Hurt
My monthly copy of Word arrived a couple of days ago. A fabulous read that mixes the best of the new with a lot of the best of the past. On top of that, each copy drops through the letterbox with a CD full of delight, as well as shite, every month.This month's CD reaquainted me with Jackie Leven, a Scottish Romany ex-leader of Doll By Doll - one of eighties rock music's many footnotes. He's also a big mate of Ian Rankin. I had heard some of his solo stuff on Cooking Vinyl's esoteric samplers, usually given away with mags such as Froots and the like. I must admit he intrigues me with individual tracks, but every time I have delved deeper, he disappoints.
Today, the free CD was no exception. Once again the magnificence of the free track:- - "Elegy For Johnny Cash" - embarrassed the rest of the stuff on the album. The free track actually convinced me to download (legally) the rest of his opus: and what a load of average bollox the rest of his opus was. Sad, but c'est la vie. In future I'll just thank my lucky stars that the man repeatedly gives away the best of his work via the monthly music glossies.
But listening to today's freebie, I was caught in that no-mans-land of absolute surrender. On the verge of tears I was - what a strange amalgam of styles. Blurred vision led me to Mr Leven's explanation of why the music sounded familiar but strangely odd. (Or should that be Strangely Strange But Oddly Normal?) It was recorded in Lebanon and mixed in Wales.
One of the guys he played with in Lebanon had never heard of Mr Cash - Jackie explains:-
ELEGY FOR JOHNNY CASH - Elegiac more than a true elegy, i wanted to write one last song for Johnny Cash to sing and for the song to speak of the whole of his life. This sprang from my complete respect for the last recordings he made with Rick Rubin. There was a beautiful moment in recording when Mixalis Kataxanis, the Greek 'Rembetiko' style viola player felt he could not play on the song as its genre was so far removed from his playing experience, and further, he did not understand who Johnny Cash was.
I showed him the towering video of Johnny Cash singing 'HURT'. At the end, he just nodded and returned to the studio to play...
That reference to the video for Hurt sent me scurrying round t'internet to find it again. I've not seen it for two years. I found it. Once again, the tears flowed. Watch it. Listen. A man laid bare.
And you can have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt
Bollocks. 3:15am and I'm wide awake and full of Stella Artois. Prognosis = lazy day tomorrow. With a bit of luck the sum total of my effort will be taking the shit-machine for a crap late on saturday night. iPod on I reckon. Listen to some Jackie Leven, Dr Strangely Strange and The Archies. (One of them was a joke).
6 comments:
(I will type quietly in case of hangover) Actually,I know what you mean about Jackie Leven cd,s.One or three Mighty earth shattering tracks,the rest average.Such is life.Ive been to 2 of his live gigs (both at The Trades Club in Hebden Bridge)He,s really good live.I always end up talking to him.He is a really nice genuine bloke None of this "look at me Im a Star"bollocks.
He even apologised to audience one night cos hed had a dodgy curry in Bradford the night before(& because The Trades is a small room)He was worried that the smell might cause offense!Can you imagine Mick Jagger doing that!?
The thing that surprised me about Hurt, particularly in light of the video, was that I always thought Cash had written it, possibly about his relationship with June Carter. Its guaranteed to reduce me to tears. Then I found out it was written by Nine Inch Nails bloke, Trent Reznor, and its actually about drug addiction.
I hope the joke was The Archies
Have you read the colums he puts up on his website. Good stuff.
http://www.jackieleven.com/
Tony - that's good to know. A musician with an added dash of humility.
Bob - Yeah I did know it was a Trent Reznor track but, fuck me, it's powerful. Have you heard the original Trent Reznor recording? Has anybody? It's become Cash's. No doubt about it. Every aspect of the video has ensured that. Which brings to mind another paradox: what would the song be without the video? Without the Johnny Cash connection? Nothin' I believe. It's Cash's face, June's face - on the verge of tears all the time - and the imagry and iconic clips of America's rebel that creates something uniquely......erm....unique, I guess.
Krip, "Sugar duh duh duh duh duh duuuuhhh, ahh Honey Honey, duh duh duh duh duh, duuuuhhh, you are my candy girl and you got me wanting you.
Peter - yes, I have read his blog (although he calls it a column for some reason). I agree it is very good stuff.
Hurt is a brilliant 'video' - you get a copy of it on the CD that the song is on as an extra. It sends chills up and down my spine every time I watch it.
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