Album review: The Levellers, Levellers/Weapon Called The Word/Levelling The Land

[juliet]

(One of the things on my 101 things list is to listen to & review some old albums.)


This started out as a review of Levellers & Weapon Called The Word, which are technically two albums. But I had them on one side each of a tape from Ruth, so in my head they're the same album.

And yes, I am not just a mid-90s indiekid, but a particular *sort* of mid-90s indiekid, and I loved the Levellers very much indeed. Still do, really. Although I never actually saw them live till the Brighton one-day festival (what was it called?) that fernasto and I went down to in summer 1997. I'm pretty sure the only other time I've seen them live was Glasto 2007 (? or 2005?), when they were *awesome*. They're great fun live.

Aw, This Garden has a didgeridoo on it! Bless them. Julie always made me sad.

World Freak Show has high levels of bounce-inducing! And Carry Me has the "too fucked to fight" bit, and "some have joined the system, some just look away".

The thing is, though: I love them, even if it is partly nostalgia, but listening to these two albums, I have to admit that there's a certain *similarity* to everything here.

So, then I downloaded Levelling The Land, which is clearly a better album. One Way, 15 Years, Liberty Song (excellent for jumping up and down to), Far From Home (with that weird time change), Another Man's Cause (which I love for the chorus & the harmonica), The Road, The Riverflow (another good dancing one), Battle of the Beanfield (ah, reminds me of my early interactions with leftie politics and radicalism. And the CJB, indirectly.), Dance Before The Storm (as the machinery breaks down - actually this may be my favourite!)... Also the remastered version has The Devil Went Down To Georgia! (Or possibly this is my favourite!)[0]

the words that you heard when you were young will always stay

[0] I also have the Johnny Cash/Charlie Daniels Band version of The Devil Came Back To Georgia, which is *awesome*.

Comments

[friend-of-tofu.livejournal.com]

Thanks. This does bring back a lot of memories. I remember seeing "This Garden" on the Chart Show! I did love The Levs for a while and still think they were very sweet. Have you ever been to that festival they do, Beautiful Days? I know a few ppl who've been and say it's v v good.

[juliet]

No, although I've seen it before & thought it looked like fun. Glastonbury, Glade, & Waveform kind of fill up my festivalling finances, though!

[friend-of-tofu.livejournal.com]

It is apparently up to snuff. One for a year when Glasto tickets are unavailable?

[juliet]

THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN NO. WE ARE DEDICATED & FORTUNATE HITTERS OF REFRESH ON THE STUPID BLOODY SEETICKETS PAGE MY GOD HOW I HATE THEM.

Though they're due a year off in 2011.

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

Could be worse ... could be TicketBastard ...

[plumsbitch.livejournal.com]

Hee. Many memories here too. The Brighton one-dayer had varous names, but was just called the Stanmer Park festival for ages. (and became a 2 dayer with an indie day and a dub/reggae/roots day) One of my first gigs evar was seeing little known bands blur and suede supporting top of the bill Kingmaker, in about 1992, I think!

[juliet]

I think when I went it was 2 days, but totally separate days (tickets sold separately etc). Also: Blur & Suede supporting Kingmaker, that is awesome :)

(I saw Blur & Pulp play Alexandra Palace in 1994, & first on the bill was this brand new & very young band, Supergrass. I think they'd just released Caught By The Fuzz.)

[friend-of-tofu.livejournal.com]

I remember seeing the ad for that in Melody Maker or somewhere! And thinking, "Oh, that sounds good, but I don't like Kingmaker, and Blur are a bit whiny".

[plumsbitch.livejournal.com]

:D

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

Ah - that would be the re-release of Levelling The Land, then, with tracks that aren't on my old CD. Now, do I buy a new copy just to get those extra tracks?¹

Riverflow will always remind me of being a teenager. And dancing like an idjit. [grin] And One Way always reminds me of clubbing in York - and getting ushered back into the 'rock' room of one of the clubs after sneaking into the 'mainstream' room with a friend when they were playing that ... "Stop the music, there are grebos present!"

Also, that Johnny Cash / Charlie Daniels Band version? Where can one get hold of it?

I bought the soundtrack of Coyote Ugly mostly for the CDB original - it, too, always reminds me of York, as the rock night always used it as their playout track.

¹ I have to admit to doing that for Thunder & Consolation, but I am, I will admit, something of a completist about some bands.

[juliet]

One can always try clicking here! I note that I don't have their version of the original...

It's only 4.99 (the album) on iTunes Plus (& thus doubtless elsewhere) if that helps?

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

Ah, it's a sequel! I'd not heard it before. I need to rip the Charlie Daniels Band one, as it's not among my 40Gb of ripped tunes, but I'll sort it out shortly.

if that helps?
Well, it doesn't strictly 'help', but it could result in a purchase! [grin]

[plumsbitch.livejournal.com]

"Stop the music, there are grebos present!"

*grins at this* which inevitably in my head leads to...

"The gypsies, the travellers and the thieves
The good, the bad, the average and unique
The grebos the crusties and the goths
And the only living boy in New Cross"

:)

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

Heh. Exactly!

[skibbley.livejournal.com]

Yes!
I saw them live at Strawberry Fair in Cambridge then again at the Junction just as they were taking off - one of best bands I've seen live. I had a tape from a lovely next-door neighbour at college and only recently got the CD. "...that will take me so far or leave me dead..."