Last Thursday, I caught Bruce Springsteen and the ESB live at Wembley. Bruce being Bruce, it was a predictably magnificent show once they’d sorted out the muddy sound that ruined the first third of the set. While the Boss captivated something like 70,000 of us with nothing more than his guitar, voice and a couple of classic songs, I couldn’t help but think about any equally deserving songwriter who most of my fellow gig goers had probably never heard of.
I’m talking, of course, about the late, great Jackie Leven.
For those few AWers not familiar with Kircauldy’s favourite son, JL was a singular talent whose adeptness at balancing often caustic lyrics and frequently gorgeous melodies measurably exceeded his critical acclaim and commercial success. While he remained criminally under-rated in the UK, his relentless gigging schedule meant he’d earned – and enjoyed – cult hero status in places like Germany and Norway.
Having only discovered Jackie around the time of 2006’s Oh What A Blow That Phantom Dealt Me, I never got the chance to see him live. All of which makes Proper Records’ release of the 35 song, 4-CD Live or Die at Bremen set a real treat. At just over £20, it’s also one of the best musical bargains you’re likely to find this year.
Recorded live for a local radio station, the first two CDs features a wonderfully intimate Jackie solo show from 1999, while discs three and four find his songs embellished by long-time accompanist and musical soulmate Michael Cosgrave five years later. Interspersing the songs on both sets are the often hilariously outlandish shaggy dog stories for which Jackie was renowned and even Robin Hitchcock would have baulked at.
Highlights? Too many to mention really. If I had to pick one from each set and each end of JL’s musical spectrum it would be:
Jim O’Windygates. A bittersweet reminiscence about JL’s time working at a Haig Whisky factory (“We didn’t get hangovers, we got haigovers”), JO’W is an ideal introduction to the artist’s softer, more melodic side.
The more acerbic side of JL’s artistic coin is perfectly showcased in the ferocious Classic Northern Diversions, a song whose ferocious acoustic fretwork and rage-filled lyrics positively fly out of the speakers.
If you don’t already know the man and his music, Live or Die: Bremen 1999 and 2004 is the perfect time and place to get acquainted.
JO’W
CND
Thank you for that glorious ‘Sting’s dead’ clip you put on the Synchronicity thread!
It is indeed musically very good, displaying the difference between his solo (or near solo) performance and the often quite densely layered studio work. In truth, he does go on a bit too much between songs, the ratio between talking and singing lower than I recall from the four or so times I saw him.
Perhaps he went on a little between songs. But he was such a superb raconteur, I hang on his every word.
Thank you for the heads-up, I wasn’t aware of this set.
I have a fat pile of Jackie’s material, under several different monikers, and I’m always delighted to add to that stack.
He’s one of those artists who’s flown so far under the radar, I and I imagine you have ended up buying probably way more than we should just because he deserves all the support he can get
I have virtually all of his post Doll by Doll releases including fan site releases of which there were many. I agree with @kaisfatdad that he was a brilliant raconteur and his between song banter was hilarious and for me didn’t overstay it’s welcome.
I saw him once at the MAC centre where I was lucky enough to chat with him between sets. I asked if there was any chance he could sing ‘wrapped up in blue’ in the second set.
Midway through the second set he said ‘some cunt asked me to play this song Not sure I can remember it but here goes’
I had a ticket to see him at Kitchen garden cafe about a week before he passed.
This is an excellent cd by the way and is most likely under the radar because there has been very little marketing and I only became aware of it due to a Proper mail shot.
Great comment @SteveT! He attracted very loyal fans.
Mrs KFD is very enthusiastic even though she never saw him live.
Here’s that song you requested…
And @SteveT , you were that cunt.
It was a Doll By Doll LP that first caught my eye – Grand Passion, with the Klimt Kiss on the cover – in a bargain bin for God’s sake – and from then on I was Jackie’s all the way to the end.
Have been streaming this on tidal and will certainly pick up a hard copy – it is excellent.
Also getting a lot of play chez Cakes is The Wanderer — a tribute album of Leven songs covered by various folk (and a brilliant original tribute from Michael Weston King).
Michael Weston King was best mates with Jackie. He did a tribute after his passing.
I know Michael – he did a concert at my house with his wife Lou as My Darling Clementine.
I was speaking to him about Jackie. He (Jackie) always appeared very relaxed even slightly ramshackle. Apparently this was not the case – Michael said as soon as he got on stage he was the most professional person he had ever worked with.
That must have been a wonderful gig! I’ve been to a few house concerts and would be interested to hear what it’s like from the host’s point of view. Though that’s possibly a separate thread…
The tribute album is here, in case you don’t have it/would like it: https://jackieleven.bandcamp.com/album/the-wanderer-a-tribute-to-jackie-leven
MWK’s song is The Final Reel and is in a style that I can only call Leven-esque. Which I mean as a compliment.
A genuinely Levish collection of songs…
Thanks for the tip about that tribute album! @ Lando Cakes.
It looks very promising.
A house party with Jackie! That must have been something!
The last time I saw him was in a small back room at the back of the legendary Debaser rock club in Stockholm.
Very selfish, I know! But I am so glad he never sold out enormous football stadiums.
Big Star….JackieL…..Judie S….Laura Nyro….The Only Ones…Townes van Z….Warren Z….
The history of popular music and maybe even the arts as a whole is full of individuals and ensembles whose boundless creative talents greatly exceeded their commercial success.
Aside from the artistry itself, the real pleasure of being a True Believer comes when someone you’ve introduced to your cult fave becomes a fellow zealot, too