― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Saturday, 6 May 2006 19:38 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 6 May 2006 19:40 (seventeen years ago) link
― Doktor Faustus (noodle vague), Saturday, 6 May 2006 19:41 (seventeen years ago) link
― fractal (fractal), Saturday, 6 May 2006 19:54 (seventeen years ago) link
― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Saturday, 6 May 2006 19:58 (seventeen years ago) link
― Jacobo Rock (jacobo rock), Saturday, 6 May 2006 20:00 (seventeen years ago) link
― that's so taylrr (ken taylrr), Saturday, 6 May 2006 20:02 (seventeen years ago) link
― Aaron W (Aaron W), Saturday, 6 May 2006 20:03 (seventeen years ago) link
I won't write much since I'll probably compose something longer later, but anyone who knows me knows how much the Go-Betweens' music has meant to me over the years. I'm just happy he died at the peak of his powers; last year's Oceans Apart was as extraordinary as their peak '80s material.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 6 May 2006 20:07 (seventeen years ago) link
― Zwan (miccio), Saturday, 6 May 2006 20:08 (seventeen years ago) link
― DOQQUN (donut), Saturday, 6 May 2006 20:13 (seventeen years ago) link
(xpost to Anthony)
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 6 May 2006 20:15 (seventeen years ago) link
― robster (robster), Saturday, 6 May 2006 20:22 (seventeen years ago) link
― Jim M (jmcgaw), Saturday, 6 May 2006 20:31 (seventeen years ago) link
― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 6 May 2006 20:35 (seventeen years ago) link
Seemed to be a very genuine, sincere man.....who happened to write some great songs.
RIP.
― peepee (peepee), Saturday, 6 May 2006 20:48 (seventeen years ago) link
I just saw the Go-B's last summer and got to meet Grant a bit backstage. He looked to be in incredible shape and in good spirits.
R.I.P. Grant.
― Baked Bean Teeth (Baked Bean Teeth), Saturday, 6 May 2006 20:51 (seventeen years ago) link
― j blount (papa la bas), Saturday, 6 May 2006 21:08 (seventeen years ago) link
Man. You know, I never saw them live or him solo, and I regret it terribly now. Had many chances too. You just think you'll eventually get the time.
The one story I have -- I interviewed him around the time Horsebreaker Star came out. Funny as hell, great times had. Towards the end I asked him about the song "Simone and Perry" and he mentioned it was about two friends of his. I offered that I had read the title thinking about Nina Simone and Lee Perry -- not being serious, just the first thing that leapt to mind. He laughed heartily and said, "That's a good idea, I might say that in the future!"
RIP. This is seriously sad.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 6 May 2006 21:31 (seventeen years ago) link
Arrrgh.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 6 May 2006 21:33 (seventeen years ago) link
― Baked Bean Teeth (Baked Bean Teeth), Saturday, 6 May 2006 21:36 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 6 May 2006 21:38 (seventeen years ago) link
Wishful thinking, I know.
― Jeff K (jeff k), Saturday, 6 May 2006 21:39 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 6 May 2006 21:39 (seventeen years ago) link
― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 6 May 2006 21:39 (seventeen years ago) link
― Jim M (jmcgaw), Saturday, 6 May 2006 21:43 (seventeen years ago) link
― Jim M (jmcgaw), Saturday, 6 May 2006 21:45 (seventeen years ago) link
― Baked Bean Teeth (Baked Bean Teeth), Saturday, 6 May 2006 21:46 (seventeen years ago) link
Yet in the end, as cultists know and too few others will find out, the lyrics are worth digesting. If my favorite line involves, of all things, songs--"Really loved the one about those L.A. freaks/Did it take a day to write or was it weeks?"--that's only to say he knows more about them than the competition.
So true. Like I just muttered elsewhere, it's those people who actually break through my own 'the lyrics don't matter' stance that I end up cherishing all the more because they're actually good.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 6 May 2006 21:49 (seventeen years ago) link
"Jim, with all due respect, are you joking? Grant's a serial sartorial shocker, and there he is, alas, caught once again on 'The Friends...' Why not hunt down a Forsterish canary-yellow suit instead? I'm not sure where you'd get that shirt, sorry."
I still want that shirt.
― Jim M (jmcgaw), Saturday, 6 May 2006 21:55 (seventeen years ago) link
Yup. *sigh*
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 6 May 2006 21:57 (seventeen years ago) link
― Jay Vee's Return (Manon_69), Saturday, 6 May 2006 22:00 (seventeen years ago) link
This guy should be remembered as one of the greats, and only about 5% of music lovers recognize his achievements.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 6 May 2006 22:09 (seventeen years ago) link
4th martini coming up.
― Jim M (jmcgaw), Saturday, 6 May 2006 22:11 (seventeen years ago) link
5th martini coming up.
