9:13 PM - Great reviews coming in for Love Goes On! A Tribute to Grant McLennan!
Current mood: accomplished
Category: Music
When we embarked on this project, Love Goes On!A Tribute to Grant McLennan, our primary goal was to be part of the creation of a celebration of Grant's legacy; to ameliorate our own sense of loss and to share this celebration and remembrance with others who loved Grant and The Go-Betweens.Along the way, and due to the respect and admiration that Grant's career merited and received, as well as due to the amazing roster that even we were pleasantly surprised we were able to bring together, we found ourselves receiving messages from respected music journalists and bloggers interested in—and then writing about!—the progress of the album.We were also honored to have heard from so many of you—Grant's and The Go-Betweens fans—who supported and encouraged us in our endeavor throughout those 17 months of shared anticipation.Since the album's release in October, we've been so touched to hear the reactions from so many of you!The feeling we most wanted you to share with us has been resounding from your messages and comments:that Love Goes On is a fitting tribute to Grant.Thank you, all!And, now, we're proud to share with you some of the reviews that our tribute to Grant has garnered since it's release.
LOVE GOES ON!
Jack Rabid's Top Forty, Issue 61 of The Big Takeover!
DAGGER ZINE It's still hard to believe that it's been nearly 2 years since Go-Betweens co-founder Grant McLennan died from heart failure. The Go-Betweens were, and still are, one of my all time favorites so it was nice to see that a small label out of Long Beach, CA put together this tribute to Grant. The quality of bands on here shows how far and wide the Go-Betweens influence stretched (and McLennan specifically …though had it been Grant's bandmate/best friend Robert Forster that passed away I'm sure the same lineup would have been happy to contribute). Some of what you get is a lovely version of "Orpheus Beach" by The Clientele, a quiet version of "Love Goes On" by Private Eleanor, a drum-machined version of "Streets of Your Town" by Ivy, a near-perfect "Bye Bye Pride" by Mac McCaughn's Portastatic, a wonderful "Cattle and Cane" by Stars, a gorgeous "Coming Up for Air" by Trembling Blue Stars and plenty more. I know we've all been inundated with tribute albums these last several years but this one is definitely a cut above (and then some!).
What Goes On in Your Heart Many music lovers felt saddened when Grant McLennan of the wonderful Australian pop-rock band the Go-Betweens died at age 48 in May 2006, but California musician David James Buckner decided to make something constructive out of his grief. Together with his wife Sherri, Buckner organized a global roster of indie musicians and released a tribute album to McLennan on the couple's Rare Victory label. The 17-track CD features covers of songs from McLennan's solo records and those most associated with his work in the Go-Betweens. The quality of material on this disc reveals the depth, beauty, and significance of McLennan's worth for those unfamiliar with his work and provides a pleasurable reminder of the Aussie songster's gifts for those familiar with it.
One of the many benefits of hearing a sampling of McLennan's music from his entire career is that the listener can tease out various threads and themes that have remained consistent and important to the artist. It is perhaps fitting for a disc that honors a dead man that the central motif is something like: life is hard, the world is ugly, loneliness may be your only friend, but don't despair; with the right attitude and keen perceptions, one can find love and beauty. McLennan offers his songs as totems to guide the listener to a happier existence without denying that the world can be shit. I recommend tunes like "Streets of Your Town" (done here by Ivy), "Coming Up For Air" (by Trembling Blue Stars), and the title track by Private Eleanor for those in need of a quick burst of inspiration.
But really, any of the tracks will do. There is a consistency in tone and flavor among all of the 17 cuts. The downside means there are no standout songs that grab the listener by the ear and demand attention. Also, there are no famous artists here. The most well-known would be Portastatic (Mac McCaughan of Superchunk and Merge Records), who is far from a household name. Most people will not recognize any of the acts listed on the credits, although audiences may know some of the groups the musicians may be associated with, such as the Soup Dragons, Frente!, the Auteurs, or the Saints.
But the low-key nature of this affair is part of what makes it so special, which was also part of McLennan and the Go-Betweens' appeal. He and the band were always a personal favorite with whom fans shared with each other rather than the masses. They were the kind of artists that seemed to make critics' best of lists every year while never breaking through to commercial success, even though the music they made was exceedingly popular and accessible in style.
