Search - Level 42 :: Early Tapes

2nd disc mostly for hardcore Level 42 fans

Dave Huber | Delaware, United States | 01/25/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."

TURN IT ON!

Andre' S Grindle | Bangor,ME. | 09/29/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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!"

Good Stuff

S J Walker | London | 08/06/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."