― Jim M (jmcgaw), Saturday, 6 May 2006 22:17 (seventeen years ago) link
― pleased to mitya (mitya), Saturday, 6 May 2006 22:18 (seventeen years ago) link
What a horrible fuckin' day.
― Jim M (jmcgaw), Saturday, 6 May 2006 22:22 (seventeen years ago) link
An actual genius. Not many that can be said about. RIP.
― Ally C (Ally C), Saturday, 6 May 2006 22:28 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 6 May 2006 22:29 (seventeen years ago) link
6th martini coming up.....
― Jim M (jmcgaw), Saturday, 6 May 2006 22:32 (seventeen years ago) link
Yeah, Pontiac, MI at the 7th House. I remember it really vividly.
This completely sucks. Grant was what, only 48? Awful.
― Aaron W (Aaron W), Saturday, 6 May 2006 22:38 (seventeen years ago) link
Our relationship’s changing all the time. We’re still discovering its magnitude. Any successful relationship requires a lot of give and take. If the spotlight’s on your partner instead of you, you learn to accept it. We’ve seen famous bands where they’re all friends break up, and it’s sad. We’re passed that point, though. We’re concerned with the greater good. Certainly in the ‘80s, when we faced a lot of commercial pressure—to write hit singles and so forth—it’s a bad situation for two songwriters, and was not good for our friendship. But the peak is still there, and we’re looking for new ones.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 6 May 2006 22:49 (seventeen years ago) link
― Aaron W (Aaron W), Saturday, 6 May 2006 22:55 (seventeen years ago) link
Just out of curiosity, how big were they in Australia?
― pleased to mitya (mitya), Saturday, 6 May 2006 22:57 (seventeen years ago) link
― PeopleFunnyBoy (PeopleFunnyBoy), Saturday, 6 May 2006 22:59 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 6 May 2006 23:00 (seventeen years ago) link
― drone/a/sore (drone/a/sore), Saturday, 6 May 2006 23:09 (seventeen years ago) link
― drone/a/sore (drone/a/sore), Saturday, 6 May 2006 23:19 (seventeen years ago) link
grant seemed to have a way of opening up his mouthand singing instant choruseshed plucked outta the etherwords flew to himhe walk with melodies at his beck n call
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 6 May 2006 23:23 (seventeen years ago) link
― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Saturday, 6 May 2006 23:31 (seventeen years ago) link
http://hemlocktavern.com/prog_guide.php?
― sheep sheet (serious sheet), Friday, 2 June 2006 15:47 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 24 August 2006 21:08 (seventeen years ago) link
I asked him to talk about Grant which he was more than happy to oblige. He talked about working with him and what type of person he was. It was really nice to talk to someone who worked and knew him. Steve is very poetic and speaks with bravado at times. He lightened up the conversation saying, "Why did Grant have to go? He was such a gentleman. Why couldn't it have been Liam Gallagher?"
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 24 August 2006 21:10 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 24 August 2006 21:31 (seventeen years ago) link
― Nag! Nag! Nag! (Nag! Nag! Nag!), Friday, 25 August 2006 07:08 (seventeen years ago) link
― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Friday, 25 August 2006 08:05 (seventeen years ago) link
* Tribute show in Brisbane on Nov. 30
* First Jack Frost album has been remastered/reissued with extra tracks
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 16 November 2006 17:57 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Monday, 2 April 2007 23:50 (seventeen years ago) link
― whisperineddhurt, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 00:58 (seventeen years ago) link
― whisperineddhurt, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 00:59 (seventeen years ago) link
― Roy Kasten, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 01:06 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 02:05 (seventeen years ago) link
― whisperineddhurt, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 13:06 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 15:01 (seventeen years ago) link
― Roy Kasten, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 17:00 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 17:01 (seventeen years ago) link
And now, four years.
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 6 May 2010 15:21 (thirteen years ago) link
Damn. I've currently no Go-Between or McLennan songs on my iPod.
One of my favorite ILM threads, this. Lots of good writing, fond memories.
― cool and remote like dancing girls (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 6 May 2010 15:24 (thirteen years ago) link
I've currently no Go-Between or McLennan songs on my iPod.Wha???
― Jazzbo, Thursday, 6 May 2010 15:31 (thirteen years ago) link
Peter Milton Walsh (he of The Apartments) posted a rather stirring tribute to Grant today:http://rileyrecords.blogspot.com/2010/05/may-6th-grant-mclennan.html
His observations on The Go-Betweens are equally fascinating:What I liked most about them and the world of their songs, was its immaculate innocence. A childlike world, radiant with hope. Huge, huge hope. Daydream believers. In the howling chaos that seemed to be my life at the time, there was nobody like that. I’m not sure there ever had been.
― doug watson, Thursday, 6 May 2010 17:56 (thirteen years ago) link
That's crazy, I broke out Before Hollywood on Thursday, and then the rest of the catalogue, first time I'd listened to them in ages. Was thinking about how sad it was to lose that talent, and I didn't even notice the significance of the date. His River of Money gets me more and more every time.
