Bobby's At The Gate

On Friday 10th October, I had another milestone music experience, thanks to Robert Forster and his Swedish Band.

Optimistically, I thought it was a sound idea to aim to "leave early" from work in Gloucester, then hop onto the M5, across the Severn Bridge and along to Cardiff. From there, park up, grab  bite to eat, walk to the venue and settle down for a good show. 

Doors opened at 7.00pm, so it should be no sweat, right?

What a prat. At 5.15pm, I found myself running not walking the 10 minutes to where my car was parked, then a kerfuffle to get out of Gloucester centre and onto the motorway, then - and I always forget this - joining the bottlenecked, slow moving traffic on the M4 before routes diverge to Newport and Cardiff. It was already 7.00pm when I finally reached the city centre.

There was no parking at the venue and, ignorant of residents' parking restrictions, I'd asked Parkopedia for help. No problem, it told me, the University has plenty of pay and display parking within 10 minutes' walk of the venue. 

Try telling my satnav that. After being caught in Groundhog Day-style comedy of following a loop around half a dozen times, each time the automated voice assuring me that I was at my destination, all I could see under the orange lights were residential streets with permit parking until 10.00pm. Feck!

I gave up and just followed my nose until I found an NCP car park, deposited my car and then begrudgingly relied on satnav again to navigate my way to the venue. An unfamiliar city, in the dark, no clue where i had parked in relation to where I was going, possibly the worst inbuilt sense of direction known to humankind - what else was I going to do?

Before you go looking for the world's tiniest violin to play, I was not stressed at this point. Admittedly, I'd turned the air blue at several points in the car - thankfully, there were no passengers with me on this trek - but by the time I was hotfooting it across town, I was had leaned into the ridiculousness of the situation and with a zen-like calm, was looking forward to getting to the venue and seeing the gig.

And from there, it was all on the up. Firstly, The Gate Arts Centre in Cardiff is a beautiful venue, outside and in. When I finally arrived at 7.45pm, there was enough time to buy a (soft) drink from the bar, head up the stairs and then descend into the theatre.

Astonishingly, the show wasn't sold out, so I could have picked one of the stall seats, to get really close. However, I chose the bottom row of the balcony benches, ever so slightly elevated above the seats before me and affording a decent view of the stage ahead. 

My concerns about missing the support act were alleviated by the news that there wasn't one. Robert Forster came on stage with his Swedish Band - Peter Morén, Jonas Thorell and Magnus Olsson - around 8.00pm and, for the next 100-odd minutes, the place was theirs.

The band eased into the title track of current album Strawberries, all but two of the songs getting a live airing over the course of the evening. Robert noted that he'd had such a good time recording the album with the band that he was eager to tour with them, and it shows. Both the current songs and the classics sound fantastic, helped in no small part by the wonderfully warm acoustics of the location. 

There are a few surprising omissions: nothing from The Evangelist (2008) or Oceans Apart (2005), but The Go-Betweens and solo catalogue is so full of choice tunes that there were no complaints from me or the audience. Too Much Of One Thing, Draining The Pool For You and of course Spring Rain got a huge response. I was also overjoyed to hear German Farmhouse, Love Is A Sign and Was There Anything I Could Do? - the latter a tribute to the much-missed Grant McLennan - as well as the relatively recent I Love Myself (And I Always Have) and One Bird In The Sky.

The songs on Strawberries are as good as anything that Robert has written and recorded and the live renditions did them all justice. The more introspective Breakfast On The Train and Foolish I Know were particular highlights for me.

After a brief exit, Robert returned to the stage to perform Is This What You Call Change from his debut solo album, Danger In The Past. As the song progressed, Robert was gradually joined by the other members of his Swedish Band, bringing the song to a full-throated conclusion.

From there, we were then treated to Tender Years from 2023's The Candle And The Flame and then a brace of classics to close from The Go-Betweens. People Say, followed by Surfing Magazines, was a tribute to the first and second eras of a band that I came to late, never saw live on stage (and now never will).

And yet, at 68, playing songs that he wrote age 22, 48 and in the last 12 months, Robert demonstrated beyond any shadow of a doubt that the fire of his youth burns just as brightly today.

Robert stepped off the stage to go over to a pair of women who had been dancing at the side, thank and shake their hands, before he and the band departed for the final time. Yet, it the time it took me to go up the stairs and descend into the bar, there he was at the merch stand, signing records and books and making conversation with his fans.

