G Stands For Go-Betweens, Vol. 1 [Box Set]

The most fascinating aspect of this collection is how the artistic scales within the band tipped back and forth in these early days before they found the true balance that carried them through the six studio albums they made post-1984. Within this box set, it takes all eight discs to get to that point, but the moment-by-moment journey is a fascinating one marked with some remarkable pop songs.

A treasure trove of unheralded, largely unheard, completely unselfconscious pop music that bravely led post-punk out of the gloom and into its rose-colored romantic future. [No. 117, p.51]

While the Go-Betweens may not be as well known to music fans as the Cure, R.E.M. or the Smiths, this lovingly curated box makes a convincing case that they are more than deserving of being on any list of the greatest rock bands of the 1980s or any other decade.

It's music that wholly deserves to be spoken of in the same reverent tones reserved for canonized '80s guitar-pop legends, from R.E.M. and The Smiths to top-tier Kiwis, The Clean.

The Go-Betweens' endless enthusiasm for their own work is what propelled them out of that Brisbane bedroom in the first place, and the richness of context that this box provides makes it a deeper pleasure than its component albums are on their own.

G Stands For Go-Betweens Vol.1 tirelessly catalogues the beginning of the story for this band, and it will be a delight for enthusiasts. It is however almost certainly not the place to start for absolute beginners; it would be an overwhelming introduction.

This is an exhaustive, but not exhausting collection. It will be fascinating to hear what surprises lie ahead on Volume 2.

G Stands For Go-Betweens accords Forster and McLennan their rightful place as the greatest songwriting duo of the post-punk era. [Feb 2015, p.118]

Constant throughout is the storytelling flair that sets them apart from peers such as The Smiths and The Cure; there’s an introverted literary stand-offishness to The Go-Betweens’ lyrics.... Meanwhile the four CDs’ worth of rarities and live cuts contain as many riches as the albums proper: a testimony to the strength of the material here. Roll on Volume 2.