Level 42

Level 42 - A Physical Presence - 1985 - Polydor

A Physical Presence, released in 1985, is the first live album from the British quartet Level 42. Recorded at various small European club venues, A Physical Presence is an impressive document of the band's dynamic live performances, and the live renditions of many of the songs improve on the original studio recordings. Much of the material on A Physical Presence comes from the band's first four studio albums, and several of Level 42's minor British hits ("Hot Water," "The Chinese Way") are included. Physical's highlights, however, are the blistering live takes on lesser-known non-single releases. For example, "Kansas City Milkman," which originally appeared in a somewhat lackluster version on the 1984 release True Colours, is given new life in concert; the version here is slightly faster and more energetic than the original. "Eyes Waterfalling" (originally from the 1982 album The Pursuit of Accidents) is given the same treatment and features Mark King's mind-boggling thumb-slapping bass-playing technique, which is all the more impressive considering his simultaneous role as lead vocalist. King is an amazing musician, but his fellow bandmates are no less capable; vocalist and keyboardist Mike Lindup, drummer Phil Gould, and guitarist Boon Gould give first-rate performances. Level 42's studio efforts (particularly on the early albums) tend to suffer from over-production, barely giving the musicians room to breathe. That certainly isn't the case here; on A Physical Presence, Level 42 truly shines, combining energy, talent, and songcraft to breathtaking effect. Although the sound quality isn't exactly stellar, A Physical Presence is still far better than Level 42's 1996 effort Live at Wembley. That album was recorded while the band was touring in support of its worst studio effort, Staring at the Sun, and contains entirely too much material from that anemic 1988 release. Live at Wembley also suffers from the absence of the Gould brothers and from the obviously less intimate arena setting; by the time Live at Wembley was recorded, Level 42 had become a major U.K. success. Mark King also became more of a show-off than a musician, and his half-hearted performance on Live at Wembley makes the album virtually unlistenable. A Physical Presence is a MUCH better indication of Level 42's capabilities in a live setting, capturing the band at the top of its form. © William Cooper © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-physical-presence-r11567/review [N.B - Review based on 1985 Polydor 10 track issue which excludes "Turn It On", "Mr. Pink", and "88"]

Recorded live in England using the Rolling Stones Mobile at The Coronet, Woolwich on March 30th 1985, The Hexagon, Reading on March 31st 1985, and Goldiggers, Chippenham on April 1st 1985, this is jazz pop/funk at it's best. Listen to the band's "World Machine" album [Tracks @ 308-320 Kbps: 2 x rar files: Pt 1 (Tracks 1-7) = 86.8 Mb, & Pt 2 (Tracks 8-13) = 82 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

A1 Almost There - R. Gould, M. King, P. Gould
A2 Turn It On - R. Gould, M. King, P. Gould, W. Badarou
A3 Mr. Pink - M. King, W. Badarou
A4 Eyes Waterfalling - R. Gould, M. King, M. Lindup, P. Gould

B1 Kansas City Milkman - M. King, M. Lindup, P. Gould, W. Badarou
B2 Follow Me - R. Gould, M. King
B3 Foundation And Empire - M. King

C1 The Chant Has Begun - M. King, P. Gould
C2 The Chinese Way - M. King, P. Gould, W. Badarou
C3 The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up) - M. King, M. Lindup, P. Gould, W. Badarou
C4 Hot Water - M. King, M. Lindup, P. Gould, W. Badarou

D1 Love Games - M. King, P. Gould
D2 88 - M. King

MUSICIANS

Guitar – Boon
Bass, Vocals – Mark King
Keyboards, Vocals – Mike Lindup
Drums, Backing Vocals – Phil Gould
Saxophone – Krys Mach

