Jackie Leven, belleza en las heridas

Major Babelia article for the tenth anniversary of Leven's death, prompted by the compilation “Straight Outta Caledonia” and the tribute album “The Wanderer”. It opens with Ian Rankin's farewell tweet of 2011; Leven, it says, was ignored by the public (apart from Scandinavian and German fans), not by the critics. Fernández Escobar describes the stylistic breadth (rock, British folk, Celtic soul, Americana, sixties pop) and opens with “The Sexual Loneliness Of Jesus Christ”, which contains the voices of laid-off shipyard workers.

Biographically the text largely follows Leven's own account of himself: he felt pushed to the margins by his mixed background (Irish and Roma blood) and led a nomadic life between Cornwall, Glasgow, Dublin, Berlin and Madrid; in Franco's Spain his debut “Control” appeared in 1973 on Movieplay (Madrid) as John St. Field, the pseudonym being due to a police matter. Doll by Doll came from the London squatting scene, four studio albums, “Gypsy Blood” as the high point; thrown off tours with Devo and Hawkwind, John Peel turned away; the last album effectively a Leven solo project with David Gilmour. Then a Virgin contract for a solo album, then the attack, loss of voice, heroin. After withdrawal, the founding of the CORE Trust; Leven says the visit of Princess Diana brought him back to music; the band attempt Concrete Bulletproof Invisible with Glen Matlock. On “The Wanderer”: contributions from Rankin (spoken word), Johnny Dowd, Michael Cosgrave, Ralph McTell, Eliza Carthy, James Yorkston and others; David Thomas and Ron Sexsmith are absent. Three song boxes: “Main Travelled Roads”, “The Sexual Loneliness Of Jesus Christ”, “Single Father”. Tone: a passionate rehabilitation.