release date: May 1983
format: 2 cd (2002 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
producer: John Brand
label: EMI - nationality: Australia
Track highlights: 2. "Two Step, Step Out" - 3. "Before Hollywood" - 5. "Ask" - 6. "Cattle and Cane" (4,5 / 5) - 8. "As Long as That" - 9. "On My Block" - 10. "That Way"
2nd studio album by Australian jangle pop band The Go-Betweens is the band's first and only after signing with Rough Trade Records (who originally released the album) - here in a 2002 remastered and enhanced edition issued as a 2-disc album with eight bonus tracks and the video for track #6. The Go-Betweens remains the same trio as on the debut Send Me a Lullaby (1982) and credited as shown on the album back cover: Lindy Morrison on drums & backing vocals, Grant McLennan on bass, guitars & vocals, and with Robert Forster on lead and rhythm guitar & vocals. As additional personnel Bernard Clarke is credited for organ and piano. All music is credited Forster / McLennan with Forster as songwriter on four songs (tracks #3, #5, #7 and #9), McLennan as songwriter on five (tracks #1, #2, #4, #6 and #10), and with both as songwriters of track #8. As Rough Trade found strong interest in the band with their debut, the record label offered them a record deal and the three relocated to Britain. Unfortunately, Rough Trade soon lost its interest for the band as their new-found darlings of The Smiths sky-rocketed to stardom, and the The Go-Betweens soon stood without a record deal - again.
Before Hollywood was the first album I ever listened to by the band. "Cattle and Cane" was played on the national radio and I really loved that song, so I was happy to find the album at the local library but didn't appreciate the whole album all that much.
Stylewise, the band was labelled as new wave but they have become more natural exponents of indie pop / jangle pop, and they were compared to Television and Talking Heads, although, it's evident that they shared more common traits with Aztec Camera and Josef K.
In retrospect, I find it better than I did back then, and I also notice how several songs build on some of the same elements as their early famous tune, which led me to their music catalogue. "Cattle and Cane" was issued as a single prior to the album release and basically coincided with their album debut release outside Australia: however, upon hearing the album I initially rejected the majority of the songs. "Cattle and Cane" peaked as number #4 on the UK independent charts and it also figures on the untitled Swedish Rough Trade / MNW compilation album from '83.
Before Hollywood is a much stronger and originally shaped album than their debut, and with this they already establish a unique sound and style rooted in the traditions of singer / songwriter material, which is something that would be further elaborated on with the following albums to come.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, NME, Spin 4 / 5, Rolling Stone, Select 3 / 5 stars ]
