From: Level42-request @ worldmachine.com (Level42 Digest) Subject: Level42 Digest V2001 #11 _ ____ _ ____ _ _ ___ // //__ // / //__ // /__// __// //__ //__ \\_/ //__ //__ // /__ D I G E S T Level42 Digest Volume 2001 : Issue 11 1385 subscribers Today's topics: Re: Level42 Digest V2001 #10 SED if you were mine James Watkins Guaranteed Dodgy Pete Willis Stuff Steve Robson GREAT DIGESTS Bowman Brian 2Lt 442 FW/PA The Not So Best L42 SOngs Eric Pseja Guaranteed & Forever Now angela armstrong Lozzie's Lessons in Drums alex.friesen subject matter goldie100 Her big day Randall, Steve Huhllooo!!! Brian Flint Nigel Dick Winston Walker I celebrate their entire catalog Joey Vela Re: Level42 Digest V2001 #9 Ed Nowak nightcatchers Willem en Kirsti Guaranteed ron.berry Wally's Echoes Dawayne Bailey Guaranteed (statutory rights not affected). William Burnett The Very Best Of Cock-Ups Mike Bartlett Candy gram EMIKATIE New Thread/Old Thread revisited? Moores Guaranteed etc richard.west Haunted House Live Lars-Ove Larsson Des'ree etc. Nigel Collier ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Level42 Digest V2001 #10 From: "Laurence F. GREEN(SED)" Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 11:27:07 +0000 Level42 @ worldmachine.com writes: >As a drummer (and fan) of both, I can say that one is not *better* than >the other...just different. Both have ferocious chops, but where Phil >was very subtle (reminded me of a funkier Stewart Copeland), Gary is >definately a serious jazz-fusion (read, ornate and aggressive) player. >I was surprised when he joined because the oversmplification of his >playing I assumed would bore him. The only track tht ever seemed to >really fit his sensibilites was 'If you were mine' (my fave from >Guarenteed), and one track is not enough to keep one interested I would >think. It's important to say in this debate, that we must not forget that Gary is a talented pianist, who often performs only on that instrument, and of course even more incredible is Phil's talent as a lyric writer. As far as light and dark goes, the lightest albums are World Machine, and Staring At The Sun, the Darkest albums have to be Guaranteed and True Colours. World Machine is really quite breezy on the B-side, with tunes like It's Not The Same For Us, Dream Crazy, I Sleep On My Heart having quite a pop sound, even cou'p D'etat and Good Man In A Storm don't really create an emotional balance. Guaranteed works on the lower emotions, She Can't Help Herself, My Fathers Shoes, A Kinder Eye, Lasso The Moon, Seven Years, and not really any positive balance from the other songs. Maybe thats why it's viewed in poor light by many fans. Forever Now is probably the most diverse album in it's themes, the 80's pop sound is all but forgotten and it;s very much back to the roots but with a modern feel. Staring At The Sun strikes me as being quite a happy album but True Colours, especially Kansas City Milkman and the B-side of the LP really stir the emotions, culimnating in Hours By The Window, which has some of the best Level 42 lyrics. Got to go L()Z ------------------------------------------------------ Laurence Green Research Assistant Sheffield Hallam University School Of Environment and Development City Campus Advanced Construction Research, Room 302 Sheffield S1 1WB TEL: 0114 2253368 ------------------------------ Subject: if you were mine From: "James Watkins" Organization: B. P. Baxter & Co. Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 13:14:34 -0000 As a drummer (and fan) of both, I can say that one is not *better* than the other...just different. Both have ferocious chops, but where Phil was very subtle (reminded me of a funkier Stewart Copeland), Gary is definately a serious jazz-fusion (read, ornate and aggressive) player. I was surprised when he joined because the oversmplification of his playing I assumed would bore him. The only track tht ever seemed to really fit his sensibilites was 'If you were mine' (my fave from Guarenteed), and one track is not enough to keep one interested I would think. I'm not surprised that "If you were mine" fitted Gary's sensibilities - he wrote it! Cheers, Jimbo ------------------------------ Subject: Guaranteed Dodgy From: "Pete Willis" Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 13:47:57 -0000 Guaranteed a dodgy album? NO CHANCE It does contain 'The Ape' which is still mystifying me why it ever got included on any CD ever. BUT that aside as 'the tiny bass player' mentioned yesterday it contains some CLASSIC tracks. She can't help herself, If you were mine, A kinder eye, Seven Years & Lasso the Moon for starters are superb songs and stand up there in Level 42's