The Album Review Club - Week #197 (page 1330) - Levelling the Land - Levellers

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Well as its my favourite album from my favourite band, it's always gonna be a 10/10 for me.. Unlike @FogBlueInSanFran I prefer this and the later stuff. I think the versions on stop making sense are much better than on the original albums, they were too raw and you could tell they were still learning their trade.

Never seen a live concert anywhere near as good as this. Missed the bloody new release in the cinemas genuinely pissed off about it. Never saw it advertised. Will never get the chance again no doubt.

I don’t disagree that in general I like many of these live versions better than the original album versions — “Found A Job” is the most obvious to me — but I prefer the studio version of “Naive Melody” for example, and it’s still true that this is a retrospective so the art was originally created prior to this. They also did a live album before “Speaking In Tongues” which isn’t as good as this.

I can get someone arguing that Little Creatures is great even though I didn’t care for it, but True Stories and Naked (except for “Nothing But Flowers”) are a sad decline with far less sonic innovation, less humo(u)r and a lot fewer hooks. It’s almost as if they forgot how to write after they finally hit the big time.

But I’m used to Johnny-come-lately Brits trying to argue late REM is better than early REM — which elicits howls of laughter from those of us who were with them from the get-go — so it’s all good. Just kidding :)

 

[threespires]

That movie is my 80’s encapsulated in 1hr 28mins.
Originally saw it after a recommendation from Barry Norman on Film ‘84.
I knew nothing much about the band tbh at the time, very little really.
Neither did the girl I was seeing at the time. We went on the last night of its original run of a fortnight, in Dublin’s Screen Cinema. ( No longer there).
From the opening shot of Byrne’s feet walking onto stage and him playing along to the boom box beat, Psycho Killer, the only song I really knew by them, we were hooked.
The gradual build up of the stage and the energy being added and the frenzy transferring to the crowd was just mesmerising.

We both came out of the cinema thinking, Wow, what was that.
We then went into Chaplin’s Bar across the road and met our friends and proceeded to try to explain to them what we had just experienced. We were gushing with praise, but the cinema run had ended and there was no way of them experiencing the same……
Until a couple of years after, the Movie took up a regular weekend residency in the Ambassador Cinema at Parnell Square. This was originally a theatre and had a stage in front of the screen.
I was no longer going with the same lady from 1984. I had told my mates so much about this concert so they had to experience it too.
What became a regular weekend pass time for us was going to Conways Pub across the road and tanking up, before heading to the late night show.
We used to get up on stage and go wild with the band, basically acting out each song.
A mate from work, starting coming along. A real nutter. I have great memories of being chased around the cinema by the bouncers, to get us off the stage. It all proving a waste of time and energy for them though, as the rest of the house just got up on stage and followed our lead as we were being chased.
Mad times but innocently happy times too.
I loved this movie.it was the highlight of the weekend for months on end during the mid 80s.
Once you start to play it, especially watching it also, it just gets under your skin. Your feet start to move, primeval instincts of rhythm take hold. They do with me, anyway.
Love it.
9/10.

Brilliant. Every now and then someone recounts something that makes me wish we did have the occasional smartphone back in the day!

 

[threespires]

Ummmm...this is a strange one, the original 'album' was 8 tracks, we're listening to 18!! Basically a concert, not an album then, and it's suggested to 'watch it' rather than listen, and also pretty much a 'best of'. I know and like a couple of the songs, will give it a listen, but won't be scoring, as to me, it's not as the thread is intended ;)

Could you please start taking the none scoring approach with my picks ;-)

 

[southamptonblue]

But I’m used to Johnny-come-lately Brits trying to argue late REM is better than early REM — which elicits howls of laughter from those of us who were with them from the get-go — so it’s all good. Just kidding :)

Not the greatest fan of early REM.....but I find the later stuff as exciting as Coldplay ;)

 

[bennyboy]

I hope those that slagged the voice on the Radiohead pick are not marking this 8 or above.
He is shite.Up there with Rush.

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

Fully appreciate that and it was something that I pondered about prior to deciding what I would put forward. My rationalisation being that it was live and therefore as valid as JLL.
Whether scoring it or not, main thing is to take a little bit of pleasure from it......
Can I get a hallelujah?

Hallelujah!

I wasn't around for the BH top 1100 thread, so while I've heard a good number of these original songs before, I haven't heard this album whole nor have I seen the movie.

Well done nomination, @LGWIO!