BIO

At the beginning of their career, Level 42 was squarely a jazz-funk fusion band, contemporaries of fellow Brit funk groups like Atmosfear, Light of the World, Incognito, and Beggar & Co. By the end of the '80s, however, the band -- whose music was instantly recognizable from Mark King's thumb-slap bass technique and associate member Wally Badarou's synthesizer flourishes -- had crossed over to the point where they were often classified as sophisti-pop and dance-rock, equally likely to be placed in the context of Sade and the Style Council as any group that made polished, upbeat, danceable pop/rock. The band's commercial peak came with 1985's World Machine, but they continued to record and tour sporadically throughout the '90s and 2000s. Featuring Mark King (bass, vocals), Phil Gould (drums), Boon Gould (guitar), and Mike Lindup (keyboards), the band formed in 1979. Before they released their first single, "Love Meeting Love," the band was pushed to add vocals to their music in order to give it a more commercial sound; they complied, with King becoming the lead singer. Released in 1981, their self-titled debut album was a slick soul-R&B collection that charted in the U.K. Top 20, resulting in the release of The Early Tapes. Level 42 had several minor hit singles before 1984's "The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)" hit the British Top Ten. Released in late 1985, World Machine broke the band worldwide; "Lessons in Love" hit number one in Britain and "Something About You" hit number seven in America. Their next two records, Running in the Family (1987) and Staring at the Sun (1988), were a big success in the U.K., yet only made some headway in the U.S. Both of the Gould brothers left the band in late 1987; they were replaced by guitarist Alan Murphy and drummer Gary Husband. Murphy died of AIDS-related diseases in 1989; he was replaced by the renowned fusion guitarist Alan Holdsworth for 1991's Guaranteed. The band followed Guaranteed in 1995 with Forever Now. Throughout the remainder of the ‘90s and the 2000s, the band’s lineup fluctuated, with King the lone constant and his brother, guitarist Nathan King, on-board since 2001. Level 42 released a studio album, Retroglide, in 2006. Four years later, the band celebrated its 30th anniversary with a special tour, as well as a box set, Living It Up, which included a disc of fresh acoustic versions recorded by Mark King and Lindup. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/level-42-p4747/biography

Bill Gable

Bill Gable - There Were Signs - 1989 - Private Music

A Midwesterner hailing from Illinois, Gable's music has been described as having a "pure, naive, almost rural quality." While I must agree with this description as far as it goes, there's much, much more to Gable's music ... An accomplished and classically-trained pianist and cellist, he also exhibits an extraordinary talent as a songwriter and lyricist. While his vocal range and timbre is reminiscent of James Taylor, the exciting latino rhythms he incorporates on some of the album's nine selections gives him a musical signature all his own. This is an inspired album that is sure to please those who have transcended soft rock and are looking for more meaningful music‹highly recommended. - The Herald, Allaire, N.J.

Bill Gable is a new pop star. "There Were Signs" is terrific. This is adult, interesting and affecting music, sophisticated lyrics set to sweet and daring melodies, sung by a voice that invariably touches the heart. He sounds a bit like Don McLean, but the voice is beefier. Every song here tells a story, each vividly told. There are few happy endings, but a lot of gorgeous music. "Run, go ahead, run / What's the point of loving you? You're the kind of girl who tends to make the world a lonely place" sings Mr. Gable without a hint of bitterness in his voice. "Who Becomes the Slave" recalls Stewart Copeland's solo work, and the Latin American flavor of much of the material is not far from the best Brazilian jazz of the 1960s. If I frankly don't understand "The 3 Levels of Nigeria," I confess that I am drawn to it. "Leaving Venice to the Rain" will bring a melancholy smile to those who have loved. The lyrics are curiously straight-forward, their impact coming as a surprise each time. - Washington Times

One of the most inventive works I've heard in years. A terrific blend of poetry with a unique vocal style and the music is a combination of jazz, folk, classical, latin and so much more. Really refreshing. - Russ Davis, Music Director, WQCD-FM, New York City

Here is an album for everyone. Take away the lyrics and the music stands on its own ... While Bill Gable wrote all the songs on this release, he enlisted the talents of Rob Mounsey, Jimmy Haslip (Yellowjackets), Mark Egan (GRP Records), jazz percussionist Airto Moreira, and Jeff Porcaro (Toto), among others, to perfect and interpret this debut collection of sensitive tunes. Add the lyrics, the soft voice and spontaneous phrasing, and you have an artsy, personal look at a mature musician ... On this album he plays not only keyboards but guitar and percussion. And, of course he writes: "Far away in the north of the country / Is a place where nothing can grow / And the people who all live there are crazy from no home...". These lyrics, with political and philosophical implications about the caste system in Africa, are strengthened by the Afro-Cuban beat, the earthy feel of the music on "The 3 Levels of Nigeria." If we must categorize musicians, Bill Gable could be called a jazz singer / poet. While many of his songs reflect romantic, love-torn realizations about life and its transparent ironies, it is the attention to musical detail and the perfect capture of mood with music that make Gable a remarkable artist. - Jazz Link

