Album Review

Levellers – Live at the Royal Albert Hall

• 13th Oct 2009

The Levellers have had a busy year with live performances. The beginning of the year saw them on one tour, this live album coincides with another tour that starts late November.

Having already seen the band many a time, including earlier this year it comes as no surprise that this recording is of a band that know how to sound good live. What is instantly surprising is at the length of it all. 10 songs in total have been selected for this downloadable release which seems a bit skimpy compared to how many you normally get out of the band when they perform live. But we were informed that the disc version will have 13 tracks, and that they have selected the highlights from the show instead of merely throwing everything on.

Enthusiasts might still cry at the fact that so many beloved songs are missing (One Way, World Freak Show, Sell Out, liberty Song, the Boatman), but then this argument would really only hold water maybe 10 years ago. The band are constantly busy and have an even greater amount of tracks added to their repertoire, so naturally you can hardly fit everything in.

What we do get is no less worthy… No Change, Julie, Exodus, Hope St, This Garden are among the songs. And the opportunity for the band to play them at the Royal Albert Hall is something for them to brag about, so it makes sense that they recorded it.

To talk about each performance would be a waste of any levellers fans time as most are quite aware that they know how to do justice to live material and then some. This should be an instant buy for anyone who has yet to see them live, and an easy addition to avid fans.

The only problem with a Live Album from the levellers is that it can no way match how great they are hearing them in person. It’s a fine recording, and a fine selection of songs, and if it encourages people to go and see this already popular live band then so much the better.