The covers on this tribute disc reveal just how good McLennan was, but none of the tracks are really better than the originals. That's not meant disparagingly. The versions here have their own special merits, but McLennan and the Go-Betweens achieved a level of excellence that cannot easily be attained by others. Check this disc out, but then go ahead and buy all the Go-Between albums you don't already own. You can thank me later.
"....This record does what few tributes manage and lets you enjoy the versions while steering you back to the originals. Stars manage a fine version of 'Cattle and Cane' while reminding you of the wistful air that caused it to be voted into the top 30 Australian songs of all time while Future Pilot AKA leaves you all tingly with his electronica version of 'Dusty in Here'. But the must hear song is The Clientele's version of 'Orpheus Beach' from the Go Betweens' comeback album in 2000, The Friends of Rachel Worth. They now own it with Alastair's whispery voice, the soft hissing of guitars and Mel Drainey's quietly moaning violin making it massively memorable as both a Grant song and now a Clientele one.
This is a fan-created album and it's a tribute in every sense. I can't recommend it too highly – as the Orchids sing on the song that opens the record: 'there's magic in here'."
"….Rare Victory's legwork has paid off handsomely. Love Goes On features 17 artists covering McLennan's timeless, featherweight tunes with the sort of precious sensitivity the Brisbane master would've appreciated….Brookville capture the hushed grandeur of "Haunted House"; GB3's lilting jangle blossoms into a Beach Boys-esque hymn on "Devil's Eye"; the Clientele's "Orpheus Beach" finesses sinuous chamber pop that's as smooth and creamy as meringue; Ed Kuepper (of the legendary Saints and Laughing Clowns) stirs marrow with his stark, haunting rendition of "Finding You"; Private Eleanor gracefully maneuver around the lissome contours of "Love Goes On"; Stars gamely tackle the indelible lurch of "Cattle and Cane"; and Ivy's breezy, orchestral cha-cha take on "Streets of Your Town" is utterly delightful…a tribute that should put a sparkle in the eyes of Grant's earnest tribe of admirers.Buckner is quoted in the liner notes by Big Takeover scribe Jack Rabid: 'Honoring Grant has helped dissipate the initial despair we felt at his loss, helping to bring a little magnificence out of the melancholy.' That's an astute summary of McLennan's own songwriting."
A fine and heartfelt tribute album, stellar artists like THE CLIENTELE, STARS, IVY, PORTASTATIC and THE BATS are featured here, all covering songs written by the late GRANT MCLENNAN wrote both in THE GO-BETWEENS and in his solo career (though only 2 songs here are from his solo years). Highlights include IVY's almost lounge-like version of "Streets of Your Town", Stars' reverent take on "Cattle and Cane" and ED KUEPPER's sublime version of "Finding You", which also features JANE ELLIOTT. Plus, this set includes great liner notes written by our own JACK RABID.
On 2000's The Friends of Rachel Worth, members of indie-rock luminaries Sleater-Kinney and Quasi backed McLennan and bandmate Robert Forster on "Orpheus Beach", a brooding midtempo rocker. The Clientele, covering the song for forthcoming McLennan tribute album Love Goes On!, pick up where the original's dusky organs left off and subtly reimagine the track in their usual elegiac AM pop style. "I don't need this heart/ I don't need this blood," Alasdair MacLean sings, swathed in violin and autumnal electric guitar. Really, the Clientele don't change much, which makes it clear to see what an effect McLennan's songs had on the UK group's own brand of bittersweet indie pop.
8:40 PM - Love Goes On! A Tribute to Grant McLennan! Clips of each track, with much gratitude to all.
Current mood: grateful
Category: Music
We at Rare Victory are proud to announce that Love Goes On! A Tribute to Grant McLennan has been successfully released, after months (approximately 17, in point of fact) of collaborating with people all over the world who wanted to be part of our vision to honor Grant.A lot of heart went into this project, and we had an opportunity to thank many of our collaborators on the CD, itself, including Jack Rabid for his heart-felt liner notes reminding us of why Grant was so beloved, as well as both professional photographers and fans who sent us photographs of Grant for use on the CD; in fact, the response we received from Grant's and The Go Betweens' admirers was heartwarming, with photos coming in from all over the globe...it was hard to choose which to include!We received messages from Edwyn Collins (Orange Juice! And now performing, again, to awe-filled fans...which is as it should always be) and David Kilgour (of The Clean and The Great Unwashed), sharing with us fond memories of Grant, though circumstances prevented each from recording for the album.Luke Haines, who recorded a stunning cover of "You Won't Find it Again," also shared his memories with us.In short, many individuals participated in the successful creation of a fitting tribute to Grant McLennan, and the reviews coming out (which we'll be posting, shortly) confirm that this group effort was effective in paying a fine tribute to Grant and his art.