I reluctantly had to keep going - I had a journey home as long as the entirety of Robert Forster and his Swedish Band's entire set, and work the next day - but the memory of that wonderful night still lingers.

And I plan on making a return visit to The Gate one day, only I'll book at least half a day off work before and after the gig next time!

The accompanying Dubhed selection recreates the setlist. Was There Anything I Could Do? was written and perfomed by Grant McLennan and is the only song here not featuring Robert on lead vocals. I considered looking for a subsequent solo live version to include, but it feels right just the way it is.

1) Strawberries (Album Version): Robert Forster ft. Karin Bäumler (2025)

2) I Love Myself (And I Always Have): Robert Forster (2015)

3) Always: Robert Forster (2023)

4) Clouds (Album Version): The Go-Betweens (1988)

5) Breakfast On The Train: Robert Forster (2025)

6) Too Much Of One Thing (Album Version): The Go-Betweens (2003)

7) All Of The Time: Robert Forster (2025)

8) Tell It Back To Me: Robert Forster (2025)

9) Draining The Pool For You (Album Version): The Go-Betweens (1984)

10) German Farmhouse (Album Version): The Go-Betweens (2000)

11) Foolish I Know: Robert Forster (2025)

12) Love Is A Sign (Album Version): The Go-Betweens (1988)

13) Good To Cry: Robert Forster (2025)

14) Was There Anything I Could Do? (Album Version): The Go-Betweens (1988)

15) One Bird In The Sky (Album Version): Robert Forster (2019)

16) Spring Rain (Album Version): The Go-Betweens (1986)

17) Learn To Burn: Robert Forster (2015)

18) Is This What You Call Change: Robert Forster (1990)

19) Tender Years: Robert Forster (2023)

20) People Say (Single Version): The Go-Betweens (1979)

21) Surfing Magazines (Album Version): The Go-Betweens (2000)

1979: People Say EP: 20

1984: Spring Hill Fair: 9

1986: Liberty Belle And The Black Diamond Express: 16

1988: 16 Lovers Lane: 4, 12, 14

1990: Danger In The Past: 18

2000: The Friends Of Rachel Worth: 10, 21

2003: Bright Yellow Bright Orange: 6

2015: Songs To Play: 2, 17

2019: Inferno: 15

2023: The Candle And The Flame: 3, 19

2025: Strawberries: 1, 5, 7, 8, 11, 13

Bobby's At The Gate (1:26:00) (GD) (M)

I've also reactivated the following previous Dubhed selections, to make this a full-on Forster festival. Fill your boots!

Let's Burn This Land: The Go-Betweens (August 1990)

Second Intermission: Robert Forster & Grant McLennan solo (Sep 2021)

Dusty In Here: The Go-Betweens (October 2021)

Sixty Six: Robert Forster (June 2023)

As a closing bit of trivia, and something I was completely oblivious to on the night, only discovering when I was creating this post. Swedish Band member (and album producer) Peter Morén is none other than the lead singer of Peter Bjorn And John, and whose 2006 classic single Young Folks has been on regular rotation at Casa K recently. 

There Are Sensations That Just Aren't True And There's A Feeling That I Get When I'm With You

Twenty six and a half minutes of highlights from Robert Forster's show at the Metro Social in Sydney on Saturday 23rd November 2024.

Robert's second night in Sydney and his sixth and final show of his 40 Songs Over 2 Nights tour, having previously played in Brisbane and Melbourne.

Mostly Robert solo on acoustic guitar, with Adele Pickvance, member of the final iteration of The Go-Betweens, occasionally taking to the stage to provide bass and backing vocals.

I can only imagine how wonderful the full set - and 40 songs over 2 nights - must have been.

00:00  Was There Anything I Could Do? (16 Lovers Lane, 1988)

03:00  Part Company (Spring Hill Fair, 1984)

07:40   I'll Jump (Warm Nights, 1996)

10:39    I’ve Been Looking For Somebody (Danger In The Past, 1990)

15:16     Dive For Your Memory (16 Lovers Lane, 1988)

19:04    One Bird In The Sky (Inferno, 2019)

22:04    Draining The Pool For You (Spring Hill Fair, 1984)

Robert's also been a real creative streak of late, with 9th solo album Strawberries arriving in May, a mere two years after his previous offering. You can find Robert's five most recent albums on Bandcamp.

