16 Lovers Lane

Bland, unmemorable, inoffensive. There's absolutely no reason for this to be on this list.

I enjoyed the first 2 or so minutes of the first song, and I was sure I was headed for a 4 star rating, and then after that it went downhill and pretty much stayed that way. There were moments throughout that I thought, "Maybe I could dig this" but then I didn't. It was definitely a whatever album.

Honestly, this was the biggest "whatever" album I've ever heard.

Not really heard this before. And by the sounds of things not missed much. Can only describe this as a lightweight version of the Smiths. Songs seemed to drift by without catching my attention. The only song with any kind of bite was, 'Dive for your memory'. All a bit meh really. 2 stats.

Fav Track: Love Goes On!, Streets of Your Town Least Fav Track: Was There Anything I Could Do?

kinda dull easy listening 2/5

Not for me today.

Meh

With there were several sings I did like, Missy of the album was very"folkie" which just isn't my thing.

This leaves no impact on me or my life

this era pop just does nothing for me.

extremely british (derogatory) even though the group is from Brisbane. every song sounds the same and not a single one is interesting

Not my cupa tea but I like prices

Unusually, these string arrangements don't do much for the songs, apart from possibly the strong opener Love Goes On!. But that track is mostly supported by its driving acoustic guitars and chord progressions, which the strings accentuate. The string playing in the remaining tracks is unremarkable. The singing is poor, not quite reaching the same humorously dramatic heights as Britpop giants (e.g. Morrissey). In fact, this band has quite a few parallels with the Smiths, but generally carries them out pretty badly in comparison. Quiet Heart and Clouds are two very sonically similar tracks that showcase the weak singing excellently. (Clouds tries to cover it up with octave harmonising, but I remain unconvinced.) The songs, in general, are a medium level of catchy. I could see this being a shameless chart-filler back in the 80s when Britpop was inexplicably popular. Another parallel: the track Was There Anything I Could Do? sounds extremely similar to the Smiths' Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others (1986). So similar, in fact, that I'm ready to call it a knock-off song – much like George Harrison's My Sweet Lord being a knock-off of the Chiffons' He's So Fine. Still, the sameness allowed me to actually enjoy it more than most other tracks. And mere second-hand enjoyment should raise some alarm bells. 2/5 Key tracks: Love Goes On!, Streets Of Your Town, Was There Anything I Could Do?

2.5 ok favorite song: I’m all right

Assez peu mémorable comme album. La majorité du temps ça sonne comme une version moins bonne de The Smiths. 4/10

Focalist reminds of Black Francis - nice lyrics

1/2

Pretty boring Australian proto indie rock, 2.5

I'd heard Streets Of Your Town before and never really liked it. So I didn't have high hopes for this album. A couple of songs did jump out at me though. You Can't Say No Forever, and Was There Anything I Could Do? Kinda boring overall.

Kind of bland, but not totally unpleasant.

16 Lovers Lane is light, easy listening pop that didn't outstay its welcome but I will never listen to it again. I don't remember any of it 15 minutes after finishing it. Whatever, 2.

Very much easy listening, this. The Smiths with two thirds of the edges sanded off. Definitely tails off towards the end as well - the opening track is the strongest and the last four tracks are really weak. 2/5, a high 2 but not deserving of a 3.

I don’t know I feel like it was extremely mid. Like this would be in the background of a restaurant or a movie where two people are conversing just to have some background noise. I think it’s cute but I don’t see a strong significant aspect.

really dull

2⭐️/5 [11.27.2024] 01.06.2026

It was inoffensive but I just got bored and wanted to listen to something else. Skimmed through the second half. 2.2/5

begon goed, maar meanderde zijn weg uit mijn hoofd...

Just listened to this in the background during dinner…seemed fine, but not that interesting.

Zooooww....dit...is...suffff...pfff...

Another 80s boring pop/rock album. Some tracks were well arranged instrumentally. But as a whole, it's forgettable.

unenthusiastic slow boredom

I keep expecting to know one of these songs from some late 80s/early 90s serious teenage movie. Nope - just completely replaceable late 80s soft pop.

It's an inoffensive album with not much to say.

Every teenager's songwriting notebook since 2002. Boring as fuck.

A truly plodding listen. Sounds like the band picked up a few ideas from flying nun bands before leaving Australian, and then had anything remotely interesting drummed out of them once they reached the UK. ‘Streets of your town’ is quite catchy, otherwise this would be a solid 1 star

Inoffensive jangle pop that peaks with the one single I knew, and gets 2 stars due to that.

