Customer Reviews

Early Tapes

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

A reissue of two great early releases by the band Level 42. The album "Level 42" is far and away the stronger of the two, (and one of my all-time personal favorite albums) and contains songs, "Love Games", "Starchild", "Dune Tune", that would be considered classics for the band throughout their career. Instrumentals such as "43" and "Heathrow" are some of the tightest examples of funk/fusion ever performed. The packaging of the album along with "The Early Tapes" adds a nice retrospecive quality to the collection, although the songwriting and diversity of material on "The Early Tapes" is not as strong as that on "Level 42".

The newly designed insert is well done and informative, although Wally Badarou's photo from the original sleeve has been omitted, which I'd always felt was such a nice addition, having been the "Fifth '42'". Where I really have an issue is with the choice of tracks used for this "remastered" edition. It seems that in place of the full-length versions of songs which would later become the band's first singles off the album, "Turn It On", "Love Games" and "Starchild", the decision was made to use shortened mixes which either fade prematurely or eliminate entire musical passages, such as the piano solo break on "Love Games", which would seem to be glaring ommissions to any Level 42 afficinado. These are not as short as the single mixes, yet they fall, on average, 1 to 2 minutes shorter than the versions found on the original release of the CD twenty years ago. Why? If I were to compare, it would appear that the engineers used the masters from the vinyl LP version which itself contained shorter versions of some songs due to limitations of space.

This may be a small quibble, and doesn't in fact ruin these discs, as the fidelity of the recordings is indeed excellent. But if time limitations on the CD forced them to shorten such great tracks for this "best of the best remastered edition" of what many believe to be their finest album, I could perhaps have lived without bonus cuts like "Goodbye Ray Schmidt-Volk", which seem included merely for novelties' sake. I will still cherish my '80s version of the disc, as this remaster is something of a missed opportunity.

Do not take these 2 albums for the hit machine Level 42 became later on. It's the awesome rhythm section consisting of bass player Mark King and drummer Phil Gould that drives this high-class jazzfunk piece of music.

Favorites: "43" is a long instrumental track fueled by an awesome bass, "Why are you leaving" a superb ballad with a crispy saxophone, "Heathrow" is atmosperic as an airport (!?), while of course "Love games" with it's trademark bass riff needs no introduction. "Dune tune" has a juicy buildup with the bass and guitar trading places (sounds unique).

Though less consistent, the bass is even juicier on the best tracks of their debut album. The tracks "Sandstorm", "Love meeting love", "Woman" and "88" are the standouts for me.

By C.S.

The British Invasion that hit all shores in the 1980's had many an artist that proved to be disposable from it's initial stages and in the long run over a time tested period - from Dead Or Alive to Bucks Fizz to Rick Astley and so on.
But some acts material resonate in a timeless and seamless mannner- hence the four piece from Southhampton known as Level 42 that bear that prestigious distinction.
Named best band in Britain and best group overall seven consecutive years, the release of the "Early Tapes" in 1982 on the heels of their sucessful debut LP Level 42, soldifies the band's powerful foothold in music history.

Upon the re- release of of their albums over the years in re-mastered form, the double CD package of the first album and the Early Tapes are a both a collective treat and an absolute steal for both semi and die- hard fans,and a great place to start for those looking to get a learn something about the group.
The first album contains a hybrid of commercial accessibility fused with the slap bass playing exploits of Mark King and the soaring falsetto vocals of keyboardist Mike Lindup.
They work well in tandem on the band's first release,"Turn It On" and combine eforts well with the drumming of Phil Gould on the jazz- fusion inflected instrumental "43".
Swirling and innovative keyboard melodies and synth effects high- light the radio friendly tunes "Love Games, Starchild", and the power ballad "Why Are You Leaving",which builds from an innocent trot to a full blown sprints as King whips out this bass plucking attack,giving the song a different look against the grain of standard love songs, a trademark that created their vast legions of followers.

