Level 42 'lessons in love' C/D?

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I love the bass at the begining, yet this band has a bigger stigma around it that A.I.D.S.

lukey (Lukey G), Friday, 14 May 2004 14:04 (nineteen years ago) link

due to a certain phrase being directed towards the lead singer of midnight oil

?? Please elaborate.

frankE (frankE), Friday, 14 May 2004 14:17 (nineteen years ago) link

huh. dunno how that got posted here. my mistake...

but to your point, i remember liking this back in the day.

frankE (frankE), Friday, 14 May 2004 14:19 (nineteen years ago) link

Level 42 were a great band who unfortunately attracted an audience composed predominantly of young twats who wore white cheap Burton suits (frequently with the sleeves rolled up) and white sports socks and drove Ford Escorts with fluffy dice and green sun-strips with the names of themself and their "bird" printed on them.

Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, 14 May 2004 14:29 (nineteen years ago) link

Blimey, what is it with old punks and Level 42? mark s to thread et cet ;-)

Jeff W (zebedee), Friday, 14 May 2004 14:55 (nineteen years ago) link

No. No. No.

___ (___), Friday, 14 May 2004 14:59 (nineteen years ago) link

one decent 12" record does not justify a reappraisal. they were sh*te. really really sh*te. made Wet Wet Wet look radical.

mark e (mark e), Friday, 14 May 2004 15:00 (nineteen years ago) link

I can't help myself, it's a great tune.

Wet Wet Wet's first couple of albums were good, too.

noodle vague (noodle vague), Friday, 14 May 2004 18:04 (nineteen years ago) link

Starchild is a goodie as well.

jed_ (jed), Friday, 14 May 2004 18:33 (nineteen years ago) link

Level 42 songs fail to excite me the way they did in the 80's. I would have said classic then, but now, bleh.

Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Friday, 14 May 2004 19:09 (nineteen years ago) link

"one decent 12" record does not justify a reappraisal. they were sh*te. really really sh*te. made Wet Wet Wet look radical. "

Admittedly L42 rapidly disappreared up their own arses once they started to get regular hits in the UK and became increasingly anxious to break into the US market around '85 (and anything recorded after the Gould's left in '87 is best left well alone) but prior to that they did some great stuff - what the hell did Wet Wet Wet ever do that's as "radical" as e.g. Sandstorm, Theme To Margaret, Mr. Pink, 43, Heathrow, Dune Tune, Starchild, Weave Your Spell, Last Chance, Shapeshifter or Kouyate?

Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, 14 May 2004 19:56 (nineteen years ago) link

four years pass...

CCC

Limoncello Carlin (The stickman from the hilarious "xkcd" comics), Sunday, 8 February 2009 22:15 (fifteen years ago) link

Needs sampling, especially those opening three seconds

Limoncello Carlin (The stickman from the hilarious "xkcd" comics), Sunday, 8 February 2009 22:16 (fifteen years ago) link

I knew Dom or Bimble was behind this.

The Screaming Lobster of Challops (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 8 February 2009 22:25 (fifteen years ago) link

Would it be ridic to say that what Dire Straits were to the guitar in the 80s, Level 42 were for the bass?

Limoncello Carlin (The stickman from the hilarious "xkcd" comics), Sunday, 8 February 2009 22:29 (fifteen years ago) link

You mean in making a respected instrument a laughing stock?

("Lessons in Love" is a C, by the way).

The Screaming Lobster of Challops (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 8 February 2009 23:07 (fifteen years ago) link

six years pass...

Dud dud dud.
'Lessons In Love' came on the workplace radio today, and I realised that Level 42 sound bored by their own music.

Eins zwei PoliSci (snoball), Friday, 27 November 2015 18:50 (eight years ago) link

WRONG

Noodle Vape (Noodle Vague), Friday, 27 November 2015 18:55 (eight years ago) link

i like something about you better but this is a bit of a tune an' all tbh

Karl Rove Knausgård (jim in glasgow), Friday, 27 November 2015 18:55 (eight years ago) link

this was on the rotation at the b&q I worked at when I was 19; halcyon days; facing up cans of paint; sorting out the screws, nails and hooks; tannoy'd for a price-check; vibing to level 42.

Karl Rove Knausgård (jim in glasgow), Friday, 27 November 2015 18:57 (eight years ago) link

This is a ridiculously good bass line.

Master of Treacle, Friday, 27 November 2015 19:41 (eight years ago) link

That is a ridiculously bad video. *Scours lyrics for inspiration* - 'all the homes that we were building' - hey let's set it on a building site! Now Mark, how about you come up with some illustrative hand gestures for the nautical metaphors in the first verse. Mike, for the falsetto middle eight that you do in every single song why don't you wander off into some dark shadows where we can't see your face? And guitarist, whatever your name is, you can just stand around looking like you're not sure what you're doing in this bass and keyboard led band.

ledge, Saturday, 28 November 2015 11:07 (eight years ago) link

tbf there is a clear guitar break before the last chorus iirc

I don't have the time or energy to make a counterargument (stevie), Saturday, 28 November 2015 11:25 (eight years ago) link

I guess they threw him a bone from time to time.

ledge, Saturday, 28 November 2015 11:54 (eight years ago) link

Mike Lindup's occasional spooky vocals are their secret weapon.

mitch bagnet (MaresNest), Saturday, 28 November 2015 12:00 (eight years ago) link

I served Lindup once when I was working a weekend job at WH Smith's, 20 odd years ago. He was wearing a Level 42 Racing Team jacket. I wanted to say something, having been a bit obsessed with the group when I was eleven. But now I was 18 and all I cared about what Public Enemy and Pearl Jam, so I just rang up his items and took his cash. I guess he was used to not being recognised. But I still feel a bit guilty about it.

I've come to terms with my Level 42 since then. They're patchy but they have some great jazz-funk jams and the odd ersatz soul gem. I can listen to World Machine and Running In The Family without skipping, for the most part.

I don't have the time or energy to make a counterargument (stevie), Saturday, 28 November 2015 12:03 (eight years ago) link

This would be my favourite thing they've done, I think. Led by Lindup but with a great pre chorus sung by MK that makes the song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_cie39XdWM

mitch bagnet (MaresNest), Saturday, 28 November 2015 12:16 (eight years ago) link

And guitarist, whatever your name is

the magnificently named Boon Gould fyi

gazcom (NickB), Saturday, 28 November 2015 13:02 (eight years ago) link

The Goulds left as King wanted to go down the full Lessons/Something About You/Running In The Family direction, they apparently didnt

Master of Treacle, Saturday, 28 November 2015 14:11 (eight years ago) link

Make the most of the 'pop' direction, rather. Gould/King were a great rhythm section

Master of Treacle, Saturday, 28 November 2015 14:18 (eight years ago) link


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