The Go-Betweens

Not quite as comprehensive or well-chosen as the earlier (and now out-of-print) 1978-1990 retrospective, Bellavista Terrace is nevertheless a fine introduction to the Go-Betweens' enduring brilliance. As Robert Forster's liner notes point out with painful accuracy, this 14-track compilation could scarcely be called a greatest-hits collection as none of the band's singles actually charted, a mystery which has only deepened with the passing years -- that perfect pop confections like "Head Full of Steam," "Bye Bye Pride," and the sublime "Streets of Your Town" could fail to reach an audience is a crime. ("...Anyway, we were too good for the bloody charts," Forster continues -- damn right.) There is consolation to be had in that these songs all sound as good today as when they first appeared -- if the Go-Betweens' refusal to bow to current trends was a liability during their own era, that same timelessness is their music's greatest strength in the here-and-now. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide