Level 42/Mark King Web Site - Mark King

UK	US	*Japan*
#77 (2 weeks on chart)	Not known	Not known

*Track*	*Song Title*	*Version*	*Writers*	*Length*
1	The Essential		(M.King)	18:32
2	Clocks Go Forward		(M.King/R.Gould)	5:20
3	I Feel Free		(Bruce/Brown)	4:37
4	Pictures On The Wall		(M.King/R.Gould)	4:51
5	There Is A Dog		(M.King)	6:26

Reviews

Remember the days of Miles Davis in patchwork flares and "Bitches Brew" of John McLaughlin and Miroslav Vitous and Mahavishou and Return To Forever; of Herbie Hancock with an enormous Afro and Headhunters? No, nor do I... leastwise, not first hand. But Level 42 bass man Mark King does and here's his first solo album to prove it.

I think I am in the fortunate position of not knowing the impact said albums and artists had at their first insurrection because there is bound to be a lot of 'it's not like the real thing' flying about. I'm listening to how the album sounds now and it sounds good - bloody good!

There is only the one cover tune on the album, an apparently faithful update of a Cream hit called "I Feel Fee", and you are probably aware of it as the current single and the sort of thing keeping old hippie DJ's in seventh heaven. But you may (or may not) be glad to know it is in no way a reflection of the rest of the album. In fact, nothing is!

The first side is a complete suite entitled "The Essential", a twenty-odd minute time capsule that reflects the moods, styles and tempos we have all come to know since those early jazz/rock/fusion days. The movements flow through rocky time, choral effects, full blown reed solos and spiralling reprise a.k.a. Weather Report.

The last but one movement is real strightahead-at-a-gallop on which King takes the shackles of his bass. And, please note, the sleeve specifies that all instruments are recorded in real time - there are no special effects here.

Side two is going to prove much more accessible with "Clocks Go Forward" a tuneful, groovy number featuring Aswad's Drummie on the beat, the single "I Feel Free", the only Level 42 echo; the funky "Picture On The Wall" and an excellent piece of fast-flowing flamenco/Latin called "There Is A Dog" (which I think is deep, man).

It's worth noting that Mark King laid down all the vocals, basses, guitar, keyboards, drums and percussion himself, one track at a time, but each time it was a first take. This means Mark could create a sound on vinyl like a sculpture gets an image from a stone, and like any piece of art each will get his own from it. Rating: 9 by LD - B&S No 411 July 17th 1984.

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Level 42/Mark King Web Site
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