Level 42 Digest for Saturday, September 30, 2006

Saturday, September 30, 2006

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Topics for Saturday, September 30, 2006

    1.  Level 42 on Radio 4 Saturday 30th Sept + web link - Goodman
    2.  Retroglide - Justin Ingram
    3.  Retroglide - dean.osborn
    4.  My Retroglide review - emikatie
    5.  My Retroglide review - emikatie
    6.  new album - Murrihyfam @ aol.com

1. Level 42 on Radio 4 Saturday 30th Sept + web link
From:	Goodman <goodmaninastorm @ gmail.com>
Date:	Fri, 29 Sep 2006 10:02:35 +0100	[top]
Hello Mike Lindup will be on Radio 4, tomorrow (Sat 30th) with Mark & Nathan King on the programme "Loose Ends" at 6:15 -7:00. Here is a web link to the show's online page, where you can also find a 'listen again' link http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/comedy/looseends.shtml Also look out for an update on mikelindup.com soon Thank you mikelindup.com -- Bilal

2. Retroglide
From:	Justin Ingram <coffeeguy1112 @ yahoo.com>
Date:	Fri, 29 Sep 2006 02:43:38 -0700 (PDT)	[top]
I must say after all these years, Im beyond impressed with this new Cd. i just got my copy today and it was in the cd player in less than 2 minutes!!! i have been a fan lets just say for years, and i mean years im beyond impressed!!!!! i hope they tour the United States i would love to see them in concert!! Justin Las Vegas Get your email and more, right on the new Yahoo.com

3. Retroglide
From:	dean.osborn <dean.osborn @ bt.com>
Date:	Fri, 29 Sep 2006 13:07:07 +0100	[top]
Yesterday, Mikey said….. >> >>That being said, I love this new album, still processing it, but have to say that it ranks up there with the WM/RITF/FN albums IMHO! Mikey, please tell me you are joking. Of course I respect your opinion, but as much as I quite like some of the songs on this new album, there is nothing on it that comes close to being as good as stuff from those classic albums you mention - not in the same league. >> >> For me it is a Level 42 album, as the spirit of Level 42 is very much in your face on this album, despite (IMHO) Mike and others could have been more 'pronounced' on the album. Retroglide does not sound like a Level 42 album to me at all ( not even as Level 42 sounding as their much maligned GUARANTEED period). I listen to Retroglide and hear what I always thought Trash 2 would sound like , i.e. a half decent MK solo album full of ideas that work only under that guise. Despite seeing Mike Lindup's name in the credits I can hardly hear him on the record which is such a wasted opportunity, and you need at least Mark AND Mike sharing equal duties for it to be the Level 42 sound. You can add/subtract other players to varying levels of satisfaction, but only the original 4 (5 if you incl Wally) would make it a true Level 42 album. I'm not knocking the musicianship or the fact that Mark has undoubtedly toiled to produce the best he can at this point in time. But to me it is a ' Marky Mark King ' album, and as such it is folly to expect otherwise. *Dean Osborn*

4. My Retroglide review
From:	emikatie <emikatie @ adelphia.net>
Date:	Fri, 29 Sep 2006 9:29:47 -0700	[top]
First, let me say I like the new album. But.......I do have some complaints and I'm simply going to go into rant mode. (spell check off) There's way toooo much production. There's too much Mark King singing. Too many words, too many syllables, too much harmony backgrounds, too much "non-word" singing. It's like he decided he needed to fill almost every moment with his voice or that of the group. Even still, those voices are all multi-level. Seems like they needed multiple harmonies way too many times. Nothing clean, nothing minimalistic, nothing plain. They must have thought they would be getting paid by how much of the mix contained voices. I really tried to hear music. Sure, there's a few sax/horn solo's but just when you think, "hey, this jam is getting good", it's over and Mark and crew are back at it with that damn singing. OK, so his voice is an extension of his bass playing which is an extension of his percussive background. He tries to use his voice as another way to keep the beat. Some earlier reviewer said some of the lyrics seemed "forced". I agree. Now, the music is really really good and I wished they would have extended some of the musical measures, ala "extended mix". Why reduce that which makes them so good? I would love to hear more of the music extended out before lyrics and more music between lyrics. It's really way too forced. Someone must have decided that their forte is that of a vocal group and to play on that strength. I disagree. Their strengh has always been about the groove. While they do hit it, it's very downplayed, instead, they feel singing had to take center stage. OK, rant done. I like the album, I would like less singing, less lyrics and more of the music that's already there. It's really great music and composition, too bad, for me, the vocals got in the way. Johnny

5. My Retroglide review
From:	emikatie <emikatie @ adelphia.net>
Date:	Fri, 29 Sep 2006 9:30:21 -0700	[top]
First, let me say I like the new album. But.......I do have some complaints and I'm simply going to go into rant mode. (spell check off) There's way toooo much production. There's too much Mark King singing. Too many words, too many syllables, too much harmony backgrounds, too much "non-word" singing. It's like he decided he needed to fill almost every moment with his voice or that of the group. Even still, those voices are all multi-level. Seems like they needed multiple harmonies way too many times. Nothing clean, nothing minimalistic, nothing plain. They must have thought they would be getting paid by how much of the mix contained voices. I really tried to hear music. Sure, there's a few sax/horn solo's but just when you think, "hey, this jam is getting good", it's over and Mark and crew are back at it with that damn singing. OK, so his voice is an extension of his bass playing which is an extension of his percussive background. He tries to use his voice as another way to keep the beat. Some earlier reviewer said some of the lyrics seemed "forced". I agree. Now, the music is really really good and I wished they would have extended some of the musical measures, ala "extended mix". Why reduce that which makes them so good? I would love to hear more of the music extended out before lyrics and more music between lyrics. It's really way too forced. Someone must have decided that their forte is that of a vocal group and to play on that strength. I disagree. Their strengh has always been about the groove. While they do hit it, it's very downplayed, instead, they feel singing had to take center stage. OK, rant done. I like the album, I would like less singing, less lyrics and more of the music that's already there. It's really great music and composition, too bad, for me, the vocals got in the way. Johnny

6. new album
From:	Murrihyfam @ aol.com <Murrihyfam @ aol.com>
Date:	Fri, 29 Sep 2006 15:10:27 EDT	[top]

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