Very Best Of Level 42, The - Level 42

...Level42.

'The Very Best Of Level 42' has been the last we have seen of the band, album wise. Released in November 1998, it slide gracefully, downhill, to number 41. Level 42, in all their history of releasing a multitude of singles and albums until we were choked from close harmonies and over usage of bass lines, never really made the grade with anything spectacular. Shockingly (or not, as the case maybe) only two actual singles out ...
...had become so awful. Very informative. It even gives us, if you are interested, the 'story' behind the naming of the band. Apparently (and I will spoil the surprise now) the word 'level' was just off the cuff, to 'even things out' (?) and the '42' bit came from, obviously as we know, the answer to the universe, according to Hitch Hikers' Guide To The Galaxy.'

Like any 'greatest hits' album, we not only have to endure the worst of those ... more

Okay, so the cool, funky rhythms of a band like Level 42 perhaps doesn't deserve to have a place in my dooyoo Hall of Fame, but, on the other hand, they did have a history worth recording, despite them probably worming their way onto many a 'yuk' list.

Around the time of 1980, Isle of Wight songwriter, Mark King decided to embark on a professional, musical outfit along with the help of the Gould brothers, drummer, Phil and guitarist, Boon. They enlisted Mike Lindup to play on keyboards and also backing vocals.

Taking the basis of their passion of jazz/funk, they never strayed far away from this genre from beginning to end of the eighties. Whilst other bands were changing their image every year, Level42 remained sturdy and rather boring, like a suburban Library. Deciding that they glittering career was not going to take off so easily on the Isle of Wight, they all trooped over with their belongings to London on the mainland. Predominately an instrumental set up, their music was reminiscing of middle class cocktail parties. Mark King had only decided after a few flops that it would probably be best if one of them started singing. Compositions had come easily to King and song writing, equally, followed.

Know for they jumpy funk for those chaps in yellow sweaters and white towelling socks, their music was catchy and full of the joys of pop. Caged to the U.K scene, the States didn't want to know about King's thumb smacking bass and those feminine backing vocals until the release of their 1985 album, World Machine. Up until then, Level42 had been seen as screamingly wet behind the ears. Fashionable like a jelly bag, the band had held their position well in the pop charts and the disco dance floors. Forever seen as the party band for drunken gatherings, Level42 never failed to put a smile on our faces and springs in our steps. They legacy that they did leave us, unfortunately, was then an endless stream of God awful funky set ups who gave us such incredibly bad records which some how used to find themselves at number 1over night. Because of bands like Level42, we got Steps.

Things were not completely black for us, the listeners. Occasionally, they released something that was so unique, that we couldn't but help ourselves rush out for a copy of Smash Hits just for the song lyrics. So now, I have either wet your appetites, or you have turned off this page totally. Either way, we had better look at this album, so we can get it over and done with….

We have already decided in our minds that Level42 had been an acquired taste. A band you either loved or hated. During the eighties, everything swung. It was a decade for the free for all, particularly when it came to music. If you weren't donning black, black and more black and going to all the Bauhaus concerts, then you were probably sitting at home, in your room, twirling your beads in your pop socks and chewed your bubble gum away to Haircut 100. Level42 appealed to the latter. There was something about owning an Escort, stone washed jeans and sporting a bleached flick on your bonce that screamed out for some musical anthem in the form of Level42.

'The Very Best Of Level 42' has been the last we have seen of the band, album wise. Released in November 1998, it slide gracefully, downhill, to number 41. Level 42, in all their history of releasing a multitude of singles and albums until we were choked from close harmonies and over usage of bass lines, never really made the grade with anything spectacular. Shockingly (or not, as the case maybe) only two actual singles out of the total 29 releases, actually made it into the top ten! Surprising when they were crowned, quite quickly, the ever so desired 'cult' title. Strangely, out of their minor thirteen albums, they managed to enter a total of 7 into the top ten. How on Earth does that work?

The album sleeve on the CD release opens out like one of those card holders. An art of getting it to fold back into shape will be required here. We find, not just a list of all these awful records but also a small, and brief interview with King and Lindup, telling us how these records had become so awful. Very informative. It even gives us, if you are interested, the 'story' behind the naming of the band. Apparently (and I will spoil the surprise now) the word 'level' was just off the cuff, to 'even things out' (?) and the '42' bit came from, obviously as we know, the answer to the universe, according to Hitch Hikers' Guide To The Galaxy.'

