Shortly after R.E.M., along came The Go Betweens. They were two of a number of bands who showed up at about this point in time around 1983 or '84. The Smiths, The Triffids, Lloyd Cole & the Commotions and Prefab Sprout also among their number. Vaguely bookish in nature, erudite and romantic, both with a small and large 'r'. I made a tape compilation for my first serious girlfriend with R.E.M. songs on one side and Go Betweens on the other. She said she preferred The Go Betweens side, probably becuase I never stopped forcing her to endure R.E.M.
I remember the actually purchasing of this fairly clearly. I bought it from a record shop on Twickenham High Street, close to where I was going to college in my sixth form. I was growing in confidence and The Go Betweens were an important piece in the construction of myself which I was undergoing at the time. They were clearly leagues better than Dire Straits and Tina Turner records my friends at the time were trying to force on me.
I still love Spring Hill Fair. It's been sleighted by band members and undermined by critics since but I fail to see anything wrong with it. It's bruised and hurt and deeply lovely in my eyes. The front cover shows the band looking out from a balcony at the nearby Richmond Theatre another reason I loved it. Such a beautiful part of the world to grow up in. I instinctively recognised The Go Betweens as a group of people I wanted to go on a journey with and that's what I proceeded to do.
No comments:
Post a Comment