16 Lovers Lane
The Go-Betweens
1988
Album Summary
16 Lovers Lane is the sixth album by Australian indie rock group The Go-Betweens, released in 1988 by Beggars Banquet Records. Prior to the recording of the album, longtime bassist Robert Vickers left the band when the other group members decided to return to Australia after having spent several years in London, England; he was replaced by John Willsteed. The album was recorded at Studios 301 in Sydney, between Christmas 1987 and Autumn 1988. 16 Lovers Lane was the final release from the original version of the band. The Go-Betweens broke up in 1989 and would produce no other material until Grant McLennan and Robert Forster reformed the band, with a completely different line-up of personnel, in 2000.
WikipediaIt's a bit like listening to the Smiths but without having to think about what a piece of shit Morrissey is! I dig it.
I know this record was at one point acclaimed but it just sounds like a less good version of other great things that came out in this style to me.
The singles "Love Goes On" and "Streets of Your Town" were fantastic, I really enjoyed this, sort of like a proto-Australian The Cure.
This album was the perfect accompaniment to walking to work in the April sun. There's something so summery about this album. I think the simplicity and acoustic textures highlight the strength of the songwriting on this record. It just hit so well for me today. I'm going to go ahead and round up that 4.5 this time. Favourite song: The Devil's Eye
The songwriting duo of Forster and McLennan is at its best on this record. Half the tracks are upbeat, romantic and optimistic, and the other are sad and heartbreaking. The driving melodies and guitar work is some of the best I've heard, rivalling some of my favourite Smiths records. Fav Tracks: Love Goes On, Was There Anything I Could Do and Dive For Your Memory
This album is sooo strong. The Go-Betweens mase such gorgeous music. Tasteful, tuneful, bright. Music you just want to sing along with. The best album from a band that released nothing but great albums. An easy 5 🌟 rating
Really surprised me. Was expecting cheesy 80s pop, but has a sort of smiths like quality.
16 Lovers Lane is actually a crack den I used to frequent. Shit and blood up the walls and junkies everywhere. I was out of my mind for 2 years. Evil, evil stuff. Very few made it out alive.
Pleasant enough pop music, but ultimately relatively boring. There were a couple hints at interesting vocal lines early on. At least I've learned that string arrangements can't save any music for my ears.
Wet Wet Wet, but wetter. struggled to keep awake for this prosaic dirge.
The Go-Betweens are high on my list of most underrated artists. To me there are two types of Go-Between discs - very good and great. This is the later. Lyrical, lush, literate pop music. There are very few bands post 1980 that were able to do this and this is one of the best. How is it possible that Streets of Your Town and Quiet Heart were not hits in the US?
I had a great time listening to this album! Very chill but engaging at the same time. I had never heard of the Go-Betweens and did not recognize any of the songs on here, but after giving this one a go, I feel they are a very strong indie pop-rock band. There has been a couple times already going through this list where this genre and decade did not mesh well and caused the record to feel dated; however, I REALLY enjoyed the production on this album as every single instrument and vocal line was crystal clear. This was well needed given the band's acoustic elements they incorporated in every song. It really made me appreciate the finer details that the band put into their tracks and was probably the strongest part of the album overall. Love Goes On! is a great opener and probably my favorite song throughout the short track listing. I did like every track on this one, but they did start to blend together a bit towards the end (this issue might improve or worsen upon further listens). Besides that, I thought this was a great album and would throw this one on again. 3.5/5 (but close to a 4!).