Like any 'greatest hits' album, we not only have to endure the worst of those singles but the very best ones too. For those who are slightly older and perhaps not so ashamed to admit that they once liked Level 42, then these listeners will delight in the fact they have included the early hits. The super funked 'Love Games', laced with soothing keyboards and rolling bass line appears as the first track. It was our introduction to Level 42. It was the element of calm amongst a crazed up pop chart. Suitably boring, and mildly irritating, this track came like a cool breeze on a hot day in-between 'This Ole' House' by Shakin Stevens, and 'Making Your Mind Up,' by the ever present, Bucks Fizz. Their second release, it appeared in April 1981 and sat at number 38 The slightly quicker paced, 'Chinese Way,' opened up a sound to us that was to the basis of all subsequent releases by the band. We first heard the lead vocal standing out in his own and a complete separation from lead and backing. Musically, they still held tightly onto that draining funky beat. Released in January 1983, it failed anything higher than number 24. An introduction here of cruise chip piano, added to the jazz element but failed to spark any imagination from the listeners.

Perhaps, one of the best known and possibly, mildly liked, track from Level 42 was 'The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up.)' A hit for the band in July 1983, it reached number 10 and successfully display the fact that Level 42 weren't totally useless. Many a group of drunken youths went off on their Spanish hols singing this from the tops of the over crowded planes. Bodies were sunburnt and short lasting relationships were formed. A funky, hand clapping, slightly reggae sounding track, its brought out for dusting every summer along with 'Club Tropicana' by Wham! A classic, but looses its meaning from September to May each year….

'Micro Kid' and 'Hot Water,' were probably two singles that passed us by. It actually could be said, that the entire career of Level 42 passed a great deal of us by. The first of these two tracks was the usual funky, thumb aching bass track that we had got to know from the band as their signature tune. This track slipped back after its release in October 1983 to a comfortable number 37. It was at this position in the charts, that Level 42 seemed to be happy with. If they had perhaps broken away from that funk, and experimented with some other genre, they could have been more successful. 'Hot Water,' had been given the extra bass line, probably in the thought that this might have been lacking somewhat in other releases. It had made a slight improvement, and after it's release in September 1984, it went o number 18.

The jungle rhythms of 'The Chant Has Begun,' failed to sparkle and was hardly a contender to rob the title of jungle' kings from Tight Fit. It was too suburban attempt at trying to be something other than a boring British band. They public hadn't been fooled by this achievement. It sat miserably at number 41 in November 1984. I guess it had been the wrong time of year from something recognised to be for very hot, damp weather. Suddenly, the band, plugged themselves into the sockets, got together, played together and cut the harmonies down so we could actually pick out each player distinctly and they gave us 'Something About You.' Just when we had lost all hope of Level 42 being nothing other than a bit of a joke, this track, romantically funked and swoonful at the same time, the break featured a whining, yet in tune, garter riff and even the backing ooo's didn't seem out of place at all. It was polished and catchy. It remained in out heads for sometime. Even on hearing it today, this sort of disco there, still holds the test of time. Kings vocals are sweet and soulful. We liked this so much, we all went out and bought loads of copies so it would get into the top ten. It did, number 6 in fact in September 1985.

A run on fairly successful releases continued for the band. Those close knit harmonies ascended upon us one more in 'Leaving Me Now.' (Don't worry, he gets his own back had leaves her in a tracks or two's time…) One thing that we had discovered about this., primarily disco/funk band is that meaningful ballads were not out of their reach. One could argue that these releases had been their biggest asset. Perhaps the days of funk had to be left for a while. One disco record after another becomes monotonous. This particular track was beautifully pieced together and again, we can here that King actually had a good, soulful voice. Born out of probable real life experiences, their ballads were truthful in the fact that you could actually believe that these stories had happened. No plays on words were ever involved in their ballads, they were simple and easy to understand. This was why they were such a hit. People could relate to them. This was obviously a fact. It reached number 15 in December 1985.

The one thing, that strikes me about this band, and probably others from the era is that everyone released a single virtually one every month. Bands had to in those days. 'Bands' nowadays don't have to. They get paid enough to only have one hit and never follow it up with anything else ever again. With bands like Level 42, it was a living to earn. Hits had to be made in huge quantities.

'Lessons In Love, and 'Running In The Family,' show us in full form now at the extend of the growing talents of the band. Sets had become tighter and compositions had become more experimental. Edging just ever so slightly away from funk, their swing into mainstream pop had been fairly easy. The first of these two tracks, jumped high to number 3 in April 1986, and was seen as a breakthrough for the band. Heavily based and disco orientated, its fast, racy rhythm had depth, and a tune that everyone could pick up. High pitched backing vocals set the finish to this track. It was light in subject and steady in its theme. The latter, here, took us down a notch and gave us a story about growing up and the tricks that children get up to behind their parents backs. A break away from now, hat was known as the norm form Level 42, it certainly was meant to be seen as a tongue in cheek record and probably not meant to be taken seriously. However, in February 1987, we are suitably impressed and in went to number 6.

