| Author | Message | ||
     Austin McLean Member Username: Bruegelpie Post Number: 23 Registered: 09-2004 |
Apparently one of Grant’s last recording projects involved contributing to the GB3 CD “Emptiness is Our Business” A review is below: Anyone heard it? Austin ------------------------- Emptiness is Our Business Craig Mathieson, Reviewer August 24, 2006 The Age, Melbourne Emptiness is Our Business by Glenn Bennie (AKA GB3) The spotlight never interested Glenn Bennie. Circumspect on and off stage, as a member of seminal Melbourne combo Underground Lovers he was already updating the guitar legacy of the Gang of Four's Andy Gill when the current generation of Choose '82 post-punk revivalists were getting acquainted with grade 2 at primary school. Bennie was cutting up funk riffs, punk shrapnel and ambient airwaves in the early '90s and that ear for synthesis is apparent on his new solo album. He's replaced his longtime songwriting partner, Vince Giarrusso, with a posse of guest vocalists. The tunes are sympathetically matched to their protagonists, with Steve Kilbey sketching abstract imagery on the dreamscape of Famished and Sianna Lee of Love Outside Andromeda coolly measuring herself against the world on the caustic Tracing Circles in the Dark. Other excerpts are more unexpected, with Stephen Cummings sounding timeless on the shimmering rolling thunder of All For Love. There's also a benediction for the late Grant McLennan, who weaves sly pop memories through Actress on a Mattress, with Bennie supplying a worthy backdrop for one of his final recording sessions. The Go-Betweens vocalist is in good company. | ||
| David Whiting Member Username: Dreamerdon Post Number: 6 Registered: 12-2005 |
Yes, I have a copy. It is very good. Not the greatest Grant track however worth getting the GB3 album. It has a mixture of GB & Underground Lovers sound. It was spooky to hear the familiar vocal. | ||
| Paul Swinford Member Username: Prema Post Number: 19 Registered: 11-2005 |
David, thank you for the recommendation. For those of us who live outside Australia, I found a good deal on the new GB3 release through JB Hi-Fi (in Australia). For a limited time, they're offering the new release along with a signed copy GB3's previous Circlework CD for just $26.99 Australian ($9 shipping). Here is the URL: http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/music/id/899737 This offer beats Amazon.com's offer of US$30.49 for Emptiness is Our Business. But Rockinghorse is offering Emptiness through Amazon for US$21.59 ($5.49 for shipping). | ||
| Andy Member Username: I_am_andy Post Number: 1 Registered: 08-2006 |
I'm not surprised, and definitely pleased, to hear of that collaboration ... I saw Grant support the Undies at Van Gogh's Earlobe (Brisvegas) around 10 or so years ago. Excellent gig highlighted by Grant joining the Underground Lovers for the last few songs of the night, and it worked brilliantly. | ||
| David Whiting Member Username: Dreamerdon Post Number: 7 Registered: 12-2005 |
Circlework is certainly worth a listen as well. Good deal from JB. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Nemo Post Number: 67 Registered: 07-2005 |
David, one of the Australian Retailers I use has indicated that 'Emptiness Is Our Business' may be copy protected. Are you able to confirm if this is the case? Paul, nice spot. I have been looking to pick up a copy of Circlework for some time and will place an order with JB Hi-Fi provided the disc(s) have no copy protection. | ||
| David Whiting Member Username: Dreamerdon Post Number: 8 Registered: 12-2005 |
Both CDs are not copy protected. I've copied onto my iPod. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Nemo Post Number: 69 Registered: 07-2005 |
David, many thanks. I have gone ahead and placed an order with JB Hi-Fi. | ||
| Paul S. Member Username: Prema Post Number: 22 Registered: 11-2005 |
Surprised we haven't had more disucssion of this number. I'm very impressed with the whole album. Reminds me of the This Mortal Coil collaborations on 4AD. The overall feel of the album is mellow, late night. Each number is impeccably arranged. The mellow pieces have lots of space and the rocking ditties are dense and urgent. My favorite is Grant's contribution, of course. The guitar lines are classic Grant - melodic and simple. The guitars have a pleasing, relaxed country lilt to them - like something out of Horsebreaker Star - and Glenn Bennie's understated electronics compliment perfectly. I never would have thought that a pop/electronic/country tune would work. "Actress on a Mattress" succeeds in spades. The lyrics are something like this: I find my mind and then I leave it I see you dance, then I believe it Your golden dress in the spotlight Wear your wig, babe, gonna be white (I'm sure I've got this line WRONG - help?) Chorus (x2) An actress on a mattress Silver skies, sailor boys in distress (x2) Move around on your island Your baby blues shine like a diamond I find my mind and then I leave it I see you dance, then I believe it Chorus (x6 thru fade) An actress on a mattress Silver skies, sailor boys in distress The words are simple and seem primarily aimed at creating an atmosphere. The real magic's in the melody and the musicianship. I hope this will not be the last of Grant's "new" songs we get to hear. But if so, it is a real keeper. Nice touch by Glenn Bennie to dedicate the album to Grant. | ||
| Austin McLean Member Username: Bruegelpie Post Number: 27 Registered: 09-2004 |
Below is an article from today's Herald Sun: Laundromat art for Bennie October 19, 2006 12:00am Article from: Herald-Sun FORMER Underground Lovers guitarist Glenn Bennie was hit with a realisation when working on a song with the Go-Betweens' Grant McLennan last year. "When he played his guitar parts I said, 'Now I know where I've stolen all my guitar ideas from over the years'," Bennie says with a laugh. The track, for his second album under the name GB3, Emptiness is Our Business, was one of the last McLennan recorded before his death in May. His appearance on the album is fitting. It was after stumbling into a Go-Betweens listening party for their near-completed 2003 album Bright Yellow Bright Orange -- he dropped by the studio to pick up an amp he'd lent them -- that Bennie began work on the first GB3 album, Circlework. "I hadn't done music for six or eight months, and hadn't really thought about doing anything," Bennie says. "Just being in a studio again, being part of that magic, really inspired me to go out and record the first lot of tracks that became the first GB3 (album)." Emptiness is Our Business sees Bennie working with a range of guest vocalists, including the Church's Steve Kilbey, Stephen Cummings, Sarah Blasko, Magic Dirt's Adalita, Love Outside Andromeda's Sianna Lee and his old bandmate Philippa Nihill. "Someone who played on the album was joking we should call it Old Men, Young Girls," he says. Bennie says his high female-to-male guest ratio can be traced to years of writing for Nihill in Underground Lovers. "Having written a lot of things with her in mind in the past, I guess with a lot of the more melodic things I write, I picture a female voice." The bulk of Emptiness was written at Bennie's local laundromat after his washing machine went on the blink. "It was free time I had. I'm busy with kids around my feet these days. It's hard to be creative in that situation." Bennie is already thinking ahead to the next record. "Maybe (it) will have an international flavour. We'll see how we go." Emptiness is our Business (Rubber) out now. GB3, Spanish Club, tomorrow, $15. | ||
| Roger Griffin Member Username: Roger Post Number: 49 Registered: 11-2004 |
I've just discovered this album. I had no idea Grant was on it until the chorus of "Actress on a Mattress" had me thinking "this guy sounds so much like Grant". Later on I discovered it was, but was surprised to find that the lyric - which was so Grant - wasn't his. The rest of the record is (mostly) exquisite. But "Actress on a Mattress" is one of the best things he's ever done IMO. |