Level 42

World Machine

One GREAT Little Song!

Review Score:

(10/10)
I would be pretty safe I'm sure in saying that 'Something About You" is the culmination of everything Level 42 had been trying to accomplish in it's then five years of existance,and four of the stars shown relate strictly to the song!It's a classic perhapes because of how familiar it is to me (having heard it in saturation play during the autunm of my fifth year;1985 to be excact) and also because of the general clean mix and clever arrangement.It was a time when heavily R&B,funk and jazz-oriented groups such as The Talking Heads,Sade,Scritti Politi and The Style Council had a good chance of getting a decent hit without selling out,and they did.
There's only one little problem with this.That one brilliant single notwithstanding 'World Machine' sounds like one of Level 42's least satisfying albums,and contains very little of the sting and zest of the groups first four albums.I suppose the changes started coming on 'True Colours',but even so they're strictly musical ones-the band still sounds miraculous from a standpoint of pure chemistry.But the trouble here (namely in the title song) is that Level 42 and Mark King himself have started to back away from the jazz fusion and R&B/funk stylings of their earlier work in favor of a blander pop sound that embraced more strains of latin and hispanic melodies and percussion.Not that there is anything wrong with that but in the mid 80's artists like Paul Simon,Peter Gabrial and Sting had that worldbeat stuff locked away and they all did spectacular work with that sound.
But it just doesn't mesh well with Level 42's particular brand of music whitch tends to be more sultry,glossy and quite funky.
So 'World Machine' is a great album for it's time-it's up with the current trend of that era and has certain reminders of this bands firey past.But Mark King's bassey funk instrumentals are now a thing of the past-every song has vocals and pop hooks.So did Level 42 sell out?Not here,just had their music take a very different form.I recommend this album to fans of Level 42's more commercialy potent period but for fans of the band's more fusion and funk material the UK have put out a two CD set covering both the bands self-titled debut,1980's 'The Early Tapes' PLUS bonus material.That and the twofer containing the albums 'Pursuit Of Accidents" and "Standing In The Light" are the type of albums fans of the classic Level 42 British jazz/funk styles will enjoy more.For fans of more pop/R&B with slight funk/fusion influences this album and most of what came after it are a good choice.It all depends on what you want.

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