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Jackie Leven - Straight Outta Caledonia

Enrae8 said:
Great artist - sadly overlooked by many
Think I’ll have to put some on the TT tonight :)
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Wow, lucky you in having JL on Vinyl - I got the reissue of 'Control' (as John St.Field) but I haven't been able to track down any of his solo vinyl for reasonable money. I'd love to have The Mystery Of Love... and Forbidden Songs... on the black stuff.
 
Jason P said:
Wow, lucky you in having JL on Vinyl - I got the reissue of 'Control' (as John St.Field) but I haven't been able to track down any of his solo vinyl for reasonable money. I'd love to have The Mystery Of Love... and Forbidden Songs... on the black stuff.
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I’m very fortunate I have both that you mention - I do like Doll by Doll too,that’s where it started for me :)
 
As a JL beginner who only owns a 50p charity shop CD of “The Haunted Year: Autumn” (which I quite like whilst appreciating that it’s prolly not the most representative first listen; reminds me quite strongly of John Martyn) what JL albums would the panel recommend, please?
 
MotelBlues said:
As a JL beginner who only owns a 50p charity shop CD of “The Haunted Year: Autumn” (which I quite like whilst appreciating that it’s prolly not the most representative first listen; reminds me quite strongly of John Martyn) what JL albums would the panel recommend, please?
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You could try the first 'best of' released as a freebie shortly after his death - 'Heroes Can Be Any Size' - a good mix on there. I would personally start at the first of his 'solo' efforts, 'The Mystery Of Love Is Greater Than The Mystery Of Death' and work forwards. He was a prolific writer - so much so he adopted the pseudonym Sir Vincent Lone to release albums in-between official JL ones; then there are numerous 'Haunted Year' CDs released for his fan club. They're often worth checking out for the songs and the telling of tall tales he was famous for in gigs - he was quite the raconteur who could spin a yarn or three. Most everything is on Spotify. Doll By Doll (the group he led to some notoriety in the 80s) is a different flavour, albeit with many of the JL signature notes in there, and worth looking at too.
 
I’ve got Mystery Of Love… on vinyl and saw him live and in a rather bad mood at a remarkably empty “Cavern” Club in Liverpool. Absolutely not the right venue for him (tourist/nostalgia rather than art crowd) and IIRC there was some dispute as to whether they were going to pay him, hence his being pissed-off. The friend I was with knew him so we had a pint or two and a chat afterwards. I can’t remember much about it as it was ages ago, but it may well have been a lunch-time gig as I can’t imagine the “Cavern” ever being as empty as I remember it that day.

PS Inverted commas as it’s just a name on another building to sucker tourists, the Beatles never played there!
 
The Mystery Of Love.....is getting a deluxe reissue in November. CD with bonuses, I think, plus a two-disc vinyl set.
 
Worth every penny!

The first two albums are simply luxurious

I have the re-issue on pre-order and due to land in November - I'll be interested to see how they compare

Dave
 
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