Strawberries is a joy, a brisk, exuberant album that is unmistakably Robert but also a chance to try on some new clothes and liking how they fit (if that isn't mangling the musical metaphor too much).

I was so inspired by the release of the title track in February that I wrote an entire post about strawberry themed songs.

To coincide with the album launch in May, Robert issued a second single from Strawberries, the driving, full-band explosion that is All Of The Time. Designed for the road, windows wound down, singing along at the top of your voice. 

If you've been startled by such an experience this summer, passing you in somewhere in Gloucestershire, it was probably me.

Today's post is dedicated to Stuart, with heartfelt thanks for a lifetime of friendship.

52 days to go.

25 For 25, Part One

As far as I'm concerned, 2025 has been a great year for new music, some long-term favourites returning with new albums, others discovered for the first time. 

In fact, I struggled to come up with a single 45-minute selection, so sod it. I did two. More by accident than design, the second one came in at 13 songs which, added to this dozen, conveniently delivers 25 highlights from 2025. So far.

I'm going to hold onto Side Two until next Sunday. In the meantime, surround yourself with some wonderful songs from some wonderful albums (and two singles).

1) Patient Has Own Supply: Constant Follower (The Smile You Send Out Returns To You)

2) Dating A Model: Emily Breeze (Rats In Paradise)

3) The Blue: Mumble Tide (Might As Well Play Another One)

4) Who This World Is Made For. (Mindful Edit): Ellen Beth Abdi (Ellen Beth Abdi)

5) Burning Bridges: The Cowboy Mouth (Faultlines)

6) have you ever had a broken heart? (Album Version): senses (all the heavens)

7) Old Oak Road (2025 Mix): Mike Smalle ft. Cathal Coughlan & Jah Wobble (Ghosts EP)

8) 1st World Blues: Bright Eyes (1st World Blues EP)

9) Signs: Olafur Arnalds / Talos (A Dawning)

10) You Know It Ain't Right: Pearl Charles (Desert Queen)

11) Good To Cry: Robert Forster (Strawberries)

12) I Materialize: Destroyer (Dan's Boogie)

Side One (45:29) (GD) (M)

Strawberries On Sunday

Robert Forster has a new album out in May called Strawberries and he's obligingly released the title track as a video this weekend.

Strawberries features Robert duetting with wife Karin Bäumler in what I presume is their kitchen, whilst the family black cat attempts to steal the show in the background. The song and the video are a joy from start to finish.

I''m not only looking forward to the album, but also Robert's return to the UK later this year for a few dates, including a show in Cardiff. Never having seen him or The Go-Betweens live on stage before, I bought tickets without hesitation. Very excited.

All this singing about strawberries inevitably made me think about other such songs, so here are five more. I rigidly stuck to the plural, so no Strawberry Fields Forever by The Beatles (or Candy Flip, for that matter) or Strawberry Line from the current Beak> album, even though it's brilliant.

Instead, and perhaps inevitably, things continue with Strawberries by Asobi Seksu, a beautiful song from the 2007 album called - what else? - Citrus. The single was accompanied by fine remixes by The Whip, CSS and out-shoegazing the original, Ulrich Schnauss.

Next up is Strawberries Are Growing In My Garden (And It's Wintertime), a 1985 single by The Dentists. I'd like to say that I was hip to the Medway Scene bands as a 14 year old but I'd didn't even know there was a Medway Scene at the time. Frankly, I barely knew that there was a Bristol scene, let alone anywhere further from home.  

I first heard this on the 2005 compilation Children Of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From The Second Psychedelic Era 1976-1996 and, had I got there 20 years earlier, it would have been right up my street.

Fast forward to 2014 and Franz Ferdninand, with a low-key release of Fresh Strawberries, on 7' and promo CD single only, although there is a striking monochrome video. Fresh Strawberries closes Side 1 of Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action, Franz Ferdinand's 4th album released the previous year. 

The penultimate choice is Taste The Strawberries by War Against Sleep, the non de plume of Duncan Fleming, described as an "ongoing battle against the absurd waking dream that passes for life, in which he plunders the hidden treasures of a thousand charity shop records, writing songs that tingle the spine, move the soul and lift the spirit".

I'm a recent convert and I have to say that I'm all in. There are five albums available on Bandcamp, Taste The Strawberries taken from the 2008 debut Pleasure Complex. I will also have the pleasure of seeing Duncan perform live next month, in a special show with Emily Breeze at the Cube Microplex in Bristol.

