RIP Grant McLennan (The Go-Betweens)

Caravan Ray · Post by **Caravan Ray** » Sun May 07, 2006 10:27 am

I'm a bit shaken tonight. I just heard that Grant McLennan died. Total bummer.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/music/from-t ... 11087.html

Those of you Stateside may not really know of The Go-Betweens - but they were quite simply the greatest Australian band of all time. They never had the success of the Midnight Oils and Crowded Houses the ACDCs etc - but in my (and many others) opinion they were far superior.

They never even had great commercial success in Australia. My wife actually went to school with Amanda Brown (also in the band) who was Grant's parter for a time. At their 20 year class reunion, my wife said many of the other from the school hadn't even heard of the Go-Betweens (though my wife told her that her husband idolised her - and told her about Songfight!)

Quite simply - as far as my musical history goes - hearing Joe Strummer and The Clash made me want to play guitar and be in a band. Hearing the Go-Between made me want to write songs.

Now Joe and Grant are both gone. That's very sad.

Grant was from Rockhampton in my state of Queensland. Among his work, he wrote the greatest song about Queensland of all time, which is also one of the greatest Australian songs of all time - and in fact - one of the greatest songs of all time about anything.

So - if you haven't heard the Go-Betweens - I will share Cattle and Cane with you

WeaselSlayer · Post by **WeaselSlayer** » Sun May 07, 2006 2:15 pm

Wow, that is really good. Though it's sad he's gone, I think he may have just gotten a new fan. Always at least a little heartwarming is the notion that though the musicians die, the music won't go away.

Caravan Ray · Post by **Caravan Ray** » Mon May 08, 2006 8:52 am

GO-BETWEENS COVER FIGHT!

Well, I guess I'll be the only entrant - so I'll claim victory now.

Here is my tribute to Mr McLennan - a cover of The Devil's Eye off their 16 Lover's Lane album