 

[threespires]

6/10 (and only because I made the mistake of giving Remain in Light the same score when it probably should have been 4).

I wasn't around for the Remain in Light conversation but that is an album that has got it going on rhythmically to the point where one of the worlds biggest afrobeat stars decided to cover the entire album! If you can't get over DB's delivery, give Angelique Kidjo's version a go; guaranteed to get even arthritic hips swivelling away!

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

Not the greatest fan of early REM.....but I find the later stuff as exciting as Coldplay ;)

Hmmm! Coldplay.

 

[threespires]

I hope those that slagged the voice on the Radiohead pick are not marking this 8 or above.
He is shite.Up there with Rush.

Currently got three massive Maremmano-Abruzzese Sheepdogs howling like f**k beneath my bedroom window. Tbh could really do with Geddy Lee's voice right now to bring them to heel and get them to shut the f***K up.

 

[The Black Shed]

I don’t disagree that in general I like many of these live versions better than the original album versions — “Found A Job” is the most obvious to me — but I prefer the studio version of “Naive Melody” for example, and it’s still true that this is a retrospective so the art was originally created prior to this. They also did a live album before “Speaking In Tongues” which isn’t as good as this.

I can get someone arguing that Little Creatures is great even though I didn’t care for it, but True Stories and Naked (except for “Nothing But Flowers”) are a sad decline with far less sonic innovation, less humo(u)r and a lot fewer hooks. It’s almost as if they forgot how to write after they finally hit the big time.

But I’m used to Johnny-come-lately Brits trying to argue late REM is better than early REM — which elicits howls of laughter from those of us who were with them from the get-go — so it’s all good. Just kidding :)

I'm sure REM will make an appearance here at some stage, if they haven't already (cba to look back). But I agree with you - everything from Green backwards is the real REM.

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

I'm sure REM will make an appearance here at some stage, if they haven't already (cba to look back). But I agree with you - everything from Green backwards is the real REM.

I'll instead argue the obvious that everything including all 4 original band members is the real R.E.M.

Three stages for me, the first 2 separated by the record label (IRS vs. Warner Brothers [WB]), and the last 2 separated by the presence vs. lack of Bill Berry:

1. The IRS Years (1983-1987): Murmur - Document (origins of the band and rise in following)
2. The WB Years with all 4 members (1988-1996): Green - New Adventures in Hi-Fi (band at its peak popularity)
3. The WB Years without Bill Berry (1998-2011): Up - Collapse Into Now (band riding it out more or less)

One of my 2 favourite albums of theirs came after Green, so I'll argue that the band wasn't real after that. And yes, they will get nominated. Maybe even soon?

 

[mancity111]

Ephemerality is best when it comes to David Byrne after all he said it as such and meant it on Letterman.

9/10.

One of the best concert film / documentary albums I have found to date.

 

[GornikDaze]

I'll instead argue the obvious that everything including all 4 original band members is the real R.E.M.

Three stages for me, the first 2 separated by the record label (IRS vs. Warner Brothers [WB]), and the last 2 separated by the presence vs. lack of Bill Berry:

1. The IRS Years (1983-1987): Murmur - Document (origins of the band and rise in following)
2. The WB Years with all 4 members (1988-1996): Green - New Adventures in Hi-Fi (band at its peak popularity)
3. The WB Years without Bill Berry (1998-2011): Up - Collapse Into Now (band riding it out more or less)

One of my 2 favourite albums of theirs came after Green, so I'll argue that the band wasn't real after that. And yes, they will get nominated. Maybe even soon?

Three stages for me as well, but the dates aren’t as fixed -

1) Bad
2) Terrible
3) Shite

;)

 

[Onholiday(somemightsay)]

I also have a review from the top 1100 thread from back in October 2021.

Interestingly, this is the album where after reading some of the reviews, Foggy came to the conclusion that some of us like to dance to music and some of us like the listen.

I’d also forgotten the controversy it stirred up when it was mentioned that there were lots of post-production overdubs.

Stop Making Sense (Live) - Talking Heads

Right, listened to it straight away to get it out of the way. I said after Remain in Light that I wouldn't be bothered if I never heard another Talking Heads album and listening to this has only backed up that hunch.

I'll start with some positives - even though this is a live album, the sound is light years ahead of Remain in Light. You can actually feel the spaces in between the instruments, you can hear the guitar strummed and the individual thump of the drums. "Pyscho Killer" is a great start, a good live version of a studio track that I enjoy. In fact the first few songs looked set to prove me wrong, but I didn't have to wait long to be disappointed all over again.

