of Your Town" (two versions) and "Was There Anything I Could Do?", which were filmed to promote 16 Lovers Lane at the time of its initial release. Reception In a contemporary review for The Village Voice, Robert Christgau described 16 Lovers Lane as the Go-Betweens' "straightest and catchiest bunch of love songs" and called the band "still the romantic poets good popsters ought to be." Record Mirror critic Johnny Dee lauded the album as "classic, tearful, moving." In Spin, Evelyn McDonnell wrote that the band reminded her of "whooping cranes: great gangling creatures capable of heights of gracefulness when in flight and passionate spasms when in heat. Similarly, the Go-Betweens infuse portentious poetry into giddy pop structures, then throw the uncertain songs in the air, whispering 'Fly or fuck.'" On the album's more ornate production, McDonnell felt that Wallis' "tendency to over-embellish" resulted in occasional "putrid moments", while Michael Azerrad of Rolling Stone observed "a strangely pleasant flirtation with banality in the album's honeyed melodies, soft strings and wistful, understated vocals", despite the songs conveying "a depth of emotion and a height of intellect rarely found in pop". In 2010, 16 Lovers Lane was listed at No. 12 in the book 100 Best Australian Albums. The authors called the album "the band's high-water mark", commenting that "Forster and McLennan knew they'd nailed it" and that the songs were "their most direct, accessible and heartfelt ever", with "Forster, particularly, having learnt a new restraint. Gone was the bravado and archness that had informed much of his earlier work and in its place was an openness and honesty." 16 Lovers Lane was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. In 2021, it was listed at No. 15 in Rolling Stone Australias "200 Greatest Australian Albums of All Time" countdown. Track listing Release history Personnel The Go-Betweens Amanda Brown – violin, oboe, guitar, vocals, tambourine (listed as Oliver Tambo on the sleevenotes, an in-joke of the band) Robert Forster – vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica Grant McLennan – vocals, lead guitar Lindy Morrison – drums John Willsteed – bass guitar, guitar, Hammond organ, piano Additional musicians Michael Armiger – bass on "Running the Risk of Losing You" References The Go-Betweens albums 1988 albums Beggars Banquet Records albums LO-MAX Records albums