Photograph: EMI/Stephen BoothPhotograph: EMI/Stephen Boothquick perusal of the history of rock’n’roll will tell you that most songs are concerned with three things: getting laid, getting dumped or getting cheated on. Rare is the songwriter that explores the challenges of commitment, fidelity and growing old with dignity – which is not surprising, since rock stars are not well known for any of those things.
But the shadow of mortality hangs over The Candle and the Flame. Made in the wake of his wife and musical partner Karin Bäumler’s diagnosis with ovarian cancer in mid-2021, and in between rounds of surgery and chemotherapy, it is startling in its intimacy and quiet power. But it is ultimately life-affirming.
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