Don't really have a lot to say about this one. It's very alright I guess.
was listening along and wondering who this band is that I never heard of. I'm thinking I don't know too many Aussie bands and they're at least as good as Men At Work. Not sure this is enough to float north of a 2 rating. Then Streets of Your Town comes on and it's like: " Hey! I know this song!" Not sure I like it but I know it. "Was There Anything I Could Do?" is quite enjoyable. The violin on that tune is a nice touch. It's pretty cool to have acoustic music where the violin player is playing the violin rather than the fiddle. Unfortunately, the cool violin playing starts and stops here. For the rest of the songs, the violin is relegated to the background and really doesn't need to be there. It's like OK we have a violin player in the studio so I suppose she can play something as long as it's not too interruptive. So if I were a betting man, and I am, I'd bet $2 that the singer / songwriter met a cute, very good violin player and asked her to join (or they formed?) the band, planning to figure out how to work the violin in the music in due course. They figured it out on Was There Anything . . . but did not on the rest of the album.
Fuck yeah BRISBANE. Very tempted to give it a 5 based on that alone but I shall remain impartial. I initially thought it started a bit slow but it actually paces nicely up to a big crescendo from Streets of Your Town onward. Clouds and Was There Anything I Could Do are both very very strong songs. Can hear heeaaapps of Rolling Blackouts coming out of this. I've always loved listening to Streets and imagining it was written only with Brisbane in mind (which I doubt it was, but still nice to think about). Anyway FIVE STARS.
I relate to some of these songs I would deffo rate this 5/5 or 4.5/5 Indie rock is lit
loved it then love it now, so lucky to see F&M perform most of this live. Just excellent, so many good memories soundtracked by this
One of my most cherished albums. The bittersweet emotions you feel when you're going through a nasty breakup are perfectly balanced on this album, linking it to Dylan's Blood on the Tracks in some ways. The Go-Betweens were one of the greatest jangle pop bands to come out of Australia, and people like Courtney Barnett clearly owes to them. I'm glad this album was included in this book because it's a perfect case of a somewhat less known album that actually deserves attention.
This album has particular resonance for me - both from it being a part of my youth, but also because it captures something about being Australian.
Already knew a couple of songs - Streets of Your Town and Was There Anything I Could Do (both brilliant songs) and have always meant to check the album out. They sound a bit like a more acoustic Smiths with Tom Verlaine from Television on vocals. The album is fantastic - not a skippable track on first listen and I think I'll only come to like each one more on future listens. Highly recommended.
Never heard of this band before but this hit right in the sweet spot of music I love. It hits my indie rock soul hard and I can't wait to listen to more albums from them.
I loved this album! It was like The Smith’s, but without Morrissey, who just ruins everything he touches!
Hard to say but this might be my favourite Go-Betweens album (only know their first six albums). It has no Cattle and Cane, but lots of other really strong songs. I can also strongly recommend Robert Foster's book Grant and I (from 2018 or so).
I thought it was pretty good. Sounded like something from a 1990 movie or something. Soft/acoustic/alternative rock with a lot of grand love ballads. I enjoyed it, but can't really see myself coming back to it over and over again.
Lyrics are brilliant Love, Regret, melancholia, not an ounce of fat on them... musically a combo of velvet underground & love. Great album. Will be listening again
I had never heard of this band or album before, but this was quite nice! Twee indie rock that's quite a bit ahead of its time. Good stuff.
Fun album! Very “Fleetwood Mac” if Fleetwood Mac were a bit later on. Some good tunes though
Quite a nice surprise, I’ve been hating all the 80’s records so far. Good one
Pues un disco agradable. No estoy seguro de por quĂ© serĂa un GRAN disco, pero me puso contento. Lo que sĂ es que suena a lo que luego muchos dirĂan que suena "indie". Quizá por eso me gusta. Mis favs "Streets of Your Town" y "Was There Anything I Could Do?". 7.5/10
7/10. I quite like this, just a super chill, straightforward brand of rock, the lyrics are hit or miss and the singing is decent. Honestly, my main complaint is that they really like to delay rhymes from when you expect to hear them, which always irritates me
I enjoyed this album. Pretty folksy. Streets of your town is the standout track. Gave me nostalgia because it was used for an ad about a decade ago for my home town.
