of the original Allman Brother Band and their roadies each had on one of their ankles. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 3181 Registered: 05-2005 |
There are two just out Triffids-related books Randy. Beautiful Waste is a 110 page collection of David McComb's poetry and Vagabond Holes is a 380 page collection of various people (including David McComb, Robert Forster, Nick Cave etc) writing about The Triffids. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 3187 Registered: 05-2005 |
Both books are published by Freemantle Press in Perth. www.fremantlepress.com.au | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 3188 Registered: 05-2005 |
And Robert's book is published by Black Inc. www.blackincbooks.com | ||
| Matsrep Member Username: Matsrep Post Number: 88 Registered: 10-2005 |
An interview with Robert: http://www.theincblot.blogspot.com/ He lists some favourite music - I think I'll agree on those (would have chosen another Dylan album, maybe ...) | ||
| Allen Belz Member Username: Abpositive Post Number: 1702 Registered: 09-2006 |
Got my copy ordered. | ||
| Matsrep Member Username: Matsrep Post Number: 89 Registered: 10-2005 |
And mine has arrived. It looks great. (Bring the cover artist when the next RF album needs a cover.) I immediately read some of the unpublished stuff: the article about Guy Clark's Old No 1 is very fine. And those who have not read all the material in The Monthly are in for a treat. | ||
| Andrew Kerr Member Username: Andrew_k Post Number: 502 Registered: 04-2005 |
Seems like a whole buzz of activity from RF has gone unnoticed here; gigs in Germany, book tour in Australia (did no-one go ?), new recording of 'Rock and Roll Friend'...it's all happening ! http://www.robertforster.net/rfnews.html Anyone got hold of the book outside of Australia yet ? if so from where please ? | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 2175 Registered: 03-2005 |
Andrew, my copy hasn't arrived yet but I ordered it about a week ago from an Australian site, Readings Books & Music. | ||
| Charles Coy Member Username: Coy Post Number: 160 Registered: 10-2006 |
I was there at Carlton "Readings' book signed, hour long discussion with about 50 people..intimate engrossing..spellbound, played 3 songs ...German Farmhouse, He Lives my Life and a new one...'I love myself..I always have ' fabulous story behind the song... a stunning night..from the book have obtained Antony and the Johnsons both Albums, next the Hampdens...happy to tell the story, though may spoil for others.. | ||
| Matsrep Member Username: Matsrep Post Number: 90 Registered: 10-2005 |
I ordered mine through a link on the black inc site; it arrived safely in Sweden. | ||
| Allen Belz Member Username: Abpositive Post Number: 1708 Registered: 09-2006 |
Mine just arrived, via that same link on Black inc. | ||
| Geoff Holmes Member Username: Geoff Post Number: 588 Registered: 05-2005 |
Yet another book that Santa HAS to put under the tree for me! (along with The Church/Kilbey book and the Donovan one) | ||
| Jonathan Evans Member Username: Jon Post Number: 358 Registered: 04-2005 |
My copy has just arrived from Australia, I got a signed copy from Brisbane, I don't know if that officially makes me a cyberstalker, but the internet is a wonderful thing. Cheers Jon | ||
| Victor Edwin Prose Member Username: Victor_prose Post Number: 44 Registered: 04-2009 |
Rule 2 is "the second to last song on any album is the weakest", or something to that effect. This is interesting because of its implicit indictment of "Arrow In A Bow", "On My Block", "Unkind & Unwise" (!), "Palm Sunday", "The Clarke Sisters" (!!), "I'm Alright", "I've Been Looking For Somebody" (!!!), "Beyond Their Law" (!), "On A Street Corner", "Goin' Blind", "Something For Myself" (!), "This Night's For You", and "It Ain't Easy" (!!!!) as worst-in-show songs, some of which are. Or maybe it isn't interesting at all. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 1826 Registered: 10-2004 |
Victor, I was struck by Rule 2 because I disagree with it so strongly! "On My Block," "Unkind & Unwise," "Palm Sunday," "The Clarke Sisters," "I'm Alright," and "I've Been Looking For Somebody" are all highlights on their respective albums, in my view. But then, given my strong dislike of "Arrow in a Bow," "On a Street Corner," and "It Ain't Easy," maybe rule #2 works 1/3 of the time. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 2207 Registered: 03-2005 |
I got a kick out of that particular rule. I can think of plenty of albums that don't conform but I'll bet Robert's right more than 50% of the time. Obviously Robert came up with some of the rules just to get his readers clattering. Is the 3 piece band the purest form of rock 'n roll? I think of Cream. Yuck. However I also think of the two different awesome three piece bands that played behind Johnny Kidd during his best years. How about "no artist does anything new onstage after 20 minutes?" Surely he's winding up some of his peers with that one. The funny thing about Robert's recommendation that you never trust an artist who describes his or her own work as "dark" is that Robert himself tended to over-use that adjective in the reviews in the first quarter or so of the book. It reminds me of how I have to go through anything long I've written and start deleting "really." I'm reading the book in short installments of maybe 2 or 3 reviews at a time and only half way through right now. They're often very fun, for example his review of Frank Black's "Honeycomb" is priceless; it's very well-timed comedy. And I truly appreciate his column on the Monkees. I still remember loving "Headquarters" et seq. during the lonely early 70s when that was sure to get you laughed at; it was much like it still is with the Hollies. | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 1443 Registered: 08-2006 |
