Level 42/Mark King Web Site - Standing In The Light

UK	US	*Japan*
#9 (13 weeks on chart)	Not known	Not known

*Track*	*Song Title*	*Version*	*Writers*	*Length*
1	Micro-Kid		(W.Badarou/M.King/P.Gould/B.Taylor/A.Willis)	4:44
2	The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)		(W.Badarou/M.King/M.Lindup/P.Gould)	4.15
3	Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind		(P.Gould/M.King/M.Lindup/R.Gould)	5:12
4	Dance On Heavy Weather		(M.King/P.Gould/M.Lindup/B.Taylor/L.Dunn/V.White)	4:27
5	A Pharaoh's Dream (Of Endless Time)		(M.King/P.Gould/M.Lindup)	4:21
6	Standing In The Light		(M.King/P.Gould/W.Badarou)	3:42
7	I Want Eyes		(M.King/P.Gould)	4:59
8	People		(M.Lindup)	4:55
9	The Machine Stops		(M.King/P.Gould/W.Badarou)	4:15

Reviews

This is Level 42's fourth recorded album and is already proving to be their biggest album success to date...and the reason is prefectly simple: Level 42 have come of age. "Standing In The Light" is musically mature, creatively prgressive and entertaining to the nth degree.

The quartet crossed the Atlantic and on to Los Angeles where they recorded this tasty offering with and in mutual co-operation with Larry Dunn and Verdine White of Earth Wind & Fire, and it is this new liaison which would seem to be the only answer as to the new and energy to be found from start to finish on this album.

...And so the album itself: the opeing track hits hard and heavy; Clinton-esque funk on the universal subject of computers. Come on in, the music's fine. The Current single is high in the charts everywhere and requires little or no comment, whilst the recut vocals and remix on their previous single "Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind" provides what I consider to be a perfect American release on the single front. It's the same tune we all know, but the bitter-sweet and hypnotic Al Jarreau type vocals now re-mixed to devastating effect now seems very right during the hot summer/cool jazz environment as of late.

"Dance On Heavy Weather" has the familiar EW&F influenced vocal sound and hard edge and grooves along in stylist persistancy with little respite.

The title track may best be described as the "classic Level 42 track". Precise yet muscial; intricate patterns yet totally melodic; but always effective. Would have been quite at home on their previous "Pursuit Of Accidents" albums and serves on this one as a reminder as to how far they have widened their horizons.

"I Want Eyes" was described by Mark King as a "heavy bastard" - and I agree. Again the EW&F imput is evident but the attraction of the song is it's complete weirdness; the tempo is disconcerting and never settles into any complacent groove. The thought-provoking lyrics demand more than the cursory one-off spin. The most interesting track on the album.

"People" changes the emphasis and lightens the mood with this mid-tempo swayer. Again, the flat, uncluttered vocals sit nicely against the muscial weave backdrop and moves the listener gently on to the final track, the aptly titles &The Machine Stops" but not before the four stalwarts (with a little help from assorted musicians including a bouyant Paulinho Da Costa) weave their way through a series of Latin/Bossa Nova rhythms which, I suspect to be the final track completed during the sessions, and thus full of party atmosphere.

I liked this album very musch and will not reduce it's validity with excessive praise or multiple adjectives. I would, however, strongly recommend that you at least give it the benefit of your considered opinion. (Rating:9 by BK) Blues & Soul No.391 - October 1983.

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