Reviews Archiv 147

Wauw, I didn't expect to see this band playing live again after such a long time. But in first place I came here to check out, what has become of the founders of britfunk.
To take one thing ahead, there is only Mark King and keyboardist Mike Lindup left from the original line up, whereby King was and is the musical head of this group.
One thing is for sure as well. The glory years have past for a long time new. Years, when songs like 'Listen To Love' and 'something About You' or 'Leaving Me Now' have pushed the band up to the pop olymp. At this point, it was exactly round 1986 when Level 42 developed their style from jazz funk into commercial pop. And so the kings of this musical direction celebrated their biggest success with the album 'Running In The Family'. But soon after, the walls started to brickle with line up changes and several soloprojects driving the members of the band a bit away from each other. It was a steady up and down 'till about 1995. After that it became pretty quiet and the last tour for a long time ended on oct. 14. with a show at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Meanwhile Mark King saved himself the rights for the name Level 42. Although it took another eight years, until a Best of... CD under the band name was released in 2002. Three years later another CD/DVD came out with old material remastered versions. And finally now a brandnew studioalbum has arrived entitled 'Retroglide' accompanied by a tour of course. And this one stops in Munich at the Tonhalle tonight.

Yes, of course Mr. King has changed, exspecially what's up to the visiual aspect. We all don't get younger, do we?! Apart from that the whole performance seems more relaxed than in the old days.
The current line up consists apart from Mark King, drummer Gary Husband, who has been with the group already in the eighties, though not from the beginning. Furthermore there is Lyndon Connah (keyb), Nathan King (Git), Sean Freeman (Sax) and Original Keyboardist Mike Lindup.
And it works very well indeed and is funking and grooving like hell with a lot of bass. You can realize, that there are first class musicians up there doing their job. The focus is of course the new longplayer 'Retroglide', which goes down pretty well at the audiance, aprox. 400 fans. They listen carefully and save the enthusiasm for later. It seems anyway, that most of the people here, have already survived the high times of Level 42. I belong to those as well, though this music has never touched my personal nerv of taste. But that's a personal thing. No doubt about the high standart quality this lot still delivers. 'Listen To Love' is the last song of the normal set. People wake up and start really to get enthusiastic. The encore continues this enthusiasm with 'Sleeptalking' and 'the Chines Way'.
This here is surely a sentimental journey in time for friends of the advanced funkpop. And it's maybe a new chapter for Level 42. They ain't he onley one's to reach out for a second spring, are?!