We wanted to take this opportunity to now thank all the individuals participating in the creation of each track, as space permitted only band names on the CD, itself.In compiling this list, we were struck, yet again, by the range of bands represented in the album, with members (some past, some presentand--we hope--continuing) from some of our favorite bands!To name but a few:The June Brides!The Soup Dragons!Frente!The Triffids!BMX Bandits!Superchunk!!Those we know of are listed, below...and we're sure there are many more that we don't know about.Our gratitude to each is boundless, and we apologize now for any we might have missed in the list, below.
And we definitely want to thank each of you whom have given us your supportive words and encouragement throughout this endeavor....this project is meant to honor Grant, but we embarked upon it for you....those out there whom we knew agreed with us that something special needed to be done to celebrate Grant's life and all that he created with it.If you've not already heard the full album, please do give a listen to clips of each song and check out who were involved in each track's recording.This is just further proof of the range of artists whom Grant inspired.And, happily, there are a few young(er) artists, as well, reminding us that Grant's legacy continues, still....and, of course, that Love does go on!!
Cheers, Rare Victory! Records
TRACK 1 -- MAGIC IN HERE -- The Orchids
James Hackett - vocals, guitar John Scally – lead guitar Keith Sharp – guitar Ronnie Borland – bass Chris Quinn – drums Engineered and produced by Ronnie Borland.
TRACK 2 -- HAUNTED HOUSE -- Brookville
All instruments by Andy Chase (also of Ivy) & Bruce Driscoll.
Angie Hart (Frente) - vocals Glenn Bennie (Underground Lovers) - guitars, keys, percussion and fx Maurice Argiro (Underground Lovers) - slide bass Robert Tickner (Conway Savage Band) - lead guitar Graham Lee (Triffids) - Pedal Steel Engineered and Mixed by Tim Prince at The I Sonic Institute, Preston, Victoria, Australia. Produced by Glenn Bennie and Tim Prince, October 2006.
TRACK 4 -- ORPHEUS BEACH -- The Clientele
Alasdair Maclean - guitars, vocals Mel Draisey - violin Mark Keen - drums James Hornsey - bass Produced by Brian O'Shaughnessy at Bark Studio, Walthamstow, London.
TRACK 5-- FINDING YOU -- Ed Kuepper, featuring Jane Elliott
Ed Kuepper (The Saints, Laughing Clowns, The Aints) - vocals and instruments Jane Elliott (Suo Vel)- cello Produced by Ed Kuepper and Judi Dransfield-Kuepper. Recorded and mixed by Ed Kuepper at Everest Royal Sound Recorders, Brisbane, Australia.
TRACK 6 -- COMING UP FOR AIR -- Trembling Blue Stars
Bobby Wratten (The Field Mice, Northern Picture Library) - vocals and instruments Beth Arzy (Aberdeen) - vocals Additional instrumentation by Ian Catt (Katmandu, Saint Etienne). Produced by Ian Catt in association with Trembling Blue Stars. Engineered by Ian Catt.Recorded and mixed August 2006.
TRACK 7 -- LOVE GOES ON -- Private Eleanor
Performed by Austin Stahl and Marian Glebes. Recorded by Austin Stahl at the Buena Vista house in Baltimore, MD, using a cassette 4-track and a computer.
TRACK 8 -- CATTLE AND CANE -- Stars
Stars are: Torquil Campbell, Chris Seligman, Amy Millan, Evan Cranley, and Patrick McGee.
TRACK 9 -- BOUNDARY RIDER -- Mellow Drunk
Leigh Gregory - vocals and guitars Ricky Rene Maymi (Brian Jonestown Massacre) – guitars Recorded in Leigh's home studio.
TRACK 10 -- APOLOGY ACCEPTED -- Kelman
Wayne Gooderham - guitar and vocals Marc Gooderham - drums Paul Ragsdale - keyboards and production
TRACK 11 -- STREETS OF YOUR TOWN -- Ivy
Dominique Durand – vocals All instruments by Andy Chase & Adam Schlesinger.
