Memorial post of the week- G.W. Mclennan

Toffeeboy floated the idea of doing a memorial post to ex Go-Between Grant Mclennan, who tragically died on May 6, 2006 of a heart attack, at the tender age of 48.
Mclennan had a rural upbringing in Queensland, Australia and co-founded the Go-Betweens with Robert Forster in 1977; after the break-up of the band in 1989 Mclennan began a solo career and also co-operated with The Church's Steve Kilby in Jack Frost, before reforming the Go-Betweens in 2000 with Forster for a successful series of tours and albums.
Between us we've selected a representative playlist, so here is our tribute to G.W. Mclennan, ordered roughly chronologically, and spanning his entire career.

Nilpferd's selection:
With the Go-betweens:
Cattle and cane
Captures perfectly the drowsiness of a warm summer day in a farming town, coupled with the hidden thrills of anticipating imminent adulthood.
Bachelor Kisses
Often there's a hard edge to his lyrics, but this is one of Mclennan's most empathetic songs, offering solace to a female friend unlucky in love. The ringing guitars and backing vocals brim over for the chorus.
Bye Bye Pride
Probably Mclennan's most perfectly realised song, this one has everything, from Amanda Brown's oboe to Mclennan's timeless lyrics, the stand-up-tall chorus and sublime playout.
Streets of your town
Brilliantly bittersweet, a perfectly breezy piece of pop- until the lyric kicks in with butcher's knives and battered wives.
As a solo artist:
Haven't I been a fool
Mclennan's first solo album kicked off with a couple of wry, Dylanesque tunes- this one blends a nice line in self deprecation with a toe tapping, country inflected beat and some twanging acoustic guitar.
Haunted House
Ethereal, and beautiful. Some of his best guitar work married to an achingly vulnerable vocal. The track of his which most readily brings a lump to my throat.
Easy come, easy go
His best solo single, irrepressible and upbeat. This one always gets Mara dancing around the room.
Surround me
Mclennan developed a more defiant tone in his second solo album, without losing his talent for wordsmithery or vulnerable sincerity. This was the single, oddly offbeat but still full of invention and energy.
Dark side of town
I think the side of Mclennan's songwriting best featured in his solo career was his ballad writing, and this is an exquisite heartbreaker, with perhaps his best vocal performance.
Fingers
Perhaps too personal, but I relied on this song for a while, so it has a place in my heart. Poignant, in the light of Mclennan's too early death.

Toffeeboy's selection:
A couple of years ago I made a Grant McLennan memorial CD for my brother – it had 17 tracks on it and six of those 17 were chosen by nilpferd above. So I’ll add the other 11 here:

The Wrong Road
Taken from my favourite Go-Betweens album (Liberty Belle And The Black Diamond Express), this is probably my favourite McLennan lyric. Every verse is full of original, thoughtful and beautiful imagery. So many great lines to choose from but “Started out Oliver, ended up Fagin” probably just wins it for me.
Palm Sunday (On Board The SS Within)
A joyful pop song in the best McLennan traditions – complete with a rousing chorus that lifts you out of your seat.
Right Here
Ditto. One of only two Go-Betweens tracks to trouble the singles charts – the other being The Streets Of Your Town – and even then they only razed the lower reaches at 82 and 80 respectively. Should have been a worldwide smash!
You Won’t Find It Again
Taken from the 1978-1990 Go-Betweens compilation album (probably the best Best Of ever released) and if I could be bothered to walk upstairs, I’d have a look at the CD and tell you what it was originally released on. [previously unissued- Ed.] Gorgeous acoustic thingy.

Then we have the solo years which nilpferd has already covered superbly so I’ll skip on to the reunion years:

Magic In Here
Another lovely plaintive melody – sounds like a very personal lyric.
Orpheus Beach
A slow builder – stay with it.
Going Blind
One of the most upbeat starts to a song that you’ll ever hear. Like one of David Beckham’s penalties, it starts up and just keeps going in the same direction.
Crooked Lines
Without doubt the best song he ever wrote. Musical and lyrical perfection. Athens or Sparta? What do you think Abahachi?
Unfinished Business
A tragically pertinent title and another beautiful song – it’s difficult to listen to it knowing what we know and not shed a tear or two.
No Reason To Cry
Almost seems like the answer to the above song – but, of course, he didn’t know …
The Statue
A taste of what was to come and an encapsulation of everything that’s been stolen from us.

Grant McLennan – 1958-2006 RIP