One record at a time: 253. Mansun - Attack of the Grey Lantern

I bought the CD of this album back in 1998 as a girl I was fond of said she liked it and I somehow thought it might bring me closer to knowing her. As it turned out, the girl and the album were equally enigmatic and I don't think I ever fully understood either. Whilst I can try to decipher the album today, the girl unfortunately is long gone. For this post I will be playing the 2018 purple vinyl which both looks and sounds good (just like girl in question), but before we become too over-sentimental, let's get to the music. 

The opening strings of "The Chad Who Loved Me" are as mesmerising as they are beautiful but the mood is disrupted by the band who come crashing in telling us we've, "got a gob on". All very weird. Entertaining, but definitely weird.

There's more evidence that this isn't a typical rock album with the TR-909 beats at the start of second track "Mansun's Only Love Song". Whilst the band once again begin to dominate the sound of the track, you can hear synths and scratches trying to poke through the cacophony of guitar and acoustic drums.

"Taxlosss" begins with an interesting synth sound but the band soon reduce it to a Beatles-esque weird-out. It's almost as if the band are divided over how the record should sound and we lurch between electronic tinged pop and Britpop as a result. You also feel the drummer was determined no drum machine was going to take his place as each electronic beat last no longer than about 5 seconds.

When I said I bought this record because of a girl I wasn't lying, but equally I was aware of the magnificent "Wide Open Space" already, so I knew my purchase would contain at least one song I liked. The melody and Paul's vocal on this song are amazing and it may be wrong of me to say it, but the album version is better than the much lauded Perfecto Mix that seemed to get quite a lot of airtime back in the day.

The Mansun Weird-o-meter™ gets turned up to eleven for "Stripped Vicar" which illustrates the moral conundrum one faces when contemplating reporting a clergyman for wearing plastic trousers. "Disgusting" is the first song I don't like as the EQ on Paul's vocal in the verse is awful and detracts from the brilliant chorus. There's a flash of Britpoop with the trio "She Makes Me Bleed", "Naked Twister" and "Egg Shaped Fred" which are all pretty disappointing. The final track "Dark Mavis" features a good string arrangement but it probably doesn't do enough to deserve such lavish treatment. 2/5

One record at a time: 252. Little Boots - Working Girl

I only own one vinyl by Little Boots and it is the limited edition white vinyl version of "Working Girl" from 2015. I seem to recall this record was initially funded by a Pledge Music campaign and, as I used that platform a great deal when it was active, I'd assume that's why I bought it. However, unlike a lot of Pledge Music campaigns, this record wasn't exclusive to their platform.

I can see a few users on Discogs who aren't impressed by the sound quality on this record and I have to agree with their assessment; it sounds pretty bad. I think every potential type of extraneous noise is included on this pressing as there is a general rumble of background noise punctuated by regular pops and crackles with sibilance bathing everything in a light distortion. This is one of few occasions where digital files actually provide a better listening experience. This thing sounds almost as bad as the Cocteau Twins and Japan pressings I complained about in previous post.

Despite the noise, I enjoy the first three tracks on this record and they are a great demonstration of how good dance influenced synth pop can be. The only downside to these recordings are the vocals. Victoria isn't the most accomplished vocalist and sometimes she sounds like the archetypal fragile throat singer. By the time you reach "Taste It" you realise some of the background noise has relented and the songs is playing relatively clearly. This is rather ironic as I find "Taste It" rather sour and think of it as a stuttering mess. I was surprised to find this track is produced by James Shaw from Simian Mobile Disco (a band I admire very much). 

My favourite track on here is "Heroine" which has some great TR-808 style kicks and rumbling square wave basses to provide a perfect counterpoint to Victoria's brittle vocal. "The Game" reminds me of early nineties pop as it has a swing beat and some clever ragga licks. "Help Too" is quietly tender and another highlight of the record. "Business Pleasure", like three songs on here, was featured on a disappointing EP released in 2014 and this should probably have stayed there. The penultimate track, "Paradise" has a great bassline but the TR-909 snare with a plate reverb just sounds wrong. I can't decide if the the final track "Better in the Morning" is trying to be retro or just sounds old fashioned - either way I can take it or leave it. Despite recording with multiple producers this record actually sounds pretty homogenous and is worth a listen - just not on vinyl. 3/5

One record at a time: 251. Level 42 - Sirens

Up to press this EP is the last original material Level 42 have generated. There is a small sleeve note that says "We've come full circle" suggesting someone in the band thought this record was something of a return to their roots; but believe me, it is no such thing.

