Very Best Of Level 42, The - Level 42 > Reviews > The best they have done

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Not applicable
Value for Money

Advantages:	Good range of songs
Disadvantages:	none

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

This CD contains 19 of Level 42’s greatest songs.

1. Love Games
This was their first single that they recorded for Polydor. It features a great scat-solo from Wally Badarou. Love Games was recorded at Vineyard studios which is said to be haunted. There is a nice beet in this song.

2. The Chinese Way
This song jumped on to the Brit-funk band wagon that was a big thing when this song was released. Brit-funkers loved anything with a base guitar so this song has it to keep them happy. This is a more up tempo song than the last one but it contains a lot of “electronic” instruments.

3. The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)
This was a summer record that they recorded in a L.A studio (in 83) that they recorded am album with Earth Wind and Fire, one night they came up with this song.
This song contains an electronic beat to it all the way trough it and it sounds like a slow version of today’s music.

4. Micro Kid
This song was originally written by Larry Dunn. It contains an upbeat tempo, with an upbeat chorus.

5. Hot Water
This song has a really good base grove to it; it is written in the way of house music that was from Chicago.

6. The Chant Has Begun
This song has a polyrhythmic beet to it that was done on roto-toms, this has no real pop formula on it and because of this it never really made a high chart position.

7. Something About You
This song was written in Mark King’s house using an 8-track Tascam, a synthesiser and a sequencer. This has a rising chorus, a kick base line and a melody in it, the melody is like you would hear in soul songs.

8. Leaving Me Now
This is a slow moving song that, as the title portrayals, is about some one leaving so the mood generated by this song is quite a stirring one.

9. Lessons In Love
This was their first number one, be it in Germany, but number one never the less. You can easily telly why by hearing this song it is upbeat with excellent lyrics that are complemented by melody in the chorus.

10. Running In The Family
This is a strange song but it is still good in that it has a good beat to it. The song’s lyrics are in a story that portrayals some kids doing a runner.

11. To Be With You Again
This is another great song that has an uplifting beat to it which has great lyrics in it also.

12. Its Over
In this song there is an original throbbing keyboard, a tpedal-steel guitar and it also contains a harmonica. It is a slow and moving song.

13. Children Say
This is a melodious song that has a good strong beat that tells a story about childhood.

14. Heaven in My Hands
This song contains a more rock beat to it that it usually found in Level 42 songs. It contains a trumpet fanfare that you may of herd as it comes from the Prisoner.

15. Take A Look
This song contains strong keyboard and guitar parts to it backed up by some nice drum work, this song is not to slow and it is not to fast, it also has some melody sections in it.

16. Tracie
This song is written about Gary Husband’s first girlfriend. It’s an upbeat song with a good beat to it and also has some good lyrics and melody.

17. Guaranteed
This song was written in the Isle of White and it is an upbeat song that has some powerful lyrics and a strong drum beat to it.

18. Forever Now
This is a bubbly song that has an up lifting beat to it, but it was unfortunately the last song that Level 2 did as they broke up after this song.

19. The Sun Goes Down 1998 (Living It Up) (Featuring Omar)
This is a remix of one of their songs which, for a remix is quite good it bring the song up to date with the base line that you would find nowadays.

This is a great album not only is it for the generation above me but it can also appeal to some of the people in this generation. To tell the truth I only bought this song for tracks 9 and 10 but now I like most of the Album now.