Having sequenced a couple CDs, I'd vote for the third-to-last song. In LP parlance, you're more or less in the middle of the flip side, and you've got two tunes following to leave a strong impression. Then again, glancing at a random sampling of CDs I have on hand, I find Robert's opinion holds some water. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 3306 Registered: 05-2005 |
I think he's on the money, especially when it comes to The Go-Betweens. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 1827 Registered: 10-2004 |
Well, it's all subjective, but I absolutely cannot trust the tastes of ANYONE who thinks "On My Block" and "Unkind & Unwise" are weak songs. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 3308 Registered: 05-2005 |
I really like Unkind & Unwise. I can't even remember how On My Block goes though. The Clarke Sisters and I've Been Looking For Somebody are also great songs. Maybe the rule works half the time for The Go-Betweens. Hey, it got us talking, which was surely Robert's point! (I don't mean literally you and me Jeff). | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 1828 Registered: 10-2004 |
Padraig, you should revisit "On My Block." Not only is it a big favorite of mine, but seriously, everyone I've ever played Before Hollywood for always points to that song first as a stand-out. I haven't read Robert's book, but I gather that ultimately he's being kind of cheeky with these rules. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 3311 Registered: 05-2005 |
Just revisited On My Block! It's mariachi new wave! How could I have forgotten this? I obviously don't play Before Hollywood often enough. | ||
| Allen Belz Member Username: Abpositive Post Number: 1723 Registered: 09-2006 |
I'd agree with the mostly-tongue-in-cheek theory...I think actually naming the book that is a big indicator in that direction. | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 1698 Registered: 01-2005 |
Rule #2 certainly doesn't work for Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, as Layla is the second to last song. A few others: She Goes On on Woodface, The Jean Geanie on Alladin Sane, Suffragette City on Ziggy Stardust, Lonesome For A Place I Know on Idlewild, 25th of December on Amphlified Heart, Bummer in the Summer on Forever Changes, Holy War on Matthew Sweet's Girlfriend, Did She Jump or Was She Pushed from Shoot Out The Lights, Queen of Eyes from Underwater Moonlight, Friends of Mine from Oddesey and Oracle. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 2211 Registered: 03-2005 |
I won't comment on the others because I don't like them well enough in the first place but I love the Zombies and "Friends of Mine" is indeed one of their weaker numbers. It's twee and not much else. Its competitor for weakest song on the album is "Butcher's Tale" which is almost in the slot Rob has pegged as the place for the weak song. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 1829 Registered: 10-2004 |
Some of my own personal examples of why rule #2 is wrong: Microdisney/Clock - Goodbye it's 1987 Felt/Strange Idols - Dismantled King Kraftwerk/Man Machine - Neon Lights Human League/Dare - Love Action David Bowie/Low - Weeping Wall Joy Division/Closer - The Eternal Smiths/Queen is Dead - There is a Light... Eno/Another Green World - Everything Merges... Roxy Music/Roxy Music - Sea Breezes Pale Fountains/Kitchen Table - Hey John Cale/Fear - You Know More Than I Know Thin Lizzy/Jailbreak - Cowboy Song Blue Oyster Cult/Tyranny & Mutation - Teen Archer Associates/Affectionate Punch - Deeply Concerned Associates/Sulk - Club Country Beau Brummels/Triangle - Wolf of Velvet Fortune Echo & the Bunnymen/Ocean Rain - My Kingdom And I'm sure I could think of a gazillion others... | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 3313 Registered: 05-2005 |
I think Holy War is the weakest track on Matthew Sweet's Girlfriend. | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 1701 Registered: 01-2005 |
Kate Bush/Never For Ever - Army Dreamers Kate Bush/Sensual World - This Woman's Work Fairport Convention/Unhalfbricking - Percy's Song Neil Young/Tonight's The Night - Tired Eyes REM/Automatic For The People - Nightswimming | ||
| Guy Ewald Member Username: Guy_ewald Post Number: 235 Registered: 02-2005 |