history as Absolute Classics. Set me up and Her big day are OK and the other tracks like Overtime, My fathers shoes etc. are Excellent, I just can't see how this album can be so disliked. The album was let down by poor marketing, an awful cover which I can't believe they studied in CD size before releasing it. What counts though is the music and if you just program in to miss the Ape then you have as good an album as any of the others they released. Variety is great, I don't want to hear an album that sounds like the first or second one they did. Forever Now also is a great album, so am I a fan of more recent stuff only? No my favourite overall album is still Standing in the light. I even remember when I first got the album that I didn't enjoy 'the machine stops' as much as the rest of the album and got to taking the needle off after the track 'people'. In time though I soon changed and enjoy that track as much as the others. As for the Ape, will the same happen? I think the answer will always be NO CHANCE ------------------------------ Subject: Stuff From: Steve Robson Organization: Cadence Design Systems Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 14:13:59 +0000 > Subject: Re: Crap tunes I'd be perfectly happy if I'd never heard "Gresham Blues". > Subject: Gresham Blues, Level 42 vid offered > From: anselm_gaynor @ talk21.com > > In response to Helen McLelland's posting (8.1.01), it's definitely > named after the Gresham Hotel in Dublin not the one you mentioned in > Dun Laoghaire. Dun Laoghaire is right on the outskirts of Dublin! > Subject: Anagrams > From: Lars-Ove Larsson > > *** Warning non-L42 content *** ...is fine by me > I found this anagram-making device at > http://www.wordsmith.org/anagram/index.html Ha ha ha... bonk. (Laughed my head off!) Regards, E, vest Toxin - Spur it up CAD sect send my genesis Tel: +44 (0)1344 866523 Go as hot Bard Mobile: +44 (0)7901 855046 Barren elk belch RISK Fax: +44 (0)1344 866588 RG12 0PH UK ------------------------------ Subject: GREAT DIGESTS From: Bowman Brian 2Lt 442 FW/PA Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 08:47:57 -0600 Hey everybody! I've been on the Digest (off/on) since '97, and the last couple of days are some of the best postings ever!!! Great to get back talking about the band, with some new input from folks whose names I haven't seen much before. Guaranteed - Everyone makes some good points - I think most of us could agree that Guaranteed brings a wider array of opinions than almost any other L42 album. Personally, it's not a great favorite of mine ... However, I believe Staring at the Sun was the downfall of L42 ... Polydor/Polygram (as shown in the Fait Accompli video) was actually taking stock in the "bankability" of the band and made a concerted effort to push that album ... they actually spent some money (at least in the beginning of the SATS campaign) ... But the band, rocked by the loss of Boon and - more importantly - Phil, could not meet the challenge. Someone said Guaranteed is a dark album ... brother, SATS is the darkest thing L42 ever did, with very few songs that could have broken through on American radio ... And those songs (Two Hearts Collide, Tracie and maybe Take a Look) weren't released first ... Heaven in my Hands was, and - although it was upbeat -- it was such a departure from Something About You and Lessons in Love that American audiences didn't even recognize these guys anymore. Whoever thought that should be the first single (probably Mark) made a huge miscalculation. Not the first time that's happened with them ... Had L42 followed up Lessons in Love (released in the U.S. in early 1987) with Children Say or It's Over, they could have doubled the album sales ... but they chose Running in the Family ... not a bad song, but a poor choice for a U.S. single. (BTW, It's Over would make a GREAT country song for someone like Tim McGraw, IMO) Plus, Mark and Mike (esp. Mark) had forgotten how fragile a band's standing in the pop world is ... Mark said on Fait Accompli (in an interview preceding the release of SATS) ... something like, "We're taking a different approach ... and if it falls through the floor, we'll just make another one." But momentum is everything in the pop music business, and the momentum died with SATS ... By the time Guaranteed came out 3 years later, the world had moved on ... L42 was dead, but someone forgot to tell Mike and Mark ... Phil was missed, IMO, not just as a drummer, but as a contributing writer ... Just look at Forever Now, which in my opinion openly tips its cap to L42's funk roots while at the same time forging a new path. No surprise Phil was a part of that project. Much