The Evangelist

Remastered reissue of the album The Evangelist. Robert Forster released The Evangelist as his first solo recording in 11 years. It may not have been a record he planned to make at all, following the unexpected death of his collaborator Grant McLennan from the Go Betweens.

The band had just released and was on tour for Oceans Apart, a masterpiece only surpassed by 16 Lovers Lane. Forster and McLennan were working on a new Go Betweens album in 2006 when McLennan passed away in his sleep just before his 47th birthday.

Three of the songs on The Evangelist were co-written by the pair and contain McLennan's final lyrics. However, the album is not an elegy or homage to McLennan. The remaining Go Betweens members, bassist Adele Pickvance and drummer Glenn Thompson, along with a small string section arranged by Audrey Riley and pianist Seamus Beaghen, make up the core band. Mark Wallis and Dave Ruffy produced the album.

So is this a Go Betweens record without McLennan? No, but it's close, and certainly a new brand of Forster solo album. This CD comes in a Digipak with a booklet included.