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Clive James & Pete Atkin - Live In Australia 2003
The telly man and his troubadour chum
Renowned newspaper columnist, pioneer of aren’t-foreignersfunny TV clips shows and allround renaissance cynic, James is less celebrated as a songwriter, despite having collaborated musically with Atkin since the late 60s. Clive does most of the words, but it’s Pete who strums and sings their polite folk tales that touch on anything from Vietnam to parodies of Leonard Cohen.
Therein lies the problem: the duo never seem to know whether they want to be serious social commentators or flippant humorists, and it’s this indecision as much as anything that’s baffled potential audiences. This concert souvenir makes light of their dilemmas, James’ spoken interludes addressing the difficulties they faced in an ever-changing music industry, alongside passages from his many books.
Atkin plainly knows his way around a fret board, but there’s nothing spectacular about either his voice or the songs it sings. A diehard cult following and internet-spawned curiosity prompted this live reunion, but it’s hardly the stuff of magnificent comebacks or wholesale critical reappraisals.
Hillside | CDHILL 06
Reviewed by Terry Staunton
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