"Daylight & the Dark drew my attention to the fact that I wrote most of the music Hunters and Collectors played, which was something I'd tried for a long time to ignore. The best of the band's work has become part of my repertoire."

Strange but true – it took the success of Mark Seymour's first Liberation Blue acoustic album, Daylight & the Dark, to alert him to the gravity of his own legacy. His latest solo album, Westgate, earned stunning reviews only months ago, but he's also learned that Hunters & Collectors' songs are not his to ignore.

Titanic is loaded to the lifeboats with some of that great Australian band's best- loved songs, retooled in a potent acoustic form that pays due respect to a unique live energy, while bringing tighter focus to music and lyrics alike.

"Ah yes... the follow up," Mark muses. "We were much more broadminded I think. We took greater liberties. The One and Only You is a particular case in point. In its Hunters incarnation it was a ponderous beat struggling for effect. I think we've rectified that and created something better."

This year's scope ranges from Talking To a Stranger, the groundbreaking classic of '82, to a revelatory selection from the band's swansong album of '97. "I deliberately focussed on Juggernaut because we were doing some pretty good work in the closing stages which many people failed to notice," Mark says.

Then again, two of his favourite new interpretations originally hailed from the Hunters' breakthrough album of '86, Human Frailty: "Everything's On Fire is the stand out. A huge improvement on the original in my opinion."

As for Say Goodbye, a song that's drawn as much sweat as any in the Australian pub rock canon, "It's a real success," says Mark. "The acoustic treatment has worked well here. It'll be a real head-turner live, I'm sure. The boys who are now grey and bent will be bellowing that line again, if they've got any sense."

Doubtless – and like the singer, they may have an even stronger grip on its irony and nuances; and a more considered appreciation of the passionate lyricism of She's Not Fooling Around, Hear No Evil, When You Fall and others.

They may also hear a slightly heavier weight to the title track, Titanic ("it's allegorical"), and to the incredibly poignant traditional ballad that closes the album, Parting Glass. "I love it. It's a big live thing," Mark says. "It's about death, which is a theme I seem to be developing an interest in of late."

Meanwhile – strange but true – Mark Seymour has never sounded more alive.

TIMELINE

 1980   H&C born in Melbourne as a brash nouveau-rock experiment with brass and found percussion.

1982   Self –titled album includes dark club classic Talking To A Stranger

1983   The Fireman’s Curse made in Germany with ground breaking Kroutrock producer, Conny Plank

1984   Jaws Of  Life consolidates new line-up, more distilled rock style. First of seven  versions of classic single, Throw Your Arms Around Me

1985   Live LP, The Way To Go Out.

1986   Breakthrough Human Frailty LP pursues more melodic direction.  It reaches Top 10, spawns 4 singles.

1987   What’s A Few Men?  Issued in USA as Fate.

1989   Double platinum Ghost Nation is another Australian classic, nominated for several ARIAs, later named in Rolling Stone’s top 100 Australian Album of all time.

1990   Collected works, 1982 – 1990 compilation released with new version of Throw Your Arms Around Me.

1991   H&C nominated for Best Australian Group ARIA

1993   Cut LP revisits percussive feel of earliest work, hits #4, nominated for Best  Australian Album ARIA.

1994   Rock album Demon Flower hits another all-time chart high.

1997   Solo debut, King Without A Clue, earns ARIA nominations for Best Male Artist and Best Debut single, for Last Ditch Cabaret.

1998   H&C disband after Juggernaut LP and tour.

            Mark receives his second Best Male Artist ARIA nomination.

2001   Throw Your Arms Around Me (now covered by Crowded House, Pearl Jam and more) named in APRA’s Top 30 Australian songs of all time.

Mark’s second solo release, dark pop album, One Eyed Man, wins Best Adult Contemporary ARIA.

            Ballad of The One Eyed Man live CD / DVD released.

2003   Natural Selection (H&C compilation) CD and DVD.

2004   Wry suburban drama highlights Mark’s next release, Embedded

2005   Daytime & The Dark, Liberation Blue acoustic album released.

            Hunters & Collectors are inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame.

            Mutations ( H&C rarities ) released on CD.

Records April Sun in Cuba with James Reyne during hugely successful joint headlining tour.

2007   Human Frailty 20th anniversary CD and DVD.

            Mark's Westgate album probes deeper layers of Australian identity. 

Titanic, second Liberation Blue Acoustic album.

Co-headlining acoustic tour with James Reyne.