I just got the book from Amazon last week. It is definitely a "by installment" read and I'm enjoying it a great deal. But I'm finding the reviews of albums I don't own very tough to enjoy as essays in their own right. I bought the Bonnie 'Prince' Billy album last week and just ordered the Sibylle Baier and Connie Converse CD's to put that review in perspective. This is a good thing; being turned-on to albums I've overlooked and simultaneously enjoying Forster's insight in digesting them. But I didn't realize the price of an import paperback was just the beginning. :o) | ||
| fsh Member Username: Fsh Post Number: 205 Registered: 05-2005 |
I bought a signed copy. It came in nice box with a 10" single. I paid Ł75 UK for it. My mother told me I was mad but then I woke up and realised it was all just a bad dream ... | ||
| carl allen Member Username: Carl_allen Post Number: 3 Registered: 10-2007 |
Think I'll wait until the limited edition gets remainded, and I tend to buy everything go-be related. Which kinda begs the question who on earth is going to buy it at that price? | ||
| Andrew Kerr Member Username: Andrew_k Post Number: 555 Registered: 04-2005 |
Personally I'm waiting for the version that comes in a nice box with the 10" single AND a square inch of Robert's tartan cape. | ||
| peter ward Member Username: Peter_ward Post Number: 117 Registered: 06-2005 |
Robert interviewed about the poetry of pop.... http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/musi c/the-poetry-of-pop-20100514-v3kr.html | ||
| fsh Member Username: Fsh Post Number: 210 Registered: 05-2005 |
In time I think we may come to discover that Robert Forster opened a pandora's box with his take on Rules ... "There is a simple rule of thumb when it comes to World Cups: the best teams have the best jerseys." (Tom Humphries - Sports Journalist). | ||
| Richard Higgins Member Username: Richard Post Number: 20 Registered: 05-2005 |
http://thequietus.com/articles/05033-the -10-rules-of-rock-roll-by-robert-forster -reviewed-the-go-betweens | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 2477 Registered: 03-2005 |
Ouch, Richard, but thanks for the bracing morning flogging. Where to begin with this commentary? I suppose the author is just rhetorically ignoring the fact that the Go Betweens inhabit a world largely their own in which, yes, Grant McLennan was a rock star and, yes, we do care very much about Mr. Forster's perspective on things. In that world it is understood that human emotions are complex and often inscrutable except as revealed through fragments of unintended disclosure. So of course Robert remains a bit at sea about aspects of Grant's nature. Nothing is nice and clear and resolved in the Go Betweens' world. It remains ambiguous, ambivalent and amenable to creative interpretation by its far-flung inhabitants. The Quietus writer prefers a marriage of punk with soul. He's not likely to appreciate the Go Betweens' self-described marriage of Dylan with the Monkees. | ||
| Richard Higgins Member Username: Richard Post Number: 21 Registered: 05-2005 |
Merely the messenger Randy- think someone has an agenda/axe to grind?!Seemed a somewhat vitriolic review, maybe I'm being biased.. | ||
| Andrew Kerr Member Username: Andrew_k Post Number: 591 Registered: 04-2005 |
Oh well the G-Bs had 30 odd years of unbroken positive critical coverage, so 'spose the backlash has started ? And some of the comments on that recent 'messandnoise' 3 part interview were just plain nasty! | ||
| Hugo Member Username: Hugo Post Number: 35 Registered: 06-2005 |
This may be sacrilege around these parts, but to be honest I think Robert is a solid, journeyman type journalist rather than a great one. I haven't read his book but I do read his column in The Monthly, and he does choose rather obvious subjects - he makes the right points but rarely does anything leap out at you in a "I've never thought of that before" way. He's strongest on the actual business of making records, but his aesthetic appreciation can be rather workaday. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 2082 Registered: 10-2004 |
That Quietus review is probably the harshest review I've ever read of anything Go-Betweens related. | ||
| fsh Member Username: Fsh Post Number: 224 Registered: 05-2005 |
As Annabel Richards puts it in the comments after the Quietus review: "Ahh. Jealousy is a tiger that tears not only its prey but also its own raging heart." Though I think the review is well written and witty, Annabel sums it up for me. I can't imagine Robert himself forking out Ł75 for something like this box set, I think it was an error of judgement on his behalf ... but we all make errors of judgement so ... so what! | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 4050 Registered: 05-2005 |
The book must have been re-released in the UK. There is a review on the Clash magazine website. http://www.clashmusic.com/feature/robert -forster-the-10-rules-of-rock-n-roll | ||
| Matsrep Member Username: Matsrep Post Number: 107 Registered: 10-2005 |
Note that this new version takes us up to 2011: "This revised and updated edition features new material not included in the original book". http://jawbonepress.com/index.php?id=93 | ||
| Burgers Member Username: Burgers Post Number: 32 Registered: 05-2005 |
Received my copy today. Looking at the index I think there may be about 10 pages of new material. |