Bellavista Terrace: Best of the Go-Betweens

The Go-Betweens | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 18, 1999)
• Original Release Date: May 18, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Beggars UK - Ada
• ASIN: B00000IP4Z
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,571 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #33 in Music > Alternative Rock > Indie & Lo-Fi > Chamber Pop
  • #75 in Music > World Music > Australia & New Zealand

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's ALL true..., December 7, 2000

By 

Maybe Later Thanks (NYC, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bellavista Terrace: Best of the Go-Betweens (Audio CD)

Both those reviews that conclude "mediocre" and those who gush "transcendent" are right on the mark. I bought their old singles CD (alas, no longer printed), listened to it a couple of times, and put it at the top of my pile of CD's to sell immediately. I reconsidered at the music shop, listened to it again at home, and within two months it had become one of my five favorite albums ever, by anyone, bar none. The songs are sweet, sparse, don't really go much of anywhere. As such they do very little to reward the excited anticipation most of us feel when listening to a new disc. Thing is, their vision of the world -- ultimately pretty bleak, but at least full of little curiousities that are half-redeeming -- is, well, right. Listen to it enough, brow furrowed, head cocked, wondering what exactly they thought they were doing making such a record, and eventually this becomes clear. It's a little eerie, frankly, but get there and you'll absolutely adore them for it. I give it only four stars because it's tough sledding the first couple of listens and because this collection leaves out "Two Step, Step Down," which is easy to warm to and enduringly super, as well as some choice gems from the earlier singles collection, including "Dusty in Here" and a few others I all-too dimly remember. [Darn] ex-girlfriend, she wouldn't part with it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best band Australia has produced - this is the proof!, October 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bellavista Terrace: Best of the Go-Betweens (Audio CD)

Whilst dedicated Go-Between fans will know all these tracks, this collection is a great introduction to those who claim, "I know this one" when "Streets of your Town" is played on the radio. The Go-Betweens are certainly deserving of further exploration. "Bachelor Kisses", "Bye Bye Pride", "Right Here", "Cattle and Cane" and "Was There Anything I Could Do" still sound wonderful today and should all have been commercial successes at the time. The addition of hidden track "Lee Remick" is a nice touch for those who have the remainder of this "best of" on other albumns. Lets hope that this is the start of a Go-Betweens rennaissance and that positive albumn sales might convince Rob and Grant to get back together. The Australian music scene surely hasn't been the same since their premature parting.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great band, uneven collection, July 2, 1999

By 

Michael Paulsen (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bellavista Terrace: Best of the Go-Betweens (Audio CD)

While I love the Go-Betweens, this collection is a bit of a mess. It seems that these tracks were selected by Grant McLennan and Robert Forster, but the sequencing is uneven (and by that I don't mean to indicate that it should be chronological) and some of the songs are subpar for a "Best of" ("Draining the Pool for You", "Part Company" and "Dive for Your Memory" -- while decent -- are not what I would consider the cream of the crop). I won't even begin to mention how many great songs are missing. If you can find the limited edition of "Bellavista Terrace" with the bonus CD of KCRW sessions from the late 80's, grab it...this one makes it worth the while. I would have given this one 4 stars.

Sorry to see that this collection turned off the previous reviewer. My advice to him is buy "16 Lovers Lane" -- this album is miles better than this compilation...you have my word on it as a true music lover. I'm not even a francophile!