I'm betting whatever single off of this record was a total fave among college radio nerds. It's got it's charms but it also screams to me "snobby record store clerk" and isn't really my thing.

Inoffensive but somewhat bland and dull. Pass.

Pleasant enough Indie Rock 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.

Extremely mid: middle of the road, mid-brow, mid-tempo, middling. Strummy acoustic guitar driven pop rock, with an 80s indie sensibility. Some pretty & melodically phrases electric guitar parts with chorus/delay tones on the leads. Too many gratuitous harmonicas and string parts. A bit like a lot of other stuff that's way better: a thousand UK twee indie bands did it better the 80s and then the one hit wonder post-grunge alt pop rock bands of the 90s refined this formula. It's like a 0% gin Gin Blossoms. Favorites: clouds, streets of your town

2.4 1x catchup 11/8/2024

Like a bad Smiths

Perfectly OK jangle pop that went in one ear and out the other. This was pretty forgettable.

Does not give anything new. All the music was familiar to the past. I guess I’m getting old and want new expression art and interesting music. This was not.

Good listen, but not memorable. Perhaps I do not understand its significance. A couple interesting songs.

Kinda like if The Smiths were not good

Pretty Generic

Pleasant album nothing great slow pop indie rock. Well produced and flow of song is very good almost flawless. Great as background while working or just relaxing. Liked it but not my type of music.

Reminds me a bit of The Smiths. With the advantage of the singer not being as obnoxious as The Smiths'. And the disadvantage of this album being a tad bit more boring than any Smiths album I know.

Another middle of the road album that begs the question "why is this on the list". Sounded like a lot of others we have heard.

Forgettable. I just listened to this but forgot what it was like, so I have to listen to the tracks I saved while I write this. Some light alt-rock stuff, adult contemporary vibes. I don't hate it at all, but then again I'm listening to the tracks I liked. Something just feels off this late in the list when we get what feel like filler albums. We're past the 1001 mark, so obviously a bunch of these albums have been cut, which ones? This one could have been for all I know. Favorite tracks: Love Goes On, Streets of Your Town. Album art: A few people sort of standing/floating in a white void. Weird cover honestly. 2.5/5

Damn this was hella boring. And I usually love this sad boy dreary day mopecore stuff.

Boring

Just a worse version of The Smiths

Just okay. Like a lot of forgettable late 80's alternative with too much reverb and not enough edge. Too much acoustic guitar. Too much studio. Too much of the single octave where the vocals are. Songs are not memorable - not catchy, not hooky, no dynamic range, no temporal interest, everything sounds dated... there is a lot of stuff from this era that is so much better and meaningful. I don't want to say this is bad, but it is walking on that fence trying not to fall off. It's worse than bad in a way, it's boring.

so boring. just like The Smiths!

Pari iskevää biisiä, hyvät verset, kertsit ei niinkään. Tahallista? Tokkopa. 2+

I agree with another review.sounds like the smiths with a little bit less arrogance

Better on the second listen but didn't do too much for me.

Really bland and dull. No earthly idea why it's been included in the book. A bit like the jangly Smiths-y late 80s indie I’ve heard before and that’s not really helping its cause.

These peeps wish they had been picked to sing the Friends theme song. I can see why they broke up after this album.

I got in a car accident while listening to this

I'm reminded of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy's description of the Earth: "Harmless." The difference being, if this album had been disintegrated into a whiff of hydrogen, ozone, and carbon monoxide by a Vogon Constructor Fleet, it wouldn't have moved the plot forward.

uessentielt men lyder vældig fint. stor 2'er

Not interesting

This had some interesting guitar work, but really didn’t like any of the songs.

Listened twice, and it didn't engage me. Music itself was very straight-ahead rock. Lyrics were ok. 2/5.

Eh, pretty generic tbh some songs were cool but kind just sounded like the Smiths

Ouais pas mal 2.5

Not bad, but boring

Mid 2000s sit com music

This album is very reliant upon the audience's emotional response and I don't have time for that today

It has a familiar, almost Morrissey feel at times (Love is a Sign), and maybe a touch of Crowded House (You Can't Say No Forever), but nothing standout or unique here.

This had my sympathies for 5 minutes and 58 seconds but then the harmonica played and I started to wonder what if it doesn't want them? ... doesn't help AT ALL that I'm reminded of #27, The Triffids' 1987 album Calenture. Why is that 80ies sound so comically dialed to 11 on Aussie productions? Does that ward off dangerous animals? It certainly wards off me. I attest a nice vibe, but only when I'm not paying attention. If I do, some songs are painful.