Bill Gable is a groundbreaker. It's taken this 37-year old Midwesterner a long time to hit the beach, but "There Were Signs" should establish Gable as a force to be reckoned with in the vocal-pop-jazz wake of Michael Franks. With a beautiful tenor strangely reminiscent of Don McLean, an exotic grasp of world music (equal in scope to Working Week), sophisticated and unpredictable melodic lines, densely layered instrumentation and crystalline CD production values (thanks to producers Gable and Rob Mounsey), this is a blue-ribbon debut. And behind it all is an uncompromising moral consciousness, coupled with a bard's sensitivity. Just listen to this opening verse from "Letting the Jungle In:" "Your love does this thing / To my nervous system / Deep in the twilight of memory / Standing in a cage / When the bar is lifted / Who knows how to behave?" - JAZZIZ

After hearing "There Were Signs," I wondered why it took such an obviously talented songwriter this long to get a deal! After eight years on the New England club circuit, Bill moved to LA, where he set up his own recording studio to work on original material. Along with co-producer Rob Mounsey, whose list of credits includes Steely Dan, Steve Winwood, and Michael Franks, among others, Gable has come up with an accomplished mix of pop, jazz and world music that sounds like nothing else on the radio today. At times, such as in "All The Posters Come Down," I was reminded of Paul Simon's Afro-pop hybrid "Graceland." To start making a lot of comparisons, however, would be a disservice to a highly original new voice. - MAC Report

Gable's voice blends in here with the other instruments, creating a pleasing tone that permeates the whole project without ever sounding dull. Artist is perfect for AC outlets as well as adult alternative stations that play vocal offerings. Superb lyrical imagery throughout. - Billboard

A reviewer on Amazon called this album "a mixture of pop, jazz and world music unlike anything else you've heard. And the musical performances are simply superb. "There Were Signs" is a masterpiece. Big words, but true!". Walter Becker (Steely Dan) said that "Bill Gable is first and foremost a great songwriter but he also has a marvelous ability to incorporate exotic musical elements and seemingly disparate influences into a uniquely seasoned and tasty succotash of third world post-modern sense and style". There is no question that this is a very much overlooked album, by a singer/songwriter in the same league as Michael Franks, and is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Buy Bill's great "This Perfect Day" album and support real music. [Tracks @ 207-320 Kbps: File size = 64.3 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Go Ahead And Run (4:37)
2. Who Becomes The Slave (4:52)
3. All The Posters Come Down (4:34)
4. The 3 Levels of Nigeria (5:25)
5. Cape Horn (4:35)
6. High Trapeze (5:31)
7. There Were Signs (4:56)
8. Letting The Jungle In (4:31)
9. Leaving Venice To The Rain (6:33)

All songs composed by Bill Gable except "Who Becomes The Slave" by Bill Gable & Casey Schelierell

MUSICIANS

Bill Gable: guitar, synths, piano, melodica, sanfona, zamponas, mbira, percussion, vocal
Pino Marrone: electric guitar
Nelson Faria: guitar solo
Jimmy Haslip: electric & fretless bass
Lloyd Moffit: electric upright bass
Octavio Bailly: electric bass
Mark Egan: fretless bass
Rob Mounsey: synths, seiza benches, melodica solo, background vocals
Jim Lang: organ
Jeff Porcaro: drums, percussion, hi-hat, surdo
Jerry Marotta: drums
Airto Moreira: drums, percussion, pandeiro
Casey Scheuerell: drums, congas, table, cymbals
Manolo Badrena: percussion, ganza, effects
Luis Conte: tamborine, ganza, congas, shekere, bata, vocal
Lew Soloff: trumpet, piccolo trumpet
David Nadien: violin solo
Dani Minnick, Gabriela Molinari, Sally Dworski, Eliza Gilkyson, Marilyn Scott: background vocals

