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| | Oceans Apart | | | Music Artist : | | The Go-Betweens | | Music Style : | | General | | Record Label : | | Yep Roc Records | | Release Date : | | 2005-05-03 | | Discs : | | 2 | | Store Price : | | $16.98 | | Artistopia's Price: $16.98 | | Usually ships in 24 hours | | |
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CD Tracks/Songs
Disc 11. Here Comes A City
2. Finding You
3. Born To A Family
4. No Reason To Cry
5. Boundary Rider
6. Darlinghurst Nights
7. Lavender
8. The Statue
9. This Night's For You
10. The Mountains Near Dellray
Disc 21. People Say
2. He Lives My Life
3. The Wrong Road
4. Bye Bye Pride
5. When People Are Dead
6. Streets Of Your Town
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Other Artist Albums
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Customer Reviews of This Album/CD |
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 A masterpiece of songwriting ruined by senseless CD mastering
Submitted on: 2009-05-19 |
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No question, this is the Go-Betweens best or perhaps second best album (after 16 LOVERS LANE or LIBERTY BELLE), with stellar song after song. Unfortunately, the CD is mastered far too loud, with noticeable distortion(!) blanketing quieter tracks like "This Night's For You". Was the mastering engineer asleep at the switch? (This problem afflicts both the US Yep-Roc and UK Lo-Max releases).
As a result, I find myself listening to THAT STRIPED SUNLIGHT SOUND (recorded on the tour promoting OCEANS APART) far more often, but maybe someday someone at the label will wake-up and fix this disc. We can only hope. |
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 Simplicity+Melody= Fantastic!
Submitted on: 2007-02-16 |
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I'd read about this album in the British music press. Critics hailed this effort and subsequently added it to their "Best of 2005" lists. I didn't know what to make of this band. Then, I saw that they were on the "Left of the Dial" box set. My interest was substantially elevated at that point. Then, while shopping for CDs one day, I spotted this album in the bargain bin. I snatched it up to see whether it was up the hype.
Synopsis: The first song, "Here Comes a City," effectively grabs you by the collar and never lets go. Sure, its got that line about Dostoyevsky that seems to define the wonderful lyrics that embody the album, but its got much more. It's got drive and a kick, and its an opener that's up there with the rest of them. Naturally, it raises the bar for the rest of the album.
The tracks wear on, and things work quite well. "Born To A Family" exemplifies the band's adept use of melodies and simplicity. "Born to a family, a family of workers" may not seem like the grandest line ever, but the way its executed ensures that it'll turn into an earworm of the most mirthful sort. To me, it's a highlight. Others may not agree, but oh well; I like it.
More songs. A few of the tracks in the middle, as some have suggested below, are muddled by the mastering. Indeed. The compression tends to hurt songs by rendering them overloud and distorted. Again: It doesn't kill the song , but it makes things slightly less pleasant.
Then we hit some more winners. "Darlinghurst Nights" begins in a slow, unassuming manner. Although the tempo doesn't exactly explode over the course of the song, new elements slowly pop into the mix. First we get a rather funky guitar that gives the understated track a bit of a groove. By the latter half of the song, the horns come in. By the time the track ends, its been completely warped by all these additions. It doesn't hurt that the song itself was pretty good to begin with.
"Lavender" begins with a bit of a sproing, since the drum machine that kicks off the track is not of the monotonous bomp-tshk-bomp-tshk kind. Then, out of nowhere, the guitar pops up. It's got a bit of a country flavour, and that creates a tasteful contrast with the synthesized rhythm. Afterwards, the lyrics come in and they're mighty fine (references to a gal that's good in bed, well read and thinks about Tazmania).
People seem to like "The Status" Personally, I didn't see anything grand about it. "This Night's For You," on the other hand, is fantastic. It's poppy to the max. Melodic, and with a bit of Beach Boys flair too. As the song wears on, there are moments when dirty chords are used to a stirring effect. Great track. And the closer, "The Mountains Near Dellray," is also at par with the rest of the album. It's got beats, a simple guitar and a great organ that provides stunning texture. It's definitely got a mood, that's for sure! The mellowness is confirmed as the song ends, leaving us with spacey outro that fades into nothingness/
The bonus disc of live tracks is just gravy, as far as I'm concerned. All the tracks are enjoyable, if not a bit too sparse. As far as bonus material goes, its rather delightful.
Overall, this album was quite pleasant and pleasing. The first time I listened to it, I was amazed at the sheer quantity of great melodies that inhabited this record's confines. The second time I listened to it, I was gripped by the way the simple instrumentation could create such a wonderful musical environment. Beautiful stuff, and definitely worth purchasing by fans of well-crafted music. |
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Crazy Beautiful.
Submitted on: 2006-07-13 |
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No nostalgia here, just objectivity. Very hard with McLennan's recent passing.
I found the last 2 LPs from the reformed duo: welcomed, eagerly anticipated, OK, perhaps I expected too much from the creators of one of my 5 D.I.D. LPs of all time. They were nice, but not over the top from this duo who has given us so much beautiful music over the years. Actually I hesitated to purchase this until the flood of great reviews forced my little lifeboat over the precipice of Niagra.
I popped it in on the way home from work on one of those early June evenings when the sun is alternately breaking thru the potentially dam busting summer shower skies in the mid atlantic USA. First track OK, nice chug. Nice mix. haven't heard this since "Was There Anything..." Urgent. Then the LP just unfolds in this cacophony of sunshine and gorgeous melodies from then on until the end. I was so stunned I called up friends and held up the phone and yelled do you remember the groove from these guys?
Me don't do this at my age no more. This is the most stunning LP I have heard in the past 5 years. This surpasses all your expectations in it's beauty, production, and sheer magnitude of its songwriting. It's like the way we ultimately want our musical friends to return when they've been away. The lads have been saving up for this. The first 2 reformed LPs I won't discount, but this time it's like "16 Lovers Lane" where they went for the brass ring... and they got it.
I have loved Grant's songwriting and sighed over his lyrics for so many years - group and solo. But on this LP, I finally tapped completely into Robert - every one of his songs is perfect here. "Part of a Family" is hilarious and could be the song for the rest of my life and for all those kindred souls who have come from wonderful wombs, but God knows why, we just gotta stretch out a bit. "Lavender" - just put this on in the summer with the window down, driving, thinking about an untamed lover you were just so damn lucky to have known once in your life.
I can't cry here. Have already. Get this. It's damn perfect. Mature. Immature. Silly. Heartbreaking. Breathtakingly beautiful. Has one of Grant's greatest songs on it ("Boundary Rider"). Has Robert emerging into incredibly more than confident songwriter mode.
Brass ring.
Robert, gold ring? I'll be there, mate. |
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Through Sadness
Submitted on: 2006-05-24 |
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| It's hard to be objective about this album following the sad and untimely death of Grant McLennan. The lyrics of his songs take on meanings they were never meant to convey. Suffice to say, like previous reviewers have said, this ranks as one of their best. |
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 A great album
Submitted on: 2006-05-04 |
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I'd never heard of the Go-Betweens before I got this album. I've never heard any of their old work. So I guess you could say my opinion of this album should be pretty objective. This album is just fantastic music.
The songs are all very mellow, heartfelt and moving. There's just something about these songs. Like I said before, I haven't heard their earlier work so I may delve into that now, the only reason I haven't yet is that I'm afraid to be disappointed that it isn't as good as this one! |
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