Yet another one that I've never heard of... After listening to the first three tunes, my initial thought is that this album would be better as an instrumental. Vocalist doesn't have a "great voice," but cramming extra words/syllables into the beat calls attention to it. Not to mention...lyrics are meh. "Was your day hard you can barely answer 'Yes my world's Tumbling down Stone by stone To the ground' Please take out the garbage." It's a shame, really. The lyrics are like what a high schooler would compose while stoned and trying to be deep while everyone kinda just looks at their shoes in embarrassment for the poor guy. Ultimately boring. I'd like to give it ⭐ ⭐ ⭐, but excellent instrumentation and production can't compensate for whatever the hell it is that I wrote above. ⭐⭐ ________________________________ 🎧 LPs reviewed: 59 🎧 LPs left to review: 942 🎧 LPs I found great/relevant enough to be mandatory listens (5): 12 🎧 LPs I *might* include in my own list (4): 17 🎧 LPs I will certainly *not* include in mine (1-2): 17

Not my cup of tea

It was alright. There wasn't really one song that was a big hit for me, but I didn't think it was bad.

2 - fine but not interesting in any way

Saai, niet boeiend, niet origineel

A blend of U2, the cure and the smiths, but not nearly as good as any of them. A couple of decent songs, a couple of boring ones, and only one good song: streets of your town.

Love goes on was nice. Everything else didn’t really stand out to me. I wasn’t waiting for it to be over but I also wasn’t really into it. 2/5

Nothing on here struck me as being list worthy. The few tracks with harmonica were not good and the fact that it didn't hurt my ears or just make me angry kept it from getting 1 star.

This isn’t bad. But it just seems like a morrisey knock off.

2.5

This is gonna be one of those albums that, when I look back on this project once I'm done, I will have absolutely zero recollection of ever listening to it. It's been a day and even now, I can barely remember it. I know it sounded like really boring Smiths. Another addition to the "British 2/5 nothing-pop" stack, that makes up roughly 25% of this list (and that's a low estimate).

Just not doing anything for me, although it's not offensive. The instrumentals and songwriting are alright, if cheesy, but the vocals are so bland.

Boooorrrriiinnnngggg

This was fine, but didn’t speak to me. Not great, not terrible.

Ik las ergens dat dit album klonk als The Smiths, maar dan zonder het gejank van Morrissey. Ik snap het punt, het is jangle pop in dezelfde ader, en de zanger is inderdaad geen Morrissey. Er mist echter naast de whiny vocalen van Morrissey nog wel meer, waardoor het zich distantieert van The Smiths. Het mist de magnifieke melodielijnen van Marr, de funky bass van Rourke, en ja, toch ook wel de welbespraaktheid van Morrissey. Gros van de nummers zijn echt wel enjoyable, maar hebben moeite om zich van elkaar te onderscheiden. De songs die dat nog wel voor elkaar krijgen zijn de - voor mij van te voren enige bekende - 'Streets of Your Town' en het Echo & The Bunnymen-achtige 'Was There Anything I Could Do?'. Prima pop uit Down Under, maar meer dan 'enjoyable' was het niet. 6/10 Highlights: Streets of Your Town Was There Anything I Could Do?

Starting an album with jangly acoustic guitar doesn’t immediately ingratiate an artist to me. Following that with awkward lyrics performed by a lad of limited vocal ability, set to quirky arrangements, continues the downward spiral. String quartets and harmonica solos push this album to the bottom of the abyss. Certainly, there are a couple of hidden hooks and satisfactory choruses that catch you unawares, plus one successful single that might be holding onto Paul Kelly’s coat-tails, but these are nowhere near not enough to pull me into the Go-Betweens arc. Thought: Did they not have enough cash to pay for electricity in their share house, or did it not occur to them to steal some amps like so many other budding musicians did.

Ok

where is the high octane gaming action??????

Never heard of them or any songs. Total 80s vibe.

Feels like something forgettable I would’ve downloaded on Apple’s free music Tuesday in high school

I would have liked them better when it was the 90s

It's a decent effort of jangly acoustic pop, but what lets it down is the soupy sound. There's way too much reverb on every track, and the songs really drag as a result. If there was ever a remixed version with a drier production, I would probably rate it higher.