There is only way to wrap up this half dozen though, and the one singular exception to the strawberries (plural) theme. That, of course, is Strawberry Switchblade. 

I selected their cover of Jolene, as a tribute to Dolly Parton, whose husband of 60 years, passed away last week. Whilst Dolly's career went into the stratosphere, Carl Dean intentionally kept a low profile, continuing to focus on his Nashville-based asphalt-paving business. 

However, as Dolly revealed decades later, Jolene was inspired by her husband's experience of a cashier at his local bank, who developed a crush on him.

As an impressionable adolescent, I thought Strawberry Switchblade were fantastic. My crush on Jill Bryson, though in the video and TV appearances for Jolene, Rose McDowall was an arresting sight in a leather zip-up one-piece, coming on like a Gothic Emma Peel from The Avengers.

Jolene was released in 1985, and sounds very much of its time, including a musical nod to Bronski Beat's cover of I Feel Love by Donna Summer. I still own and cherish the 12" single, but can it really be forty years old?!

 

 

 

 

 

Everything Playing At Once

"How did I get here?" as David Byrne once said. I know what he means. It's been a pretty crappy year in many respects, but music - and blogging about music - has been my salve, my safe space, my springboard back into the, at times, sheer madness of the wider world.

"What, no mega-mix?" as Ernie Goggins commented yesterday. Well, I'd always planned a Dubhed selection to sum up 2023 and see in 2024. Thankfully, it's not a 24-hour marathon attempting to squeeze everything in. Instead, it's a much more ear-friendly party mix at a smidge over an hour, sampling 17 tracks (and one interview snippet) including one song which didn't even make yesterday's end of year list!

This may be the only place today where you will hear Balearic, post-punk, downtempo, travelogue, dub, house, alternative, r 'n' b, politics, jazz and psychedelia all cut and pasted together. As I said to Ernie, more manic- than mega-mix. I think it turned out surprisingly well.

 

I have no plans for Dubhed to slow down in 2024, so expect more of the usual make-it-up-as-I go-along nonsense on a daily basis, inspired as ever by the music that soundtracks my life and keeps me going through good and bad times. 

On that note, a massive thank you again to you all for your continued support this year, it really means a lot. I hope that however you are spending New Year's Eve, it's a good one and that 2024 brings you much joy and happiness.

 

Happy New Year!

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!

Bliadhna Mhath ùr! 

Athbhliain Faoi Mhaise Dhuit!

Bonne Année!  

Ευτυχισμένο το νέο έτος!

Feliz Año Nuevo!  

Щасливого Нового року!

 

1) Ride A Cloud (Xavi's Campfire Mix - Khayem's Nice 'n' Splicey Edit): The Woodentops ft. Kyoko Sato *

2) Master Of Time: Jah Wobble

3) That Time Of Night (Hardway Bros Meet Monkton Uptown Dub): GLOK ft. Shiarra

4) Lack Of Sleep (Pye Corner Audio Remix): Maps

5) Cleanse Your Guilt Here: Algiers

6) Somehow It Feels Important (Auren Remix): Hairdressa

7) Tender Years: Robert Forster

8) I Laugh Myself To Sleep: David Holmes ft. Raven Violet

9) "do you wanna know what's changed about the music industry?": David Holmes **

10) Many Hands (Retroforward Dubbin' Hands Remix): D:Ream 

11) Brigada (Single Version): Bárbara Boeing ft. Phil Mill

12) Baba Louie: Jaimie Branch ft. Akenya Seymour & Kuma Dog

13) Go On Dub (Adrian Sherwood 'Reset In Dub’ Version): Panda Bear & Sonic Boom

14) 3rd Highlands And Islands Tour: Julian Cope

15) wifi: Spare Snare

16) There Will Be No Crying: Cleo Sol

17) $1 One Vote!: The The

18) Sunday's Cool: 10:40

 

Everything Playing At Once (1:02:45) (KF) (Mega) 

 

* This is possibly the laziest edit I've ever done. I've simply laid a copy of the mix on the other, with a 20-second delay and (roughly) beat matched. I like the repetition of Kyoko Sato's voice, so this version stayed in. 

 

** A snippet from Edith Bowman's interview with David Holmes earlier this month. Well worth an hour of your time.

#45sUnder3

I wouldn't say I put 100% into maintaining a presence on Twitter (or X or whatever Ego Musk is calling it these days, but I have participated in a couple of themed series, inviting people to share music. 