Compared their compelling live renditions the original studio version of "Almost There" and "Foundation and Empire" which is one of the five bonus tracks offered on this re- mastered version, these tracks prove to too technical and in the case of the latter,poorly recorded despite the technological touch ups.
Overall,their first album was a 3 1/2 to four star effort in retrospect, but the strength of this double disec is bolstered by the material provided on "The Early Tapes".
Released in 1982 due to public demand for more Level 42 music after they intially burst on the scene, the tracks were, in actuality,recorded in 1979 and 1980 before the band secured a record deal.
Mark King's percussive style of fusion funk bass playing is in full force and he puts an emphatic stamp on the Level 42 name from the opening bell on the album's opening stanza,the instrumental "Sandstorm".
Though Lindup's keyboards sound department store like in spots,he offers smooth backdrops in tandem with King while the guitar playing of Boon Gould is of higher prominence versus their more commercialized efforts. He unleashes a strong rhythm guitar solo on "Theme To Margaret",sonic treatments on the live versions of "Sandstorm" and "Mr Pink",two sparkling live gems that are among the five bonus tracks included in the new and improved package here.
R>The same distinction holds true for drum playing brother, Phil.His smooth finesse and driving back-beats help shape the sound of the "Early Tapes".
"Wings of Love, Love Meeting Love and the funky and sentimental bass plucking atmosphere that canvasses "Autumn"( Paradise Is Free)are delicious main dishes that add spice and balance to the raw and edgy nature of the record.
These distinctions,coupled with the explosive cohesion of their live material,make this a five star disc. Though there are a couple of bumps that may pre-clude some from making that assessment, the overall net effect of hearing,in so many words, THE REAL LEVEL 42, make this package of "Level 42" and "The Early Tapes" in it's combined format,a solid five star record.

c.s.
1-19-04

originally reviewed in Fall of 2003

It's been 6 long years since the white brothers of soul, Level 42 decided to call it quits. Consequently, when one utters "Level 42" many youngsters these days tend to say "Level who?"- a sad indictment of the current trends and directions of modern music. However, there once was a time when music was mostly created from genuine intruments and honest sounds with musicians who wrote out of passion and would not sell out to the calling of the easy buck by trying to make hit singles with every album. In this light, Level 42 were no exception. As regards their first release, "Level 42" many fans of this band from the Isle of Wight believe that it was by far the best - I am one of those such persons. But not only do I belive it to be their finest hour, I also argue it's standing as one of the most important events in UK music history. Firstly, it was responsible for creating a whole new genre of sound - jazz/funk fusion - a fresh and unique style in the early 1980's. Secondly, one doesn't need to be IQ superior to appreciate the sheer quality of this album; the musicianship is second to none; every band member had an original trademark to the way they performed on the album, and 3 of the 4 artists were masters in several instruments, as well as all chipping in to write both words and music. The tracks conjure up both futuristic and ancident images, and each track is rich in its originality. Honestly, one could go on and on about this magical piece of work, but I can do no more right now than to urge the open minded or curious person who appreciates great music to check this fantastic journey out. Finally, when people ask me the feeling I get from listening to Level 42 (and , in particular this, their first album) I tell them that the feeling I get is similar to that of when I first heard the brilliance of Dire Straits......but multiplied by 42. Phil MURRAY

It's been 6 long years since the white brothers of soul, Level 42 decided to call it quits. Consequently, when one utters "Level 42" many youngsters these days tend to say "Level who?"- a sad indictment of the current trends and directions of modern music. However, there once was a time when music was mostly created from genuine intruments and honest sounds with musicians who wrote out of passion and would not sell out to the calling of the easy buck by trying to make hit singles with every album. In this light, Level 42 were no exception. As regards their first release, "Level 42" many fans of this band from the Isle of Wight believe that it was by far the best - I am one of those such persons. But not only do I belive it to be their finest hour, I also argue it's standing as one of the most important events in UK music history. Firstly, it was responsible for creating a whole new genre of sound - jazz/funk fusion - a fresh and unique style in the early 1980's. Secondly, one doesn't need to be IQ superior to appreciate the sheer quality of this album; the musicianship is second to none; every band member had an original trademark to the way they performed on the album, and 3 of the 4 artists were masters in several instruments, as well as all chipping in to write both words and music. The tracks conjure up both futuristic and ancident images, and each track is rich in its originality. Honestly, one could go on and on about this magical piece of work, but I can do no more right now than to urge the open minded or curious person who appreciates great music to check this fantastic journey out. Finally, when people ask me the feeling I get from listening to Level 42 (and , in particular this, their first album) I tell them that the feeling I get is similar to that of when I first heard the brilliance of Dire Straits......but multiplied by 42. Phil MURRAY

This is on of the greatest most underrated cd's I've ever heard in my life! My goodness!!

Buy this and everything else you can get your hands on from these guys; you will not be disappointed. From their early jazz-funk instrumentals on these disks to the jazz-pop of the 1985 U.S. hit "Something About You" and the melancholy "Children Say", Mark King, Mike Lindup and the Boon Bros. show over and over again what great musicians and songwriters they are. The music sounds as fresh now as it did in 1981, when Level 42 began. Level 42 will become a favorite part of your music collection!