TRACK 12 -- BYE BYE PRIDE -- Portastatic
Portastatic are:Mac McCaughan (Superchunk, and co-founder of Merge Records), Margaret White, Jim Wilbur (Superchunk), and Matthew McCaughan.
TRACK 13 -- RIGHT HERE -- The Bats
Robert Scott - vocals and guitars Kaye Woodward - vocals and guitars Paul Kean - bass and keyboards Malcolm Grant – drums
TRACK 14 -- YOU WON'T FIND IT AGAIN -- Luke Haines
All instruments and vocals by Luke Haines (The Servants, The Aueters, Black Box Recorder, Baader Meinhof).
TRACK 15 -- BACHELOR KISSES -- Paul Handyside
Paul Handyside (Hurrah!, Bronze) - guitar, electric piano, and vocals Rob Tickell - bass guitar and percussion Rob also engineered and co produced with Paul.
TRACK 16 -- DUSTY IN HERE -- Future Pilot AKA, featuring Duglas T Stewart
Duglas T Stewart (BMX Bandits) - vocals Sushil Dade (The Soup Dragons) - electric bass/electronics Ronan Breslin -prepared piano/euphonium Colin McGeogh - drum loops/engineering Produced by Sushil K Dade at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow. Engineered by Colin McGeoch & Ronan Breslin.
TRACK 17 -- BLACK MULE -- Phil Wilson
Played, recorded, and produced by Phil Wilson (The June Brides).
Currently
listening
:
Light and Day
By
The Polyphonic Spree
Release date: 25 March, 2003
3:15 PM - With "Coming Up for Air," Trembling Blue Stars give further life to Grant McLennan’s legacy.
Current mood: artistic
Category: Music
"That's her handwriting / that's the way she writes / from the first letter I got to this / her 'bill of rights'…"
"Part Company"
The Go-Betweens
It's fitting that Trembling Blue Stars came to be one of the bands participating in our tribute to Grant.After all, Trembling Blue Stars chose to call their debut album "Her Handwriting" in homage to Robert Forster's masterful pop composition from 1984 (one of the sharpest break-up songs ever recorded).Naturally, it made our day when Bobby and Beth agreed to record for us.I've got vivid memories of Bobby Wratten's life with Sarah Records' The Field Mice, playing live in Japan when I was an exchange student in Tokyo.Harvey Williams, the man behind Another Sunny Day, was there wearing a Field Mice t-shirt; after seeing my disappointment at learning from him that there was no merch for sale at the show, he literally gave me the Field Mice t-shirt off his back …quite a gracious gesture.Given the light rain falling across Shinjuku that night, I gave him my shirt in return.The Field Mice played an insane set that night and just shredded through a version of "Sensitive" – a goldrush gush of guitars that I wished would've lasted for an hour…
Trembling Blue Stars – exiles from mainstream.They've always been on the verge of something akin to a happy ending.The lush guitar music, often mixed in with synth and seductive beats, fuse into a dancepop sensibility that effectively counters—and complements—Wratten's painfully frank lyrics.(Much the same way Grant and Robert countered and complemented each other for decades as The Go Betweens.)And TBS was never even meant to be a "real" band; the plan seems to have been to just release one album as mostly a solo project for Bobby Wratten, with some help from Annemari and a few others, on the heels of Northern Picture Library's demise (Northern Picture Library were engaging, determined to challenge convention rather than stoop to conquer common denominators).But after the success of Her Handwriting, Bobby put a band together, went touring, and began work on a second album. There have been multiple line up changes since TBS' 1995 debut, with only Bobby and producer Ian remaining constants.The current lineup, including Beth Arzy of 90s Los Angeles band Aberdeen, continues to remind us that good art and "success" don't necessarily coexist….but they might, yet.
Trembling Blue Stars chose to cover one of Grant's solo recordings, the evocotive "Coming Up For Air" – released on the acclaimed Horsebreaker Star album, which interestingly Grant recorded in Athens, GA.There are so many good songs on the Horsebreaker Star record, and this one is rendered gorgeously.The line about "those LA freaks" shows a glimpse of greatness, and the pulsating music itself has fleeting moments of rapture. Yes!It's a prime example of a band effortlessly conveying their love for Grant's music – they make this song breathe, take it somewhere else, remembering that you never lose for loving.Ever.