like the love-hate relationship between Sting and Stewart Copeland, the Mark/Phil dynamic was the center of L42's creativity ... take Copeland out The Police, and the band would have changed dramatically, probably for the worse ... certainly this is true of L42 ... Mike wasn't a strong enough personality (IMO, I don't know him) to keep Mark in check. And of course all the "hired guns" weren't going to oppose him. Phil vs. Gary - Like some others said ... they're different, not better or worse ... but since Phil was key in helping create the original L42 sound, he was nearly impossible to replace. Crap songs: Hot Water, The Ape ... although HW seems great live (on tape) ... Have a great day, all!!! Brian Bowman Missouri, USA ------------------------------ Subject: The Not So Best L42 SOngs From: "Eric Pseja" Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 09:54:21 -0500 My votes for the "not-so-goodest" Level 42 songs are: - The Chinese Way (uh oh... I sense I'm about to get killed for this one) - A Pharoah's Dream of Endless Time - The Ape And, just because I can... here's my list of Level 42 songs that I'm just sick of and usually skip when I've got the CD on: - The Chant Has Begun - Hot Water - Heaven In My Hands BUT... please remember... even the worst of the Level 42 catalog beats the snot out of 99% of what's being played on the radio today, so stuff that in yer pipe and smoke it! +EPseja+ ------------------------------ Subject: Guaranteed & Forever Now From: angela armstrong Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 06:56:46 -0800 (PST) I love a good debate. I read the comments about Guaranteed and Forever Now and I just had to throw my hat into the ring. Personally, I think that both albums are excellent. 'With a Little Love', 'A Kinder Eye', 'Overtime' and 'Set Me Up' are some of my favorite songs on Guaranteed. I can't even begin to say enough about Forever Now. To me, Forever Now is the second best album that Level 42 made, next to True Colours that is. It has a real jazzy feel to it, and I think all of the songs on it are fabulous. I'm sure there's levelheads out there who will disagree with me and that's o.k., just because we all like (in some cases, love) Level 42 doesn't mean that we all have to like the same songs. It is the variety that eventually brings us together, right? cheers, Angela P.S.- I don't think that Level 42's popularity ever went down. If that were the case, the L42 digest wouldn't exist. I'd love to here more comments on the subject. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Photos - Share your holiday photos online! http://photos.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Subject: Lozzie's Lessons in Drums From: alex.friesen @ sickkids.ca Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 10:00:04 -0500 >From: "goldie100" > >I know absolutely nothing about drumming, but I do know what I like to hear, Well, Lozzie, there's a handy coincidence! I'm developing a Drumming Appreciation Class, and I've been looking for somebody just like you to practice on. Drop on down to my private studio and I'll demonstrate some nifty rhythmic exercises. [Bats eyelashes innocently.] (Relax, people, it's just a joke!) By the way, did anybody else notice the strange resemblance between the names "Loz" and "Lozzie"? Could they be one and the same? Has Mr. Green finally cracked? ...Alex... ------------------------------ Subject: subject matter From: "goldie100" Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 15:47:17 -0000 Hi all, It's nice to see that some people thought I had a pretty crap idea of compiling a list of naff L42 tunes. 1) These people then went on to name a few of their choices (not such a bad idea, then eh?) 2) The complaint about it being done before? - some of us have not been here long - be patient nuff said. Oh yeah, thanks for enlightening me - it's called a 'drumfill' Cheers, Lozzie xxx PS: although 'The chinese way' and 'Hot water' may be pretty weak, they are fabulous live (in my opinion) ------------------------------ Subject: Her big day From: "Randall, Steve" Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 15:52:05 -0000 None of you guys have mentioned this track is really funny, and a wonderful comment on the human condition. Although not quite like my wedding all those years ago, I can see where it's coming from. It certainly skips by without me cringing. However, this could be partially down to the fact that I don't do a lot of dancing at home these days. Somebody mentioned a remote. What are these? "The Ape" I think leaves me cold but it is a sad song with a story, maybe a little heavy going for the more