BIO

Bill Gable has been called one of America's most gifted living songwriters. Highly reclusive by nature, he reportedly lives in either Los Angeles or Ouro Preto, Brazil. He is known to have been prominent in the Boston music scene during the 1970s, where he was well-known for failing to show up for gigs and for refusing to perform through PA systems due to what he termed the "inherent falseness and inelasticity of electrostatics." Consequently, much of his music was overlooked, even during Gable's now-legendary live performances during that era. In 1990, after an intense bidding war with all the major labels, the BMG subsidiary label Private Music signed Gable to a worldwide, multi-year, multi-million dollar deal which netted the sole release There Were Signs, now sadly long out-of-print. In due course, the label tired of Gable's insistence that all of his masters be delivered in a brown bag at a drop point designated only 15 minutes prior to delivery, and only through an emissary. "We had two full-time employees assigned to dealing with this nutcase," the label once complained in a widely-publicized press release. After this point, Gable refused to acknowledge his affiliation with the label, and he was soon dropped from its roster. Precious little is known of Gable's early years. Claiming to have been raised by Bedouins, Gable early on was a virtuosic classical pianist and cellist. During the 1980s, a period when it is believed he may have worked alternatively as a migrant bean-picker and a t-shirt salesman, Gable surfaced as a regular contributor to Yellowjackets records and as a songwriter in various genres. Operating out of his secluded Roman Foods Studio located somewhere in the Hollywood Hills, Gable became an engineer of choice for various artists during this era as well. He gained European prominence in the late 1990s through his collaboration with Branford Marsalis, which netted a top-10 radio hit in the Benelux countries. Beyond these scant facts, little is known of his whereabouts or current activities, save that he is rumored to be in the finishing stages of a third solo recording based loosely upon the American Midwest. © 1989-2005 Bill Gable. All Rights Reserved http://www.billgable.net/bio.html

Fra Lippo Lippi

Fra Lippo Lippi - Light And Shade - 1987 - Virgin

Let's celebrate a brand new day," proclaims vocalist Per Oystein Sorensen on "Crazy Wisdom," and that statement easily sums up Fra Lippo Lippi's surprisingly smooth evolution from gothic rock to reflective, jazzy pop on Light and Shade. Fra Lippo Lippi already began shedding their black clothes on Songs, but Light and Shade has the breezy air and sunny disposition of a walk in the park. Released during a decade wherein yuppies stressed the importance of work and money over love and leisure, Light and Shade mainly focuses on life's simple pleasures. It is an uplifting, stylish LP that swings like a pendulum between joy and sorrow. The fetching "Angel" soars with a sad yet hummable chorus; it features some of Fra Lippo Lippi's most charming piano work. "Some People" recalls the Beatles with its singalong melodies. Much of Light and Shade resembles the late '80s efforts of China Crisis, especially its relaxed, mellow grooves and touches of jazz. The lyrics unfold like short stories. In the moving "Beauty and Madness," Sorensen sings about a homeless man and wonders if anybody will ever see his inner worth. Sorensen manages to avoid being either saccharine or preachy because of the sincerity and soulfulness in his voice. On Light and Shade, Fra Lippo Lippi part the curtains and let the sunshine beam through the window. © Michael Sutton, All Music Guide

Light and Shade was recorded in Los Angeles, California and produced by Steely Dan's Walter Becker. Following the success of Fra Lippo Lippi's 1985 album Songs, Virgin had the band work on "Light And Shade" hoping to achieve success Stateside. The first single "Angel" received moderate airplay in Los Angeles. However, during this time, the U.S. arm of Virgin Records dropped several artists including Fra Lippo Lippi. Frustrated by the album's commercial failure to capture the U.S.the band left Virgin Records in 1988. Later that year the title track "Beauty and Madness" became immensely popular in the Philippines, prompting the band to visit the country and perform sell-out concerts there.