Pound shop smiths, just sounds very 80s.

In Australia, Jonathan Richmond meets Badly Drawn Boy. This was instantly forgettable. Maybe I've heard it many times before? I've definitely heard the round and round, up and down song before, so that one might be better and less forgettable.

As others have commented, the sounds a bit like an Australian jangly pop version of The Smiths. I enjoyed the songs that didn't feature a bloody harmonica! 2.5

why is this on the list? super boring

In one ear, out the other. Except for 'Streets Of Your Town', but only because you've heard it before.

Completely harmless effort by these Australians. The quality of the songs varies a lot, with the drum machine songs being mostly bland and the full band songs delivering some needed energy. I don’t actively dislike it. It’s just harmless and easily forgettable.

This wasn’t a bad album but nothing really grabbed me. I think in the arena of ‘80s pop there were so many greats good just doesn’t cut it. Nothing really caught my attention on here.

It sounded a lot like something I’d like but I couldn’t get along with it. Each song sounded similar to the next.

Bland - one half decent pop song and 9 dull ones

Taylor-Made for the radio seems to be a fitting summary. Songs ar solid, 1-2 rememberable nice.

Wow, this is extraordinarily mediocre!

Zzzzzzz… oh sorry were you talking? It’s not terrible but it’s not enticing or exciting at all.

Decent but didn’t leave much of an impression at all, there are already so many Smiths albums on the list that a poppier knockoff the sound doesn’t register as anything special.

meh

Het doet me heel erg denken aan een soort synthpop achtige band. Weet niet of ik er heel wild van ben. Ik krijg een klein beetje Depeche Mode vibes hiervan, maar dan wel iets minder goed uitgevoerd. Of misschien niet Depeche Mode, maar wel een soort 80s poppy/rocky/new wavey band. Het is wel prima, de zang is prima, de muziek is prima, het album is prima. Prima. FAVO: Streets of your town, Was there anything I could do

Super 80s. Lol. Kind of lime The Cure and kind of lamer.

Pleasant enough to listen to, didn't feel very strongly about it

well that was dull. 2e chanson on dirait du U2 with or without you. deflating album. 5/10

"16 Lovers Lane" by The Go-Betweens, released in 1988, falls into the realm of indie pop with a mixture of jangle pop and folk influences. The album is a reflective journey into relationships and emotions, featuring Grant McLennan and Robert Forster's distinctive songwriting. While the album has its moments, it tends to hover in a middle ground without truly standing out. Tracks like "Streets of Your Town" and "Love Goes On!" showcase the band's melodic sensibilities, but the overall impact feels somewhat restrained. "16 Lovers Lane" may find its place in the indie landscape, but its middling quality prevents it from leaving a lasting impression. It receives a moderate 2.5/5 for its okay-ish indie sound, with the potential to connect more deeply with those who appreciate a quieter, reflective musical journey.

Extremely boring

I get the love i suppose but The Go-Betweens have never really done it for me

Blind album and artist. It sounds like an indie band from the 80s but that dont mean I have to like it. Nothing special at all really in my mind and I don't wanna go back and listen to this again cause I'll fall asleep. Even at a concert if they were playing in front of me.

Þessi var ekkert spes. Algjört meðalverk í mínum bókum þar sem ekkert stóð upp úr. Ekki leiðinlegt bara rosaleg bakgrunnstónlist sem maður gleymdi strax og hlustun lauk.

There were probably so many heartbroken and just sad in general kids listening to this in the 80’s. Not necessarily my cup of tea but it wasn’t terrible

Didn't even realize the album was over. Completely non-rememberable.

Los dos temas principales los escuché en su época o pocos años después (Que viejo soy!!!). A día de hoy "Love goes on!" y "Streets of your town" siguen pareciéndome grandes canciones en su estilo pero no lo suficiente para remontar el disco. Pasable pero no imprescindible.

Was a 3 star album until the final track. That song sucks.

I mostly found this to be a very dull experience, where instead of the side of jangle pop with cutting lyrics and unique vocals, you instead get something that feels cobbled together to be a hit, without any of its own flavor. Almost every track is bland, and you can see the inspirations on the wall, to the point where they're more like poor imitations. This leads to songs that aren't bad at first glance, but I only wish my time is psent elsewhere, and when there is something worth listening to, it is but a fleeting moment on an overall sleepy experience.

