River Sessions

Artist: Level 42
Label: River
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Format: Import
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1
EAN: 5055134100879
ASIN: B00081EPY8

Release Date: 2005-10-03

River Sessions

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Tracks:

Heathrow
Dance On Heavy Weather
Turn It On
Love Games
I Want Eyes
Sandstorm
Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind
Micro Kid
43
Eyes Waterfalling
Starchild
Sun Goes Down
Chinese Way
88
Are You Hearing

Similar Items:

Retroglide
Ultimate Collection, Vol. 2
Greatest Hits Live
Retroglide
Classic Level 42

Album Description

An excellent 2 CD (Live) set from Level 42, recorded at their artistic and commercial peak in September 1983. CD 1 features 11 short-and-to-the-point tracks, while the band flex their musical muscle on the 4 extended tracks on CD 2. Also includes 'The Chinese Way' & 'Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind' their two massive hits. River Records. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

For Level 42 Completists Only.......2005-11-18

Sadly, this recording was a dissappointment to me. "A Physical Presence", their other live set from the same general time period, is vastly superior in perhaps every way other than song selection. The playing and recording qualities are both much better on APP ("River Sessions" sounds like a board recording). It comes as no surprise to me that this recording sat around for 20 years before someone released it.

If you really dig Level 42 (as I do), you'll want this to round out your collection. And, to be fair, there are live takes of a few tracks on here that can't be found live anywhere else. But it won't win any new fans for Level 42, and Physical Presence will, even this much later.

Absolutely Essential Must-Have Concert Album for Level 42 Connoisseurs.......2005-10-23

If you're one of the unlucky fans like me who never got to hear Level 42 live in concert, this album is manna from Heaven. The true Level 42 fan knows that their GOOD stuff (before the hit "Something About You") is their one-take-style unpolished improvisational jamming. Even when they make mistakes in the singing or playing (and you know they will), it doesn't matter 'cause these boys are just so talented they can get away with anything. Once Mark "Thunderthumbs" King starts fluttering and slapping off that bass and the groove locks in, it's all good. You're in for a twisting, turning ride of sound.

The River Sessions, a live concert in a 2-CD set, is just that- unpredictable and fun. Most of these numbers are really effective live, like the danceable "Turn It On" with its infectious downbeat, or the rolling, groovy "Sandstorm" that really shows the tight chemistry between Mark and the amazingly perfect Phillip Gould on drums. Boon Gould's guitar takes more of a lead in this set, which is good news for me because on the albums he's usually mixed so far into the background that I can't even hear him. In the opening number "Heathrow," his clean, high-energy guitar and Mike Lindup's bouncy, jazzy keyboarding set the mood right, although slightly reminiscent of the David Letterman Show opening theme. Songs like "Love Games" and "Sandstorm" feature Mark's unthinkably fast, head-spinning bass solos delicately accented by Mike's atmospheric keys, stirring the crowd into a whistling, screaming frenzy (and I love being able to finally sit in and feel all this!) with Mark sometimes showing off his scatting ability or fishing for crowd response from time to time ("I said you're on the radio!...Thank you for buying this!"). Other songs like the popular "Eyes Waterfalling" or "Dance On Heavy Weather" play just like they did on the album without a lot of improv or embellishment. Still the Level 42 sound is strong and engaging the whole way through.

Most of this album features the non-stop galloping bass but the more mellow songs like "I Want Eyes" and "Micro Kid" give you a nice little breather between the busy controlled chaos of the faster tunes.

Speaking of chaos, feedback squeaks and rings annoyingly through "Out of Sight, Out of Mind," normally a serious song. Poor Mark even loses track of the lyrics and seems to drown in the vocoder effects during the chorus but it's okay because this is a LIVE ALBUM! It's all part of the fun.

I was so happy to find this in the "fusion" section (of all places) of my favorite Tokyo CD shop. The River Sessions is one of those Level 42 albums that stays in my CD player for weeks at a time. If I have one complaint, it's that the 2nd CD only has 4 songs, including the closing number "Are You Hearing." I wish it was a longer set. But until Level 42 decides to get back together (and I mean Mark, Mike, Boon and Phil TOGETHER), this is the closest I have to a full live concert of theirs. It's my most treasured Level 42 album. Thank you, Radio Clyde, for recording this. Thank you, River Records, for releasing this gem! Arigato! (But Mark, Mike, Boon and Phil, this album may rock but it doesn't let you guys off the hook. At least kindly consider just doing one tiny little tour in Japan...please?) -RKG.

Track List:

Disc 1
1. Heathrow
2. Dance on Heavy Weather
3. Turn It On
4. Love Games
5. I Want Eyes
6. Sandstorm
7. Out of Sight, Out of Mind
8. Micro Kid
9. 43
10. Eyes Waterfalling
11. Starchild

Disc 2
1. The Sun Goes Down
2. The Chinese Way
3. 88
4. Are You Hearing

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