4:36 PM - Boundary Rider, The Go-Betweens latest homage to Queensland, expertly recreated by Mellow Drunk
Current mood: accomplished
Category: Music
The thing we liked right away about MELLOW DRUNK was their lack of pretense, combined with the startling direct effect they had on our waylaid heartstrings.When they offered to record a cover of "Boundary Rider" we had a feeling they'd be near perfect for the part.From what we had heard, their songs sweep easily through a whole range of lovestruck emotion and shipwrecked betrayal, yet they deftly sidestep cliché and overwrought arrangements.As it turned out, their version of one of Grant's most affecting tunes turned out to be a shimmering paragon of imprecise virtue.LEIGH GREGORY, the creative force and main drive behind Mellow Drunk, has the perfect voice for singing about dreams and let-downs, about always wanting more… and dangling his beaming infatuations before us. Yes, they may lack pretense but they somehow inspire us to exalt in pompous prose! And the list of artists and bands Leigh and Mellow Drunk have played with--Lloyd Cole, Supergrass, Luna, and The Church among them--lend further proof of the strength of their artistry and the respect from their fellow artists...and should be yet another reason to compel you to experience them live.
Slimmed down to a two piece for this recording (co-founder Ricky Maymi was a founding member of the Brian Jonestown Massacre), Mellow Drunk take Grant's evocative song and add layers of acoustic guitar and a haunting vocal that adds majesty yet is still borne of a demanding earthy romanticism.It's over way before it should be, and how many tribute songs can you truthfully say that about?
Boundary Rider, like Cattle and Cane, was inspired by Grant's memories of life on the fields of Queensland.It appeared on Oceans Apart, the critically acclaimed 2005 release by The Go-Betweens that marked what was thought to be the start of a greater, and much deserved, presence of the band within a broader audience beyond that of their devoted followers and ever-supportive music critics.With Grant's passing last year, this evolution was abruptly disrupted.But Grant's words live on, continuing to inspire, transform, and even transport us. As memorialized in PopMatters:
McLennan doesn't need to describe the street you've been on, because you're invariably on the street he's describing. His success doesn't rely on precise descriptions, but on the inviting nature of the songs -- you very quickly arrive where the Go-Betweens take you. You don't need to have spent time on a horse to join McLennan "on the five mile fence" with the "bloodwood, bones, and steers" in "Boundary Rider."You end up in places when you listen to the Go-Betweens whether you know it or not.
Currently
listening
:
Hill for Company
By
Sodastream
Release date: 30 April, 2002
3:49 PM - Update on the release date of "Love Goes On! A Tribute to Grant McLennan"
Category: Music
We wanted to take this opportunity to say how much we appreciate your enthusiastic response to our upcoming tribute to the great Grant McLennan. Love Goes On was created out of a pure desire to honor Grant's legacy as a songwriter and artist. His quick passing was a shock to us – it's still hard to put into words the way we were affected. But we knew others must have been feeling the same sense of melancholy and frustration. And so with little experience in the record industry, we set and forged ahead with a plan to compile a lasting and heartfelt tribute comprised of artists who felt compelled to show their love for Grant McLennan and the Go-Betweens. We've been so heartened to see that fellow Go-Betweens fans, such as yourself, have believed in our vision and embraced our project….this is what this has been all about for us: creating something of beauty, by and for those who have loved Grant and The Go-Betweens as much as we have. And as you will soon hear, the results have been simply spectacular. We could not have wished for more exquisite and compelling versions of some of Grant's most beloved songs.
Unfortunately, there was a delay in the production (we were warned about this kind of thing!) of the Love Goes On digipaks, which we were originally to have received by the first week of October. We apologize for the delay – the wait has been agonizing for us, as well! We have now been promised delivery of the CDs by the 25th of October. And please keep in mind that those who ordered directly from us will be shipped a copy of the tribute the day after we get them – before our distributors get them, before the shops get them….before ANYONE gets them!
We had wanted to express our thanks to those who pre-ordered the tribute – and we have a free CD single by Kelman for the first 100 customers who ordered via PayPal. The Kelman CDs are in hand and ready to go! Additionally, when we were advised of the production delay we decided we wanted to also include a small token of appreciation to those who have been waiting patiently since September and early October for the tribute to arrive on their doorstep. We're going to keep it a surprise, but we think you'll like it – just a small gift, but one that is one-of-a-kind and homemade from us to you; we'll be including this in all orders placed before October 25th, with our sincere gratitude.