Discount The Smith's, and I'm not a fan of The Smiths. 1st listen 1.5/5

Echo and the Bunny Boys.

bunnysmiths

I am bored. So bored

Meh. Generic 80s

Not my type of 80s music

Better than some of the recent picks I've been getting, but still nothing to get excited about. It's pleasant enough and I can see myself coming back for an 80s fix from a band that hasn't been played into the ground.

-reminds me of a stones record -has the song where the guitar hook was lifted as a sample!

Pretty generic. Really nothing particularly special about this album. 2/5 Won’t listen again

It sort of passed over me, then suddenly the song I knew was played, then it drifted by again.

Nothing to write home about. 2/5

Its like knock off Bono

Perfectly nice pop music. Well written but lacking a bit of oomph. Didn’t me want to dance or cry, generally signs that music has energy and soul.

So forgettable, why is this on the list. It's not even memorably bad, just so mid..

A bit dated now.

Prima te luisteren, maar raakt me nergens echt.

Nothing wrong with it. But not feeling it

AJ: Australian Oasis..? Only listen to a few quick parts. Sounds ok.

Wasn’t for me but not bad

meh

mid

it was ok

Not bad. Kinda boring. Just felt like it was pretty bland - nothing stood out as something to stay with me very long. 2/5

Sounds like a pop album from 1988. Everything is fine, the songwriting is competent, the arranging is good, the playing is professional and I'm sure this band has a healthy group of fans. I did not need to listen to this before I died; I don't know what broader influence this band had on popular music, but it's not self-evident from a listen.

I don't know, man. This is pretty dorky.

This really didn't do much for me.

Very average elevator type music. Nothing terrible or outstanding so just 2*

Very bland. Not sure I 'needed' to listen to this one.

Not my jam at all

Streets of Your Town // Was There Anything I Could Do? // 1.5-2/5

Quite nice but nothing more.

Listened Before? N It was an okay album. Pretty normal 90s stuff. I can see how it would have been pretty adored by some people. Nothing really stood out to me here though. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Streets of Your Town

If you wanted to know what The Smiths would sound like if they weren't funny, you could listen to Morrissey post 2005. But if you didn't want to line his pockets, the Go Betweens can give you a pretty accurate picture of it too.

Not doing it for me. Not a fan of the style or the way they do it.

tiene cierto encanto, pero es olvidable

All pretty meh.

Pieninä annoksina toimis edes jotenkin kun mielenkiinto loppu kesken levyn. 2,49*

Ei lähteny, vaikkei ei sinänsä pahaakaan sanottavaa

Pretty lame if you ask me. I was bored and unimpressed.

Seemed kinda smaltzy Aussie pop. I wanted to like it but it was just ok.

Kinda like the smiths but without Morrissey. Nice but boring at times.

This feels pretty mid to me. 🤷 A good example of a clear 2.5.

A boring smiths? High two stars?

Sounds like a song from the late 80s moving to the early 90s sound. Maybe they were at the leading edge of that transition? Is that what makes this album important? Very boring and generic otherwise

Boring. Felt like they found a good lyric and decided a good song would be to repeat it for 4 minutes.

Fell off harder than the Bundas.

Oh my god, this is the soundtrack for *insert literally any 80's/90's movie here*!!!!

Forgettable.

Nothing really stood out for me unfortunately.

could not deal with the harmonica on this

Vaisuksi jää tämä perus poprock. En aivan tiedä miten tähän tulee tarttua. 2/5

Aika geneerinen levy, en oikein saanu otetta. 2/5.

я забыл что прослушал альбом алкоальбом: виски с гигантским кол-вом колы

есть пару интересностей, но в целом не стоит фулла

Sub par singing, very sub par lyrics, and generally the songs feel like they're trying to find a good idea but never really get there

2.5 basically elevator music for me

Wasn't a huge fan, thought it was a bit boring.

A little too monotonous to me. Melodies not really catchy. That is a style…

meh. aggressively meh

A less efficient version of every other member of the 80s alternative scene in Britain, lacking the emotional weight to invest listeners that contemporaries had. A disappointment record.

Had high hopes when reading the description in the book, but was disappointed. Every single one of the songs leaves me completely cold. 2/5

Turned out to be quite enjoyable background music

Easy study music.

I guess...