mentally challenged among you. As I've said before, Eyes Waterfalling is the only track I hate. I don't know why. It probably belongs on the trash album. I was therefore surprised when Mark said in the early days that it was one of their favourites. Steve Randall ------------------------------ Subject: Huhllooo!!! From: "Brian Flint" Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 16:26:31 For those of you who answered my questions, stop taking life so seriously. You should know me better than that! To chime in on the Phil issue, and I hope that this hasn't already been said. For MArk's highly percussive bass style, Phil was a perfect drummer. His 'phils' were more jazzy and his beats were thinner as opposed to a drummer like Gary that plays a straightforward rock beat. I like them both but Phil's style matches Marks (or comliments rather) style better, in my opinion. I agree older L42 is better than newer, but I really enjoy Forever now, there are some really well written songs on the album. I like it better than Staring at the SUn. That's my serious post for this month, so everyone go to hell :D Bri _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ Subject: Nigel Dick From: Winston Walker Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 11:55:59 -0500 Not sure if Nigel Dick is a fan, but if my memory serives me correctly, I seem to recall Nigel Dick directing a few videos for Level 42. Don, the Phil Gould CD was reviewed in Keyboard mag, and got one of the best reviews ever. Check the old news pages on www.forevernow.com for a scan of the article. Rich, there are tons of CD burning programs that will convert MP3 files into WAV files, so they can be burned to a CD. I think you are referring to the feature that some programs have where you can just drag the mp3 files into the cd template, and they are converted automatically while being burned onto the CD. You can also use Winamp and other mp3 creation programs to convert MP3 files to WAV for cd burning. Personally i DONT recommend ADAPTEC burning software, as it always causes troubles with other software. My fave packages for doing cd's at the moment are NERO 5.0, and WinOnCD 3.8 Power Edition. Find info at www.cequadrat.com, and www.ahead.com WInston ------------------------------ Subject: I celebrate their entire catalog From: Joey Vela Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 11:24:22 -0600 Levelheads, It's really good to see so much discussion regarding Guaranteed, and it's really good to see that there are others like me who see this album for what it is, a collection of great songs. "A Kinder Eye", "Seven Years", "She Can't Help Herself", and "My Father's Shoes" are simply amazing. "The Ape" is far from the best Level 42 song ever, but it's also far from the worst. Perhaps it should have been left as an instrumental. There has also been some light shed as to why Guaranteed is not the album of choice for most. Tavs and Mario give the reasons why. First as Mario said, it is a dark album. The melodies and chord progressions are mostly minor-keyed and dissonant. Its overall feel is a little melancholy and wistful, not the funky upbeat feel of the older stuff. Second, although it is a tad "jazzier" than the earlier albums as Tavs said, it is more of a light jazz style with a little soft rock mixed in to boot. I'm sure Marcus Miller would piss off most of his fans if he released an album that sounded like Dan Segal. LOL! People generally like what's familiar to them. Critics hate that, but fans love it. Fans are content with artists rehashing the same material over and over again. Most Digesters would have loved it if Level 42 recorded the same album over and over full of funky grooves and tons of slap bass, and they really would have loved it if Mark King's solo work continued that trend as well. Let's see a show of hands to see how many of you were disappointed to hear the absence of slap bass acrobatics on any of the later albums and Mark's post-L42 solo work. Quite a few it appears! Most don't realize that in order for artists to grow, they must evolve and reinvent themselves. The very best "artistes" do exactly that, Level 42 and Mark King included. Guaranteed was simply an evolutionary leap. As for the so-called crap tunes, like the hilarious quote from the movie Office Space, "I celebrate their entire catalog..." With that said, I personally don't favor "Dance On Heavy Weather" and "I Don't Know Why", but I wouldn't dare call those songs crap. TCOY, Joey Vela 101010 2A PS - Stuart, the hatchet has been buried, and the olive branch has been accepted. Keep on drumming. ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Level42 Digest V2001 #9 From: "Ed Nowak" Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 20:02:32 +0100 Hi Levelfans On Sat Canal ONYX in Saturday 13.01.2001 will be Level42 concert 8.15 PM E&D www.edward.prv.pl ------------------------------ Subject: nightcatchers From: "Willem en Kirsti" Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 21:38:50 +0100 Y'all, Does someone anything about a band called The Nightcatchers ? They have released an record wich contained the songs - I Can't Believe and Times Are Changing It is told that Mark has produced this.. Any info welcome and perhaps a ra.file or mp3? cheers willem ------------------------------ Subject: Guaranteed From: ron.berry @ bankofamerica.com Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 16:00:27 -0500 I've long since misplaced my Guaranteed CD. Where can I get another copy? Ron ------------------------------ Subject: Wally's Echoes From: "Dawayne Bailey" Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 22:07:01 I found a copy of Wally Badorou's Echoes on cassette recently. I've never seen it on CD. Is this rare or a common release? _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ Subject: Guaranteed (statutory rights not affected). From: William Burnett Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 23:08:20 +0000 Greetings. >From: Stephen.Whyte @ pearsontv.com >Here's a thought worthy of discussion - I think that the lyrics are the >weakest aspect of The Ape, so how would it have sounded as an instrumental? >Some of L42's best tracks are instrumentals, and I quite like the bass and >drums on The Ape - it's just a shame when Mark starts to sing! It's not the lyrics that I find lacking on this track, so much as the actual vocal melody, which seems so lacklustre and directionless. I get the feeling that an instrumental version would be little different. Nice drum sound though (well you've got to try). >I found this anagram-making device at >http://www.wordsmith.org/anagram/index.html > >Try it, just enter something like Andrew Goodwin, and you'll get things >like "A red gown I'd own", "Dread wig on now", "Dead wrong, I won.", "No >danger, widow", "Dear God, win now!", "A downwind ogre" or "Raw wooden >ding". Or "downgrade wino" "woodwind anger" "woe and wording" "wired own gonad" Minutes of fun. >Subject: re: Phil vs. Gary >From: "joseph e. arruda" >Gary is >definately a serious jazz-fusion (read, ornate and aggressive) player. >I was surprised when he joined because the oversmplification of his >playing I assumed would bore him. I'll bet the money didn't hurt. Seriously, No disrespect to either L42 or Gary, but if I had his chops, I too would probably try to find the least annoying way of earning big bucks, in order to allow me to explore more esoteric projects without loosing my house in the process. If you have to play pop to earn a living then better Level 42 than say, oh I don't know - Robbie Williams, perhaps. I know of plenty of players that bounce between the two worlds (Bill Bruford is a classic example, and he's a good deal ruder about his commercial half). As Gary still plays with MK now that he's not such a big earner I'd say he's probably just a nice guy (or very hard up!). > The only track tht ever seemed to >really fit his sensibilites was 'If you were mine' Funny that! Given that Gary wrote similar material for Holdsworth's solo albums, this sounds to me almost more like a Holdsworth tune, with Mike & Mark making a guest appearance. (Welcome addition to the album either way). >Subject: >From: "Mario Angeli" >That's why Forever Now felt so good. They were back, with some of the >original gusto and energy. To be honest, although FN does seem more upbeat than Guaranteed, It never felt as fresh and alive to me as some earlier albums, this may be the result of there being less of a full band going on. Drum loops are ideal for certain sounds, but it seemed to me to be stifling some of the arrangements, they just didn't breath and undulate the way a live band would (I'm aware that not all the album was done with loops, but it seems to me that just enough was, to take away the band vibe for most of the time.) Guaranteed, for all it's faults always seems a more organic album, and the last time L42 actually sounded like a band to me. >I hope I'm not being too pushy on the digest but I would like to hear from >other Levelheads what they think of Guaranteed, the album. Do you think the >album contributed to the bands demise in popularity? The demise of L42 popularity in 6 easy steps. 1) Choose to go commercial, thereby alienating a fair portion of your core fans who could have kept you modestly successful for a long time. and set yourself up for a media, sell-out, backlash. 