Again, thanks for your continued patience and your faith in placing your order with us. We think you'll be impressed with Love Goes On as a faithful representation of Grant's immeasurable artistry. We look forward to hearing your impressions in the weeks ahead. Please stay in touch!
5:12 PM - Ivy pays tribute to Grant McLennan with "Street of Your Town," now on our player!
Category: Music
Over the past summer we were thrilled to have Ivy communicate to us their desire to be a part of "Love Goes On," our tribute to Grant McLennan.They provided us with an exclusive remix of their cover of "Streets of Your Town," one of The Go-Betweens' unassailable greats, writtenby Grant."Streets" is a casual rush of swirling sound and poignant lyrics.Musically this was very nearly the epitome of the commercial pop side of the Go-Betweens; Grant must have felt it at least had a decent shot at the charts.The music is immediate.But there's something a little dark and sinister at play – a hidden backdrop of uneasiness permeates the gorgeously sung words.If you heard this song only once you'd be hard pressed to forget it, due mainly to a guitar break that just melts its way into your mind; the sheer sonic beauty of it may startle. Given the pristine production that anchors this song to a cloud, it should have raised the band's profile considerably.It didn't, of course, and the Go-Betweens were soon to call it day.As Grant himself once said, "although we work with melody, we sometimes work against it, and that's one of the cardinal sins of pop music.People often mistake subtlety or reticence for naiveté.If people do that, then it's quite pathetic.You just can't have those two qualities if you want to be in the charts, so that's our dilemma."
We have been fans of Ivy since we saw them open for Edwyn Collins back in 1995.Dominique has one of the most exquisite voices in pop.She captures the spirit of the song with an icy precision and yet manages to inject a dose of thinly-veiled optimism into it.Ivy's take manages to pull you in, without calling attention to itself. The song is truly a slice of majestic beauty.It could be a sequel to "Cattle and Cane" - an homage to Grant's hometown of Brisbane where he was born, and where he left this earth."Streets of your Town" is the 80's indie anthem that lingers; your heart will be healed, or blessed.
9:29 PM - The Go-Betweens' "Cattle and Cane" performed with verve by Stars, now playing!
Category: Music
STARS is currently one of Canada's most acclaimed groups, with a history of two nominations for Canada's top music awards, the Juno Awards. We were honored to receive word that Stars had expressed interest in participating in our tribute to Grant. This came at a time when we'd just announced Rare Victory's contest for the title track (and final track submission) to Love Goes On!A Tribute to Grant McLennan. And the entries that were coming in were superb, each worthy of entry onto our album….and yet there we were, with the dangling offer: "Stars is interested in recording 'Love Goes On' for the tribute." What a bind!
And then, we thought… maybe they'd agree to do "Cattle and Cane," instead. (We could squeeze in another track, right?). Up until then, all of our collaborating bands had pretty much chosen their own songs. Our ideal tribute clearly needed to include "Love Goes On," but we felt something was missing without the inclusion of "Cattle and Cane," Grant's wistful memoir of his childhood landscape, off the spectacular Before Hollywood LP. We were hesitant to recommend the song to Stars; it's quite a daunting challenge, asking someone to cover a piece that is almost synonymous to the artist who gave it life. But, having heard Stars' work, we realized that this young band had the enthusiasm, artistry, and confidence to take on this challenge….and they met it with flair. We came across one reviewer who put to words why we thought Stars could "pull it off," as it were: "They do a wonderful job of harkening to the great lovesick bands of the past while still sounding fresh and original…." And that's exactly what we were hoping for—and exactly what we got.
Personally, this song resonates with me on a deeper level. I was fortunate to sneak backstage after a Go-Betweens concert at the Roxy back in 1987. I had snuck a tape recorder into the show with me for posterity, and of course had it with me backstage. As usual, Grant was affable, and when I asked him about "Cattle and Cane" he expanded on how he came up with the distinctive rhythm of the song, how he shaped the words around this inconsistent beat that was in his head after hearing the sound of typewriter keys coming from the apartment next door to his, in Brisbane. (Or it might have been in London; in fact I think it was, back when Grant was living with Nick Cave.) Unfortunately, I was so sussed with the personal one-on-one that I never realized that the entire time we had been discussing his inspiration for my favorite Go-Betweens songs, my recorder was actually stuck on the pause button! Never had I felt such remorse & chagrin when I woke up the next morning to the realization that I had a lot of empty tape. Grant being Grant, he agreed to another interview the next day after their daytime performance at Cal State Long Beach, of all places. Hearing Stars' blissful rendition of this song reminds me of that backstage meeting with Grant, and the poolside interview that next day. I can't thank Stars (and all our contributors, really) enough for taking me back there.
