Terapeutisk Jackie Leven

Conversation held in Oslo by the NTB/Arbeiderbladet critic Haakon Larsen on the occasion of The Argyll Cycle Vol. 1. Larsen opens by telling the familiar story – the stranglehold 13 years ago, heroin addiction, the woman who disappeared with the Dalai Lama's bodyguard, the return to Scotland. According to the article, the album's twelve songs all date from the second half of the 1980s; four of them were already on the two previous albums. The rest would have remained unreleased without pressure from fans who wanted to hear more from his convalescence; a second and final part is expected for the end of 1997.

Leven himself says that songwriting served him as therapy at the time; he sees himself more as a soul singer, “soulful” fits better than “spiritual” because his music is mostly sad – there is strength in sharing the experience of melancholy. Larsen describes him as calm and composed, praises his melodies and the “most graceful crooner voice this side of Scott Walker”, and thinks buyers of Van Morrison or Mark Knopfler might like him. The first album from 1971 and Doll by Doll as a “new wave” band from 1979 are mentioned.

The CORE Trust is described as a London foundation that works with acupuncture, poetry, music and rhythmics and is (according to the article) financed by Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend and other rock greats. At the time of the article Leven was in Bergen to lead a songwriting course for local musicians and to appear at the Ole Blues festival as the finale of a shorter Norwegian tour with the Irish troubadour Andy White.