As the first track "Sirens" begins you can't help but notice that there are TR-909 snare and hit hats! Mark's distinctive funk bass is rattling along whilst Mike plays some astonishing Rhodes piano - but those beats sound so out of place on a Level 42 track. Like much of the material on this EP, this isn't a traditional song but more of a groove with various soloists taking turns in the spotlight.

In fairness to the author of the sleeve note, the next track "Too Much Time" does hark back to the sound of albums like "Standing in the Light" but Mark's use of profanity points to the fact that this music is being made with little consideration for its commercial potential. The last track on side one is "Mind on you" which starts with a Samba infused rhythm section before evolving into a kind of soul influenced disco record that is a little too long at eight and a half minutes. 

"My Independence Day" has a rolling bassline that is borrowed from "State of Independence" by Jon & Vangelis but there's enough originality in Mike's vocal to allow this to be considered an original composition. There's some great brass on "Build Myself a Rocket" but in truth this is a largely superficial composition that can't be regarded as one of the bands finest works. I have never known what to make of the final track "Where's Yo Head At?". Musically it is clearly unrelated to the Basement Jaxx track of the same name but it doesn't strike me as the kind of phrase the band would normally employ. Things sound a bit messy on this track as producer John Morales attempts to beef up Ray's acoustic drums by layering the TR-909 on top - I'd prefer one or the other. Like much of the album, this last track is just too repetitive and leaves me feeling a little disappointed. 2/5

One record at a time: 250. Level 42 - Forever Now

I have very fond memories of listening to the CD of this album when it was released. My university studies were on hold during the summer of 1994 and I spent a good deal of time reading books with the sound of this album floating on the breeze. 

When I learned there was to finally be a vinyl release in 2021 I was eager to put my money down. This version is a black and silver marbled 180g pressing released by Music On Vinyl. There have been some revisions to the track listing for this album over the years, but this LP remains consistent with the original CD release.

Much like the previous album, proceedings begin with a big, brash and literally brassy single in the form of the title track. I have always enjoyed this song, and it is great to hear Phil's distinctive drum sound once again. The second song "Model Friend" offers a good contrast to the opening with its rasping harmonica, but there is still room for the subtleties of Miles Bould's percussion to emerge.

Personally I have always liked "Tired of Waiting" as it floats along with a really catchy tune and features some brilliant percussion work. Much to my joy there isn't a trace of Yamaha DX7 E.PIANO 1 on these tracks and I suspect this is, in part, due to the influence of producer Steve Anderson who brought a distinctive and contemporary feel. There's no better example of this more up to date sound than "All Over You" which uses a sequencer and quite a few synth sounds to augment the natural funkiness of the band. 

One of the best songs on this record, hell one of the best songs the band have ever recorded, is "Love in a peaceful World". There's something truly magical about this composition and its execution is perfect - if you listen to nothing else on this album, at lest give this a try. Side one rounds out with "Romance" in which Mike rolls out his Rhodes piano and Phil gives a brilliant laconic performance on the drums. Mike's vocal in the chorus is really catchy and the string arrangement adds that final touch.

Things get a bit funkier on the flip side as Mark's traditional slap bass emerges once again on "Billy's Gone" and is accompanied by a great vocal performance. "One In A Million" is a sentimental ballad with a shuffle rhythm that is another highlight of the record. Things return to a more traditional Level 42 funk sound with "Sunbed Song" but I feel like the band are having more fun playing it than I am having listening to it. And yes, that does sound like DX7 organ but I'm trying to ignore it. Things slow down for "Talking in your Sleep" which plods along a bit disappointingly. The record closes with the country tinged "Don't Bother Me" which sounds a bit like the chorus is bolted on from another song, but I can forgive its slightly incongruous nature. 4/5

One record at a time: 249. Level 42 - Guaranteed

Level 42 emerged from the eighties battered and bruised by line up changes, bereavement and challenges in their personal lives. Despite the issues the band faced, Mark decided to rally the troops and record new material once again in 1990. Yet when the record was finally complete, Polydor declined to release it and seemingly cut ties with the group.  

I guess this decision was partially driven by a change in the music scene at the start of the nineties. Artists like Black Box, Snap!, and Adamski had begun to signal the sound of the future and some record companies began to think bands like Level 42 only pointed to yesterday. Luckily for us, Mark et al decided to shop the album around and found a deal with RCA who released "Guaranteed" in 1991. 

The title track sounds like a lead single should: it's poppy, upbeat and has a good hook. My only gripe with this track is that it is too busy; none of the parts are given room to breathe and the song sounds like a relentless 'wall of sound'. The second single "Overtime" is a funkier affair that I really like, but it is still slightly lacking in the dynamics that were present in earlier albums. 

