World Machine is the sixth studio album by British pop group Level 42, released in 1985. It was the band's breakthrough album internationally and features one of their most successful singles, "Something About You".
| World Machine | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 18 October 1985[1] | |||
| Studio | Maison Rouge (Fulham, London) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 47:04 | |||
| Label | Polydor | |||
| Producer | Wally Badarou, Level 42 | |||
| Level 42 chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from World Machine | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Rolling Stone | (mixed)[5] |
Composition
editThis release marked a transition from their jazz-funk beginnings to the funky pop they are best known for―a transition which eventually resulted in the departure of drummer Phil Gould subsequent to the release of their follow up album Running in the Family.
The album features the singles "Something About You" (the band's only American top 10 hit, peaking at number 7, and a success internationally) and "Leaving Me Now". Also featured is "Physical Presence", the song from which the name for their first live record was taken.
The album was re-released in 2000 as a 2-CD set also including the band's previous album, True Colours. In 2007, World Machine was re-released as a 2-CD remastered Deluxe Edition containing several remixes and live versions as bonus tracks.
The cover photo is of Hafnarfjall, a mountain in west Iceland.
Commercial performance
editWorld Machine peaked at No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart, staying on the chart for 72 weeks. It was also the band's first album to enter the US Billboard 200, peaking at number 18 and staying on the chart for 36 weeks.[6] Album sales have reached over three million copies, being certified 2× Platinum by the BPI.
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "World Machine" | Badarou, P. Gould, King, Lindup | 5:14 |
| 2. | "Physical Presence" | P. Gould, King | 5:27 |
| 3. | "Something About You" | Lindup, P. Gould, King, Badarou, R. Gould | 4:24 |
| 4. | "Leaving Me Now" | Badarou, King, P. Gould | 5:00 |
| 5. | "I Sleep On My Heart" | Badarou, R. Gould, P. Gould, King | 4:04 |
| 6. | "It's Not The Same For Us" | Badarou, King, P. Gould, Lindup | 4:36 |
| 7. | "Dream Crazy" (originally included as a bonus track on the CD and cassette) | R. Gould, King, Lindup | 3:53 |
| 8. | "Good Man in a Storm" | P. Gould, King | 4:36 |
| 9. | "Coup d'état" | P. Gould, King | 3:47 |
| 10. | "Lying Still" | Badarou, R. Gould, King | 5:39 |
- Note: The American versions of the album feature a re-ordered track listing, as well as the substitution of the tracks "Hot Water" and "The Chant Has Begun" (both of which had originally appeared on the band's previous album True Colours) for "I Sleep On My Heart" and "Coup d'état." The vinyl U.S. version of the album featured the single versions of both "Hot Water" and "The Chant Has Begun," while the full-length album version of "The Chant Has Begun" did appear on the U.S. CD edition. ("Dream Crazy," which only appeared on certain European versions of the album did not appear on any of the North American versions).[7][8][9]
Bonus tracks, released 2000
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "I Sleep On My Heart" (remix) | 6:02 |
| 12. | "World Machine" (dub mix) | 7:25 |
| 13. | "Something About You" (Sisa remix) | 7:41 |
Bonus tracks (deluxe edition), released 2007
edit- "World Machine" (Live Hammersmith Odeon 1.2.86) *
- "Leaving Me Now" (Live Hammersmith Odeon 1.2.86) *
- "Something About You" (Live Hammersmith Odeon 1.2.86) *
- "Coup d'état" (Backwards Mix) – originally the B-side to the "Something About You" single
- "Something About You" (Shep Pettibone Mix)
- "I Sleep On My Heart" (Live at Ryde Theatre, Isle of Wight Nov 2000)
- "Dream Crazy" (Live at Ryde Theatre, Isle of Wight Nov 2000)
- "Lying Still" (Live at Ryde Theatre, Isle of Wight Nov 2000)
- "Physical Presence" (Live at Hammersmith Apollo, London, Nov 2003)
- "Leaving Me Now" (Live at Hammersmith Apollo, London, Nov 2003)
- "World Machine" (Phunk Investigation Club Mix) – Electrokingdom featuring Mark King
Personnel
editLevel 42
- Mark King – bass, vocals
- Mike Lindup – keyboards, vocals
- Boon Gould – guitars
- Phil Gould – drums
with:
- Wally Badarou – keyboards, Synclavier, additional vocals
- Gary Barnacle – saxophones
2007 Re-issue:
- Lyndon Connah – keyboards and vocals (Deluxe edition CD2, tracks 6–10)
- Nathan King – guitars and vocals (Deluxe edition CD2, tracks 6–10)
- Gary Husband – drums (Deluxe edition CD2, tracks 6–10)
- Sean Freeman – saxophone and vocals (Deluxe edition CD2, tracks 9, 10)
Production
edit- Level 42 – producers
- Wally Badarou – producer
- Julian Mendelsohn – production assistant, recording, mixing
- Carlos Olms – digital engineer
- Alwyn Clayden – art direction
- Red Ranch – sleeve design
- Mike Trevillion – front cover photography
- Iain McKell – back cover photography
- Paul Crockford – management
- Paul King – management
- Outlaw Management – management company
Charts
edit| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart[10] | 3 |
| US Billboard 200[11] | 18 |
| Canada RPM 100[12] | 15 |
References
edit- ^ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 65.
- ^ Hermann, Andy (25 January 2017). "10 Underrated '80s Bands You Need to Hear Now". L.A. Weekly.
- ^ a b Gibbs, Ryan (15 November 2022). "An introduction to Sophisti-pop". In Between Drafts. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
- ^ AllMusic review
- ^ "Rolling Stone review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 1 September 2017.[dead link]
- ^ "Level 42 - Chart history | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Archived from the original on 30 September 2015.
- ^ Level 42- World Machine (U.S. vinyl LP edition) @Discogs.com Originally retrieved 4-19-2009.
- ^ Level 42- World Machine (Canadian vinyl LP edition) @Discogs.com Originally retrieved 4-19-2009.
- ^ Level 42- World Machine (U.S. CD edition) @Discogs.com Originally retrieved 4-19-2009.
- ^ "LEVEL 42 - full Official Chart History - Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ "Level 42 - Chart history - Billboard". www.billboard.com. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 30 August 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
