From: Level42-request @ worldmachine.com (Level42 Digest) Subject: Level42 Digest V96 #181 _ ____ _ ____ _ _ ___ // //__ // / //__ // /__// __// //__ //__ \\_/ //__ //__ // /__ D I G E S T Level42 Digest Volume 96 : Issue 181 362 subscribers Today's topics: Re: Level42 Digest V96 #180 Mighty Maomoondog re: Congas in Heaven in my Hands birchn B Sides CD Kelvin A. Levels Nothing very important Pat Flanagan Mark King/Stanley Clarke WINSTON WALKER Holdsworth/Husband Marc_Dupuis Mark's Stanley influence Nigel Collier "Real instruments"/ LAW / Austin / Wally DJRJ89073 The Remix Collection Vince Mora Re: Level42 Digest V96 #180 wendell t. sellers ptoyer Re: Influences Carl Mueller Where or where are the B-sides? Scott Dawson B-Sides CD and stuff Kevin O'Brien ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Level42 Digest V96 #180 From: Mighty Maomoondog Organization: Industrial Design Engineering TUD Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 12:52:28 +0100 (CET) > Speaking of Jakko, I just got Mustard Gas and Roses: ...................... > Mick Karn: Fretless Bass Hey! Is that the same guy who did 'After a Fashion' with Midge Ure? That is a great song - especially live (to be found on the b-side of 'Call of the Wild') when Mick Karn also played, I think. "the code of love should never be broken the code of love - words remain unspoken" (c) 1983 Mr. Mister The Mighty Maomoondog (io814336 @ student.io.tudelft.nl) .... .. ------------------------------ Subject: re: Congas in Heaven in my Hands From: birchn @ Meena.CC.URegina.CA Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 08:27:57 -0600 (CST) How interesting to find someone else who finds this annoying! I HATE those blasted congas in that song. For the first few years I didnt really hear them, until my Dad once pointed them out. Now that is all I hear in the song, which really wrecks it for me. Yes I know, I need to get BEYOND the congas, but I just cant seem to. On the topic of weird noises in L42 songs, I always found that in Hours by the Window at the start of the 2nd verse there is a sound that uncannily reminds me of my Mother calling me for dinner. I used to wear my headphones, hear the sound and yell "WHAT?!" at my Mom wherever she was. Anyone else notice strange little things like that in their songs? Neil ------------------------------ Subject: B Sides CD From: "Kelvin A. Levels" Date: Fri, 28 Jun 96 09:34:52 CDT I would like to order a copy of the critically acclaimed B-sides CD :) Could someone please give the particulars on ordering it? Thanks! ------------------------------ Subject: Nothing very important From: pfpd @ pobox.com (Pat Flanagan) Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 10:53:52 -0400 (EDT) >this was Mark's or Gary's call, but does anyone else think the >sequenced congas in "Heaven in My Hands" really detract from the >song? Yepper. >That makes me wince slightly, but oh well ... > >Vince Or, as one of those stereotyped German bad guys in old movies would have said... That makes me Vince slightly, but oh vell... Sorry, bad joke. >On the Guaranteed album all guitars are taken care of >by Alan Holdsworth and Dominic Miller. Jakko is on >the cover. AAAAAAHHHHH! Wrong-o. You forget that Mark King did that "jangly Dwayne Eddy-ish guitar" (quote from Mike Lindup) on "My Father's Shoes." By the way, I don't blame them for putting Jakko on the cover instead of AH or Dominic Miller. Jakko's the least hard on the eyes, though that's still not saying much. :D TCOY, Pat Flanagan Publishing & Design PO Box 281, Granger, IN 46530-0281 email: pfpd @ pobox.com website: http://www.pobox.com/~pfpd TOTALMEDIA PUBLISHING: Print * Disk * Interactive * CDROM * Internet ------------------------------ Subject: Mark King/Stanley Clarke From: WINMAN @ gnn.com (WINSTON WALKER) Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 11:20:56 Carl & Lolita's comments were right on regarding the Mark King/Stanley Clarke connection. It has always been my opinion that "Return Of The Handsome Rugged Man sounds like a tune by Weather Report. Phil's drumming is very reminiscent of "Peter Erskine", who drummed with "Weather Report" for a few albums. Peter also has that light snare drum feel and the mega-tom rolls. This tune brings to mind great 70's Jazz fusion groups like Return To Forever & Mahavishnu Orchestra. Return To Forever features Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and a Mark King favorite, Lenny White on drums. If anyone is