17 August 2016

Hope is the Purpose iN Life





Two years ago, I shared a Keith Levene compilation here called Beyond Pil.  I recently realized that Levene didn't actually play on some of the songs.   A new comp is in order, both to rectify my mistakes and to bring us up to date with Keith's newest music.  He has been busy during these past two years creating music, film, paintings, and books.  

The guitar playing that sounded like Levene to my ears on Playgroup's Epic Sound Battles was mostly the work of Sean "Hogg" Oliver (e.g., "Hoggs Might Fly" and "Machine Gun Hogg").   The late Sean Oliver was a member of Rip Rig & Panic, Float Up CP, and Crucial.  Crucial backed Judy Nylon on her Pal Judy album.  Crucial members included "Crucial Tony" Phillips, George Oban, and Nick Plytas (all of whom were in Playgroup with Sean Oliver).   

Sean Oliver was a great guitarist, and he cowrote Terence Trent D'Arby's hit "Wishing Well".  Kendall Ernest and the Pop Group's John Waddington also played guitar on Playgroup's two LP's, but (as with many On-U productions) it's not really clear who did what.  

"Recording with Creation Rebel down at The Manor was nothing short of surreal sometimes, pure madness," Levene recalled in an interview. "The credits on the sleeves were often wrong as well -- quite a few of the tunes I played on and worked on I wasn't credited for on the sleeve notes."

Levene definitely played guitar on the On-U albums Threat To Creation and War Of Words, and he played keyboards on Tunes from The Missing Channel and End of the Century Party.  Though he wasn't on Epic Sound Battles, Levene borrowed a drum track from Playgroup for his song "Back Too Black".  

This new collection only includes songs where Keef is credited.  With the addition of more recent tracks, it spans 35 years of recordings.  Levene has released two albums in the past two years: Search for Absolute Zero and the crowdfunded CZ2014.  He has also written two books about his punk years, I Was A Teenage Guitarist For The Clash and Meeting Joe.   

Levene has a youtube channel called Teenageguitarist76 with videos about his books, his film "London 1976" and his ambitious (but unrealized) plans for a young artists' education program called the London 1976 Institute.  Levene remains to this day an innovative and visionary multi-instrumentalist who never abandoned his ideals to achieve mainstream success, and whose guitar style has influenced innumerable players during the past four decades.


 tracklist   –

Cowboys International - Wish
Positive Noise - Darkness Visible (edit)
Vivien Goldman - Launderette
New Age Steppers - Nuclear Zulu (edit)
Creation Rebel/New Age Steppers - Last Sane Dream
Creation Rebel/New Age Steppers - Chemical Specialist
Jah Wobble - Not Another
Public Image Ltd. - Chant
Public Image Ltd. - Go Back
Public Image Ltd. - Lou Reed, Pt. 2
Keith Levene - Back Too Black
Keith Levene's Murder Global - Aztek Dubd
Jah Wobble & Keith Levene - Back On The Block
Jah Wobble & Julie Campbell - Phantasms Rise
Mark Stewart feat. Keith Levene - Stereotype
bentcousin feat. Keith Levene - Widening The Vision
Keith Levene - Call It A Day
Keith Levene - Til Dawn Then Another Area
Keith Levene - Original Flow
Keith Levene - Bits Of Prague

Widening your vision,
Jonder

13 comments:

  1. Was only recently revisiting Viv Goldman's 'Launderette'- the dub of Private Armies, dirty laundry - so this is, as they say, quite apposite.

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    1. Hello, ibby! Such an interesting lineup on that record: Vicky Aspinall from the Raincoats on violin, Steve Beresford on toy piano, Robert Wyatt on percussion. Some of the same folks (including Professor Goldman) were in 49 Americans:

      dieordiy2.blogspot.com/search/label/49%20Americans

      And there was a video for "Launderette" !!!
      www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2016/05/20/478807663/watch-a-long-lost-video-for-vivien-goldmans-launderette

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    2. Your thoroughness in providing concise supporting detail is always appreciated, brother jonder. As are the links.

      Never realised - otherwise entirely forgot - such a video existed.

      I sorely miss your occasional foray onto the bleachers, incidentally. Thank you for your input here on Nothin' Sez Somethin'.

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  2. Thanks as always for presenting my comp with a very nice custom cover.

    The art on the mp3's is borrowed from J.Warner's publicimagelive.wordpress.com. The title "Purpose in Life" is Keith Levene's own phrase. The quote about On-U sleeve credits is from the extensive punk77.co.uk interview.

    FURTHER READING AND VIEWING:
    punk77.co.uk/groups/clashkeithlevineinterview.htm
    fodderstompf.com/DISCOGRAPHY/SOLO/levdisc.html
    skysaw.org/onu/artists/personnel/keithlevene.html
    furious.com/perfect/keithlevene.html

    discogs.com/artist/121607-Keith-Levene
    discogs.com/artist/33814-Sean-Oliver
    discogs.com/artist/134019-Crucial-Tony

    youtube.com/user/teenageguitarist76
    youtube.com/user/TheFamousGeorge
    murderglobal.com
    detract.wix.com/murder-global

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    1. All thanks goes to you, my friend. For your hard work putting these posts together & with your patience with my lackadaisical nature.

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    2. This link for the Float Up CP album (Kill Me In The Morning) is still working. Float Up CP included Neneh Cherry, Gareth Sager, Bruce Smith, and Sean Oliver (all from Rip Rig & Panic). After this 1985 album, Neneh Cherry grabbed the brass ring in 1988 with "Buffalo Stance".

      RIP to RRP's Sean Oliver.

      thebakwoods.blogspot.com/2011/10/float-up-cp-kill-me-in-morning.html

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  3. PS - the comp is in roughly chronological order, although the wild take on "Chant" is from PiL's 1979 Peel Session. The bentcousin album just came out this year, but their collaboration with Keith Levene was first announced in 2013. I also grouped the tracks with singers together (the first three songs, the PiL tracks, and from "Phantasms Rise" through Keith's own vocal on "Call It A Day"). I hope someone enjoys this music as much as I do!

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    1. I can safely say that this is being deeply enjoyed by many. Been getting a good run & hit count. ib's comment giving credence to that apposite appetite.

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  4. Great compilation of one of my favourite artists - thanks

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    1. You are very welcome! I'm glad to know that you are enjoying it.

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  5. the bentcousin track originally appeared in 2014 as b-side to their Single Dizzy, but called '2014' - a remastered version is on their album released this year with its original name Widening the Vision. Keith played twice with the band in 2013, both gig in Brighton.

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    1. Thank you! Bentcousin's music is really good. They remind me a bit of Blood Red Shoes. I wish I could've seen those gigs!

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    2. I was at that Brighton gig, didn't know anything much about Bent Cousin but noticed Keith was playing (I think, or maybe someone told me) so I turned up and very much enjoyed them. Keith sauntered onto the stage at some point, sort of minded his own business and played some good stuff (incl a PiL number but that was at the end...i think, or did I imagine it). Pleased to see your blog still going, been having a bit of a catch up. cheers anyway.

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