To borrow a line from Foggy's review of Joe Jackson (because it was so damn funny) and adapt it slightly, even though this is a live album, about 3 or 4 tracks in, somebody decided to push the fader marked "quirky keyboards" up to 85. As if that wasn't enough, a giggling schoolboy managed to sneak through the door during the post-production and added a load of weird random beeps and noises (oh, this is so funny, I feel like my sides are about to split). It makes you want to scream FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, JUST PLAY THE DAMN MUSIC!!!!

And did I mention that David Byrne is another "singer" (and I use that in the loosest possible sense) who you can add to the list of annoying vocalists? No? Well he's not the worst but he ain't great either.

6/10 (and only because I made the mistake of giving Remain in Light the same score when it probably should have been 4).

I remember that very review.............. :-)

 

[Saddleworth2]

I'll instead argue the obvious that everything including all 4 original band members is the real R.E.M.

Three stages for me, the first 2 separated by the record label (IRS vs. Warner Brothers [WB]), and the last 2 separated by the presence vs. lack of Bill Berry:

1. The IRS Years (1983-1987): Murmur - Document (origins of the band and rise in following)
2. The WB Years with all 4 members (1988-1996): Green - New Adventures in Hi-Fi (band at its peak popularity)
3. The WB Years without Bill Berry (1998-2011): Up - Collapse Into Now (band riding it out more or less)

One of my 2 favourite albums of theirs came after Green, so I'll argue that the band wasn't real after that. And yes, they will get nominated. Maybe even soon?

Just goes to show how loyal I am. They only really lost me after Adventures in Hifi. I saw them in 2 stages. Everything before Aftp. Everything after. Have to say I don’t listen to them that much nowadays. Saw them twice live. Once really good. Once really bad.

 

[RobMCFC]

Ok Rob, I’d like to have a go, and will join in with the weekly discussions.

No problem. I've added you to the list. The provisional date is 16th October, but things often change around due to people missing dates, so if you can have your write-up ready to go two weeks earlier, that would be much appreciated.

 

[mancity111]

I don’t disagree that in general I like many of these live versions better than the original album versions — “Found A Job” is the most obvious to me — but I prefer the studio version of “Naive Melody” for example, and it’s still true that this is a retrospective so the art was originally created prior to this. They also did a live album before “Speaking In Tongues” which isn’t as good as this.

I can get someone arguing that Little Creatures is great even though I didn’t care for it, but True Stories and Naked (except for “Nothing But Flowers”) are a sad decline with far less sonic innovation, less humo(u)r and a lot fewer hooks. It’s almost as if they forgot how to write after they finally hit the big time.

But I’m used to Johnny-come-lately Brits trying to argue late REM is better than early REM — which elicits howls of laughter from those of us who were with them from the get-go — so it’s all good. Just kidding :)

LOL

Chronic Town is a masterpiece simple as , if I could only listen to 4 songs from a single piece of vinyl for the rest of my days this would go close.

Anybody who thinks REM late and I mean Green onwards is more enjoyable to listen to and appreciate than their first 5 albums should listen to 83-87 again and again and again.

The odd good track like Texarkana and others I still play but album wise give me pre 88 anytime.

 

[RobMCFC]

I remember that very review.............. :-)

Whilst a lot of my favourite music is from the 80s, it's fair to say that it's a world away from this. A lot of posters I respect on here are giving it crazily high marks, so I'm clearly missing something, but I just don't see or hear it. To be fair, I did give it a 6, so it's average as opposed to not liking it.

But comparing 80s music to that made in the decade either side, it's clear that a lot of bands went crazy with the available technology and in most cases, to the detriment of the craft. I feel like this is one of them.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Whilst a lot of my favourite music is from the 80s, it's fair to say that it's a world away from this. A lot of posters I respect on here are giving it crazily high marks, so I'm clearly missing something, but I just don't see or hear it. To be fair, I did give it a 6, so it's average as opposed to not liking it.

But comparing 80s music to that made in the decade either side, it's clear that a lot of bands went crazy with the available technology and in most cases, to the detriment of the craft. I feel like this is one of them.

5 is average. 6 is slightly positive. ;-)

 

[Big Joe Corrigan]

No problem. I've added you to the list. The provisional date is 16th October, but things often change around due to people missing dates, so if you can have your write-up ready to go two weeks earlier, that would be much appreciated.

Do I PM you the artist / album etc?