2) Become briefly fashionable (the problem with being in fashion, is that sooner or later, you are destined to go out again). 3) Split the band in half at it's most successful point. 4) produce a disappointing follow up to your most successful album ever, then disappear for 3 years. 5) Return with a dark, introspective album, completely out of step with the general direction pop is going in. 6) Realise it's the 90's, the media hate everything about the 80's, you are a fluffy diced anachronism, so you finish off with the most old- school sounding album you've produced for a decade. None of the above is meant disrespectfully, this is about the fickle nature of fame, and has nothing to do with the quality of the music produced. It's just that once you've tasted fame & fortune, it can be very hard to watch it fall apart. Had Level 42 remained a fairly niche market jazz-funk band, they might always have stayed at the same level of popularity, avoided the media backlash, and still be happy plying their trade to a small but dedicated audience (see incognito for example). As Neil Peart (him again) wrote "sadder still, to watch it die, than never to have known it." For me, Guaranteed, was less a contributor to the demise, than a final nail in the coffin. >Subject: Wally On Tv >From: "Desmond Lynch" >the >only other drummer who can rival Phil on a high hat is Stuart copeland from >the police. Manu, Manu, Manu, Manu, Manu!!! Come on in folks, it's great in here. Love - Will. -- ======================================================================== William Burnett http://www.sphere3.co.uk/ ======================================================================== ------------------------------ Subject: The Very Best Of Cock-Ups From: "Mike Bartlett" Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2001 00:21:24 Hi fellow Levologists.... ....I may be a bit late with this, but I was reading the sleeve notes on my copy of 'The Very Best Of' CD last night when it occurred to me that Level 42 could have used the services of a copy-checker before going to print. I offer the following evidence: 1: In the track listing information, Wally Badarou's name is spelled incorrectly (as Baradou) no less than 17 TIMES; 2: The Sun Goes Down is listed as 'Sun Goes Down' in the notes; 3: In 'Hot Water' notes, Afrika Bambaataa's name is witten as 'Africa Bambaata'; 4: In 'Something About You' notes, synthesizer is written as 'syntheseizer'; 5: In 'Leaving Me Now' notes - "Mark: Leaving Me Now was was a song..."; 6: In 'It's Over' notes - "Mark suggested adding tpedal-steel guitar..." (unless this is an instrument I've not heard of); 7: In 'heaven In My Hands' notes, capital initial missing from 'Dublin's Gresham hotel'; 8: In 'Take A Look' notes, Todd Rundgren is written as 'Todd Rungren'; 7: Under 'Also available on CD', Guaranteed and Forever Now are not listed, even though both title tracks made it on to this compilation (maybe they're simply not available?); 7: On the back of the CD case, the closing bracket is missing from (Living It Up); Call me picky, but this is just a bit of fun - the music still sounds fab! Does anyone know anything about a James Brown Remix of Micro Kid? And finally, go to http://uk.netbeat.com/artists/level_42_5352.html and check out the snazzy cover of the limited edition Forever Now reissue. That's it. There is no more. Thanks for your time. Cheers........Mike (Sydney City Milkman) _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. ------------------------------ Subject: Candy gram From: EMIKATIE @ aol.com Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 20:38:14 EST Lars, Since I was compelled to try it, mine came out to be "jam her now". Thank goodness I didn't include my middle name. I could get arrested. The machine stops John > Try it, just enter something like Andrew Goodwin, and you'll get things > like "A red gown I'd own", "Dread wig on now", "Dead wrong, I won.", "No > danger, widow", "Dear God, win now!", "A downwind ogre" or "Raw wooden > ding". ------------------------------ Subject: New Thread/Old Thread revisited? From: "Moores" Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 22:04:27 -0800 Someone mentioned on the digest, not long ago, about not listening to L42 for a few weeks and then appreciating the music more when they started listening again. I have done this a few times, not recommended for the L42 faint of heart, and have to agree that I hear things that I did not pick up on before. Anyway, while listening to other music, I got to thinking about certain songs I would like to hear Mark, Mike, Phil, or Boon