Warner Music UK/Rhino release a 35th-Anniversary version of the classic sophomore album from the Levellers.
Originally released in 1991 with that iconic opening “There’s only one way of life / And that’s your own”, the Levellers have put together a 35th Anniversary edition of the album. The remixed version is a single vinyl edition; however, a special CD package includes B-sides from the same era and a host of outtakes and demos for us to enjoy. Many of these have never been heard outside the studio and were discovered on the original tapes and cassettes in the band members’ possession. Many were hidden in the back of cupboards and drawers since the recording sessions. Drummer Charlie Heather discovered a tape cassette labelled “Demos of the LP”, which turned out to be the Levelling The Land demos.
The original album has been remixed from the original master multi-track tapes to sound current without losing its essence. The 1991 record was produced by Al Scott, and so the band called on Scott to work on the new mix. Fiddle player Jon Sevnik explains, “We had 24 tracks of analogue tape to work with, and we used them all. But music in the early 1990s was bound by technology. We were told by the record company that too much bass would overload people’s tiny TV and car speakers, making them fart and rattle. Subsequently, low frequencies were removed from the EQ, which we felt left a slightly disappointing listening experience, particularly when compared to modern recordings.”
A 2007 version of the album included five additional tracks, all of which are included here. That previous set included a live-at-Glastonbury 1992 bonus disc, whereas this 35th Anniversary collection focuses on studio work. The 25th Anniversary boxed set included Live At Brixton Academy material along with the original recording, so you may be wondering whether this collection offers anything to justify the investment. No doubt, for a completist, it’s a must-have.
Starting with the remixed Levelling The Land, as you would expect, the track listing is exactly the same as the original. Straight off the mix, it sounds fresh and full. The bass sounds that Jon Sevnik explained were muted are there, big and upfront. Played loud, as all Levellers songs should be, it sounds impressive. Playing the original back-to-back with the new version, the improvement is perceptible, and when you consider how wonderful the 1991 version sounded, that is an achievement. The new mix doesn’t take anything away from the material just adds a little more weight to the music. The vocals feel like they come forward a little more in the mix, but that could be down to the clarity and the use of modern techniques. One Way sounds better than ever, and the guitar intro to The Boatman feels like being there live with the band before the striking drums hit you hard from the speakers. The violin is, as you would expect, exquisite. The dazzling artwork is the same as originally created by bassist Jeremy Cunningham, including cooling towers, the river, and the DHSS office.
The additional CDs expand the Levelling The Land universe. The first, labelled Part 2, includes the aforementioned B-sides, including the concert favourite The Devil Went Down to Georgia and the second cover, Plastic Jeezus. These are followed by nine outtakes. These prove just how tight and proficient the band were, as each one could easily have been included on the finished collection. Listen carefully; you can hear asides and banter between the band members. The disc concludes with an Al Scott remix of One Way, labelled the Lean Fiddler Mix. It’s a growling drum-and-bass dub mix with Mark Chadwick’s vocals muted and sparse. Scott did a great job.
Part 3, or disc 3, covers the demos. A demo of Fifteen Years is missing from the list, but we get another run-through of B-Sides The Devil Went Down To Georgia and Last Days of Winter; otherwise, the rest follow the same order as the main LP. It is interesting, as always, to see how songs came to be born. You can see right away that the band knew they had something special. You may feel the demo of Another Man’s Cause takes the hopelessness and futility of war up a notch from the original. The sentiments are unfortunately still as true as they were then. That theme runs through the whole three volumes: lyrically, the Levellers are still relevant, and 35 years on, things arguably haven’t changed for the better. It is a musical joy to reconnect with these songs, even though you will ask yourself: is it really 35 years? It can’t be, can it?
