I think One Man is pretty good, and actually my favorite tune on there is the song One Man - I love the acoustic guitar sound [same reason I love the song Two Solitudes].  I agree with Winston 100% - no other solo effort compares to Changes.  That CD is pure brilliance to me.  My second is actually Influences, even though it appears to be disjointed [I Feel Free is out of place].  Tin Man is great for The Kick or the Kiss.  I also love Conversations With Silence, but as someone else pointed out that is so different in genre from anything else that it almost feels wrong to include it in the ranks...

 

Lolita

Still a huge and devoted fan of Level 42, I am. Still liking and disliking certain tracks along the way. And learning to improvise my basslines from listening to MK's phenomenal bass licks.

 

But these days I've been taking it slow by listening to Chloe Agnew's "Angel Voice". Let's just say that sometimes I would do a bit of music rediscovery in a universal sort of way. I didn't quite like it at first (thinking.... not another Charlotte Church[sigh]), but I saw 'Night of the Prom' on an evening channel (here in Singapore) and it sort of knocked me on the head. I enjoyed much of the show and it reminded me of cute little blonde Chloe Agnew. So I decided to give here music another go. Now I'm hooked.

 

Just wanted to say something.... for the heck of it, really.

 

Cheers....

 

Loz wrote

<>Guaranteed was one big mistake wrapped up in an error of judgement. The
music, the lyrics, the clothes - the band should have taken a hint from
Polydor. I can see the record company execs recoiling in horror as they
played it.<>

 

 

Not sure how you can say that at all. It might be your opinion but it is such a huge put down on the guys that put so much effort into that album.

 

You know I hear music all the time that I really dislike or does nothing for me, however I understand that while it might not be my thing it obviously is someone else's.

With all the talk of Steely Dan on here I just had to listen to an album or 2 but have to admit that I was totally bored. It just didn't do anything for me although give me a couple of tracks on their own and I'm fine with them. So does that make them boring or rubbish? Certainly not to those that like them!

 

If the guys had gone into the studio and churned out another similar album to the last or any other then I'd say what's the point.

They certainly did not do this though and there are songs on Guaranteed that rank alongside any of their other albums.

Sure it was not a jazz funk style album but then neither had been recent album releases anyway.

 

In the words of everyone's favourite Pop Idol Will Young, you could never call that average!!!

 

I play the Staring at the Sun album much less frequently than Guaranteed but again it has a different feel again which is great. Bands should not be just about churning out albums to the set formula, that would be totally boring.

 

By doing that though you are not gong to please all the fans all the time, but surely to slaughter an album just because it's not your style is unfair.

 

As for record company execs. ask most groups/artists what they think of these execs. and I'm sure they would say many things that couldn't be repeated in a family read digest!!

Why do you think many artists established back in the 70's/80's now have to fund their own releases and can't find a record company to back them

 

The amazing thing is I get people ordering stuff from me and apologising for liking the item they are buying!!

They seem more concerned that others will ridicule them for daring to enjoy the music they do. How sad is that!  Just because it's not our thing, do we have to massacre it?

 

The thing that irritates me most about the anti Guaranteed brigade is that they use their hate of it as a put down to all those that enjoy it. 

I even have the personal suspicion that Phil and Boon would have preferred the Guaranteed album to the "commercial sell-out" (not my opinion) Running In The Family

 

Anyway I feel better for getting that off my chest although I'm sure the Guaranteed haters will not be quietened!

 

cheers

 

Pete

 

Hiya,

 

Yes Mark did sell Joe Daflos, to a Ryde businessman.  Mark owns no part of it anymore.

 

As some of you mentioned, there is a Joe Daflos in Newport, and also in Southampton.  The Ryde branch has also be made larger, they bought the shop next door, and built through into there aswell.  Its very nice, I was in there last week for a meal!  : o)

 

Luv

Jen

(From the IOW)

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