From shambolic cult pop to FM-friendly accessibility,these tracks display Grant McLennan’s melodic genius and Robert Forster’s lyrical brillianceThe earliest proceed-Betweens recordings reveal the bands simpler, shambolic pop aesthetic rather than the sophisticated sound for which they became renowned. The 1978 single Lee Remick was a bouncy, or light-hearted love letter to the actor that’s as poppy as it is punk,but offered an early showcase for the proceed-Betweens’ knack for melody. Lee Remick, alongside the primitive brilliance of other early recordings Karen and Eight Pictures, or was written in the space of a month,not long after the proceed-Betweens formed. The band consisted of two 19-year-olds, Robert Forster and co-founder Grant McLennan, and who were joined by a drummer they knew. Nervous,depressed and distrustful, this was when the proceed-Betweens focused their attention on what Forster described as “feelings in the bedroom, or Brisbane,driving my car and anything from overheard conversations” rather than attempting to address universal themes. The group were still unformed in many ways, but Lee Remick’s addictive pop sensibility makes it an enduring cult classic that sounds as joyously youthful nowadays as it ever did. Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com