Early Tapes [Extra tracks, Import, Original recording remastered]

Level 42 | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 7, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Extra tracks, Import, Original recording remastered
• Label: Polygram Int'l
• ASIN: B00004WGD1
• Also Available in: Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #432,928 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Turn It On

2. 43

3. Why Are You Leaving?

4. Almost There

5. Heathrow

6. Love Games

7. Dune Tune

8. Starchild

9. Bonus Tracks: Forty-Two

10. Bonus Tracks: Beezer One

See all 14 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. The Early Tapes: Sandstorm

2. The Early Tapes: Love Meeting Love

3. The Early Tapes: Theme To Margaret

4. The Early Tapes: Autumn (Paradise Is Free)

5. The Early Tapes: Wings Of Love

6. The Early Tapes: Woman

7. The Early Tapes: Mr. Pink

8. The Early Tapes: 88

9. Bonus Tracks: Piano

10. Bonus Tracks: Instrumental Love

See all 14 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 2nd disc mostly for hardcore Level 42 fans, January 25, 2003

By 

Dave Huber (Delaware, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Early Tapes (Audio CD)

The 2nd disc will mainly entertain the fancy of true-blue Level 42 fans (like me) but *may* not appeal to your average music listener. Why? Too much "sameness" -- the trademark Mark King thumb-slap & pick bass lines, heavy Lindup synths and mostly instrumental improv. fun. Like I said, L42 fans will love this, however. One note: the live versions of "Mr. Pink" and "88" are even better on the double live LP "Physical Presence." Their studio versions here are just so-so.

On the other hand, L42 and average music fans alike will delight to the first disc, self-titled "Level 42." Every tune is thoroughly enjoyable, those w/vocals and those without. "43" is one of my absolute favorite L42 instrumental jams (the crescendoing synth solo building to max pitch is outstanding), and likewise the instrumental "Dune Tune" showcases Mark King's bass talents (why he's the best bassist in the biz). "Love Games" and "Why Are You Leaving" exemplify the L42 trademark "sound" best -- tuneful pieces essentially built around King's awesome bass playing.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Stuff, August 6, 2002

By 

S J Walker (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Early Tapes (Audio CD)

Back in the mid-eighties the band Level 42 were synonymous with girls called Sharon, boys from Essex, Ford XR3s, and general eighties naffiness; but it was not always like that.

Level 42 peaked musically before their first official released album called "Level 42". On the success of the very well commercially sounding album, Polydor released a second album of even earlier music from the band. The record company released the "Early tapes" of Jazz funk fusion. On this CD Mark King instrumentally sounds like Stanley Clarke, although vocally he sounds like Engelbert Humperdinck, the album is brilliant. The album proved that these guys were professional musicians and not as presented by the record company as five west London laddies.

Check out Sandstorm, Mr Pink, 88 and the beautiful Autumn (paradise is free). On the Level 42 disc, check out 43, Love Games and Starchild.

But perhaps the track Foundation and Empire just about sums up the band. Perfectly brilliant jazz, but not Top of the Pops.

So the band got mortgages and families and became more commercial to pay their increased overheads. But these two CDs represent the best of Level 42.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars TURN IT ON!, September 29, 2004

By 

Andre' S Grindle "Funk Meister" (Bangor,ME.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Early Tapes (Audio CD)

The self titled debut album of Level 42 is seamlessly
brilliant and I DON'T care what anyone else thinks!The first
three songs are fantastic-the breezy uptempo soul of "Turn It On",the funky instrumental "43" and the highly sensual R&B
of "Why Are You Leaving"."Almost There" and "Love Games" are
slamming uptempo funk with fantastic guitar licks while the
pulsing "Heathrow" and the deeply grooving "Dune Tune" take funk
fusion to new depths!"Starchild" ends off as the album begins with a heavily crafted funky R&B-pop song featuring great
keyboard work by Mike Lindup.
'The Early Tapes' is it's own beast altogether.Level 42
hadn't yet polished there sound and while the caribbean-inflected
groove of "Love Meeting Love" and the lilting "Wings Of Love" are
great early single material the album is dominated by bassy
funk-fusion such as "Sandstorm","Woman","88" and the marvelous
"Mr.Pink",but those are a sure fire treasure for funk fans!
Sadly even in their own native UK Level 42 were marketed as a
pure new-wave/pop band,even before they started commercializing
their music at all!And the fact that both CD's in this twofer
have nothing to do with new wave and everything to do with soul
pop-R&B and most importantly funk makes their label's marketing
plan an absolute disgrace to everything that this brilliant band
stood for!Level 42 should have been the group that would bring
the sound of jazz funk/fusion to the masses with their clever
songwriting,slick style and wonderful instrumentation-much as Steely Dan did several years earlier.But that never happened to you,the open eared listener,will have to imagine what could have been yourself by owning these two albums-a couple of the most accomplished of this era!