take a crack at. Not just together as L42 but possibly on there own. What would a remake of the song sound like with one, if not all, of them playing on it? I'm not expecting a huge response to this but I just wanted to see what other musical tastes we have out there, no matter how far, and maybe get some ideas for CDs to pick up and/or songs to download/trade from Napster. Who knows, maybe one of the guys will read this, want to hear the song, like it, and record it. A long shot I know. I have four songs I've been listening to a lot lately. First two songs I would love to hear Mark tackle are called "Wamba" and "Sina (soumbouya)" by the West African artist Salif Keita off his CD "Soro". The bass lines are all Mark and It would be great to hear him crank em out. The drummer Dave Weckl turned me on to this CD a few years back at one of his clinics. Third and Fourth would be for Phil to play drums on the songs "Metal Fatigue" and "Devil Take The Hindmost" by Allan Holdsworth. Personally I would like to hear Allan and Phil collaborate on anything, but it would be fun to hear what Phil would do with these songs. Sorry to ramble on. If you don't want to take up digest space with this thread you can email me separately. Like I said above, I just want to hear what other musical tastes we have out there, get some ideas, and maybe trade songs. Royal ------------------------------ Subject: Guaranteed etc From: richard.west @ westsig.co.uk Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2001 08:33:53 +0000 >'Guaranteed' I always saw as a bit of a 'recovery' album for L42 >Guaranteed was described by Neil (above) as a recovery album. >If it was then it did'nt recover the band at all. >It was the album that set Level 42 back. I don't think they were set back so much by the album per se, as by the unfortunate and very protracted delay in releasing it. >What i do remember of Guaranteed with great pleasure was the >Guaranteed tour. Agreed! The live dates at Hammersmith were fantastic, and I remember thinking at the time that the guys were on to a winner. The new material was an instant hit, so much more immediate to my ears than SATS had been. To my mind, if 'Guaranteed' had been released in the month following the Hammersmith gigs it could have been their biggest seller since World Machine. IMHO, the album that set the guys back more than any other was SATS. Sure it has its moments, but overall I remember being hugely disappointed -- to this day, it's the last one I'll pick up if I want to hear the guys (especially Mark, who's almost inaudible throughout). ------------------------------ Subject: Haunted House Live From: Lars-Ove Larsson Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2001 10:10:52 +0100 Finally, at last, here it is! The elusive rare track that you might have heard that the guys in Level 42 used to play when they were about to form the band. They even played it half a time live at their first ever gig together, and then never again, until the 75% Level 42 reunion last summer. Now you can read Boon's comments in Boon Talk 6 about the track and listen to it yourself. Just go to http://www.boongould.com Most of the reunion gig was recorded (very roughly, but still) for posterity, and it might well be that more of the tracks will surface on Boon's, Mike's and Phil's websites in the future. Lars webmaster @ boongould.com p.s. If you want to hear this song in it's original version by Lee Oskar, then go to http://www.forevernow.com ------------------------------ Subject: Des'ree etc. From: "Nigel Collier" Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2001 10:08:35 -0000 Oooooffff, Loz, ripping into Des'ree there. Don't hold back mate, tell it like it is. That would have been "What's Your Sign?" you heard on Radio 2 (I'm a committed TOG too Loz). For those who like soul (I have to say I'm not a really a fan myself) and haven't already checked out "Supernatural" by Des'ree then it's really worth a listen. She has a great voice and the songs (all lyrics and melodies written by Des'ree herself) are uplifting and beautiful. Some really bounce along...and I detected a little slap bass on the track 'God Only Knows'. Cheers Nigel BTW, How about a page of Digest 'funnies'? I'd love to see all the Level 42 booze-related song titles from a month or two ago collected together into one place. Also, LOZ or ERIC H, please, please, please do some digging and try and find all Loz's voicetypes lyrics (from 4 or so years ago now - pre Digest search engine). If you search for the string "Canterbury shoes" you'll find them. They remain the funniest posts I've EVER read on the Digest. Nothing short of comedy genius.