― verhexen, Saturday, 8 May 2010 01:29 (thirteen years ago) link
My first thought when I saw this thread revived was that he wasn't dead anymore. :(
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 8 May 2010 01:42 (thirteen years ago) link
Eternally missed.
― Mule, Monday, 6 May 2013 16:11 (ten years ago) link
will play "Dusty in Here."
― A deeper shade of lol (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 6 May 2013 16:20 (ten years ago) link
Aw man, that'd bring real tears. It's a strange feeling having real emotions for someone you've never met.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Monday, 6 May 2013 17:09 (ten years ago) link
I write these words to his tune that he wrote on a full moonAnd a river ran, and a train ran, and a dream ran through everything that he did
― Mule, Wednesday, 6 May 2015 14:42 (eight years ago) link
oh dear
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 6 May 2015 14:44 (eight years ago) link
10 years. Sigh.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wB0sgi5uL2w
― Mule, Friday, 6 May 2016 10:49 (seven years ago) link
Memory wastes.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 6 May 2016 10:52 (seven years ago) link
Bigger-than-usual one of these tonight: http://www.bushhallmusic.co.uk/whats-on/events/6-may-16-this-nights-for-you-a-grant-mclennan-tribute-show-bush-hall/
(The one where Robert turned up and played some songs a couple of years ago was all-time for me.)
― Tim, Friday, 6 May 2016 10:55 (seven years ago) link
I miss him, I miss this band. Going to be playing their stuff today.
― Kitchen Person, Friday, 6 May 2016 14:04 (seven years ago) link
from Forster's Facebook page:
May 6, 2016. Ten years ago today Grant McLennan of The Go-Betweens passed away. A sad anniversary to mark, but necessary in so many ways, not the least because he was a great singer-songwriter and a wonderful friend. I think of him often; he is not someone who has faded - remaining close to me as he always will be, in memory and music. We knew each other for just over thirty years - for seventeen of them we were in a band, for the remainder of the time the friendship was just as important and central to us. Grant and I did a lot of talking together. Pitching ideas, making plans, swapping enthusiasms we had, and laughing. We were a force together. The sting to this day shall be strong as he died in Brisbane, The Go-Betweens were a Brisbane band, and today I shall be out in the city and tonight will sleep in it. Thinking of Grant. Warm greetings to all who read this, and have Grant firmly in their lives too. Hold on. Fond Regards. Robert.
― tylerw, Friday, 6 May 2016 14:06 (seven years ago) link
Beautiful tribute
― Kitchen Person, Friday, 6 May 2016 14:12 (seven years ago) link
That tribute gig looks great. Can't believe it's been 10 years.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Friday, 6 May 2016 17:17 (seven years ago) link
I'm afraid to wear my Grant McLennan t-shirt anymore because I don't want it to fade.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 6 May 2016 17:20 (seven years ago) link
Lovely piece here
https://medium.com/@RyanMaffei/gentlemanly-melancholy-7ff32d02763f#.8ssrq56xz
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 6 May 2016 18:23 (seven years ago) link
The best of Forser and McLennan's solo work.
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 8 August 2017 02:42 (six years ago) link
Is the book ever coming out in the US?
― Barkis Garvey (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 8 August 2017 03:12 (six years ago) link
Steve Kilbey's compiled and selling 3 hours of Jack Frost performance and interview footage as a download via his Facebook. $20 bucks. Grabbing it in the morning as I imagine it'll be perfect accompaniment to early Xmas Day wine drinking and vegetating.
― So, This Leaked (Capitaine Jay Vee), Tuesday, 25 December 2018 06:02 (five years ago) link
I love this strummy alubm.
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 24 April 2020 00:24 (four years ago) link
*album even
Fifteen years.
Robert Forster remembers:
https://www.facebook.com/robertforsterofficial/posts/202652301677146
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 6 May 2021 03:39 (two years ago) link
Fifteen years since I wept at the passing of someone whom I didn't know personally. I now understand that I was grieving the end of the source of so much of the music that both defined and enhanced my youth. RIP Grant. Your songs were good company.
― doug watson, Thursday, 6 May 2021 10:28 (two years ago) link
Coincidentally, I just bought his double album Horsebreaker Star after looking for it for a very long time. (It's not hard to find outside of the U.S., but I wanted a reasonable price for it since the U.S.-only single-disc version goes for peanuts, and I've been told that all but one of the excised cuts aren't really missed. I still wanted the original version though.)
I didn't listen to the Go-Betweens until well after Grant passed. Love them, wish I saw Grant and Robert on-stage when I had the chance.
― birdistheword, Thursday, 6 May 2021 18:12 (two years ago) link
Happy birthday.
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 12 February 2023 23:10 (one year ago) link