A real snoozer. Next!

forgettable

Fome

Fits right in there with the Cure and Smith style of music. Not a fan but it has its place.

mid 90s nothing pop 2.5

Barely registered this was playing.

la clarinette c’est pour me rendre dingo

I just didn't find anything that stood out for me

About average

a word that comes to mind after listening to this album is bland. it's not bad but not very interesting either. i get a bit of a smiths vibe, but the go-betweens didn't write as clever or charming lyrics as the smiths. i'm not sure this album deserves to be on this list. yes, it was some early indie/alternative music, but eh. one thing i am trying to determine is why the the harmonica was used.

I mean...meh? It was okay, and certainly listenable! But it was pretty forgettable to me. Nothing really stood out. This fell somewhere between a 2 and 3 for me, but I don't feel inspired enough by its attempt to go for a 3.

Best Song: Was There Anything I Could Do? Sweeping, sort of theatrical sound. Worst Song: Dive for Your Memory. Nothing quite like sending off the album with an absolute sleeper. Overall: I was about to write that this was another example of British mediocrity padding the list, but then I found out that the band is actually Australian. Who knew. Humdrum knows no borders.

A very “lite” version of late 80’s alternative rock. It’s like if your favorite band sat down with you and every time you said, “This is my favorite part!” they cut it out. The lyrics struck me as either trite or just uninteresting, and their cadence was often awkward, so no help there. Pretty inessential.

Seemed like generic pop rock nothing crazy

This hasn't aged very well - sounds very much of its time. Some good songs, but generally pretty lame, although rather easy-listening.

So so mid

I’m learning that I am not a fan of Australian alternative.

I'd give this album a 2.5 if I could. Nothing really bad about it but also nothing really caught my attention. Nice songs but nothing really amazing on here

Bland pop that wouldn't stand out if it was flourescent. Bland acoustic guitars, reverb vocals and terrible lyrics desperate to be deep. Just more prove that the 80's was a decade of extremes. Best Tracks: Love Goes On!; Quiet Heart; Streets of Your Town

The first track is cliché and with off key vocals, the second is soporific, the third pretentious with the terrible vocals back again. It doesn't get better. This explains why they were not a great success. How and why is this in the 1001 albums list?

Inte direkt dåligt, inte direkt bra

meh. ya know, in a list of a thousand anythings you need, there's gonna be at least a few ya actually didn't need

Very forgettable, on my case. Songs are just too cheesy for my taste

Did I listen to this album well? If so, I don't remember anymore.

Nah... no thanks. 80s brit pop is not for me. I thought maybe I'd have heard the most popular song on this album (also the band's most listened to song overall) and I've never heard it. This band belongs in the dust bin of history.

Bad. 2 stars.

Eh

Snoozer. Very bland

Inoffensive jangly guitars. Couldn't get into the vocals

Dreary start but got bettet

Thought this would be an easy 2 stars after a slow start, but I actually quite enjoyed it by the end. Not revolutionary, but some good tunes. It bridges the gap in time between The Smiths and 90s indie (like James maybe?). Kept expecting them to break into Breakfast at Tiffany's though... Very aware that I've just given a Marvin Gaye album 3 stars and this seems a lot further from greatness than that, so... a strong 2.5.

Love Goes On and Streets of you're Town sound contemporary and a bit like the Shins. Enjoyed them. Clouds was as good song too. The rest sounded pretty forgettable and I'm slightly unsure how they're made the cut for the greatest 1001 records. Second song less so, but has a pleasant sound to it.

Certainly has that mid-to-late-80s indie rock sound I heard all through high school and especially college. My hunch is that's why I was not very interested. Nothing wrong with it, just sounded too similar to what was playing constantly for a few years too loudly on big speakers in people's dorm rooms and apartments.

Easy listening, not exciting 2.5/5

Listening to this album twice and losing interest both times does not bode well for it. Perhaps if the mood during those attempts were a bit more subdued, one could appreciate the safe sounds of this album, the smooth talk of love and easy vocals, the near fantastical place where these things come from. That is the experience one could have, but not the experience reflected here. It is one of the more questionable selections for 1001, but for the aforementioned. Maybe, just maybe that desire for safe, serene, perhaps even vestigial emotions that the album provokes is what makes it special, because the whole thing feels unattainable as though we are listening to someone's romantically inspired lucid dream. If that is the case, then 'mission accomplished'. Not a bad listen, but so very middle of the road.

Meh. Instantly forgettable.

