Customer Reviews

Fireboy

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4 star:		(2)
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From the Go-Betweens to Jack Frost to his solo work, Grant McLennan has cut a swath of strongly melodic, heartfelt music with lots of good hooks and endearingly blunt lyrics. This, his second solo album, falls between the excellent Watermark and the pop/country gem Horsebreaker Star. It's neither as wide-eyed as its predecessor nor as consistent as its follow-up, but it's a great album nonetheless. Low points are few--skip The Pawnbroker, please!--and the high points are very high. If Surround Me doesn't get your blood pumping, you're in trouble--it's unbelieveably catchy. The Dark Side of Town is a sweetly sad lament for love. Lighting Fires, a high-energy rocker, actually shows up again on his next record, but this is where it originated.

All in all, this is a fine collection of songs not just for McLennan fans, but anyone who likes great songwriting and sincere lyrics in the electric/acoustic rock/folk veins. McLennan's one of the most distinctive & enduring voices in the last 20 years of pop, and he's definitely worth your time.

I never get tired of listening to this album. I'm a fan of both Grant McLennan and his producer Dave Dobbyn (a great unknown--in the US--New Zealand songwriter), so it is a pleasure to hear their collaboration on this album.

Do yourself a favor and check out this album and others by Grant and Dave.

Lighting Fires ended up on the American version of the CD Horsebreaker Star, but it originated here. Great tune, good album.

"On Saturday 6th May 2006, legendary Australian singer-songwriter and member of The Go-Betweens Grant McLennan died in his sleep at his home in Brisbane at the age of 48. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him, whether personally or through his music. His auto-biographical masterpiece 'Cattle and Cane' was recently voted by the Australian Performing Rights Association as one of the ten greatest Australian songs of all time."