Stars' fourth studio album, In Our Bedroom After War, is due to be released September 25th, and they've been busy touring, currently in Europe and with dates in North America beginning in October. Enjoy!
Cheers, David James Rare Victory!
Currently
listening
:
Forever Changes
By
Love
Release date: 20 February, 2001
1:24 AM - A special message to our blog subscribers and readers....
Current mood: accomplished
(Editted, now that we've finally got the HTML code for both links to work on the same page!)
Our heartfelt tribute to Grant is now in the final stage of production - it's been a long 15 month process to ensure that things turned out just right. But here we are, and although it's been terribly challenging at times, we can proudly say it was all worth it. Now we've got a bit of marketing and promotion to attend to!
We are set to announce that pre-orders will begin this Saturday, Sept. 15th. This is a limited edition printing of 1000 CDs, and while we're tempted to print more there are no immediate set plans to do so. That being the case, we may very well sell out of the copies from our own stock and we wanted to be sure to thank our loyal blog subscribers and readers by giving you all a first shot at getting the first copies.
Also, we're happy to add that the first 100 orders will also contain a bonus CD single by one of our contributors - Kelman, who cover "Apology Accepted" in remarkable fashion.
You're the first to see the final artwork on the CD, pictured below. Order your copy of "Love Goes On" today, using the links below the pictures! (If you'd like to order via mail, with US check or Money Order, please send us a message to reserve you a copy and count you among the first 100 orders.) And remember, when the boxes arrive from the plant the first week of October, your copy of "Love Goes On" will be among the first to be shipped! 17 songs, 17 bands, never before published photos in full color 6-panel digipak, and tribute liner notes from the ace Jack Rabid, founder and editor of The Big Takeover. It's a spectacular package.
Thanks again for all your support. You've all been a huge contributing factor in our perseverance in this labor of love.
LOVE GOES ON!
Dave & Sherri Rare Victory Records 203 Argonne Avenue, Suite B PMB 134 Long Beach, CA 90803
FOR NORTH AMERICA ORDERS, CLICK BELOW! ($17 USD postage paid)
FOR REST OF WORLD ORDERS, CLICK BELOW! ($22 USD postage paid)
Thursday, September 06, 2007
4:24 PM - Dusty in Here (Future Pilot AKA, feat. Duglas T. Stewart) & Love Goes On (Private Eleanor)
(editted 9/8/07)
It's difficult, if not daunting, to consider what to write about "Dusty in Here," the song from our tribute album which was so personal to Grant, and which most touches upon our own feelings of loss since Grant's passing.Written about the father Grant lost when he was just four years old, Grant once said of this poignant song that "Dusty in Here" was "….the first time I'd ever come to grips—in any writing I'd done—with my father's death.When I wrote that song, it was twenty years ago that he'd died."
As Grant once wrote and then mournfully sang,
That's all I ask, that you just write and you say no, that you can't speak you've lost your voice, you let it go you let it go.
Hearing Sushil Dade, the man behind FUTURE PILOT AKA and ex-BMX Bandit, perform this song with featured vocalist and BXM Bandit Duglas T Stewart singing these same words in honor of Grant evokes our own sense of loss, of Grant as well as of one of our own:James Michael, father of Rare Victory's David James, lost to us shortly before Grant.But it wasn't just the loss of these great men that was the impetus of Love Goes On—it was that same desire to find a way to mourn that we imagine Grant might have felt when he embarked on writing "Dusty in Here."Even greater than this, though, was our desire to celebrate and honor the gifts that were given to us.It's fitting, then, that of all of Grant's songs Sushil chose to cover "Dusty in Here."In this song we find both the reason for our mourning and the path to healing.
"Someone you knew is watching you. I'm someone you knew."