16 Lovers Lane by The Go-Betweens (1988) For American listeners, this Australian light pop album is likely unfamiliar, but engaging enough if you’re in the mood for something fresh. Reverb provides a smoothness to the sound on each track, with a sameness, however, that becomes tiresome by the end (Reverb fails as a substitute for vocal blend.) The singer/songwriter duo McLennan/Forster put together this relatively random acoustic-heavy collection of songs that are not too deep lyrically, and not too elaborate melodically but adorned with an appropriate variety of instrumental touches, especially by multi-instrumentalist Amanda Brown. The album could easily be pushed into the background if the listener needs to occasionally concentrate on something else. The big weakness on this record is in the lead vocals, whether by McLennan or Forster. They become easy to tune out, which is okay, because their lyrics and melodies are not strong anyway. Amanda Brown can make an oboe sound like bagpipes in a bathroom stall, which is not a good thing, as in the dud of a closing track “Dive for Your Memory”. Worth a listen, but not overly impressive from down under. 2/5

UGH. Nope. Not for me. This music is for douchy faux rugby players and /or unemployed recent college grads who hang out at coffee bars and recite Noam Chomsky.

This 1988 Australian album sounds like too many mid-80s British albums. “Streets of Your Town” was the biggest hit and definitely stands out on the album, leading the way to a second half that was better than the first. In general, "16 Lovers Lane" needs more of Amanda Brown's vocals and violin.

Meh. Nothing special but not bad.

Meh

Forgettable rock.

Fine for a bar band, but for this list? Nah. Some of the most basic lyrics I've ever heard. One or two songs prevent this from being a total one star. I did like the violin flourishes though. Favorite tracks: "Was There Anything I Could Do?" "I'm All Right"

Nicht so für mich!

21st October 2021 Actually listened on the Friday morning as I had a very lazy day on Thursday being hungover after going out for beers with Harry. I liked the drone of it, it's quintisentially outsider alternative pop. Not sure it's that memorable though,felt a bit lightweight.

Strumtastic. Nothing special

Bleh. Don’t get why this is on this list. Its so generic.

Ok.

Found it pretty forgettable

Reminds me of an indie romcom soundtrack

Love-rock

fine but just forgettable

The sixth and final album from the original Go-Betweens released in 1988 after some choppy water during the production. The rock album's sound was boosted by the band's return to summery Australia, but personal relationships inside the band were causing headaches. The album released to raving reviews and some even said it was their best one. It's a shame they broke up afterwards, but it is what it is.

Satisfying fun indie rock but doesn't really do much notable or special for me.

A listening exercise in adjusting from opening surprise to a slow-building disappointing finish. Damn that clunky final song just by itself knocked a couple stars off this tree. Expectations are a killer. I had none going in. First track lifted up the prospect of a happy/sad 80s jangle gem. It was like getting a decent payout on the first pull of a slot machine, and then losing all your winnings nickel by nickel. But some people just like sitting at the slots with a vague feeling of potential. C

Slow jams, just seems like some very basic alt rock from the late 80s / early 90s. Kind of a bummer. Not sure why this is an album I "Have to hear" but I guess I have heard it now and will never remember a thing about it in the future.

Really pretty dull, not much stood out. Expected it to be better

Äußerst gefällig und leider darin genauso langweilig, dass sich trotz eines tollen Unterschied-Songs („Streets of your Town“ könnte von Prefab Sprout sein) die 37 Minuten völlig unverständlich in die Länge ziehen. Auch ne Kunst, aber … Stretched 1.8

boring pop. why is this on the list?

Radio-vibes Little bit catchy 2.5/5

// Favs: – Score: Strong 2 to Light 3

It's fine. I feel like it's a waste of space on a list of 1001 albums you must hear, but some of the first half has got some Joy Division-esque tracks which is nice. Overall lackluster. Highlights: 1, 2, and 6.

Meh, MOR

Some tracks reminds me of Velvet Underground

Never heard of this band. It's late 1980s indie. If you really like The Wedding Present and other bands of that era/scene, and you are looking for something similar, you could do a lot worse than this. It seems to be quite critically celebrated. Maybe I'm not in the mood for this today, but it sounded dreary and dated, and I already can't remember anything about it. For me, The Smiths discography is already more than enough of this kind of sound - and The Go-Betweens don't seem to have a particularly striking take on it. 2.5

Just meh. Not bad, but not for me.

Quite forgettable

An unromantic romantic album.

Bland

Inoffensive but nothing very exciting.

Boring

Tired of indie britpop tbh and this just wasn't special. Felt like a chore to listen to

i liked "Streets of Your Town" the rest is just a bit dull for me.

This album was just boring to me. I didn't get anything out of it. Neither the sound or the lyrics made this an album I could be interested in.

