True Colors / World Machine [Extra tracks, Import, Original recording remastered]

Level 42 | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 28, 2000)
• Original Release Date: 1983
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Extra tracks, Import, Original recording remastered
• Label: Universal Int'l
• ASIN: B00004WGYM
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #418,194 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. The Chant Has Begun

2. Kansas City Milkman

3. Seven Days

4. Hot Water

5. A Floating Life

6. True Believers

7. My Hero

8. Kouyate

9. Hours By The Window

10. The Chant Has Begun (Powermix)

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. World Machine

2. Physical Presence

3. Something About You

4. Leaving Me Now

5. I Sleep On My Heart

6. It's Not The Same For Us

7. Dream Crazy

8. Good Man In A Storm

9. Coup D'Etat

10. Lying Still

See all 13 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Two albums on one CD for the UK pop/r&b act, 'True Colours'(1983) and 'World Machine' (1985). Includes nine bonus tracks, 'The Chant Has Begun', demo for 'A Floating Life', '7 Days' (demo), 'Hours By The Window' (demo), 'Free Yourself' (unused demo), 'Hot Water' (Master Mix), 'I Sleep On My Heart'(12' Mix), 'World Machine' (US Remix II) and 'Something About You' (12' Salsa Mix). Digitally remastered. 2000 release.Double slimline jewelcase.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best of the best - if you even LIKE brit funk or level42, December 14, 2000

By 

Theron J. Knapp "dune_tunes" (trumbull, ct USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: True Colors / World Machine (Audio CD)

Then this is a MUST HAVE

2 of their best albumns for a low price and remastered to boot!

True colors sports the bands best lyrical albumn and world machine thier most popular (barring RITF)

Truly a great combo!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Free Yourself With Level 42, May 15, 2005

By 

Andre S. Grindle "Andre' Grindle" (Brewer Maine) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: True Colors / World Machine (Audio CD)

This twofer of Level 42's fifth and sixth albums presents the band deep in a transitionary period,not that they were shy about exposing their transitionary periods as the years went on.Both 1984's 'True Colours' and 1985's blockbuster album 'World Machine' represent significant musical changes for the band.By this time Level 42 had adbandoned their long held tradition of electric bass heavy jazz-funk instrumentals in favor of more cleverly crafted songs.Using newfound elements of Afro-Latin percussion and modalities embellish tunes such as "The Chant As Begun" and the dynamic "Kouyate",while the latter sports a very intruiging melody."Kansas City Milkman","A Floating Life" and "Seven Days" have a gentle R&B delicacy that finds them moving headlong toward a new sound.In the meantime the pulsing "Hot Water" and "True Believers" still have the old funkiness to them.
Now 'World Machine is altogether different.The title cut alone opens with the percussive title cut but like much of the rest of the album is far slicker then any of Level 42's previous music.The haphazard American version of this CD contains songs from both these albums but this original mix makes alot more sense.The tracks left off the US version such as the wonderfully rhythmic "I Sleep On My Heart","Dream Crazy" and "Coup D'Etat" are this albums main linkage of the bands classic sound with their funky rhythms and bass lines."Something About You",their big radio hit for which they will be remembered in the US most is the obvious culmination of the bands previous developement.And from here on Level 42 would aim not for the funk clubs but the pop charts.
As for the bonuses the skeletal funk of "Free Yourself" on Disk 1 is the most impressive there.On the next disk the extended sisa mix of "Something About You" is far funkier and more instrumental then the hit.One thing this set did is forever change my opinion of 'World Machine',the US version of which led me to believe the band had turned into total sell outs.The version heard here is mixed and arranged more in context with their vision and sounds far more like a genuine album.Heard in this manner both of these albums sound alot more coherant and purpuseful then they did apart and as an important point of departure for this foursome who were already going down this path before but never made it this far.And by the second CD presented here they did.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They were the best, December 23, 2000

By 

Peter Alberts (Edam, Noord Holland, Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: True Colors / World Machine (Audio CD)

I discovered Level 42 in 1986 with the single Lessons In Love. I was stunned with the music from the early Jazzfunk to the catchy popsongs in the second half of the eighties. The album True Colours was White Funk of a different class. World Machine has been the turning point for them in commercial way. They deserved it. In 1991 I saw a Level 42 concert in Amsterdam, what a quality of live music. They were the best.