1983 - Cattle and Cane, The Go-Betweens

You might recognise the title of this blog, it's a song by The Go-Betweens from the album '16 Lovers Lane' from 1988. I love the Go-Betweens and wish I'd come across them years earlier than I did. The first time I heard them (and heard of them), was when my sister's Australian penfriend sent her a compilation tape of Australian bands some time in the mid to late eighties which contained the glorious 'Cattle and Cane' as well as songs by Gondwanaland Project and The Birthday Party. Hearing 'Cattle and Cane' gave me that feeling, the emotional hit you get occasionally (sadly all too occasionally nowadays) when you first hear a song that you know is going to become part of your life.

Anyway, that 's what this blog is going to be about, the songs that, over the years, have become part of my life. I need to make it clear at the beginning that this won't be a series of reviews of songs looking at such things as chord structures, lyrics and arrangements. Instead I intend to write about the memories associated with particular songs; where I was, what I was doing, who I was with etc. It will be songs as memories, focusing on individual songs (and sometimes albums) from my first memories up to today and, as I'm in my sixties, that means going right back to the 1950s. I don't intend to make it chronological; I'll talk about whichever song grabs me when I sit down to write.
I've never done anything like this before so, at worst, it will be a short-lived experiment. But, and I hope this is the case, it might be a lot of fun and point people towards songs and artists that they may never have heard of. I also hope that anyone out there reading this will get in touch to share their favourite music 'dives'.
And, by the way, the doll in the photo isn't mine in case you were wondering. I was looking after it for my daughter while she did something important.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_Betweens