The first was a month-long celebration of 12" mixes from the 1980s and it was a lot of fun, sharing some old favourites and criminally forgotten or underrated tunes. This month (July), the theme has been singles that come in at 3 minutes or less. I didn't have a particular plan and was pretty much selecting a song at random on a daily basis. This in turn frequently informed many of my posts this month, more often than not leading me to get carried away with my "research" and deviating significantly from the song that prompted it.

Again, it's been good fun to see what other people would come up with each day. Needless to say, some stone cold classics have been well represented through the month: Boys Don't Cry by The Cure, Destroy The Heart by The House Of Love, Outdoor Miner by Wire, Monkey Gone To Heaven by Pixies, Reward by The Teardrop Explodes, Town Called Malice by The Jam, pretty much everything by Buzzcocks. Most genres have also been served well: reggae, soul, pop, punk, dance; not much prog, but to be fair 3 mins would be barely enough for the intro.

So, the series ends today and I chopped and changed my mind about what to include, mindful that I'd not yet included anything by Pixies, Julian Cope and dozens of other favourites. In the end, the choice was obvious: a band that has informed my love of music ever since I was a toddler, was a highlight of this year's Glastonbury (on TV) experience and who have released yet another brilliant album, up there in my 2023 'best of'. Oh, and with a great video to boot. Yes, of course, it's Sparks.

Despite being a daunting 31 song selection, the #45sUnder3 theme means that the entire thing comes in at under an hour and a half. The opening track is a bit of a red herring, but then where else would you heard Nine Inch Nails followed by Sub Sub featuring Melanie Williams?! The remaining selection is eclectic, jumping decades and genres with gleeful abandon and yet... I quite it. I hope you do too.

1) March Of The Pigs (Album Version): Nine Inch Nails (1994)

2) Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use) (Original Edit): Sub Sub ft. Melanie Williams (1993)

3) Sign Of The Times (Album Version): The Belle Stars (1983)

4) Nothing To Worry About (Album Version): Peter, Björn & John (2009)

5) Bizarre Love Triangle (Cover of New Order): Devine & Statton (1989)

6) The Pictures On My Wall (Single Version): Echo & The Bunnymen (1979)

7) Hyper Lust (Album Version): MOTOR ft. Billie Ray Martin (2012)

8) You've Got My Number (Why Don't You Use It!): The Undertones (1979)

9) Dusk Till Dawn (Album Version): Ladyhawke (2008)

10) Souleater: Clouds (1991)

11) Simply Thrilled Honey (Single Version): Orange Juice (1980)

12) D-Days (Single Mix): Hazel O'Connor (1981)

13) The Ugly Bug Ball: Burl Ives (1963)

14) Heart It Races (Album Version): Architecture In Helsinki (2007)

15) Action Time Vision: Alternative TV (1978)

16) Blue Boot (Single Version): Eric Donaldson (1972)

17) Hot Fun In The Summertime (Single Version): Sly & The Family Stone (1969)

18) Cybele's Reverie (Single Version): Stereolab (1996)

19) White Knuckle Ride (Single Version): Danielle Dax (1988)

20) I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape (Album Version): The Times (1982)

21) (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman: Aretha Franklin (1967)

22) The Music (Single Version): Hifi Sean ft. Celeda (2018)

23) Mellow Doubt (Album Version): Teenage Fanclub (1995)

24) I Want Everything: The Godfathers (1986)

25) Thinking 'Bout You (Album Version): Dua Lipa (2017)

26) Lava (Album Version): Silver Sun (1996)

27) She’s A Fighter: Robert Forster (2023)

28) Triple Trouble (Album Version): Beastie Boys (2004)

29) Beak: HANN (2019)

30) Backwards Dog (Single Version): The Soup Dragons (1989)

31) The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte: Sparks (2023)

 

#45sUnder3 (1:23:12) (KF) (Mega)

Sixty Six

Happy birthday to Robert Forster, born 29th June 1957.

For one of my favourite singer songwriters, this selection is surprisingly light on sleevenotes. I'll fess up: I got home late from work and the last thing I wanted to do was stare at a computer screen for another hour or so. At the same time, I wanted to do something more than post a few YouTube links. The compromise is a hastily composed post this morning before the usual chaos at Casa K.

