Tip jar

If you like CaB and wish to support it, you can use PayPal or KoFi. Thank you, and I hope you continue to enjoy the site - Neil.

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Support CaB

Recent

Welcome to Cook'd and Bomb'd. Please login or sign up.

March 29, 2024, 08:10:14 AM

Login with username, password and session length

Tracey Thorn's book about Lindy Morrison from The Go-Betweens

Started by holyzombiejesus, May 06, 2021, 11:54:56 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

holyzombiejesus

Not sure whether to put this in Oscillations or here. Anyone else read it? I have mixed feelings about it.

The book is part a light biography of the drummer in one of the best bands ever and part an attempt to rewrite the accepted history of the Go-Bs being little more than a duo. The biog parts are really good and tales of Lindy hanging out with Australian black panthers and the political scene in late 70s Australia were great. I also agree that Lindy has been written out of the Go-Betweens' story to a large extent and the examples of misogyny in the industry are depressingly predictable. Where I have a problem is that whilst she was undoubtedly an important part of the band, I don't think she was an equal part of it and Thorn can make catty remarks about the songwriters as much as she likes but that's not going to change. At one stage, Thorn says something like 'the drummer IS the band' and that's utter bollocks, especially with a band like the Go-Betweens who aren't exactly the most dynamic of groups.

Pauline Walnuts

Nick Mason - "A group is the drummer and bass player, everything else is ornamentation."

The Culture Bunker

Perhaps apt timing, given it's 15 years today since Grant McLennan died.

Nice little piece by Robert Forster:

https://www.facebook.com/robertforsterofficial/posts/202652301677146

I agree with holyzombiejesus that Lindy may have been a key part of the band (though on a few of the later 80s albums, there's plenty of songs that use drum machines, I think), but when I listen to the three 'second era' albums, I'm not exactly thinking "this song needs Lindy Morrison".

Forster's 'Grant and I' book is quite lovely, if you're a fan of the band.