The Levellers - Levelling the Land , (just listen to it and that's it?)

Creed_Clicks

Only was ever really familiar with what I heard on the radio. Hope Street etc.
Levelling the Land seems to be their best liked one? Some cracking songs on it in fairness.

EricTheWeary

Oh long time since I’ve heard that album, MrsTheWeary had it on cassette and we went to see them live. Might look for it on streaming platforms ( if The Levellers do that) whilst I’m washing up later. 

Gassage

Levelllers on album- good.

Levellers live- jaw droppingly brilliant.

I spent most of the early 90s watching them conquer every festival in Europe.

Sporky

I was never that keen. I thought there was one song of theirs I liked a bit but it turned out to be (IIRC) The Waterboys. 

DesVegas

The guitar on Boatman is ace.. not sure if that's on this album though 

Gassage

I was literally pressed against the front of the stage during this with about 20 or 30 pals who had followed them everywhere to every Festie in Europe (via London Calling Music Travel)- I was absolutely shit faced and tripping my nuts off on whizz, MDMA, weed and booze.......post show we would join the band and get even further shitfaced- dutch army boots, cargos and white dreads were de riguer.....literally, it was nothing to go through 1/2oz (solid old school hash!) on one of those nights. Major league moshing- survival of the fittest and many punches thrown. I remember 'basing' a four man pyramid that night and my back has never been the same since.. I also recall my first LSD trip on a bus going to Tourhout in Belgium and suddenly a purple TV screen appeared on the back of my hand...!! They even nicknamed me the upper crusty! Such happy, happy days.

It was a monumental performance that night- one that took them to top billings everywhere for a short time - so many little things I can remember- I simply cannot believe it was 29 years ago. I think Beanfield and Another Man's Cause would both be in the first five songs I learned all the way through on a guitar.

They might not be the best musicians, but they were melodic, visceral, genuine, brilliant- they were all of those- and still, to this day, consistently one of the best live bands I've ever seen for those reasons. The Brighton Pier gig almost brought the pier down, and the T&C Gig was one of the best I have ever seen.

I just wiped away a little tear. Where did my life go?

Jfingers

They were very good fun at small 'crusty' gigs back in the day, I've not listened to them for decades.

Creed_Clicks

@Gassage@ ;
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/apr/22/the-levellers-look-back

Gassage

Me, building pyramids in Tourhout Belgum, Levellers 1993.

munckee

I’ve seen them a few times and levelling the land by far the best album. Great stage show. Girl from fifteen years ago, battle of the bean field and boatman stand out tracks but Belarus later on also a favourite of mine. 

RocknRollDave

Suddenly remembered the song 15 Years a couple of months back and gave it a right good few spins. Great song!

MagicPigDetective

Yes brilliant album. I’ve just seen them once, that was an ‘unplugged’ type seated concert at Wrexham about five years ago, it was excellent, though by the sounds of it very different from their full on gigs.

A song I like a lot is Men-an-Tol off the Zeitgeist album. 

Gassage

Fuck- this thread has really had an emotional impact on me- and for that I am very thankful.

Just listening (and strumming along to) Another Man's Cause- the middle eight in that is still one of the most fabulously crafted change ups in a 3 chord song ('now she wonders at it all' etc...). Chadders had a great voice.

RocknRollDave

Gassage said:

Fuck- this thread has really had an emotional impact on me- and for that I am very thankful.

Just listening (and strumming along to) Another Man's Cause- the middle eight in that is still one of the most fabulously crafted change ups in a 3 chord song ('now she wonders at it all' etc...). Chadders had a great voice.

Loving the passion this thread has brought out in you. This is what music is all about, for me. 

Even with one’s favourite bands, even at a great gig where they’re playing great, that kind of out-of-body experience that we music fans chase isn’t always guaranteed, but is there much in life as pure and life-affirming as those moments when it all comes together and seems to lift you off your feet?

Gassage

RocknRollDave said:

Gassage said:

Fuck- this thread has really had an emotional impact on me- and for that I am very thankful.

Just listening (and strumming along to) Another Man's Cause- the middle eight in that is still one of the most fabulously crafted change ups in a 3 chord song ('now she wonders at it all' etc...). Chadders had a great voice.