interested in hearing any of these groups, drop a line and I'll send you a tape. Winston ------------------------------ Subject: Holdsworth/Husband From: Marc_Dupuis @ MADISONUSA.CCMAIL.CompuServe.COM Date: 28 Jun 96 11:05:17 EDT That's it!! Since this is turning into a full-fledged swing-at-anything-that-moves bar brawl, I'm jumping in. 8) I think Holdsworth sucks... NOT!! He is one of the most unusual, gifted, and melodic guitarists in existence. Now I cut my teeth on progressive rock, and one of the most influential bands I've been subjected to was UK so I'm apt to be a little more twisted that some of you nice folk. But Holdsworth's playing with UK (along with Bruford's concussive percussions) prompted me to follow him and that's when I first saw Gary Husband, playing with Holdsworth in a little seedy club (Cellblock 11, Hartford, CT, 1982(?)) and I didn't like it a bit. I'm not kidding, Holdsworth was on the mark but the composite sonic barrage wasn't moving at all - Gary was choppy and clammed more than Keith Richards at Montery (and wasn't that funny? Dropped his pick 11 times). BUT, when I heard Guaranteed I immediately recognized both of them and I thought they fit in perfectly. It created a new band. Well, actually, it was a new band when Murphy and Husband jumped in. Murphy seems to be fairly well influenced by Holdsworth, I think, and Jakko too. So there was some continuity between those three. (Murphy's playing was best I think). So those of you that were fans of the old band; I can understand why the fuss, they became a new entity in some respects. But that's kind of cool, isn't it? You can't become stagnant - look at the 2nd Boston album. I *do* understand though, I didn't like what happened to Genesis during and after ABACAB, but they couldn't stay the same forever, could they? By the way, I have really begun to like the older L42 stuff. Dr. John Edward Martin Shuford gave me a bunch of tapes in a trade that I've just started listening to (thanks John), and with the B-sides... I'm really digging where they came from. Phil is a monster, and I like Boon's playing on True Colors (at least the half of the album I've heard so far). The band definitely went thru phases. Just can't get into Forever Now for some reason. I'll try listening to it drunk; I once found myself liking a Springsteen song while intoxicated. I was mortified when I sobered up. > Also, I don't know if this was Mark's or Gary's call, but does anyone >else think the sequenced congas in "Heaven in My Hands" really detract >from the song? Hmmm... I always thought it must've been Mike's doing. But I liked it. I hate that whole sequenced percussion feel usually, it gives things such a Howard Johnson Hotel-ishness (read: Lounge Lizardry) but as soon as Gary slammed that fill in, followed by Alan's power chords - the dichotomy was *perfect* - Alan kind of clued you as to what was about to happen with that Edge-like astinato thingy he layered on top of Mike's stuff just before the crash-in, and then it was in-your-face from there on out. Can you tell this is my favorite L42 cut of all time? -Marc (and it's doPWEE, not doPEE, Jules, ya two-legged colostomy bag!) ------------------------------ Subject: Mark's Stanley influence From: Nigel.Collier @ ncl.ac.uk (Nigel Collier) Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 16:52:55 +0100 Carl Mueller wrote: >And next time you put on Schooldays, tell me if that sounds >familiar ;-] (Dune Tune) I too had noticed this similarity - School Days is a favourite of mine to play and I can't try and play Dune Tune without it involuntarily turning into Schooldays, the two are VERY similar. BTW, can anybody recommend a good, funky, unweird Mahavishnu Orchestra album? Have good weekend, Nigel Nigel Collier (Nigel.Collier @ ncl.ac.uk) Webmaster, Newcastle University Careers Service.