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Level 42 / The Complete Polydor Years 1985-1989 unboxed
SDE takes a look at the new Level 42 Complete Polydor Years 1985-1989 box set which contains classic albums and bonus material across 10 CDs. Watch the video…
The Complete Polydor Years 1985-89 box set is out now and is now just over £40 at the time of writing in the UK
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Level 42
Complete Polydor Years 1985-1989 - 10CD box
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Level 42 / The Complete Polydor Years 1985-1989
Paul, can you do a new unboxing for the upcoming The Later Years 7-CD boxset of 90’s Level 42?!
First box is in Cherry Red’s 20% off sale if anyone still hasn’t got it.
http://www.cherryred.co.uk/soul-disco-sale-august-2021/
Have you heard anything through the grapevine about a “BMG years” box set for the remaining albums perhaps, Paul? Maybe it wouldn’t be so many discs but I’d love to see Guaranteed and Forever Now (and what the hell, throw in Retroglide and the EP thing in there as well) get the same treatment…
Agreed. They could pad out the bonus discs with plenty live performances.
There were expanded 2-CD editions of “Guaranteed” & “Forever Now” from the Edsel label, and while they were thorough compilations, the discs were marred by excessive use of “Loudness Wars” processing, to the extent that the music is distorted. I’d be receptive to a new, properly mastered edition of those recordings, and perhaps the “Guaranteed Live” video programme could be included. It has never been released on DVD.
Actually, Guaranteed Live has been released on DVD a while back: https://superdeluxeedition.com/news/level-42-live-cddvd-set/
Got it already and it’s a very complete collection of the years (as I see it). First two CD’s Live recording, The Albums, The 7 inches, B sides and 2 CD’s with the 12 inch & remixes, The Bonus must have been added for all those odd 12″ released vinyls and EP’s. Frankly a well packed from the years I listened intensely to Level 42. Well worth the money.
I miss the 1984 releases, that would made this box complete. But as a Level 42 fan I got the Micro kid 10 min version somewhere else so I am good.
This boxset covers the years 1980 – 1984:
https://amzn.to/3C66fJX
What 10 minute version of Micro Kid ?
“It’s the law” ;-)
That made me chuckle as well.
Haha! I had to get this, despite owning far too much Level 42 on CD as it is. But when I opened my copy this morning, I was not disappointed. It’s beautifully put together. I concur with Paul that the booklet is really stylish and presents all the album eras very well with little elements and colour schemes and photos of the various formats laid out together. This was my favourite era of the band, and you can tell the sets have been put together by people who treated it as a labour of love.
I have “Running In The Family” and “Staring At The Sun”. I do not have the live album and the 7″ and 12″ Inch mixes. Now I would like to know how the sound quality is of the CD’s?
Sound quality is superb. Sadly nothing can be done for the annoying whistles that sound throughout A Physical Presence double album. (Honestly, where are venue security when you need them…)
That whistle has been annoying me ever since I bought the 1-cd version of the album in 1989 (my very first cd btw)! I’ve got some recordings of those live sessions of songs that were omitted from the album (because Mark forgot the words to Are You Hearing What I Hear for instance, which is hilarious) and there it’s even worse. So they got quite a bit of it down with proper mixing…
I love that you’re as much of a stickler for packaging consistency as I am. Few things drive me more crazy than when a collection / series gets changed up stylistically midway or just randomly for no reason. Glad to see they stayed the course with these sets.
Considering these 2 were planned together & released within a couple of months of each other consistency was probably pretty easy to achieve compared to some of the others shown which were released over a period of quite a few years.
I agree it’s definitely easier if you are doing them close together, but if it’s the same label releasing the other versions (which is was in both cases in my examples). There’s not much of an excuse. It’s not like they are going back decades! You just dig out the archived artwork and change accordingly. It’s actually much EASIER than doing a new format. Concord really should have stuck to the Out of Time format for all three REM reissues.
Although I had seen them live in the early days the World Machine doubleplay cassette was my first album purchase by Level 42. These are great box sets. Pity Forever Now wasnt on Polydor cos that is my personal favourite.
‘How you gonna resist that?’ Exactly. I can’t. I didn’t. I’ve just ordered it now :)
Looking forward to this set arriving at some point today.
Pre-ordered from Amazon at £52.99 and see it’s now down to £40.99. Anyone had experience of their pre-order price guarantee when items are reduced on release day?
Help info on Amazon suggests that pre-order price guarantee is in effect until end of release day. Hopefully, I’ll get an automatic refund.
you usually do! They sometimes need a little reminder, but a refund of the difference is always forthcoming I find.
You should get an email overnight with refund details. Never had any problems with release day price drops
I got my £12 refund this morning.
Just received my amazon email this morning.
We are writing to confirm that we are processing your refund in the amount of £9.86 for your Order.
Reason for refund: Pre-order price protection.
Got my set yesterday & refund notification today.
It usually happens automatically.
A great price and now I’m waiting for the Amazon man to deliver. If its as good as volume 1 …
Thanks Cherry Red for releasing this pair.