Level 42 Digest for Friday, September 14, 2007

Friday, September 14, 2007

Welcome to the Level 42 Digest! Founded in 1993, this is a community of 471 fans of the band Level 42 and its music. The community interacts here via email, through many related web sites, and at periodic "Levelfest" gatherings held around the world. All subscribers are encouraged to participate and contribute new dialogue about their common interests.

[How to Subscribe, Unsubscribe & Post messages]

Topics for Friday, September 14, 2007

    1.  The Simpsons Movie - Andrew Goodwin
    2.  An Alan Smithee Film - steve whyte
    3.  The Man In The White Suit - Andrew Goodwin
    4.  A couple of questions - Doug White

1. The Simpsons Movie
From:	Andrew Goodwin <thenightfly83 @ yahoo.co.uk>
Date:	Thu, 13 Sep 2007 11:40:14 +0100 (BST)	[top]
> 1. Always and forever ... > From: fred.simpson @ tiscali.co.uk > > I certainly think so. I would offer you an MP3 copy, > but I really do think you can wait. I certainly can now that you've de-whetted my appetite so efficiently. > However, at the risk of some hate mail, I don't > really see the point of Stevie Wonder either [Adopts Moe the Bartender voice] Whaaaa? Send back that People Need Funk CD this instant. I will replace it with a copy of People Need A Slap. I suppose every man is entitled to his opinion, even if his opinion is deeply, deeply wrong and should lead to him being paraded in public as an example to children. What is going on round here lately? First we have people lauding Abba, the most overrated band in the history of popular music, and now this? Next thing you know someone's going to be singing the praises of Rupert Holmes! > Finally, I was one of the grateful recipients of > AG's Funk album and will dig out the song list over > the weekend, unless someone else beats me to it. They did, but thanks. I couldn't remember anything on it apart from The Greatest Track Ever Recorded, JTQ's Starsky & Hutch. Any CD including Raw Stylus's 37 Hours and The Propellerheads' Backseat Driver can't be bad. > 2. Bullfrog / Mark Roberston > From: Colin Gupta > > If sufficiently intrigued, go to > http://www.myspace.com/robertsonformerlyofbullfrog > and check out at least the tune "20 years". I was, and I did. It was pleasant but it didn't inspire me to listen further. Sorry. At least I tried though. > They say the 70's was the most popular era for music. Eh? Who says this? In what sense? > I love funkyness, but I also > love rock and am really surprised at the lack of > rock discussion. On a Level 42 forum? Do you imagine that over on the Iron Maiden forum they are comparing their Sly Stone top tens? > Doesn't anyone like Led Zeppelin? I hear they're very popular with ticket touts at the moment. AG ___________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Answers - Got a question? Someone out there knows the answer. Try it now. http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/

2. An Alan Smithee Film
From:	steve whyte <sjwhyte @ hotmail.com>
Date:	Thu, 13 Sep 2007 14:17:43 +0000	[top]
.hmmessage P { margin:0px; padding:0px } body.hmmessage { FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:Tahoma } >Steve Whyte has prompted me to post a rebuttal to his posting >regarding some of the Guaranteed videos. Stevie babe....what ARE you smoking? Back then, who knows. Today I'm a model citizen. But I still think the videos are rubbish. >Anyway, my good friend Steve mentions that he thinks these vids blow.... We still on the smoking thing? >but I found My Father's Shoes quite emotional and very effective. Sorry Doug, I've got to disagree. I found it a cliche-ridden load of old tosh. >As far as Overtime, I like it, Mark makes a believable factory worker and the chickadee is kinda cute, but I do hafta say that Mike is pretty amusing at the supervisor. I've never really understood the need for a fully narrative led video. I don't think our boys aren't the right types for this. Their best vids are ones like TBWYA, LMN, TSGD - videos that don't try to tell us what the song is about. I can work that out for myself, usually. >Show stellar acting on any music video....I dare ya! Dire Straits, Money For Nothing - those removal guys took direction so well... steve but I found My Father's Shoes quite emotional and very effective. As far as Overtime, I like it, Mark makes a believable factory worker and the chickadee is kinda cute, but I do hafta say that Mike is pretty amusing at the supervisor. Show stellar acting on any music video....I dare ya! Kick back and relax with hot games and cool activities at the Messenger Café. Play now!

