The Go-Betweens – Cattle and Cane (1983)
Fans of this blog (hello to both of you!) will know that over the last few hours I have turned my mind to charting the evolution of Australian popular music.
Having demonstrated the direct lineage between Rolf Harris and Nick Cave (see here for evidence), I wanted to step back and acknowledge that, sometimes, bands come completely out of leftfield and just change the whole direction of things.
The Go-Betweens are one such band
“Cattle and Cane” is one of the most bewitching songs I have ever heard. This is partly because of the unusual and shifting time signatures and partly because it always sounded so otherworldly when it was released in 1983; a song that might almost have been written anytime.
Guitar and bass kept to the utmost minimum – every note considered and necessary.
This track was the key single from the superb “Before Hollywood” LPÂ which also included the outstanding “Dusty in Here” – a remarkable meditation on (familial) loss.
Grant McLennan (the writer of this song) died suddenly in 2006 at the age of 48.
Original single version, an unbelievably early live cut from 1983 (hello, Bradford!) and then a really beautiful and simple acoustic reading from 1987.
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