Fireboy

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title: "Fireboy" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1993-albums", "grant-mclennan-albums"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fireboy" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]

Field	Value
name	Fireboy
type	studio
artist	Grant McLennan
cover	McLennan fireboy.jpg
released	1993
recorded	Paradise, Sydney, Platinum, Melbourne
genre	Alternative rock
length	52:42
label	White Label
producer	Dave Dobbyn
prev_title	Watershed
prev_year	1991
next_title	Horsebreaker Star
next_year	1994
::

| name = Fireboy | type = studio | artist = Grant McLennan | cover = McLennan fireboy.jpg | alt = | released = 1993 | recorded = Paradise, Sydney, Platinum, Melbourne | venue = | studio = | genre = Alternative rock | length = 52:42 | label = White Label | producer = Dave Dobbyn | prev_title = Watershed | prev_year = 1991 | next_title = Horsebreaker Star | next_year = 1994 Fireboy is the second solo album by Grant McLennan, a member of the Go-Betweens. It was released in 1993. In the album's liner notes McLennan said the songs were for Gloria Swanson, Kenneth Slessor, Brett Whiteley and Dean Martin. Produced by Dave Dobbyn, it was recorded in Woolloomooloo. The first single was "Surround Me".

Critical reception

|rev1 = Calgary Herald |rev1score = B+ |rev2 = Robert Christgau |rev2score = Trouser Press called the album "a near-perfect convergence of observant, passionate words and jangly, surging tunes." The Calgary Herald wrote that McLennan "sings with conviction [and] poetic insight."

AllMusic wrote: "If there are hints of older rock styles here and there, McLennan's singing in particular still has the sharp, modern edge that helped make the Go-Betweens great, all while not losing his trademark warmth."

Track listing

All tracks written by Grant McLennan, except where noted.

1. "Lighting Fires" – 3:36
2. "Surround Me" – 3:55
3. "One Million Miles from Here" – 3:45
4. "The Dark Side of Town" – 3:46
5. "Things Will Change" – 2:45
6. "The Pawnbroker" – 8:12
7. "Whose Side Are You On?" – 3:09
8. "Fingers" (Grant McLennan, Dave Dobbyn)– 3:34
9. "Signs of Life" – 4:23
10. "The Day My Eyes Came Back" – 4:08
11. "Bathe (in the Water)" – 3:30
12. "When I Close My Eyes" – 1:24
13. "Riddle in the Rain" – 6:29

Personnel

• Grant McLennan – vocals, guitars, tambourine, maracas
• Dave Dobbyn – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals
• Ian Belton – bass
• Pedro Bull – organ, piano
• Michael Barclay – drums, backing vocals
• Penny Flanagan – vocals ("Surround Me", "Bathe")
• Julia Richardson – vocals ("Surround Me", "Bathe")
• Karin Jansson – vocals ("The Dark Side of Town", "Things Will Change")
• Mae Moore – vocals ("Bathe")
• Nicky Ferguson – vocals ("Lighting Fires")
• Stephen Hurley – organ ("Bathe")

References

References

1. Forster, Robert. (14 August 2017). "Grant & I: Inside and Outside the Go-Betweens". Omnibus Press.
2. "Grant McLennan Biography, Songs, & Albums".
3. (Mar 6, 1993). "Fireboy by GW McLennan".
4. Buckley, Peter. (20 September 2003). "The Rough Guide to Rock". Rough Guides.
5. (May 21, 1992). "PRINCE TAKES SHINE TO SOME LOCAL TALENT". The Sydney Morning Herald.
6. (April 2, 1993). "Dancing towards oblivion". The Age.
7. (4 Apr 1993). "G.W. McLennan: Fireboy". Calgary Herald.
8. "Robert Christgau: CG: Grant McLennan".
9. "G.W. McLennan".
10. "Grant McLennan - Fireboy Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic".

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