Forever Now

It seems that Level 42 had rediscovered their mojo with Forever Now.

Apart from a few tracks, the previous two albums were a bit directionless and uninspired - and ultimately boring. (Though not by any means bad, 'Guaranteed' in particular, was fairly depressing with its lyrical themes of death and misery overshadowing the music). This album shows the band back at their best - two reasons for this which cannot be argued; 1) the return to their jazz-funk sound, and 2) the return of original drummer Phillip Gould. While Forever Now maybe lacks the energy of the debut release or the sucker punch of World Machine, this is definitely Level 42's best album SINCE World Machine, and musically (while it doesn't actually sound like either) is a hybrid of the jazz-funk of the former, and the more polished sound of the latter, respectively (albeit with a more updated sound).

By the time this album was recorded, the '80's was nothing but a distant memory. The overly-processed 'Running In The Family' sound that the band had been stuck with for the past 7 years until this album release were now gone and had been replaced with a fresher, fuller sound; gone were the mechanical synths synonymous with the late '80's and instead pianos, organs and warmer-sounding synths were brought into play (all excellently played by Lindup & Badarou); similarly the drums sound a lot more organic and present in the mix than those heard on any Level 42 album since World Machine - indeed - Phil Gould's rock-steady beat and excellent hi-hat and snare work adding a welcome sense of depth and groove to the material. Of course, the funky bass riffs are still the driving force behind the music, but Mark King's bass lines are not as boisterous and aggressive this time around, instead he opts for a more muted sound with less slaps - and the softer sound only helps even out the musical soundscape by allowing other instruments to be be brought into the foray. The production remains smooth throughout but it also allows the music to breathe, and is a perfect balance of glossy and earthy vibes.

Forever Now is also a lot more laid-back than most Level 42 albums - more than half of the songs are slow or/mid-tempo tracks, while only 4 or 5 are more uptempo, and when considering the opus totals 17 tracks, you may be forgiven for assuming it will be mostly sleep-inducing, especially if you hold tracks like 'Almost There' and 'Hot Water' as your personal favourites. However, this is definitely not the case. Quality musicianship, a new sense of vigour and most importantly, inspired song-writing ensures that this album never gets boring and offers up a few alternating styles and moods that keep the listen interesting, to name a few; the trippy acid-jazz of the 'The Bends', the sultry R&B of 'One In A Million', the dark and witty 'Past Lives', the fusion of "Model Friend' and the accomplished and uplifting 'Love In A Peaceful World' with its wonderful harmonies and lyrics. Like a lot of the early Level 42 albums, there is an abundance of instruments on display here; harps, horns, strings, and a lot of percussion. They even get in on the action of sampling and using their own loop tracks, put to best effect with the didgeridoo-sounding vocal loops on the mellow 'Billy's Gone'.

Forever Now proves, that when reunited with those (or a greater majority of those) who collectively conceived the Level 42 project in the first place, the band can create some of its best music - long after it was initially born. Collaborating with Phil Gould was exactly what the band needed after such lackluster results prior to this, and his influence is all over the record. Quite what happened between he and Mark King after that, is a great pity. Had the band not split - and with the mid-nineties getting to grips with modern electronica - the momentum gathered here could have steamrollered down any number of musical paths, the synth based 'Learn To Say No' being the most obvious example.

Regardless of what could have happened, this DID happen, and fans of early Level 42 ('80-'85) should not be without this album.

Forever now was the last of the series of albums with mark king and mike lindup together.By the time this album came out there popularity had dwindled after there commercial sucess of World machine and Running in the family.Being a Level 42 fan since 1981 i watched and listened to all there music.This album wasn,t a hit but i think its great easy listening especially certain tracks like The Sunbed Song mellow and laid back to the upbeat All Over You.Well worth a purchase i feel.

If you like the older Level 42 stuff then you are sure to like this. The basic album on it's own is good but it is further enhanced by the additioal re-mixes. These could only previously be found as 'B' sides on singles released from the album.

A definate must for a true fan.