We've wanted to tell you this story involving the Go-Betweens for a long time now, but never felt it had the ending it deserved.
The tale of this Australian band is one of the saddest in all of rock... and now, deservedly, one with a potential happy ending...
In 2006, we opened up a Village Voice and were stunned to learn that singer-songwriter Grant McLennan, founder of the band and one of its two absolute geniuses, had died suddenly, at 48, and just when things were turning around for him. After decades of baffling obscurity, with some of the catchiest singles since "I Wanna Hold Your Hand," Grant and his longtime collaborate, Robert Forster, were riding high on sales of their 2005 release Oceans Apart, which made many best-of lists and had built a word-of-mouth reputation.
On the night he was to propose to his longtime girlfriend, to bring some peace and stability to a life marred by family tragedy, poverty, and professional trials, McLennan took off his shoes and flopped out on his bed for a brief nap before the engagement festivities. Friends arriving for the party hours later found him having passed away, the autopsy revealing it to have been due to "a massive heart attack."
The tributes were immediate and reminded everyone why it was so shameful the public had ignored this man's songs for so long. Bono's U2 pointed out that Grant's first great song, "Cattle and Cane," was one of the greatest ever written, and likely the best Australian single ever.
We were crushed and unable to listen to anything, let alone the Go-Betweens, for days. It turned out-- so was everybody else, from Sleater-Kinney to U2 to Robert Forster, who was crushed more so than most. But just recently, something interesting began to happen: the Go-Betweens started to take off.
First, there was an Australian radio broadcast covering the Go-Betweens most essential release, 16 Lovers Lane, and a DVD of the broadcast. In the days following the program, Lovers Lane took off, landing at #2 on the iTunes download chart and setting off a wave of new stories about the band. In the midst of all this, Robert Forster's new album came out. We were surprised he could get it together to put something together on his own so soon after Grant's death.
Then we read this:
Q.: How did this all set in motion? Your press release said it was touch-and-go about whether you were ever going to make another record ever. If so, what made up your mind? What was the door opening?
Forster: No, no! I was always going to make an album. It was always my intent. Look, Jack, if even just to get out the Grant songs on the record — he and I were playing those songs. I wanted to make a record if only to get those three out to the world. “Demon Days,” “Let Your Light In, Babe,” and “It Ain’t Easy.” They’re the three that he had the music and the choruses to, and I’ve written the lyrics to, except the first five lines of “Demon Days” are his. The only thing is, I probably made the record a year earlier than what I thought it would be. Besides that, I always wanted to record. [Jesus, that's just beautiful friendship right there.]
Yes, after Grant died, I was in shock, and I was stunned, you know? But I knew I’d record, I just had to find my way out of the shock and the grief and just… I didn’t start playing with Adele [Pickvance, bassist] until like eight months after he died. It just took about that much time to do some songwriting. I was just very much within myself. And then I just phoned her up and we started playing. That was in February last year. But for seven or eight months, I was just taking my time... [Emusic]
And it was well worth it. Critics are already hailing the cuts here as among the best of the year, and the album, The Evangelist, is the year's subtle classic. So, in the end, the Go-Betweens may get their happy ending after all...
Cattle And Cane
Streets Of Your Town
Let Your Light In, Babe
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