Robert Forster Live Subterania 1991

This one is quite peculiar. The quality of the recording is not so good, actually only half decent. But still: it is quite a set from a period (early 90's) from which boots (of Forster's live stuff) are hard to find. Plus, I love the tracklist, you know I think Robert played in his early career some of his best music (aka the "Danger in the past" record) and some great from the GoBs repertoire (among these: a very rare acoustic redition of Part company).

I have also found a review of the concert from those days, so I'll quote some of it:

[...] Barely communicative, borrowing drinks from the audience, 'Is This What You Call Change' and 'Part Company' are edgy and quavering, open-heart surgery with a battered acoustic. But he has more muscle to call on, a drilled new German band to give his songs a more resolute, wired flavour.

[...] Forster has re-invigorated his old songs, given them sharp new arrangements where Franc Schmiechen's swirling organs is as prominent as the twin guitars. So 'People Say' - "One of the ten best pop songs ever written", claims its writer modestly - gets a stirring exhumation and 'The House That Jack Kerouac Built' becomes the dense, rich epic it always threatened to be.

Forster soon finds his confidence, of course; an arch, detachedly flamboyant performer who behaves like a 19th century poet with an Open University degree in rock 'n' roll. Newer solo material like 'Dear Black Dream' and 'Leave Here Satisfied' balance faintly camp melodrama with cohesive power surges unimaginable in The Go-Betweens.

Last two songs are suppossed to be with Grant Mclennan. No doubt about Clouds, but I can't really hear Grant on Danger in the past.

(The picture is not directly relevant to that concert, but at least it's from the same year, the best I could find).

Tracklist:

01. Is This What You Call Change
02. Love is a Sign
03. Part Company
04. The River People
05. Rock 'n' Roll Friend
06. Hear Out To Tender
07. People Say
08. Dear Black Dream
09. Dive For Your Memory
10. I've Been Looking For Somebody
11. Baby Stones
12. Leave Here Satisfied
13. The House That Jack Kerouac Built
14. The Clarke Sisters
15. Clouds
16. Danger In The Past


Live Subterania 1991