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And now, time for something completely different. The first half of this double CD is a concert recorded at Bergen Men's Prison, Norway – after Leven was asked by a friend to do the gig on his one day off while on tour. And it's an interesting recording – just Leven and his acoustic guitar to an audience of prisoners.
"Extremely Violent Man" is a sensitive ballad, and I know many people will laugh at the idea – but it's an enlightening listen. The immortal line of: 'Not everyone behind bars is serving drinks' also deserves a mention. And what makes this recording so special is the dialogue between songs. Leven tells an interesting story about the point when he and a girlfriend (who was working as a model at the time) knew their heroin addiction was out of control. Leven's girlfriend was used in a Selfridges campaign; the two crossed the street to a poster of said girlfriend, modelling jeans, to see it had already been graffiti'd. The graffiti read: 'Heroin addiction is written in her eyes.' Then we're onto the second CD, Munich Blues. The poignantly titled "Plastic Irish Pubs In Europe" laments the loss of traditional Irish drinkeries, which have been wiped out by a plague of chain pubs... shhhh... mentioning no names but you know who I mean. "Stranger On The Square" has a lilting melody, Enya-esque synth sounds and it's a tonic for sore ears. An interesting case of role-reversal on "Single Father", 'I just lost my baby, I just can't complain.' A amusing tale entitled "When German People Call Me (On The Toilet)" describes an interesting technique of getting people to call you... And it all ends up with a cracking cover of "You've Lost That Loving Feeling". |
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