In my mind, probably the best record the band eve came out with was 'To Be With You Again.' As a pop/disco track , it was dressed with all the right tinsel and baubles. The drumming tactics of Phil Gould completely held this track together. Every other instrument involved here was totally incidental. The flicking cymbal effect joined together with a fast paced rhythm section, this track used a slightly more rockier sound to the statutory guitar riff in the break. The nice touch here was the banter between backing vocals and lead. Somehow this track worked whereas the others didn't. I felt that this track had an air of desperation in the subject. I find this element of exasperation always works.

Followed quickly, this track next was the best ballad. This theme is now someone leave someone else. |The noise and fury of the previous track has now dropped completely from view. The simplicity of this track and the busyness of the last, shows the listener that now the band had reached a stage in their careers where they had mastered the techniques involved in making a good pop record. These were, pop records. No hidden meanings, not fancy bits, just good pop records to listen idly to on the radio by bands who actually play instruments. Something we don't have any more…

The next tracks take the same lead. Sublime, thoughtful lyrics, smooth vocals and soft backings create the scene for both ballad and disco theme. The sadness added in 'It's Over,' from September 1987 to the joking, realism of 'Children Say,' in which we nodded our heads in agreement to in December 1987. Perhaps, another leap in a different direction came with the loud, over brassed 'Heaven In My Hands,' where Level 42 had gone e too far. There was, it had to be said, too much going on in this record. We were swamped by riffs, trumpets and robotic backing vocals until we drowned in such deep watery noises. Perhaps a track to fly a US Army Helicopter under enemy fire to, this track must have been bought buy every service man in the country. How it got to number 12 in September 1988 is beyond me. Even on volume down right down, it still appears to too loud. I wonder if they threw in as much as they could to cloud over the fact that fundamentally, it was a mediocre song…

The gentleness of 'Take A Look,' brings us down to Earth and an excuse to remove our ear plugs. The minor keys in this track brings that romance that Level 42 irritatingly did so well. Their perfect backing vocals should have won gut wrenching Oscars fro their performance. Level 42, at this stage, had cracked the pop world. King, on a personal level, had now been sat on the same pedestal as Sting, Bowie, George Michael and other great established, all rounder celebs.

The well positioned places in the charts were starting to slip away from Level 42, and soon, tragedy was about to strike. Guitarist Alan Murphy, who had now joined the band from 1987, died of AIDS in 1989. Enough to break the strong back of the band, it was time to call it a day. 'Tracie,' a song about new drummer Gary Husband's first girlfriend at school jumped its way into our record collections with it's bubble gum themes and jolly optimism, but the buying public were not impressed with Level 42's last ditched attempt to regain some old ground they had proudly stood on for the last few years. It wasn't going to wash, and the single flopped.

What then followed were sporadic singles. The two mentioned on this album here are 'Guaranteed' from August 1991 and 'Forever Now,' from February 1994. The first of these had been rocked up to give the band a nineties feel. The funk had been dropped in a ditch and King tried his hand at writing something more of a thundery theme. Number 17 was the prize for this track. What we heard was an eighties band trying to keep up with the times. The latter song, was a leap back to the days of summer coolness and funk. Sounding more like a track from the film, Car Wash, it didn't wash. What leaves us is the statutory mix of a perfectly good record that has been mullered beyond belief. The poor track that is getting the treatment is 'Sun Goes Down,' now featuring Omar. Released in 1998, it didn't make the charts. The black sound has been given to this record. See for yourself, but it's far from my cup of tea.
The life of Level 42 drifted in and out of our lives and no one noticed. We took them for granted, they were there, supplying us with their funky jazz themes and perfect vocals. We cared not for Level 42 which was a shame. I do believe there was more to this large group of young musicians , but probably not what the world could offer at the time.

To Mark King, who we saw only head and legs of, who only ever brushed his chin with his hand when he played.

The only musician ever to grace the music industry with tennis elbow…apart from Cliff…..

Mark King - bass/vocals
Phil Gould - drums
Boon Gould - guitar
Mike Lindup - keyboards/vocals
(1988 - Gary Husband - drums)
(1988 - Alan Murphy - guitar)
(1991 - Allan Holds worth - guitar)
All song written by Mark King and Level 42)
Polydor Records Ltd. 1998.
Bought at HMV 8 pounds. 2004

First on Dooyoo May 2006.
©sam1942 2006.
 

...less