b. 12 February 1958, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, d. 6 May 2006, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. McLennan came to prominence in the 80s as one half of the celebrated Go-Betweens’ writing team with Robert Forster. After that band called the first half of their career a day in December 1989, McLennan collaborated with the Church’s Steve Kilbey on the Jack Frost project before embarking on a low-key solo career. His first two solo albums, Watershed (1991) and Fireboy (1993), appeared under the rather stilted moniker, G.W. McLennan. Although both albums opted for a disarmingly easy listening country rock sound, songs such as ‘Haven’t I Been A Fool’ and ‘Black Mule’ (from Watershed), and ‘Lighting Fires’ and ‘One Million Miles From Here’ (from Fireboy) came close to matching the brilliance of his work with the Go-Betweens. The double Horsebreaker Star (released as a single in America) was recorded in Athens, Georgia with R.E.M. associate, John Keane. This highly accomplished soft rock collection juxtaposed healthy cynicism (‘Hot Water’, ‘Dropping You’, ‘Keep My Word’) with sublime sunshine pop (‘Coming Up For Air’, ‘Simone & Perry’) to great effect. After the release of another Jack Frost album, 1995’s Snow Job, he released the excellent In Your Bright Ray. McLennan subsequently teamed up with Forster under the Go-Betweens banner for a well-received series of live dates, which became a more permanent reunion with the release of a new studio album, 2000’s The Friends Of Rachel Worth. Forster and McLennan cemented their renewed songwriting union with the excellent Bright Yellow Bright Orange (2003) and Oceans Apart (2005). This critical renaissance was cruelly shattered when McLennan passed away in May 2006.