Horsebreaker Star is the third solo album by Grant McLennan

Grant McLennan

Grant William McLennan was an Australian singer-songwriter with the alternative rock band The Go-Betweens, which he co-founded with Robert Forster in Brisbane, Australia in 1977...

, a member of The Go-Betweens

The Go-Betweens

The Go-Betweens were an indie rock band formed in Brisbane, Australia in 1977 by singer-songwriters and guitarists, Robert Forster and Grant McLennan. They were later joined by Lindy Morrison on drums, Robert Vickers on bass guitar and Amanda Brown on violin, oboe, guitar, and backing vocals,...

. McLennan recorded the album in Athens, Georgia

Athens, Georgia

Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...

 with American musicians. In a 1995 interview 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 New York Times

The New York Times

The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...

and Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

, 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

Grant McLennan

Grant William McLennan was an Australian singer-songwriter with the alternative rock band The Go-Betweens, which he co-founded with Robert Forster in Brisbane, Australia in 1977...

 except where noted)

• Disc one:

1. "Simone & Perry" – 4:09
2. "Ice in Heaven" – 4:22
3. "What Went Wrong" – 8:11
4. "Race Day Rag" – 2:03
5. "Don't You Cry For Me No More" – 3:06
6. "Put You Down" – 4:46
7. "Late Afternoon in Early August" – 2:47
8. "Coming Up For Air" – 3:43
9. "Ballad of Easy Rider
   Ballad of Easy Rider
   Ballad of Easy Rider is the eighth album by the American rock band The Byrds and was released in November 1969 on Columbia Records . The album was named after the song "Ballad of Easy Rider", which had been penned by The Byrds' guitarist and singer, Roger McGuinn , as the theme song for the 1969...
   
   " (Roger McGuinn
   Roger McGuinn
   James Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...
   
   ) – 3:48
10. "Open Invitation" – 4:53
11. "Open My Eyes" – 3:22
12. "From My Lips" – 2:31

• Disc two:

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

Personnel

• Grant McLennan
  Grant McLennan
  Grant William McLennan was an Australian singer-songwriter with the alternative rock band The Go-Betweens, which he co-founded with Robert Forster in Brisbane, Australia in 1977...
  
   – guitars, vibes, vocals
• John Keane
  John Keane (record producer)
  John Keane is an American record producer based in Athens, Georgia, who has worked extensively with R.E.M., Indigo Girls and Widespread Panic. He owns and operates John Keane Studios in Athens, which opened in 1981....
  
   – 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
  Syd Straw
  Syd Straw is an American rock singer and songwriter. The daughter of actor Jack Straw , she began her career singing backup for Pat Benatar, then took her distinct voice to the indie/alternative scene and joined the Golden Palominos...
  
  – backing vocals ("Put You Down")
• Esta Hill – backing vocals ("Put You Down")