TRACKS

A1 Angel (5:07)
A2 Freedom (5:25)
A3 Don't Take Away That Light (4:32)
A4 Beauty And Madness (4:16)
A5 Home (4:43)

B1 Light And Shade (4:46)
B2 Some People (4:25)
B3 Crazy Wisdom (4:33)
B4 Stardust Motel (4:46)
B5 Indifference (5:37)

All tracks composed by Rune Kristoffersen & Per Øystein Sørensen except "Crazy Wisdom" and "Indifference" by Rune Kristoffersen

CREDITS

Walter Becker - Guitar
Tim Weston - Guitar
Dean Parks - Guitar
Rune Kristoffersen - Bass
Jimmy Haslip - Bass
James Johnson - Bass
Abe Laborial - Bass
Per Øystein Sørensen - Keyboards, Vocals
Mark Morgan - Keyboards
Robbie Buchanon - Keyboards
Leroy Clouden - Drums
Claude Pepper - Drums
Jeff Porcaro - Drums
Carlos Vega - Drums
Paulinho Da Costa - Percussion
Tom Scott - Saxophone
Mark Isham - Trumpet

Produced by Walter Becker. Roger Nichols - Engineer and Chief Mixer

BIO

The Norwegian band Fra Lippo Lippi swam in the depths of despair before diving into pop and jazz. Per Oystein Sorensen (vocals, synthesizer, keyboards), Rune Kristoffersen (guitar, bass, keyboards, piano), and Morten Sjoberg (drums, keyboards) formed Fra Lippo Lippi in 1978. Fra Lippo Lippi enveloped their first album, In Silence, with ominous bass lines, death-march percussion, pensive keyboards, and sinister, indecipherable vocals. However, by 1983's Small Mercies, Sorensen's pop background helped the group to become increasingly melodic. In 1985, Fra Lippo Lippi signed with Virgin Records in the U.K., releasing their third album, Songs. Fra Lippo Lippi jettisoned the gloom of their earlier efforts on Songs, experimenting with synth-pop and romantic balladry powered by Kristoffersen's piano. The transformation enabled the group to achieve minor chart success in England and Canada, but in the Philippines many of their singles became staples on the country's new wave radio stations. Tracks such as "The Distance Between Us" and "Come Summer" topped request lines. When the jazz-inflected Light and Shade was released in 1987, Fra Lippo Lippi had become superstars in the Philippines, much to the band's surprise. Largely unknown throughout most of the world, Fra Lippo Lippi performed to sold-out audiences of thousands in Manila, Philippines, in 1989. Fra Lippo Lippi released two more albums, 1989's The Colour Album and 1991's Dreams, before the lack of commercial success forced the group into indefinite hiatus. Since Fra Lippo Lippi's departure from the recording studio, Kristoffersen released two instrumental albums, Elephant Song and Monolight, and started his own label, Rune Grammofon. Sorensen has worked with fellow Norwegian artist Trine Rein. © Michael Sutton, All Music Guide

BIO Per Øystein Sørensen (WIKI)

Per Øystein Sørensen is best known as the vocalist of the New Wave/synth pop band Fra Lippo Lippi. Per Øystein Sørensen raised the bridge for Fra Lippo Lippi to cross from desolate goth rock to a piano-laden amalgam of new wave and light jazz. When Fra Lippo Lippi formed in Norway in the late '70s, the group seemed obsessed with the droning rhythms and morose lyrics of Joy Division. In fact, Fra Lippo Lippi's debut album In Silence was so bleak that it could've been mistaken for a Joy Division record. However, by Fra Lippo Lippi's second LP, Small Mercies, Sørensen's sweet tooth for pop began to brighten the band's somber mood. While Small Mercies was still a sad album, hooks and melodies started to penetrate the group's initially impermeable wall of gloom. On Songs, Sørensen found his voice -- and so did the band. No longer limiting himself to the ominous tones of Joy Division's Ian Curtis and Bauhaus' Peter Murphy, Sørensen's vocals became more soulful on Songs, equally capable of expressing joy ("Come Summer") or emotional resignation ("Coming Home"). The lyrics gained clarity as well. Fra Lippo Lippi ceased recording in the early '90s. However, in 2000, Fra Lippo Lippi performed in the Philippines, a country where the band landed numerous hits during the '80s. Sørensen has also worked with Trine Rein.

BIO Rune Kristoffersen (WIKI)

Rune Kristoffersen is the guitarist of the Norwegian band Fra Lippo Lippi. Rune Kristoffersen spent the eighties playing bass in Norwegian pop outfit Fra Lippo Lippi, signed to Virgin Records and had an album produced by Walter Becker from Steely Dan in LA. As Fra Lippo Lippi's popularity waned in the nineties, he returned to Norway to teach primary school children, before embarking on a career as a label owner of Rune Grammofon.