(http://kalonji.ncl.ac.uk/careers/careers.html) Eater of donuts & Jedi Knight [I can't think of any *funky* Mahavishnu albums... "Bird's of Fire" is the definitive masterpiece by them, but it would be a stretch to claim that it is really funky (IMHO). Plug in some early Billy Cobham, though (none of the cheesy GRP label stuff)... i.e., "Stratus" is quite phonkay -- anything on the "Bilham Cobly" label =) Also, my .02 about RTF... my fave is "Romantic Warrior", which does feature some quite funky stuff on tracks like "Sorcerer". -Eric] ------------------------------ Subject: "Real instruments"/ LAW / Austin / Wally From: DJRJ89073 @ aol.com Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 14:12:53 -0400 Greetings Level-Heads, Somebody wrote: >For one thing, he's using a SynthAxe instead of a real >instrument . . . I have a problem with this musical purist attitude!!! Are you actually saying that a SynthAxe is NOT a "real instrument" (and therefore doesn't make "real music"???) That kind of thinking would also lead you to the conclusion that any Level tracks with sequenced drum parts are NOT "real music" also, correct? Excuse me for saying so, but I get tired of this kind of attitude some time. I play in a band and I use Simmons pads to trigger drum samples . . . does that mean I don't play a "real instrument" either??? The SynthAxe is merely a MIDI controller that plays keyboard tones via a controller that happens to be in the form of a guitar; thereby allowing guitar players a whole new way to express themselves. I think this is a good thing. And now a different vibe. I got the Live at Wembley CD last week from Take Notes and I played it in the car for about 4 days! This is a very crisp recording and some great performances from our boys. I got to play 4 tracks on the radio early Wednesday morning. I was gonna play only 2, but I was enjoying it so I just let it run :-). I'm wondering though about the liner notes, it seems like whoever wrote them should have signed his name. Was it Ian Buck? As far as the Austin thing goes, I too was at the show in '87 at the Backroom. I only wish I could remember more about it now. Level was still very new to me then and I was not as familiar with all their material as I am now. Also, I'm going to get that new CD from Carlinhos Brown that Wally produced and I'll post some thoughts on this later. Positively, DJ-RJ. ------------------------------ Subject: The Remix Collection From: "Vince Mora" Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 12:28:32 -0600 (MDT) I've put info about the new Remix Collection up on the home page's Newswire (http://www.swcp.com/synth/level42/newswire.html). For those needing the catalogue number for ordering, it's Connoisseur (UK) VSOPCD 227. Here's a complete track listing (remix artist added by yours truly): Love Games (U.S. Remix) [Michael Brauer] Starchild (remix) [Paul Staveley O'Duffy] The Chinese Way (extended John [John Luongo] Luongo remix) The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up) [Larry Dunn & Verdine White] (Up Front Remix) Hot Water (12" mix) [Ken Scott] I Sleep On My Heart (remix) [Julian Mendelsohn] Something About You [Shep Pettibone] (Shep Pettibone remix) Children Say (extended remix) [Paul Staveley O'Duffy] Running In the Family (Dave O mix) [Dave 'O' Ogrin] Heaven In My Hands (extended remix) [Tom Lord Alge] Take A Look (extended) [Tom Lord Alge] Tracie (U.S. Remix) [remixed by Tom Lord Alge? It sounds like his style. This is the only track I don't already have. Can someone in the know help out? (This is not the remix with Mark's "rap" ...) As you can see, many tracks above also appear on Polydor's _The Remixes_. The new additions easily make this disc worth it though, so go grab it! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Vince Mora, Synthmedia Web Design http://www.swcp.com/synth/ Level 42 Home Page keeper voice: USA: 505 332 0139 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "Steempy, I knew we shouldn't have flown with the beeeg boppeeer." ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Level42 Digest V96 #180 From: tazion @ twsu.campus.mci.net (wendell t. sellers) Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 13:43:08 -0500 (CDT) I think that Mark King has a way with his bass. I myself am a bassest and= I have tried to play some of his works like 'Lesson In Love' and I tell you that man has thumbs of gold. If you have the time, pick up a bass and try to work it like Mark and you will find that he just flies right through the notes. You'll want to back the cd up one or two times( or like me, ten or more ) and say to yourself,' What!! I don't think so! How can he play that like that!!'. Let me know what you think. Happy Fingering Tazion S. ------------------------------ Subject: From: ptoyer @ VNET.IBM.COM Date: Fri, 28 Jun 96 22:10:29 FST Hello, Can someone tell me on which Nick's songs Mark plays??? I like N Kershaw a lot, and I appreciated the album he did with MK but I still wonder on which tracks he plays. Did MK played with someone else recently ?????? How can I imagine that he destroyed his last never-sold album ? ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Influences From: "Carl Mueller" Organization: none Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 17:23:05 -0800 Lolita, good luck trying to find the cd in the States. I bought mine in dec '87 and it has Mark from the "it's over" video on the cover (!). I have some contacts in Holland that can hook you up, if you want. I bought the vinyl in '85 and also the "I feel free" 12 inch (b side "There's a dog") Carl *********************The Answer is 42********************* (cmueller @ silicon.csci.csusb.edu) (cmueller @ inland.net) [Carl, you're the only other person I've ever heard of (besides me) that's got the US release of Influences with that cover! Anyone else here have one?!?! -Eric] ------------------------------ Subject: Where or where are the B-sides? From: Scott Dawson Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 22:51:53 -0400 Just wondering if I am the only one out there that was getting my B-sides burned by Jeremy and have yet to hear from Him??? Jeremy are you out there?? Scott Dawson ------------------------------ Subject: B-Sides CD and stuff From: "Kevin O'Brien" Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 17:28:55 -0400 I got my B-Sides CD, t-shirt and book a few weeks ago. And I just wanted to add my voice to all those saying thanks. It really is a pleasure to be associated with a bunch of guys'n'gals who are willing to do all of this stuff in the name of a band - I think they call them "fans"! Now for some of my opinions of our lads' music. I got into them BECAUSE of the Chinese Way, not despite it. And I still think its a pretty good tune, esp. the bass line. Now, when World Machine (the album) was released, I could not get over how good the whole damn thing was. Plus, it also saw our boys get some real commercial success too which meant a wider audience was now aware of the band. At this point in time, World Machine was definitely my favourite of the Level 42 albums. Next came along Running In The Family, and this just blew my socks off! It still is, IMHO, the pinnicle of the band's career. As far as I am concerned every track from the album could have justifiably been released as a single - all the melodies are that good (by which I suppose I mean, commercial). Please note that for me, it is definitely the tune which gets me hooked to a song - the lyrics, technology, techniques etc are all secondary. They can only make a good tune better, but if the tune is good I'm still gonna like the song. There are two tracks from RITF which, for me, are below the par of the rest of the album. And they are "Children Say" and "Lessons In Love". Its a shame that "Lessons In Love" was the highest charting single for the band in the UK charts (No. 3). Next was "Staring At The Sun" by which time the Goulds had left. I have to say that this album was a disappointment after the previous two. However, "Heaven In My Hands" had "hit" written all over it. But as far as I remember, barely scaped into the UK top 20. Pity, because it really is an excellent tune. "Guaranteed" is not at all bad. Somewhere in the middle between "RITF" and "SATS", and below "WM". "My Father's Shoes" is another excellent track, and deserved far more success than it achieved. And finally we come to "Forever Now". The title track is a bit lame. Sounds as if it was targetted for a top 20 hit, but just doesn't cut it. However, "The Bends", "Play Me", "Past Lives" and "The Sunbed Song" are all excellent - I've hardly stopped playing this CD since I got it. I would rate it on a par with "WM". So, here are my favourite Level 42 albums in order of preference; Running In The Family Forever Now (Resurgence) World Machine Staring At The Sun Plus, I also happen to like "Hot Water" AND "The Chant Has Begun" - so there! Don't forget, these are just my opinions and by putting them forward I hope to spark some intelligent conversation/debating on the digest. Fire away! "Everything is everything. But some things aren't everything. And I call those things, Nothing" Theophilus P. Wildebeest (aka Lenny Henry) ================================================================= Kevin O'Brien phone: (510) 873-6258 Consultant fax: (510) 869-6388 Informix Software, Inc. email: kevinob @ informix.com (formerly Illustra Information Technologies) 1111 Broadway, Suite 2000 Oakland, CA 94607 USA Home Page: url: http://www.illustra.com =================================================================