Search - Levellers :: Truth & Lies

Fails to Disappoint! Still Going Strong, Levellers Deliver!

T.R. Frentzel | San Francisco, ca United States | 06/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sure, they're a bit more mature, and that youthful angst they so beautifully put forth in their beginning albums has faded, but that angst can truly only belong to the young anyway. "Truth and Lies" still has the edginess and the depth of their previous albums.



The funny thing about this band is how well they age. The albums that disappointed me (Levellers, Zeitgeist and Hello Pig) are now played as much as any of the albums I loved immediately.



This one I loved immediately. It's melodic, interesting, and flows quite nicely. The violin hook in the first song is quite catchy and the song "For Us All" sticks in the head hours after you've heard it.



Overall, great album, and if you enjoyed "Green Blade Rising" you will enjoy this one."

Levelled again

Anon | 06/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For the unacquainted, the Levs are ace. They are a folkish punkish indie band that had very deserved top 10 singles and albums in the UK in the 1990's. Their sound is distinctive..think Clash with an electric fiddle, yet also diverse. How many English folk bands have a didgeree do player accompany them on some of their works, or can get away with a Kazoo without sounding too silly? They rap, they scream, and produce melodic folksy ballads. They cover The Clash, Grateful dead, and English folk songs as well as being excellent songwriters. They are every bit as political as the Clash, so if you find folksy left wing social commentary unpalatable then I must sadly warn you to stear clear.



It is their live shows that stand out above any of their studio recorded material. They are pretty much the best, most fun, live band ever. If they are playing within 500 miles of your house my advice is go see them.



In my opinion "Truth and Lies" is the fifth best levellers album. Hint: I think that they are all quite good. My order of preference goes: 1. Levelling the land (A must have album for everyone on the planet- Get this album before dabbling further!), 2. Weapon called the word, 3. Mouth to mouth 4 The Levellers,5. Truth and Lies, 6. Hello pig, 7. Green blade rising.

This ranking is purely a reflection of my preference for the, youthful, defiantly hope filled punkish energy of their earlier works. The Levs have hit middle age, and while they are every bit as energetic live as they have ever been, and they hopefully have not morphed into Paul Weller, they have matured. Gone are the days when they were going to change the world. Now they just appear to be hoping for the best. As they provide commentary of these times of corporate control, war, and environmental destruction, and, how we are all interconnected, and implicated in it. These are songs for dark times. The album has but one happy pop song "Make you happy". The best songs are "Steel knife" and " Last man alive". Steel knife is presumably about the British hostage that was killed in Iraq last year after efforts by his family amongst others to distance themselves from Tony Bliars involvement in the occupation. The Apocalyptic "Last man alive" is musically anthemnic, but lyrically desperate. It tries to indicate that the human race can still reverse global environmental destruction with the lyrics " As the ice around you starts to melt don't panic, I'm holding your life belt" but indicates that may be we are already to far down the line "You were never meant to be when you first put out to sea".



With this album the Levellers continue to tell it like it is, and while the subject matter is largely dark I still expect a fun filled performance when I next see them live.

"

Great songs, but poor mastering kills the enjoyment

Andrew Brighten | Montreal, Canada | 03/16/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a fan of the Levellers for years. The songs on this album are great, but it seems to be mastered so 'hot' (i.e. no dynamic range) that it is literally constantly distorted (i.e. digital clipping everywhere). Not only that, but it almost sounds like there's some kind of strange effect applied to it throughout (chorus or flanger or something like that). - it gives the impression of listening underwater! It is quite a shame. I really think they should remaster this album and release it again - the sound quality is really that poor, in my opinion.



It's really strange because past albums have been much better for sound quality than this in my opinion. Try listening to this CD, followed immediately by Zeitgest - you'll notice you have to turn up the volume a lot when the latter comes on (because it is mastered much less 'hot'), and it sounds a lot better overall."