Jackie Leven – Der Tod der Träume

Long interview on “Shining Brother Shining Sister” (2003). Leven explains the choice of guests who recite poems: David Thomas reads Rilke, Ron Sexsmith a poem by E. E. Cummings at the end of “My Philosophy”; you have to be careful about who you give which text to. Former Doll by Doll colleagues also appear on the album. He speaks at length about “Savannah Waltz”, which is based on a series of powerful, “cinematic” dreams of an old, dignified woman waiting for a male angel; the dream world is, for the West, a lost world (his own account). Of the dealer Dusty in “Heroin Dealer Blues” he says he does not choose the characters, they find him; society passes responsibility down the line. Good creativity has a healing quality (example Chet Baker), but nobody buys CDs for that. “My Philosophy” is about the time when his life was falling apart: he holed up with newspapers in the Marylebone underground station until two friendly policemen asked if everything was all right; he replied that he was working on his philosophy – the sign to carry on (his own account). Also: praise of clichés and Euro-pop (“the music in the lifts”), production of Michael Weston King's album, announcement of the tour with Richard Thompson and Midnight Choir, accompanied by “Michael Cosgrove” [sic].