Keith Levene in last month's 'Wire'

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I'm thinking mainly of the last couple paras where it seems SR is vainly trying to help out with some career advice. I've never seen anything like this in an interview, it's kind of breaking that fourth wall, isn't it? (Or maybe it's not really that unusual and I just paid more attention as I'm sympathetic to KL - my first axe hero after all) Is KL living in cloud-cuckoo land & SR genuinely 'just trying to help', or is SR just being a well-meaning narrow-minded careers-counselor type ("You'll never make it, son - get a trade!")? IMHO it's the former, but everyone knows how in a personal-interaction context how thin the line is between 'just trying to help' and undermining somebody whose confidence is already pretty shaky. (BTW - should there be any indignation that 'Keith Levene can't get a record deal, meanwhile every garage punk band in the world is getting press on the back of recycled PiL licks?' (= 'Mick Jagger and Robert Plant got rich off obscure black bluesmen'?) Should this have been mentioned in the Wire piece or would that have been a) entirely irrelevant b) inappropriate 'rockist' archaeology/dues-paying fetishism c) pigeonholing the poor guy in the 'Best Post-Punk Anthems...Ever!' museum/backwater?) (None of these questions are rhetorical)

― dave q, Wednesday, 4 December 2002 10:24 (twenty-two years ago)

(alt ts - the last few pages of 'The Corrections' vs the last few pages of 'Flowers for Algernon')

― dave q, Wednesday, 4 December 2002 10:24 (twenty-two years ago)

I read that. I think the writer was just trying to help, suggesting he try independents rather than majors. Majors will give deals to anybody if they see clearly they're going to sell a lot, which Levene almost certainly isn't.

― David (David), Wednesday, 4 December 2002 11:19 (twenty-two years ago)

My first guitar hero too. I did wonder if reading between the lines the writer was genuinely concerned with what he saw of Levene. I was fascinated to read what he had to say, and wondered what the 'real' story was, and where he'll ever get to.

I also realised halfway through that I was unnaturally interested in the 'truth' of various chemically-fuelled conversations that took place thirty years ago. Albeit between people who made great music. Perhaps I should move on, too.

― jon (jon), Wednesday, 4 December 2002 12:52 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah, I think SR was just hinting that KL be a bit more realistic re future plans. It was very odd to see it done in print tho', yes. Same idea with Phil Collins next month, maybe?

― Jeff W, Wednesday, 4 December 2002 13:09 (twenty-two years ago)

I didn't see the piece, but I read sometime back about what a kook KL's supposed to be. I wouldn't be surprised if some labels are holding back a bit from entering into a financial agreement w/ someone like that, but still, it's Keith Fucking Levene: the guy who did Metal Box and FoR.

― Matt W, Wednesday, 4 December 2002 18:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Alan McGhee would doubtless shower him with any available money. Does Poptones still exist?

― bham, Thursday, 5 December 2002 10:36 (twenty-two years ago)

eight years pass...

do technical geetar bros rate him?

cuz to the nonexpert observer he is so damn great

― Princess TuomTuom (nakhchivan), Monday, 6 December 2010 04:39 (fourteen years ago)

he was one of steve howe's roadies in the 70s. doesn't get much more guitar tech bro than that

― kamerad, Monday, 6 December 2010 05:21 (fourteen years ago)

.. but every book/article ever has him as a paranoid/control freek/impossible to work with.

It's a shame, but there's no way back or forward for this guy.

― Mark G, Monday, 6 December 2010 09:36 (fourteen years ago)

three years pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gVxoiykusU

― Kornblud (admrl), Saturday, 15 February 2014 20:26 (eleven years ago)

eight years pass...

― Mark G, Saturday, 12 November 2022 16:10 (two years ago)

Hell of an impact, hell of a sound.

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 12 November 2022 16:35 (two years ago)

Rest In Peace

― SQUIRREL MEAT!! (Capitaine Jay Vee), Saturday, 12 November 2022 17:16 (two years ago)

One of my fave guitar players and totally dismayed that he had been spending the last several years hawking bitcoin

https://www.whatbitcoindid.com/podcast/bitcoin-is-punk-rock-with-keith-levene

― Elvis Telecom, Sunday, 13 November 2022 00:54 (two years ago)

Still, doesn’t sound like the most embarrassing trajectory for a PiL member.

― Chris L, Sunday, 13 November 2022 01:00 (two years ago)

From their February 1980 appearance on OGWT:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjrW-uhucsQ

― birdistheword, Sunday, 13 November 2022 01:14 (two years ago)

Such a great guitar sound

― curmudgeon, Sunday, 13 November 2022 04:04 (two years ago)

xp there is a shot where you can see the music stand in front of Lydon has a copy of the Second Edition LP reversed so he can see the lyrics.

rip levene.

― Western® with Bacon Flavor, Sunday, 13 November 2022 07:41 (two years ago)

Annie Nightingale had to hand that copy to John before the performance started. I did wonder why, but that makes sense.

― Mark G, Sunday, 13 November 2022 09:56 (two years ago)

too sad:

RIP keith levene My beloved partner who passed away at our home on 11/11/22 peacefully, painfree ,cosy n well loved .he was an iconic guitarist and composer my best friend , my love , my everything , I love you to the moon 🥰🥰 pic.twitter.com/K6Y2ybnWJt
— bitcoinpurist (@RansfordKate) November 12, 2022

― o shit the sheriff (NickB), Sunday, 13 November 2022 22:27 (two years ago)

Gutted

― you can see me from westbury white horse, Monday, 14 November 2022 00:45 (two years ago)

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