Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Robert Forster Edition

The Go-Betweens started out as a post-punk pop band out of Brisbane, Australia, coming off like Down Under cousins of groups such as The Cure and Orange Juice. As time went on Grant McLennan and birthday boy Robert Forster began incorporating influences from further back, such as The Velvet Underground and more melodic ’60s rock acts. As the band developed and evolved, they went from reflecting their inspirations to having constructed their own musical vocabulary, with rich tunesmithing and literary lyrics of uncommon depth. This approach continued through the sublime 16 Lovers Lane album. Go-Betweens fans may claim other albums to be the band’s best, but no one would doubt the quality of what apparently was the band’s swan song. Forster and McLennan both put out fine solo records, but eventually wound up back together, putting out three more fine Go-Betweens albums. McLennan’s death put an end to that, and Forster’s next solo record was a triumph, including recordings of some of McLennan’s last compositions. Forster has not put out any music since. In honor of this underrated singer and songwriter, grab your iPod or MP3 player, hit shuffle and share the first 10 songs that come up.

1. James Brown — Doing It To Death (50th Anniversary Collection): A spare funk number from the Godfather of Soul. This song is centered around an ascending and descending guitar part with a funky bass line weaving in and around it. Brown then adds a melodic vocal line over this irresistible groove. Add the JB’s horn work, and you have yourself another classic.
2. Fabulous Poodles — Man With The Money (Think Pink): This was a conventional British rock band who made a career when new wave sprouted up, as their Kinks inspired pop sound didn’t fit in with the more conventional sounds of the day. This isn’t top drawer Fab Poos, despite the fact this is an Everly Brothers’ cover, but it’s fairly pleasant, and has some nice violin work from Bobby Valentino.
3. Fleetwood Mac — Before The Beginning (Then Play On): A great slice of simmering blues rock from Peter Green era Fleetwood Mac. This song is situated in the same area that classics like “Black Magic Woman” came from.
4. New Order — Hurt (Movement): I like the early New Order stuff, because it is fascinating hearing a band that sprang from a classic band carve out its own identity. On one hand, the remnants of its post-punk past are front-and-center. But they are wrapped in a new approach, with a specific electro-dance orientation. On this track, which is on the bonus disc of the deluxe reissue of the band’s debut LP, the sound hasn’t filled out, but it’s harsher, more minimal attack makes it very compelling.
5. The Soft Boys — I Wanna Destroy You (Underwater Moonlight): If Robyn Hitchcock has an anthem, it’s this classic tune on the second and final Soft Boys album. This combines his usual Dylan/Syd Barrett proclivities with ringing rock ‘n’ roll in a perfect blend. The only bad thing about this tune is that it reminds me of the Circle Jerks’ mediocre cover of it.
6. Jalla Jalla — City Song (Jalla Jalla/Crumelur): This energetic Finnish rock band mined a variety of rock styles, at times sounding rootsy (a la the Rolling Stones), garagey, and sometimes they had a bit of a ’70s punk sound. This song fits in that final mode, having a bit of a Clash/Sham 69 shout along feel, with a nice detour into reggae for the middle eight.
7. The Streets — Sharp Darts (Original Pirate Material): One of the highlights from the wonderful debut from British hip hop/grime artist Mike Skinner. The chorus and rhythm bring to mind Henry Mancini’s “Baby Elephant Walk” (maybe that’s just me), while Skinner’s yobbish rapping is utterly charming.
8. Missy Elliot — 4 My People (Basement Jaxx mix) (Respect M.E.): This techno tune is a bit of departure for Missy, but give her a good rhythm track and she’ll do something with it. Still, this remix is a bit generic compared to her best material. Still, this would be a good song for a cardio workout playlist.
9. The Bees — Listening Man (Octopus): Interesting to hear this track in light of Bees’ leader Paul Thompson’s production work on the sterling debut of singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka. This is a pure soul song in the vein of Sam Cooke or The Rascals, with just a hint of a tropical vibe. This light groove would fit in well with Kiwanuka’s music. No wonder Thompson did such a great job.
10. The Fifth Dimension — Stoned Soul Picnic (The Very Best of The Fifth Dimension): A great follow up, with the swell soft pop sounds of the Fifth Dimension doing a great Laura Nyro song, which hit # 3 on the pop charts. A perfectly languid song for a hot summer’s day, like the ones we’ve been having the past few days.