One has to wonder what it will take, if anything, for Scottish singer/songwriter Jackie Leven to make a name for himself stateside. His unflinching yet redemptive songs of the dark sides of archetypical manhood, and his unwavering gaze into the abyss to discover meaning and truth in modern life are lushly orchestrated, gorgeously sung, and beautifully rendered, almost unbearably so. On Shining Brother, Shining Sister, Leven delves once more into the depths of the matters of the heart with a team which includes David Thomas, ...
Read More
One has to wonder what it will take, if anything, for Scottish singer/songwriter Jackie Leven to make a name for himself stateside. His unflinching yet redemptive songs of the dark sides of archetypical manhood, and his unwavering gaze into the abyss to discover meaning and truth in modern life are lushly orchestrated, gorgeously sung, and beautifully rendered, almost unbearably so. On Shining Brother, Shining Sister, Leven delves once more into the depths of the matters of the heart with a team which includes David Thomas, Robert Bly, Deborah Greenwood, Ron Sexsmith, Mike Cosgrove, and Joe Shaw, in addition to the help of poets such as Edith Sitwell, Rainer Maria Rilke, Osip Mandelstam, and Pablo Neruda. The set opens with "Classic Northern Diversions," a tough, sound effect-laden journey into the darkness of anger and regret. Sirens, drum machines, synths, and the pulse of Leven's guitar push his voice forward into the depths: "It took me fifty long years to work out/that because I was angry didn't mean I was right/Now I'm sitting in a bar alone/with the jukebox playing a terrible song/The bartender says I see it's you again/I've been drinking deep from a jar of pain/Oh I remember once I went home like this/I had mother in tears as I felt her kiss/Now my mother is heaven bound/And her body lies in unmarked ground/In every heart in every home/there's a dying man who lives alone/He close the door and he turns away/And the tide rushes in on a fatal shore..." The guitars wrangle and roil, the synths pulse, and the skitter of the snare careens across the mix. There is no mope, no wistful longing in Leven's delivery; it's pure, feral self-assessment, without irony or pity. The fact that his mellifluous tenor flows like water only drives the stake deeper. Leven walks a line between rock & roll, blues, classic-'60s pop, and Celtic folk music with a seamless aplomb. Using poetry and the disembodied voices of ghosts, Leven writes searingly of the human condition, particularly the male one, in a manner that is appealing to both sexes. His gorgeous production standards make his music romantic and graceful, without the loss of pointed toughness and recklessness. His sensitivity is devoid of hollow new age crap, and follows instead the jagged line of rock classicism in songs such as "Savannah Waltz," "Heroin Dealer Blues" with its barroom laughter, gospel horn lines, and countrified acoustic guitars shimmering in the foreground. The entire experience of living is in these 11 songs, full of fragments and shards of lives birthed, wasted, lost, redeemed, and resurrected -- all to a rock & roll soundtrack narrated by voices out of time and space. Once more, Leven proves that he is a singular talent, a songsmith poet among singers, and a singer among poets. He is an original who casts a shadow long and rare. The 2005 reissue of Shining Brother, Shining Sister was issued by Silverline as a DualDisc -- CD on one side, DVD on the other. The bonus material on the reissue includes the entire album done in 5.1 surround sound, a bonus track called "Bells of Grey Crystal," which is actually a poem by Edith Sitwell set to music by Leven, to live performance videos, an artist bio, and some extras for your PC. Best of all, it's available Stateside. Now if only Glitterhouse would license Songs for Lonely Americans -- issued under an alter ego named "Sir Vincent Lone," and Cooking Vinyl would get current and license his amazing 2005 album, Elegy for Johnny Cash, we'd be all set. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi
Read Less
Add this copy of Shining Brother Shining Sister to cart. $15.99, new condition, Sold by Music Fiendz rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from South Hackensack, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by Silverline.
Add this copy of Shining Brother Shining Sister to cart. $27.64, new condition, Sold by insomniacsonline rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from South Hackensack, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by Silverline.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
New. Size: 5x4x0; Buy from insomniacs! We dont sleep until your order is shipped! Professional packaging, same day shipping on most orders. View our feedback and buy with confidence.
![Shining Brother Shining Sister [DualDisc] - Jackie Leven](https://www0.alibris-static.com/shining-brother-shining-sister-dualdisc/cover/h19250utdmf_l.jpg)
![Shining Brother Shining Sister [DualDisc]](https://www1.alibris-static.com/shining-brother-shining-sister-dualdisc/cover/h19250utdmf.jpg)
![Robin Hood [Silva Screen]](https://www1.alibris-static.com/robin-hood-silva-screen/cover/c89696ejlmr.jpg)
Portions of content provided by Rovi Corporation. © 2024 Rovi Corporation.