We can't thank Sushil and the artists who worked on this song with him--vocals by Duglas T Stewart of the BMX Bandits, Ronan Breslin on prepared piano/euphonium, and Colin McGeogh on drum loops/engineering--enough.We're sure that Sushil has his own fond memories of Grant.One of Grant's last recordings with Robert Forster was for the song "The City of Light," in collaboration with Future Pilot AKA, available on the album Secrets from the Clockhouse as well as The Go Betweens Worlds Apart EP.Sushil has collaborated with various artists, and once had this to say about the man he now honors with us on Love Goes On:
Grant McLennan had a cubist approach to melody….His lyrics were so un-macho. Very sensitive and heartfelt. There's too much ugly music in the world. There's so much ugliness in life as well. I don't understand why anyone would want to add to that. Darkness can be a great color, but I wouldn't want to suffocate in it.
We chose to unveil PRIVATE ELEANOR's cover of "Love Goes On" along with Future Pilot AKA's recording of "Dusty in Here" as our testament to the breadth of Grant's influence on musicians around the globe.Private Eleanor—of Baltimore, Maryland (USA)—submitted the winning cover for a contest to find our title song.The Baltimore City Paper, in 2003,declared Private Eleanor's Austin Stahl "Baltimore's Best Singer-Songwriter."He was barely out of his teens, then, with years of home-recording behind him.Five albums and various singles and EPs since Private Eleanor first formed, the band has garnered much critical acclaim.Our friends at The Big Takeover said of Private Eleanor's newest album, Sweethearting, "Baltimore's best surprisingly top their quietly sparkling No Straight Lines. Sweethearting ups the ante... behind production so lush, firm, and warm, it takes over rooms."
Private Eleanor's cover of "Love Goes On" is a quieter, softer version of this song, which first appeared on that hailed Go-Between's album, 16 Lover's Lane.We think that Jack Rabid's words, written for The Big Takeover just after Grant's passing, best summarize both why we elected that song's title for our album's title, as well as why we now choose to pair it with the unveiling of "Dusty in Here."
In fact, let's all remember him by "Love Goes On." Though the tune is about romance, it can just as easily refer to the love McLennan showed for the perfect pop song, dripping in poetry and intelligence and melody and splendor with just the right hint of melancholy to give his songs depth-and thus the love he had for us, by not writing the pop piffle that everyone else does. It certainly sums up his undying spirit, and I remember telling him that backstage at the old Knitting Factory when they were playing acoustic in 1989, touring for their accompanying (zenith) LP, 16 Lovers Lane. It's still true today. And it is perhaps the greatest gift he gave us, a song with a romantic and optimistic vision of life, despite its ups and downs and endless changes—it's a gift which we can't afford to lose.
Currently
listening
:
Strange Times
By
Chameleons (UK)
Release date: 23 September, 1997
5:15 PM - Luke Haines now on our player, reminding us "You Won’t Find it Again."
Category: Music
LUKE HAINES was briefly a member of the Servants, who were a damn fine band yet commercially unsuccessful.It wasn't until he stepped up to the plate and formed his own band with his girlfriend that he began to get noticed.The Auteurs released an album called New Wave that some say was the blueprint for the "Brit-Pop" movement that became the calling card of indie in the mid 90's.On one hand, the Auteurs had a devoted following right from the start, mainly due to the reputation of their startling live shows.On the other hand, much like the Go-Betweens, The Auteurs were fast approaching the peculiar limbo status of "critics' favorites" who were nevertheless unable to shift those all-important units.Steve Albini was drafted in to produce their 3rd album, After Murder Park, which showed the much more bleak side of his songwriting.It's a great record, and sounds even more spectacular 11 years later.
Two additional solo projects – Baader Meinhof and the electronic based Black Box Recorder – revealed Luke's depth and diversity as a songwriter.His most recent album is called Off My Rocker at the Art School Bop. It's clear, here, that Haines has not lost his ear for a hook, and even has a pretty sharp sense of humor:"Gary Glitter is a bad man/Ruining the reputation/of the Glitter Band"
Luke chose to cover one of Grant's more obscure yet heartfelt songs."You Won't Find It Again" was one of the few songs where Grant could be heard spewing a bit of bile, albeit in his customarily bemused way.It's emotional, but within bounds – and we're still not sure if he's singing about an ex-lover or the breakup of his old band, the life-altering Go-Betweens.At any rate, Luke renders it beautifully and we're extremely proud to have him among the contributors to Love Goes On.
Please come by and to hear Luke's contribution to our joint tribute to Grant; we'd love to hear your comments/thoughts!
accomplished
grateful
artistic