3. The Man In The White Suit
From:	Andrew Goodwin <thenightfly83 @ yahoo.co.uk>
Date:	Fri, 14 Sep 2007 01:18:38 +0100 (BST)	[top]
So I've been listening to Retroglide, and discover to my surprise that it is much better than I expected. To be fair this is probably partly because my expectation, after the lacklustre response from people who tend to worship at the altar of anything Level 42 related, was that it would be complete bobbins. But even accounting for that, there is much to enjoy. Dive Into The Sun has a pleasingly thundery momentum reminiscent of Heaven In My Hands. Just For You has a mildly haunting quality. Hell Town Story has some of the effortless mellowness of Forever Now. And chiefly, Sleep Talking is a fabulous track. I can't believe people haven't been raving about this one. It would be the standout track even without the terrific funky coda. On the debit side, I guess it's partly that I'm getting old (although happily not as old as most of you lot it seems - Steve Whyte you can just shut up), but it strikes me as a very loud album. In lots of places it's the musical equivalent of one of those people who get anxious when there's a lull in the conversation and who have to fill up the empty space with some unnecessary blather. And sometimes the layered backing vocals of more and more Mark Kings put me in mind of the "Malkovich, Malkovich" section from 'Being John Malkovich'. I hope if there's a follow-up and he gets Mike Lindup on board for it that he gives him a lead vocal or two - if I hadn't been told I wouldn't have known he was on it, with the exception maybe of Hell Town Story. Might be nice if he let Lyndon Connah off the leash as well, judging by the solo he lays down on All I Need. Anyway, that's my take on it. I realise this doesn't tally with the misapprehension that my loathing of Guaranteed places me in the "old is good, new is bad" camp, so for those people who insist on lumping me in with that group let me just say that the entire album is dreadful and anything not touched by the blessed hand of Phil Gould should be burned. Look at me, turning all Doug White with my two postings in one day. Later on I'll send in my shopping list. AG ___________________________________________________________ Want ideas for reducing your carbon footprint? Visit Yahoo! For Good http://uk.promotions.yahoo.com/forgood/environment.html

4. A couple of questions
From:	Doug White <bigdp @ stanford.edu>
Date:	Thu, 13 Sep 2007 20:52:13 -0700	[top]
Folks, I am down to less than 300 messages left to read....I am giddy with lightheadedness! At least one question has sprung up from my reading and I hope I haven't missed one of the occasional unreceived digests where this was mentioned or there was a followup by Mikey. He made mention of the fact that his friend Sean White from Texas was in the hospital in some kind of Dire Shape and it was obvious he was awfully worried about him. I skipped ahead skimming a couple of months ahead to see if it was ever mentioned again and never saw another mention. Mikey, if this is a sore subject I apologize for bringing it, but having had an occasional correspondence with him one likes to know how things turn out for other people. So, I hope all is well. I am now the proud owner of a CD called Deep Space Volume 4. Done for Omni Magazine....didn't Omni have a TV show at one time? I vaguely recall something like that, I wonder if this music is music from some of their shows? Good stuff....not remarkable or earthshaking mind you, but it is pleasant to listen to. From my posting of yesterday regarding some of the videos and whether they were well acted or not (uh yeah fer sure) or the fact that they were corny, etc., etc. At any rate, Steven Lyden then posted that if we didn't have anything nice to say we ought not to say anything at all about Level 42 and while we were at it we ought to go out and make better videos......all I can say is....shut up. If we have nothing nice to say this group would be over run by crickets or people like me posting WAY off topic....oh wait never mind. I prefer the digest to be active with something rather than silent for days or weeks at a time. O h and Steve, dude, it is spelled Dream Crazy.....not DREAMCRAZZY learn how to spell, mate.....if that doesn't start something, nothing will. Well that is definitely way more damage from me so I will sign off...... Ker-poof

End of Level 42 Digest (web edition)
Please note: you are viewing the web version of today's Level 42 Digest mailing. This content was distributed via email to subscribers at approximately 10:00 GMT (5:00am EST/EDT) this morning. To post a new message email level42 @ Level42Digest.com (make sure to remove spaces in this email address). You must be a subscriber to post a message. Please also note that all MIME attachments will be automatically stripped from messages before posting on the Digest (this is to prevent computer viruses, huge Digest emails, etc.) To subscribe to the mailing list email level42 @ Level42Digest.com with SUBSCRIBE as the subject (make sure to remove spaces in this email address). Digests are mailed out every day at approximately -0400 GMT (5:00am EST/EDT). To unsubscribe from the list email level42 @ Level42Digest.com with UNSUBSCRIBE as the subject (make sure to remove spaces in this email address). View Level 42 Digest Archives (1993-present), or search with Google: Any questions, comments or suggestions for the Level 42 Digest? Email us at admin @ Level42Digest.com (make sure to remove spaces in this email address). Related web sites: Level42.com, Forever Now, Mike Lindup, Boon Gould, Gary Husband, Jakko Jakszyk, Level 42 Web Digest Sponsored by SiteSpect: Landing Page Multivariate Testing Please note that by viewing or posting messages to the Level 42 Digest, you agree to be bound to the terms and policies located at the Terms Of Use web page.