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=> GENERAL DISCUSSION => Topic started by: Vas Deferens on May 06, 2006, 06:18:00 pm
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6th May 2006
Grant McLennan
On Saturday 6th May, legendary Australian singer songwriter Grant W McLennan
died in his sleep at his home in Brisbane.
McLennan was one of Australia's greatest songwriters who created an
outstanding musical legacy as a founder member of The Go-Betweens and as a
solo artist. He was enjoying enormous acclaim for the band's most recent
album Oceans Apart, which has received five star reviews around the world
and won had a prestigious ARIA award.
McLennan was born in Rockhampton, Queensland on 12th February 1958. While
attending university in Brisbane he met fellow student Robert Forster and
together they formed The Go-Betweens. After releasing a string of singles
the band recorded their debut album, Send Me A Lullaby, in 1981. The
Go-Betweens recorded a series of exceptional albums that achieved widespread
critical acclaim and were fundamental in bringing Australian music to a
global audience. He was an unparalleled lyricist and a prolific and
meticulous composer. His auto-biographical masterpiece 'Cattle and Cane' was
recently voted by the Australian Performing Rights Association as one of the
ten greatest Australian songs of all time.
In 1989 The Go-Betweens took a ten year sabbatical and McLennan recorded
four powerful solo albums including the vivacious debut Watershed and the
epic Horsebreaker Star as well as forming satellite groups like Jack Frost
with Steve Kilbey of The Church and The Far Out Corporation with Iain Haug
of Powderfinger.
When Robert Forster and Grant McLennan reformed The Go-Betweens in 2000, the
band was greeted with adulation by a new generation of musicians like Belle
and Sebastian for whom, their songs had been an inspirational teenage
soundtrack. The three albums the band subsequently released were universally
acknowledged as containing some of McLennan's greatest compositions.
McLennan was a passionate supporter of the arts, extremely well-read and
maintained a keen interest in all contemporary music, cinema and visual art.
He was an exceptionally charming and polite man who endeared himself to
everyone who met him and was one of the rare individuals worthy of the
epithet 'larger than life'.
His singular contribution to music and his commitment to his craft simply
cannot be understated. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him. He is
survived by his mother, sister, girlfriend Emma and lifetime musical
colleague Robert Forster.
Bernard MacMahon, Lo-Max Records, 6th May 2006
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holy shit, damn
I had just downloaded some of his solo material off emusic this past week.
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damn, thats sad
I had ocean's apart playing on my ipod yesterday, thinking I had to go find 16 Lovers Lane to add to it....what a great disc that was
:(
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I saw the go-betweens twice, and Grant and Foster at the club once. RIP, he was a brilliant writer and singer.
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:(
the go-betweens are/were one of the best pop bands in the '80s and were still making great records. i was only able to catch them once, opening for yo la tengo in 2000, and they were great.
48 is an extremely young age to go in your sleep.
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I'm in shock - one of my favorite artists of all time. So young...what a loss.
I saw them once at 9.30 - a sparsley attended acoustic show
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Originally posted by brennser:
I'm in shock - one of my favorite artists of all time. So young...what a loss.
I saw them once at 9.30 - a sparsley attended acoustic show
Was that the Foster/McLennan show? Was a great one.
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yeah, thats the one
Originally posted by Sir HC:
Originally posted by brennser:
I'm in shock - one of my favorite artists of all time. So young...what a loss.
I saw them once at 9.30 - a sparsley attended acoustic show
Was that the Foster/McLennan show? Was a great one. [/b]
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According to somebody on the GBV listserv, The Go Betweens had just signed a deal with EMI and were having a celebratory party, McLennan went upstairs for a rest and died in his sleep
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Really sad to hear about this. A tremendous loss. What is nearly as tragic is the fact that so few people (at least it seems that way to me) know The Go-Betweens or appreciate McLennan's talent. Everyone should own "16 Lovers Lane."
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listening to "Don't Want To Be Grant McLennan" by Smudge right now ...
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Originally posted by Friend O' Guy Chadwick:
Everyone should own "16 Lovers Lane."
and "Before Hollywood"
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Originally posted by Friend O' Guy Chadwick:
What is nearly as tragic is the fact that so few people (at least it seems that way to me) know The Go-Betweens or appreciate McLennan's talent.
Myself being one of them.