So - and perhaps quite rightly - I'll let Robert's music speak for itself. This 13-song selection comprises 'covers' of The Go-Betweens, including one written by Grant MacLennan, a choice from each of his solo albums, plus a few B-side and live treats.

What a guy.

1) Rock 'n' Roll Friend (Album Version By Edwyn Collins) (Cover of The Go-Betweens) (1996) 

2) In Her Diary (Live @ Weekend #3 Festival, Cologne, ft. Jherek Bischoff & String Quartet) (Cover of The Go-Betweens) (2013)

3) Beyond Their Law (1993)

4) People Say (Single Version ft. Jherek Bischoff & String Quartet) (Cover of The Go-Betweens) (2013)

5) Crazy Jane On The Day Of Judgement (2019)

6) Brookfield 1975 (1993)

7) Echo Beach (Cover of Martha & The Muffins) (ft. Mick Harvey & Warren Ellis) (1994)

8) Quiet Heart (Live @ Joe's Pub, New York) (Cover of The Go-Betweens) (2008) 

9) The Morning (Marc Riley Session) (2019) 

10) Is This What You Call Change (1990)

11) I'm So Happy For You (2015)

12) Let Your Light In, Babe (2008)

13) When I Was A Young Man (2023) 

 

1990: Danger In The Past: 10

1993: Calling From A Country Phone: 3 

1993: Drop EP: 6

1994: I Had A New York Girlfriend: 7

1996: Warm Nights: 1

2008: Live @ Joe's Pub, New York: 8

2008: The Evangelist: 12 

2013: Live @ Weekend #3 Festival: 2

2015: Songs To Play: 11

2017: People Say EP: 4 

2019: Inferno: 5

2019: Marc Riley Session EP: 9

2023: The Candle And The Flame: 13

 

Sixty Six (51:43) (GD) (M)

Fighting For Good

Robert Forster released a brilliant new single, She's A Fighter, last week. 

 

A couple of days before, he posted a news update on his website to explain the poignant background to both the single and forthcoming album, The Candle And The Flame. I'd recommend popping over and reading it before coming back to listen to the song.

 

There's also a short tour of the UK and Ireland in March 2023 to accompany the album release. My only shot for a nearby/weekend gig is Oxford on a Friday... which also happens to be St. Patrick's Day, so a guaranteed quiet night in town. Sooo tempted.

We Get In Our Van And We Just Drive Up To Frisco

Time for some sorely neglected (by me) selections by The Go-Betweens. The songs of Robert Forster and Grant McLennan are constantly with me but some get more airtime than others, often for completely random reasons rather than any comment on the quality of the songs themselves. He Lives My Live is a brilliant song but according to my Apple Music playlist, the "Live In London" version has been played way more than the studio original that appeared on 2000's 'comeback' album The Friends Of Rachel Worth.

1990 posthumous compilation 1978-1990 was my first proper introduction to and touchstone for The Go-Betweens for many years. I really didn't like Don't Call Me Gone to begin with, but repeated listens and an appreciation for McLennan's lyrics won me over. Who could dislike a song with verses like this?

We read our mama's letters
So we packed and took the bus home
Found her crying softly by the headstone of his grave
Took her hand and then we lead her like a little girl
To the door then followed her inside

Today's post title comes from the last track, the closing comment from Robert Forster to Deirdre O'Donoghue in the interview following their rousing performance of Apology Accepted for KCRW-FM, broadcast out of Santa Monica in California. The lure of their 1987 & 1988 sets for Snap compiled as a bonus CD to yet another 'best of' compilation was enough for me to fork out, even though I already had all of the tracks on the main CD. It was worth every penny, not just for the performances themselves but the between song banter and Deirdre's sheer joy at what she's listening to. I can get behind that.

I've named this selection Dusty In Here, as a nod to the fact that I haven't listened to these songs for several years and a cheeky wink at the The Go-Betweens song that names it, but didn't make it onto the final playlist.