"Her Big Day" represents the first dip in quality as whilst the music is good, the lyrics are really quite appalling. The next track "Seven Years" sounds like an imitation of Sting and there is some crossover as guitarist Dominic Miller played with both artists. The funk returns with "Set Me Up" which sees a welcome vocal contribution by Mike but there's not really much going on in terms of melody. 

The fabulous "My Father's Shoes" was considered quite a departure for the band when it was released and I remember it being played on some sort of "Jukebox Jury" programme on the radio for the panel to guess who recorded it (they did thanks to Mark's distinctive vocal). The band don't seem to play this song live and it is a real shame that it has become a little forgotten. "A Kinder Eye" is a strange song as the lyrics aren't really the normal subject matter for Level 42 and the sound production is quite old fashioned. The Yamaha DX7 had been around for seven years by the time this album was recorded and some of its presets had become really clichéd. And yet, here are Level 42 belting out countless tracks that are absolutely smothered in E.PIANO 1. This is not to say the DX7 was redundant by the time this record was released, but using it so liberally was hardly likely to make your record sound contemporary. The final track here is a Gary Husband composition "If You Were Mine" which is technically excellent but can't decide if it is a pop song or a soul track and ends up a bit of a mess. 3/5

One record at a time: 248. Level 42 - Level Best

This singles compilation served as an introduction to Level 42 for many people back in the late eighties and, judging by the number of my school friends who bought it, it sold in droves.

Most of the more immediate and pop orientated tracks are included here and the more casual fan will be left satisfied by the likes of "Something About You", "Running in the Family" and "Lessons In Love". There's also one new song "Take Care Of Yourself" that was released as a single in an attempt to draw attention, but it can't be considered amongst the band's best and I doubt it did much to drive sales.

For many years I only owned "Level Best" on CD but in 2018 I added this copy of the original UK LP to my collection. Aside from the medium, the principal difference between this and the CD is that the tracks "Micro Kid", "Take A Look", "To Be With You Again" and "The Chant Has Begun" are all absent. I can forgive the omission of "The Chant Has Begun" and even "Take a Look", but to ignore the wonderful "To Be With You Again" is criminal. Whilst a bit superficial, this is a good collection that is still capable of drawing in the uninitiated. 4/5

One record at a time: 247. Level 42 - Staring at the Sun

After the break up of the original line up, it wasn't really clear to me if that was the end of Level 42 or not. In fact it seemed to take an age for this album to be released and it felt like the momentum built by the success of "Running in the Family" was lost. 

In reality this record came out just one year after its predecessor and featured the brilliant musicians Alan Murphy (guitar) and Gary Husband (drums). Sadly I didn't get to see Alan play live, but I can tell you that Gary Husband is one hell of a talented drummer. The new members could clearly hold their own in a band full of incredibly talented musicians. As well as the new additions, stalwarts Wally Badarou and Julian Mendelsohn joined the band in the studio to ensure there was some degree of continuity in this period of uncertainty. 

The single "Heaven in my Hands" opens proceedings with its heavy guitar and booming drums that sounds as "rock" as anything the band have ever made. Thankfully the layered clavinet sounds and the occasional brass riff stop this descending into the mediocre. The prominence of Alan's guitar continues on "I Don't Know Why" which is a rather straight forward love song bent around a Arabic sounding scale. The ballad "Take a look" is the first track that sounds more faithful to the traditional Level 42 sound and is all the better for it. By 1988 the sound of the Yamaha DX7 was becoming passée, but it remains intertwined with Mark's bass on the lacklustre "Over There". Side one finishes out with my favourite track on the album, Mike's composition "Silence". For a period in my adolescence I thought this song summed up all of my insecurities and I held it quite dear. Today the song sounds rather dated and I hear the lyrics differently, but this will always be a song I love to sing along to. 

The second side opens with "Tracie" which is a look back at a teenage romance through slightly more mature and grizzled eyes. The music is upbeat and infectious but it does leave you feeling slightly dirty. The title track is sombre and rather disappointing ballad that just seems to amble along without doing anything at all. "Two Hearts" sees a bit of Roland D-50 blended in with the omnipresent DX7 and there's a clear but unimpressive melody running through the song. The final piece "Man" sounds like the Level 42 of 1984 and sticks out like a sore thumb as a result. This is a good song but it doesn't fit the pop/rock mould it is being shoved into and ends up a bit of a mess. This record is the sound of a band who were desperate to stay contemporary and get played on the radio, but in truth their heart wasn't really in it. 3/5