After seeing Robert Forster live again recently it sent me back to revisit his extensive solo back catalogue. My personal favourites were, and still are, Songs To Play, The Evangelist and The Candle and The Flame. Listening to all nine solo albums, it made me realise I had somehow missed the wonderful Warm Nights. Quite how I do not know. Produced by his old friend from the halcyonic Postcard days, Edwyn Collins, this is a truly unique album among his prodigious solo output. With added string and brass, there is a lightness about the album that is truly endearing, reminiscent of the best of Jonathan Richman's work. The reworked Rock'n'Roll Friend is rather splendid - a brave decision to rework one of the most beloved of Go Betweens songs, but it works beautifully. There's a groove throughout the album that isn't usually something you associate with Robert Forster, giving the songs more space and rhythm. Inspired by Brisbane, you can almost feel the humidity seeping through the grooves on this much underrated album.
I completely agree with you about Songs To Play, The Evangelist and The Candle and The Flame - they contain some of Forster's finest work from any stage of his career I reckon. I'm also very fond of Inferno, but I'm still getting my head around Strawberries, which, after the first few listens, has yet to grab me by the collar.
ReplyDeleteI think after seeing him live I appreciated Strawberries a lot more. I'd listened to it a few times and it didn't grab me. But after hearing the songs live I revisited Strawberries and something clicked. I wasn't as keen on Inferno as the other three above but will give it another listen now.
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