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I pulled out "16 Lovers Lane" for the first time in a long time in order to spin something at the Concretes show and was immediately struck by why I bought it the first place. Well crafted and thoughtful pop songwriting at it's finest. Was trying to decided which track to spin when "Streets Of Your Town" came on and it was like I had just heard the CD yesterday as it was still so very familiar. The women who is New Buffalo did a Go-Betweens song last night as part of her set as well...
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I remember they had Alex Chilton open for them at the old 930. A friend and I were in the basement bitching that Alex just kept playing, we were ready for the band we came to see. Now I kick myself for not watching him too.
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"streets of your town" is an example of a perfectly well-written pop song.
as essential, IMO, as 16 lovers lane is tallulah.
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This time of year is perfect for "Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express". Spring Rain is out there right now.
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Are the double disc re-issues of the Go-Betweens albums released domestically? I guessin by the price on Amazon they are. Unfortunately the Jet Set Records website isn't up at the moment, so I can't confirm it.
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Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
Are the double disc re-issues of the Go-Betweens albums released domestically? I guessin by the price on Amazon they are. Unfortunately the Jet Set Records website isn't up at the moment, so I can't confirm it.
yes I believe they are, there have been several batchs of remastered double discs released, the most recent batch being in November 2004, including Tallulah, 16 Lovers Lane, and Liberty Belle
I already had 16 lovers lane, so I bought the other 2, they sound good, but I really would like a remastered version of before hollywood
I recently downloaded 78 'Til 79: The Lost Album from emusic and it sounds very good, but is not nearly as polished as later material
and finally the live album recently released is fantastic, including a great McLennan solo track, Black Mule, and 3 early tracks off the 78 til 79 album - Karen, Lee Remick and People Say, which is really the the highlight of the live album
*edit*
Lee Remick is not on the live album, not sure why I was thinking that and the best live version of People Say is on the Oceans Apart Bonus EP
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I already had 16 lovers lane, so I bought the other 2, they sound good, but I really would like a remastered version of before hollywood
I have it - wanna copy?
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Originally posted by brennser:
I have it - wanna copy?
I'd love a copy, is that the one with Man O'Sand To Girl O'Sea on Disc 2? I only have that track on a vinyl compilation right now, and love it. I believe it is also on Spring Hill Fair, but have never picked that album up
Thanks, how will we manage that then?
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you can also pay your online respects here (click on message board link).....some very moving comments
http://www.go-betweens.net/ (http://www.go-betweens.net/)
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yup, thats the one
I'll have my people call your people.... ;)
Originally posted by pdx pollard:
Originally posted by brennser:
I have it - wanna copy?
I'd love a copy, is that the one with Man O'Sand To Girl O'Sea on Disc 2? I only have that track on a vinyl compilation right now, and love it. I believe it is also on Spring Hill Fair, but have never picked that album up
Thanks, how will we manage that then? [/b]
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Well LaLa is treating me well today... Someone is sending my way a Jack Frost CD with Grant and Steve Kilbey of the Church. Was described as psychedelic Go-Betweens which could be very cool indeed...
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couple of articles
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19057065-16947,00.html (http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19057065-16947,00.html)
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19058067-16947,00.html (http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19058067-16947,00.html)
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First Bon Scott, then Michael Hutchence, then Grant McClennan. What's up with the Aussies? Who can it be now?
I played Horsebreaker Star Sunday and Monday and enjoyed it, in spite of my wife calling it "mediocre" and "boring" and asking me who the Go Betweens were, and how would anybody know who they were.
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I guess the moral of the story is that it's evil to sign with major labels.
Originally posted by pdx pollard:
According to somebody on the GBV listserv, The Go Betweens had just signed a deal with EMI and were having a celebratory party, McLennan went upstairs for a rest and died in his sleep
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Originally posted by Charlie Nakajima, Fired by Mascis:
Who can it be now?
<img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00008PX8S.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" alt=" - " />
nooo!!!!!
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Video for Right Here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqtTd_0oFU4&search=go%20betweens)
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Bachelor Kisses (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_nn90p-tIg&search=go%20betweens)
Cattle and Cane (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP7AAlHGj24&search=go%20betweens)
Spring Rain (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5CRiS8bRTw&search=go%20betweens)
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Excellent Brennser. My girlfriend raves about that video show Rage.
Cattle and Cane is such a damn good song.
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Originally posted by econo:
Excellent Brennser. My girlfriend raves about that video show Rage.
Cattle and Cane is such a damn good song.
yeah, they're great vids......I am still finding it hard to deal with the fact that he's dead