Side One (16:46)

1) Ride (1981)

2) The Ghost And The Black Hat (1986)

3) The Statue (2005)

4) Emperor's Courtesan (1983)

5) He Lives My Life (Album Version) (2000)

 

Side Two (18:04)

1) Love Goes On! (Acoustic Demo) (1988)

2) Don't Call Me Gone (1987)

3) A Bad Debt Follows You (Album Version) (1983)

4) Something For Myself (2003)

5) Apology Accepted (Live On Snap with Deirdre O'Donoghue @ KCRW-FM, Santa Monica, California, 11 September 1987)

 

1981: Send Me A Lullaby: A1

1983: Before Hollywood: B3

1986: Liberty Belle And The Black Diamond Express: A2 

1987: Right Here (limited edition 2x 7"): B2 

1996: 16 Lovers Lane Acoustic Demos (French promo CD): B1

1999: Bellavista Terrace: The Best Of The Go-Betweens / Live On Snap With Deirdre O'Donoghue (limited edition 2x CD): B5

2000: The Friends Of Rachel Worth: A5

2002: Spring Hill Fair (Expanded Edition): A4 

2003: Bright Yellow Bright Orange: B4

2005: Oceans Apart: A3

Side One (16:46) (GD) (M)

Side Two (18:04) (GD) (M)

Second Intermission

Today's post spotlights the songwriting genius of Robert Forster & Grant McLennan, specifically their solo ventures between 1990 and 1997. This was collected in 2007 as a 2CD set called Intermission, which I reviewed on my old blog in a regular series called Jukebox Juicebox. This review was originally posted Sunday 26th August 2007. You might need a hot drink and a packet of biscuits, it's a long one...

 

In the wake of Grant McLennan’s untimely death last year, a reappraisal of his solo career (and that of fellow Go-Between co-founder Robert Forster) is long overdue. A single CD and thirteen tracks apiece seems rather miserly, particularly given McLennan’s prodigious solo output. And ignore the ‘best of’ sub-title - listen to these compilations as primers rather than comprehensive overviews. It’s immediately apparent how effortlessly the songs complement one another: you can shuffle the tracklistings or even compile your own pseudo-Go-Betweens album from these songs; the end results will still sound perfect. 

 

A lazy shorthand summary of the music on Intermission could describe Robert Forster’s CD as earnest and intelligent (alt.) country, McLennan’s as simple, acoustic-led folk tales and love songs. The country and western references in the Forster’s songs are easy to spot: liberal use of slide guitar, pedal steel and violin; lyrics that dwell on past relationships and rekindling the fires of lost love; even a C&W cover version in Frisco Depot. Yet, Forster’s songs have always opted for complexity over simplicity and this is obvious after just a single listen. Danger In The Past, the title track from his 1990 debut solo album, is a prime example. The narrator’s account of being drawn back into the life of a friend who has recently been hospitalised (sectioned?) is hauntingly beautiful. The repetition of the title throughout the song emphasises the poignancy of the verses, notably the choice line “…I took your hand and I told you never show your problems in a country town.” I’m reminded of The Modern Lovers’ Hospital and I think it’s fair to draw parallels between Jonathan Richman and Robert Forster. 

 

On a different note, Danger In The Past (both the song and album) was produced by Mick Harvey, whose contributions on piano add a melancholy that underpins Forster’s searching lyrics. Forster’s final solo album included here, 1996’s Warm Nights, similarly benefits from an influential producer and guest musician, Edwyn Collins. In keeping with the album’s title, Collins brings a warmth to the three songs included on Intermission, his distinctive guitar enabling high point Cryin’ Love to rock out in an early 1970s style. 

 

I feel compelled to offer some criticism and it is that the album is topped and tailed by Falling Star. Despite being a great song, two versions are not required, especially given the limited selection of tracks on offer. Personally, I would have ditched Mick Harvey’s original version from 1990, as the version on 1992’s Calling From A Country Phone benefits from a superior, more spacious re-recorded take. It also seems somewhat out of place to add a cover version though, given that 1994’s I Had A New York Girlfriend featured nothing but covers, inescapable. I’m not heard Mickey Newbury’s 1971 original of Frisco Depot or, for that matter, Waylon Jennings or Scott Walker’s versions from 1972 and 1973 respectively. It’s impossible to guess whether Forster’s languid take observes or ignores any of these though, to a certain extent, it’s a moot point as in my opinion it’s the compilation’s only slight dip in quality.

Unlike Forster’s ‘mix and match’ approach, Grant McLennan’s CD2 follows a strict chronological progression through his four solo albums. Things get off to cracking start with 1991’s Haven’t I Been A Fool and Easy Come Easy Go, their immediacy and accessibility begging the question why both weren’t mainstream radio smashes and blasting out of car windows everywhere that summer. Black Mule, the final selection from debut solo album Watershed and recently featured on last year’s stunning Go-Betweens live DVD/CD That Striped Sunlight Sound, is a great example of McLennan’s lyrical skill. Evoking Australia’s past in the song’s main tale of a prospector, McLennan switches in the final verse to a man “walking down a Beirut Street” who is blown up by a car bomb. This juxtaposition of observations that “life can be cruel” should jar, but somehow works. 