Dogshit. Better then Bono though.

I bet that fucking shack loves this shite like taking a baby lamb from its mother. I hate it but I like Andi (Shack) McCormick from the IOM so it gets a 2

Eh. 0RS

Watered down version of the cure. Didn't hate it but nothing to wrote home about

Very beige album. Couple of decent tunes though. Enjoyed You Can't Say No Forever

Like a cheap charcuterie board. Cheesy, a little bland in some cases, some meat, but overall a pleasant enough experience.

Singles from 16 Lovers Lane "Streets of Your Town" Released: July 1988 "Was There Anything I Could Do?" Released: October 1988 "Love Goes On" Released: 1989

80's alternative. Not bad, the drum machines must have sounded really cool at the time.

Streets of your town is very well written and pleasant, the rest of the album was meh. Nothing offensive here, but nothing inspiring either.

This was pretty vanilla.

It's not bad, but it's nothing super special so far. Mellow 80s jamz with some harmonica, and is that a mandolin?

eh

Ganska tråkigt

Bland and soul-less.

Musicalmente mediocre, se non pessimo. Ne ho ascoltate 4 e non sono riuscito ad andare avanti. In Quiet Heart ci sono degli assoli pietosi sia di armonica che di chitarra. La copertina è terribile, e anche il nome del disco, e anche il nome della band.

Yikes. How did this get in here?

I found this a boring detriment to my work day.

REM cover band? Apparently they are the Australian REM. This reminds me of something else I can't place yet. I bet Death Cab for Cutie loves this album. This sounds like Australian Morrissey. This sucks. If this is early indie rock, it is beyond me how indie rock got so popular. Dive for Your Memory is the best song. I'd bet they were listening to the Velvet Underground when they wrote it, the music has a Pale Blue Eyes vibe.

SHIT

This was my 16th reason why. Absolute garbage, really makes me wonder who the hell decided to add some of these albums onto this list.

No thank you.

not good. dont really know why this is an important album

It's rare that I listen to an album two times, just to immediately forget what the whole album sounded like. It will certainly disappear into the sands of time, and is an absolutely unessential listen during one's lifetime. 1/5

Music for people who think bell peppers are too spicy.

The pretty jangle pop aesthetic is breezy and likeable but the songwriting is extremely faint with easily forgotten songs making little to no impact. The lyrics sound odd and awkward against slow moving strumming that goes on forever in search of a melody.

1. love - 2 2. heart - 2 3. zign - 1 4. zay - 1 5. eye - 1 6. touun - 0 7. cloudz - 2 8. there - 1 9. alright - 1 10. memory - 1

Strašno loše. Neslušljivo. 1/5, 1/10

Meh, really went over my head

Bland, flavorless, formulaic, insipid, uninspired, soulless. Best: Quiet Heart. Worst: You Can't Say No Forever, The Devil's Eye, Was There Anything I Could Do?, Dive for Your Memory.

Just boring and dull.

pass

Not really my vibe, to be completely honest. Pretty summery music. Fav song is ‘Clouds’.

Tää ei missään vaiheessa lähtenyt itelle.. ei tee ees pahaa antaa ykköstä.. En keksi mitään hetkeä millon tätä tekis mieli kuunnella uudelleen

Ihan neverheard-kamaa itselleni ennen tätä haastetta. Nyt kun on levyllisen kuunnellut, niin ei haittaisi vaikka olisi pysynytkin ihan neverheardina. Jotenkin tosi laiskaa menoa, vähän kun olisi löysällä munalla läpsytellyt menemään, ja paikkapaikoin tuli vähän köyhän miehen Smiths mieleen. Se ei siis ole millään muotoa hyvä asia omissa papereissani. Levy kesti reilusti alle 40 minuuttia, mutta silti piti puolessa välissä katsoa että joko ollaan viimeisissä biiseissä. Jotenkin nyt ärsytti tämä niin paljon että mennään ihan yhdellä tähdellä.

‘80s-sounding dreamy indie—not really anything you haven’t seen/heard before.

16th album with group. I wanted to relisten and rerate this. I’ve been thinking I might’ve been too lenient. I really don’t what I was thinking the first time. This is aggressively ok. Good Songs - Clouds, I’m All Right, and Dive for Your Memory. Bad Songs - Love Goes On, Quiet Heart, Love is a Sign, You Can’t Say No Forever, The Devil’s Eye, Streets of Your Town, and Was There Anything I Could Do?.