Horsebreaker Star

Infobox Album |
Name = Horsebreaker Star
Type = studio
Artist = Grant McLennan


Released = 1994
Recorded = John Keane Studios, Athens, Georgia, 1994
Genre = Alternative rock
Length = 95:27
Label = Beggars Banquet Records
Producer = John Keane
Reviews = * Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:j9fpxq9hld6e link]
Last album = "Fireboy"
(1992)
This album = "Horsebreaker Star"
(1994)
Next album = "In Your Bright Ray"
(1997)

"Horsebreaker Star" is the third solo album by Grant McLennan, a member of The Go-Betweens. McLennan recorded the album in Athens, Georgia with American musicians. In a 1995 interview"Ex-Go Between Turns Hit Single", Herald Sun, November 23, 1995] he said the album had been "a lot of work".

"I wanted it to be the kind of record that could be played by anyone, but not too obvious. You know, the London Symphony Orchestra doesn't have to do the ballads, Johnny Cash doesn't have to do the country songs. I don't like to be that predictable. I like surprises," he said.

McLennan toured the US, Europe and Australia in 1995 to promote the album, playing with musicians including Anna Burley and Dave Foley from The Killjoys, and Phil Kakulas from Blackeyed Susans. His American performances received highly favourable reviews from the "The New York Times" and "Rolling Stone", which called McLennan "one of the world's great songwriters". ]

This was the first of his solo albums on which he went by "Grant." He had billed himself as "G.W." on the previous two.

The single-disc American release stripped off six songs — "Late Afternoon in Early August" and "Ballad of Easy Rider" from the first disc and "Do Your Own Thing" through "Head Over Heels" from the second — while adding on "Lighting Fires" from "Fireboy".

Track listing

(all tracks by Grant McLennan except where noted)

* Disc one:
# "Simone & Perry" – 4:09
# "Ice in Heaven" – 4:22
# "What Went Wrong" – 8:11
# "Race Day Rag" – 2:03
# "Don't You Cry For Me No More" – 3:06
# "Put You Down" – 4:46
# "Late Afternoon in Early August" – 2:47
# "Coming Up For Air" – 3:43
# "Ballad of Easy Rider" (Roger McGuinn) – 3:48
# "Open Invitation" – 4:53
# "Open My Eyes" – 3:22
# "From My Lips" – 2:31

* Disc two:
# "Dropping You" – 3:16
# "Hot Water" – 3:47
# "Keep My Word" – 3:28
# "Do Your Own Thing" – 2:58
# "That's That" – 3:23
# "If I Was a Girl" – 6:01
# "Head Over Heels" – 2:47
# "Girl in a Beret" – 4:31
# "All Her Songs" – 4:12
# "No Peace in the Palace" – 4:15
# "I'll Call You Wild" – 4:41
# "Horsebreaker Star" – 4:13

Personnel

* Grant McLennan – guitars, vibes, vocals
* John Keane – guitars, banjo, keyboards, bass, xylophone, percussion, backing vocals
* Joel Morris – drums
* Steve Venz – bass
* Andy Carlson – strings, electric guitar, mandolin
* Tim White – organ, piano
* Bill Holmes – organ, piano
* Dwight Manning – oboe
* Syd Straw – backing vocals ("Put You Down")
* Esta Hill – backing vocals ("Put You Down")

References