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Album Details

• Artist: The Go-Betweens
• Album: Before Hollywood
• Label: Jetset
• Year of Release: 1983
• ME Rating: Indie Classic
• Reviewed by: dscanland on 2003-03-30

The Go-Betweens had a bit of a resurgence last year with the release of Friends of Rachel Worth. With releasing that album, Jetset has somehow got the rights to their first three albums as well. So what they have done is given them the remaster treatment and pulled them into double discs. When you listen to Before Hollywood it’s hard to imagine that this album is almost 20 years old. The Australian band was made up at this point by Robert Forster and Grant McLennan, the bands mainstay members, with Lindy Morrison joining them on drums. Before Hollywood was the bands most acclaimed album but they never really attained commercial success. The music is very arty and fashionable, kind of like a Talking Heads sort of feel only much gentler. McLennan’s vocals are superb and could be considered one of the best pop singers in the early 80’s. The best part about this re-release is the added material. There is an entire disc of new material and it is awesome. It’s really surprising that these songs hadn’t surfaced earlier. Start here and then work your way into the other two re-releases.

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