Very easy listening and I would totally listen to this again. Super fun listening to it while I deliver groceries around my home town. I could see myself falling in love with this album given another couple listens through
typical of the alt style i've always loved - acoustic guitars, jingle-jangle clear guitar, melodic leads.
Haven't heard this before, rather enjoyed it. Felt quite a bit ahead of its time. I heard some 90s, some 00s, some 2010s. Fun album.
80 90lar londrasina donebilsem keske artik havasindan midir suyundan midir nasi bi memleketsin
Such a beautiful album...probably my favourite Go-Betweens album. Lush and subtle with poignant lyrics. Close to 5 stars, but ultimately 4 for me because it's not a style that I turn to often
Contains one of my favourite songs of all time - 'Streets of Your Town'. Unfortunately the rest of the album doesn't quite match up.
I am a fan of such albums, 10 songs, not too long, weak tracks are out, no bullshit, just good music. My note would be 4 stars with a minus, nice vocals and guitars, clean remaster, but nothing actually special
This is good - really good. Well-crafted songs delivered with some unashamed pop confidence. The late 80's production doesn't surrender to the trends of the time. It brings out the best in the song writing. How Streets of Your Town wasn't a massive hit I don't know.
I really enjoyed this... was made in '88, but felt like a mid 90s indy-pop band. Definitely ahead of its time.
Need to revisit this asap. Pop sensibility steering well wide of sentimentality, spacious production values. Late 80s sophistopop minus the pretentiousness.
I’ve never heard of this band, but they kind if remind me of 10,000 Maniacs. I like the acoustic driven songs.
Production sounds dated but still some really catchy tunes and some fine storytelling..
I like “Love Goes On” and “Was There Anything I Could Do?”. The rest is pretty solid as well.
À discovery for me, and a very pleasant one at that! A style of music that I relate to easily, done with freshness and style. Surprised I had not heard of them before. Perhaps they weren’t big in Canada…
I was not aware of this album in 1988, but I really would have liked it then. I really enjoyed its sound, especially the first two songs.
The accompaniment is actually good and the vocals are ok. "Streets of your Town", "I'm alright" are my favourites
Perfectly pleasant. Has it changed me as a person? No. But this album is a beautiful example of pretty, likable 80's music.
Really nice sounding album throughout not a single dull moment and it has a vibe that I definitely enjoy it's nothing too incredibly special though
I'd give it a 4.5 but I'll round down to a 4. Easy listening and strong lyrics and acoustics. Strong tracks throughout with my standouts being Love Goes On, Streets, and Was There Anything I Could Do with Anything being my favorite.
Can’t find much on this band but this album was really good. They seem underrated to me. Reminds me a bit of the smiths.
Good album, really enjoyed it. Definitely sounds like 'The Smiths' without Morrisey (which is not so bad really) Saved songs: Love Goes On!, you Can't Say No Forever, Streets of Your Town, Was There Anything I Could Do?
Heard streets of your town before (it's a popular advertisement tune here) but I'd honestly never thought about where it came from, and the rest is totally new. I thought I'd at least heard of pretty much every popular Aussie rock band at this point, but I guess not. This isn't a bad album, but it doesn't do anything super exciting. Nice 12 string acoustics, everything is in tune and nothing really out of place. The first song and "was there anything I could do?" were standouts. Overall I can't fault it, but there are no hard edges or legit oomph. Yet at the same time, even if this is just bog-standard indie rock from the 80s, give it to me ANY day over its 2021 equivalent. 3/5.
Above Average indie rock album with one of the worst covers of all time
Hear a lot of the 90s in this, was surprised to hear recognize so many of the songs on here
Lyrically, there's enough angst and intra-band romance/breakup going on that led to this album being known as the "Indie Rumours," but sonically, they back away when they start approaching something interesting. Wasted potential, imo. Best track: Dive For Your Memory
Helt ok album men köper inte riktigt att det är ett album jag behövde höra innan jag dör.