Stereo Embers The Podcast 0316: Robert Forster (The Go-Betweens)

“Tender Years”

The Brisbane-born Robert Forster is perhaps best known as a founding member of the legendary band The Go-Betweens. How legendary are they? Well, let’s just say this: There’s a bridge in Brisbane called The Go-Between Bridge. I was going to say they were one of the most critically-acclaimed bands of the last 40 years, but that falls short of the mark—
they’re one of the most critically acclaimed bands ever. Their nearly ten-album discography is a rare one in that every entry is a classic. The band ceased to be after the death of Grant McLennan, but Forster has pressed on with a winning solo career that got started back in 1990 and has yielded a classics like Danger In The Past, I Had A New York Girlfriend and his new one The Candle And The Flame. The Candle And The Flame is astonishing work. Recorded after the news that his wife
and musical partner Karen was diagnosed with Ovarian cancer, Forster’s normally meticulous process was put aside and he and his family—his son Lewis and his daughter Loretta and his wife Karen sat down and, unsure of the future, recorded the nine songs on the record with urgency and heart. The Candle And The Flame is a spellbinding listen. It’s filled with the wondrous poetic precision that Forster is known for, but it also showcases a raw and dynamic feel that make every song brim with and sonorous grace It’s truly wondrous work—an artistic and personal achievement that shows the power of art, the power
of family and the power of hope.

www.robertforster.net
www.bombshellradio.com

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