Here is my comments on the new levs album and single. These are obviously my own personal, unofficial views as simple [obsessive :-) ] fan! Enjoy

Bozos - new levs single, released 12^th October

 Don't move too fast you might end up in the gutter
Your feet are steel but your footprints are butter
Well I swore from the day that I was twenty two
That I'd never drink another can of special brew
Well there's really no need to make a fuss
There's really no need cos we're all Bozos on this bus

 My best friend lent me his brand new car
So I drove it through the window of a burger bar
Well heavy on the ketchup with your foot down on the floor
& the devil's got the Mayo and he's heading for the door

 My heart starts thumping & my blood pressure's high
I'm sleeping in the garage 'cos my bedroom's a pig sty
Well heavy on the metal with my foot down on the floor
& your mother's got your breakfast & she's waiting at the garage floor

 This song is NOT credited to the levellers. Songwriters given as 'Moorshead/Travis'

 Fast, poppy number. Dance like drum machine intro and backline. Fiddle v. quiet, no solos almost no existent apart from odd squeaks. Half way between popular single release and album track. Would be at home on Zeitgeist
CCTV like in places. Mark sings with American twang. Oasis-like lyrics.

 B-Sides
Don't Grieve. NOT credited to the levellers. Songwriter given as 'Harper'
Acoustic Number. Exodus like guitar chords. Fairly folkey. Very B-side (a bit like ring of fire.) may well be done as one of the light live numbers. Sounds very Lou Reed!

Plastic Factory - NOT credited to the levellers. Songwriters given as Van Vliet/Handley. Dog train clone. Plodding bass, wailing fiddle. Fairly cheesy rhyming lyrics. Mark obviously revelling in it's 'lo-fi'ness.

One Way of Life. Best of Levellers Album

 Track list.

One Way ***
Beautiful day
Fifteen Years
Shadow on the skin
Hope St. ***
Belaruse ***
Celebrate
Too Real 12" *
Bozos
This Garden *
Carry me ***
Fantasy
Julie *
Dog Train *
Far From Home *
Just the One *

 * Single Version
** new Version
*** New Mix

Review

One way - Rockier version. Exactly same tune/ words. Fiddle toned down quite a lot. 'Roughness' of original recording removed. Acoustic guitar replaced by Wah-Wah Electric Guitar. Overall pretty similar to the version they have been playing live for quite a while.

Beautiful day - As you know. No changes

Fifteen Years - As you know. No changes

 Shadow on the skin - New Song. A direct cross between forgotten ground and dog train. Nice lyrics. Real' singalong at gigs' song. Uplifting - like Far Away. Almost levelling the land ish.

Hope Street - Revamped drums. Hardly any difference - no musical/lyrical change

Belaruse - New FX at start. New continuous FX backline. Stronger drums - heavier bass. Sounds a bit manic! Fiddle a bit clearer. Could almost be too heavy percussion - a bit overpowering. Detracts from subtlety

Celebrate - As you know. No changes. Mark Chadwick's favourite Levs song

 Too Real - The superior 12" version. You probably know it

 Bozos - See single review

 This Garden - Single Version. No changes

 Carry Me - Has been completely re-recorded. Faster with a slightly less prominent fiddle part. Better sung than the original, instruments in tune this time. Slightly different fiddle solo. Not so pensive and raw as the original. Still beautiful

Fantasy - As you know. No changes
Julie - As you know. No changes
Dog Train - As you know. No changes
Far From Home - As you know. No changes
Just the One - As you know. No changes

 Overall comments on the album/single.

 It is off the top of my head, the longest levs album, clocking in at 61 mins. The artwork (on my promo copy at least) is the original 'curse on your first born' advert. As used to advertise the tour. It is fairly clear that this is not a BEST OF album. There is no Another Mans Cause/Elation and no b-sides. It is however, a collection of singles A-Sides. (every song on this album has been, for better or worse released as a single. Notable exceptions include - Exodus, Together All The Way and Outside Inside.

The single artwork is taken from the membership folder (bloke with crown on head) The spine continues the LEVELLERS logo from the other sing.

Click the small piccy for full size artwork