Loving the passion this thread has brought out in you. This is what music is all about, for me. 

Even with one’s favourite bands, even at a great gig where they’re playing great, that kind of out-of-body experience that we music fans chase isn’t always guaranteed, but is there much in life as pure and life-affirming as those moments when it all comes together and seems to lift you off your feet?

Thank you.

Friendships - so many of them - came from those days. I guess they (and All About Eve) were the reasons I bought a guitar. I remember buying my first electric (a MIM CAR Strat) and being told by Mark & Simon (at Pinkpop, shitfaced!)  to 'fuck that and get a Gibson....'

I also recall well them playing the old NEC smaller venue four nights in a row (92 or 93?)- and our gang got tickets for every night- my pal Paul (still in contact) had a VW Camper split screen- and the entire purpose of him buying the van was to ensure we had a gas stove for 'Hot Knives' which literally happened on the motorway, on A roads, wherever..... I mean, who the hell remembers doing hot knives?!?!? 

He had a hash den in Portland St in Cheltenham- literally the seediest place ever, booming trance and drum and bass 24/7.

I actually pity kids missing out on this level of sheer debauchery and hedonism these days.

EricTheWeary

Couldn't convince the Google mini in the kitchen that Levelling the Land exists but have had a Levellers playlist on. Some great songs although I'd not miss the folk rap moments. 

lustycourtier

Gassage said:

RocknRollDave said:

Gassage said:

Fuck- this thread has really had an emotional impact on me- and for that I am very thankful.

Just listening (and strumming along to) Another Man's Cause- the middle eight in that is still one of the most fabulously crafted change ups in a 3 chord song ('now she wonders at it all' etc...). Chadders had a great voice.

Loving the passion this thread has brought out in you. This is what music is all about, for me. 

Even with one’s favourite bands, even at a great gig where they’re playing great, that kind of out-of-body experience that we music fans chase isn’t always guaranteed, but is there much in life as pure and life-affirming as those moments when it all comes together and seems to lift you off your feet?

Thank you.

Friendships - so many of them - came from those days. I guess they (and All About Eve) were the reasons I bought a guitar. I remember buying my first electric (a MIM CAR Strat) and being told by Mark & Simon (at Pinkpop, shitfaced!)  to 'fuck that and get a Gibson....'

I also recall well them playing the old NEC smaller venue four nights in a row (92 or 93?)- and our gang got tickets for every night- my pal Paul (still in contact) had a VW Camper split screen- and the entire purpose of him buying the van was to ensure we had a gas stove for 'Hot Knives' which literally happened on the motorway, on A roads, wherever..... I mean, who the hell remembers doing hot knives?!?!? 

He had a hash den in Portland St in Cheltenham- literally the seediest place ever, booming trance and drum and bass 24/7.

I actually pity kids missing out on this level of sheer debauchery and hedonism these days.

Hot knives get mentioned about once a week in my circle of friends, my mum and dad still moan about my brother 'losing all their knives in 90s! Wonderful band the levellers, and a joy to read your joyful posts. I have similar memories of seeing them (every gig someone would hear a rumour Jeremy had cut his dreads off!)

JonnyBgoode

Saw them at Bristol Poly first (or was it already a Uni then..) round about 1989 and there were about 30 people in the audience. Saw them many times at festivals and gigs after that as they got bigger and bigger. My mate went out with one of the girls who followed them everywhere, though she was a bit nuts.

My copy of Leveling the Land is probably in the loft somewhere...I followed other bands at the time,  hitching round the country seeing lots of bands,  crashing on people's floors, cheap booze before the gigs (Thunderbird wine, Merrydown cider...) .
Great days :-) not sure that sub culture even exists now?

DannyP

Sporky said:

I was never that keen. I thought there was one song of theirs I liked a bit but it turned out to be (IIRC) The Waterboys. 

That'll be Fisherman's Blues.

I tried to listen to Levelling The Land recently for nostalgia's sake and found the production kinda tinny.

Kittyfrisk

The Levellers to me were very much a live experience, not so well captured by recordings.
A bit like Mega City Four. Another brilliant band with huge live energy  

blobb

Their version of 'Where the hell are we going to live...' is not a patch on Vin's.