 

The similarly wonderful Hot Water, a violin-led ballad, opens with the line “I read about your death in the paper when I was buying tomato seed”. The narrator reflects on a past spent “carrying our flowers to the barricades watching them cops kick down the door” whilst living in a present “seeing my payin’ horses foam” under a “big old sun”. It’s a moving song, McLennan’s economy of lyric and melody understating the true depth of his writing. The closing trio of songs from 1997’s final solo album In Your Bright Ray demonstrate that whilst McLennan’s songs had not evolved in the way that Forster’s arguably had, his basic template had been refined and near as dammit perfected. This is evident in the closing title track, which could just as easily sit on The Go-Betweens’ 2000 comeback album The Friends Of Rachel Worth. 

 

And that in essence is why entitling this compilation Intermission is so appropriate. Robert Forster and Grant McLennan’s solo ventures provided an opportunity for the artists with room to breathe outside of The Go-Betweens, to develop and hone their formidable songwriting skills; in retrospect, their reunion seemed inevitable. Another good title for this compilation would be Chrysalis, but Intermission really says it all; the fact that it was chosen by Grant McLennan makes it even more apt. Whether you are familiar with The Go-Betweens or not, you really do need to check out this beautifully packaged compilation. And, once you’ve fallen in love with it – and believe me, you will – then the desire to explore the rest of Robert Forster and Grant McLennan’s back catalogue will be a natural next step.

 

Postcript, 25th September 2021

I am a huge fan of The Go-Betweens but I still feel that I've not spent as much time with this solo period as I could have. I've followed the advice of my 2007 review and compiled my own pseudo-Go-Betweens album from these songs, mirroring the band's typical approach of 5 songs apiece, alternating between the two songwriters. What's immediately evident is that this is not The Go-Betweens, but I think I hit on something by suggesting the alternative title of Chrysalis: although it was never a foregone conclusion, this compilation is a snapshot of two artists finding their own paths, which ultimately converged further down the line to a new path as The Go-Betweens. In another bit of unintended but lovely synchronicity, both sides of this compilation ended up being (almost) exactly the same duration. Beautiful.

Side One (20:54)

1) The Dark Side Of Town: Grant McLennan (1992)

2) 121: Robert Forster (1993)

3) In Your Bright Ray: Grant McLennan (1997)

4) Baby Stones: Robert Forster (1990)

5) Black Mule: Grant McLennan (1991)

 

Side Two (20:55)

1) I've Been Looking For Somebody: Robert Forster (1990)

2) One Plus One: Grant McLennan (1997)

3) Falling Star (Album Version): By Robert Forster (1993)

4) Horsebreaker Star: Grant McLennan (1994)

5) Cryin' Love: Robert Forster (1996)

 

Side One (20:54) (GD) (M)

Side Two (20:55) (GD) (M)

Songs For The Young At Heart

I discovered a second hand copy of Songs For The Young At Heart almost by accident, but it's become a much-loved album since. Recorded & compiled by Stuart A. Staples & David Boulter from Tindersticks, Songs For The Young At Heart is a children's music album, featuring classic children's songs, nursery rhymes & stories set to music, with vocals from a number of guest artists including Cerys Matthews, Jarvis Cocker, Martin Wallace, Red aka Olivier Lambin, Robert Forster, Stuart Murdoch, Suzanne Osborne & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy aka Will Oldham.

 

According to Wikipedia, David Boulter said that the inspiration for the album came following the birth of his son.

 

"I began thinking of songs and nursery rhymes from my own childhood to play to him", Boulter stated. "I realised there was a lot of interesting and almost forgotten music, from the school room, the radio, and the television, that maybe was the reason I'd begun to make my own music in the first place."

 

I have one of the initial copies of the CD, in hardback book format, containing stories, poems & artwork by Sexton Ming, founding member of The Medway Poets and the Stuckism art movement, as well as sometime member of Armitage Shanks, Television Personalities and Thee Headcoats.

 

Theme For The Young At Heart: Stuart A. Staples & David Boulter (You Tube) (2006) (2:36)