Oceans Apart

The Go-Betweens

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 3, 2005)
• Original Release Date: May 3, 2005
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Yep Roc Records
• ASIN: B0007XBMC0
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #140,816 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. 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: 2

1. 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

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

"Why do people who read Dostoyevsky look like Dostoyevsky?" The Go-Betweens return in good form on Oceans Apart, their third post-reunion disc. Relatively modest next to towering achievements such as Tallulah and 16 Lovers Lane, the disc is a grower, impressive and moving in its glimpses of truly human moments. The sturdy, rootsy backing here allows wry Robert Forster and unaffected Grant McLennan to range across familiar territory while finding new, small delights there. A handful of songs rise to the top, sure to make their places on fans' mix tapes; among them are McLennan's "Boundary Rider" and Forster's "Born to a Family" and "Here Comes a City." Early copies of Oceans Apart contain a bonus disc with live versions of a half dozen Go-Betweens classics. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh . . . My . . . God!, May 3, 2005

By	M.R. (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

I have been a huge fan of the Go-Betweens' '80s stuff since, well, the late '80s. But I drifted away from Forster and McLennan during the '90s, not paying too much attention to their uneven solo careers, and when the first reunion album came along, I didn't even check it out, though I did go see them live.

But I recently picked up the second reunion album, since I'd heard so many raves about it. It was good, but still not up there with their very best. And so now this new album. I must admit, the hype (MOJO rated it a "MOJO Instant Classic") lured me in, and I made sure I got a copy the day it came out. Listened to it three times in a row, and boy am I hooked. Forster is in rare form, and while the jury is still sort of out on McLennan (where is that melodic genius that displayed in the '80s and lost in the '90s?), as a whole the album is up there with their best. I need to give it a bit more time so that the McLennan songs sink in better, but I'm thrilled to have a record this challenging and engaging at this point in their career.

And I haven't even gotten to the bonus live disc yet!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Back and Better than Ever, June 26, 2005

By	R. Hughes (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A great record, one of the Go-Betweens' best. Melodic, heartfelt, urgent, with fantastic harmonies and compelling hooks. The opening track, Here Comes a City, is like a marvelous Talking Heads song rediscovered, the grand Darlinghurst Nights a sweeping paean to a lost time, every song on the record unique and wonderful. It's hard not to want to listen to this superb recording over and over. First-rate.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars They Keep Raising the Bar, May 31, 2005

By	Lypo Suck (Hades, United States) - See all my reviews

Some find my views on the last two post-reunion Go-Betweens albums harsh, but my stance hasn't changed. To me, "Friends of Rachel Worth's" half-baked songs display little of the melodic beauty and uniqueness of the Go-Betweens' 80s work. Forster and McLennan may be different people in a different place, but `FORW' just doesn't work for me. "Bright Yellow Bright Orange" is a step up, with more mature and better-crafted songwriting (especially from McLennan, who really nails it with his strong set of tunes), but still isn't quite there. With "Oceans Apart," Forster and McLennan have come up with their best post-comeback album yet, tapping into key elements that made their 80s albums so great, without aping them. "OA" also displays an adventurous, forward-thinking streak due to the creative and thoughtful tinkering of producer Mark Wallis, who also produced the Go-Betweens' last 80s pre-break-up record '16 Lovers Lane.'

"OA's" songwriting is pretty consistent, and unlike "BYBO," I think Forster's tunes have the edge. The lush "Darlinghurst Nights," the infectious pop chug of "Born to a Family," the lilting, melodic "Lavender," and the gorgeous, shimmery "Mountains Near Delray," display the Go-Betweens' melodic sense in spades. The colorful, layered guitars, textured arrangements and reverb provide something "FORW" and "BYBO" lack: a sense of space and atmosphere. Wallis' production ensures that each song's melodic potential is fulfilled to the max. (He'd have done wonders for the last 2 albums).

McLennan seems less bent on hitting you over the head with catchy hooks this time, sounding more laid back, as on the soothing "There's No Reason" and "The Statue." But, other tunes, like the beautifully layered, Church-like "Finding You," the understated, acoustic-tinged "Boundary Rider," and the dreamy, melodic (but w/ fist-pumping chorus) "This Night's For You," won't leave your head without a fight.

Wallis' use of synthetic sounds is a new development, like synth bass in "There's No Reason," looped drums and synth washes in "The Statue," and subtle touches elsewhere. The Go-Betweens dabbled with these elements in the 80s, but in more subtle ways relegated to the background. Here, synths dominate a few songs enough to be pretty daring in the context of the Go-Betweens, who are usually known for their more guitar-based, organic sound. A bit weird, but for the most part Wallis makes it work.

My only gripe with "OA" is the badly over-compressed, LOUD mastering, which causes some songs ("This Night's For You," "Mountains Near Delray") to distort. The loudness/distortion is so glaring that it's unclear whether it was a flaky mishap or a deliberate (if ill-advised) artistic decision. The compression rids the songs of their dynamic, making everything LOUD. A sound suited for Radiohead, forced onto the Go-Betweens: a bit detrimental and inappropriate.

But, truly good songs shine through whatever horrid production/mastering excrement they've been soaked in, and most of OA's songs certainly do. For me, this is easily the most solid Go-Betweens' mark II album yet. They no longer sound like they're just playing it safe or offering up half-baked ideas rehashed from their solo albums. Here they've made a genuinely great album, unmistakably Go-Betweens in essence, but still fresh and vital.