Standing in the Light es un álbum de Level 42, publicado en 1983 por Polydor. El disco incluye 9 canciones, entre ellas «Micro Kid», «The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)», «Out of Sight, Out of Mind» y «Dance on Heavy Weather».
Sobre el álbum
El tercer álbum de estudio, Standing in the Light, de 1983, es el disco que marca el inicio de la transición de Level 42 desde el jazz-funk de culto hacia un pop más accesible y radiable. En este trabajo la banda comienza a dar un mayor protagonismo a las estructuras de las canciones y a las melodías vocales, en detrimento de las largas secciones instrumentales. Es un paso crucial en su evolución.
En primer lugar, el cambio se hace evidente en la producción. La banda colabora con los productores Larry Dunn y Verdine White, ambos miembros de la legendaria banda de funk Earth, Wind & Fire. El sonido del álbum es más pulido, brillante y con un claro enfoque en el mercado estadounidense.
El disco contiene el single "The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)", que se convirtió en su primer top 10 en el Reino Unido. Esta canción, con su ritmo relajado y su atmósfera veraniega, es un ejemplo perfecto del "sophisti-pop", un pop sofisticado y con influencias del jazz y el soul que triunfaría en los años 80.
Mientras tanto, la habilidad instrumental de la banda sigue presente, pero de una forma más contenida y al servicio de la canción. "Standing in the Light" es un disco de transición muy bien ejecutado, una obra que supo combinar su virtuosismo con un nuevo sentido de la melodía pop, abriendo el camino hacia el éxito masivo que estaba por llegar.
Listado de Canciones
- Micro Kid
- The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)
Letra
Though I live in the edge time is on my side All the doors to my life are open wide Just as long as the wheels keep on turning round I will live for the groove 'til the sun goes down Living it up ... living it up ... I can feel it Living it up ... is it a crazy notion? Living it up ... living it up ... I can feel it Living it up ... I got forward motion I don't wanna go to war, I don't wanna go to war I said I know what I want an' I don't wanna go to war Do you follow me? I saw a soldier standing in a bar, looked so tired, he'd come so far He said "I need to love someone before they drop the atom bomb" There's a girl at the back making eyes at me And her hair long and black is a sight to see But I get kind of scared when love's around I just live for the groove 'til the sun goes down Living it up ... living it up ... I can feel it Living it up ... is it a false emotion? Living it up ... living it up ... I can feel it Living it up ... I got forward motion So I'm-a-taking you out but I'm-a-faking I'm married to the beat To the music I gave the heart I could have given you-hoo Still there's something 'bout the way that you move And the way the people stare, it's the shock of the new I want my friends to see me standing next to you The sun goes down Time is on my side I don't care what they say, I'll enjoy the ride But I get kind of scared when I turn around So I'll stay with the groove 'til the sun goes down Living it up ... living it up ... I can feel it Living it up ... I got forward motion Ooh watch her dance There must be one like her in every club in every town But I don't mind if that's the way she wants to be There something 'bout her that reminds me of me She's my soulmate - we'll be together 'til the sun goes down The sun goes down Living it up ... living it up ... I can feel it Living it up ... I got forward motion - Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Letra
I remember your goodbye And the late December sky Seems so long ago You were standing on the quay And you blew a kiss to me I was sad to go The ship began to pull away Then I heard a stranger say It's sad to see true lovers part 'cause sometimes lovers feel a change of heart Out of sight and out of mind Well the stranger's words came true And the prophecy went through I knew it would change my world 'cause when I called your home A whispered conversation I overheard I asked you what was going on You said that I'd been gone too long And the rain that fell in West Berlin Was nothing like the rain that fell within Out of sight and out of mind Oh, Regine Here am I So far away Out of sight, out of mind Love has gone But I will shine Day after day I will take what love I find So I made some other plans Took my life in these two hands And I know I won't turn around Though I often see your face When I'm in a crowded place It doesn't get me down I met a girl with smiling eyes Full of love and worldly wise She told me she knows what to do To help me put the memories of you Out of sight and out of mind [Chorus] - Dance on Heavy Weather
Letra
Take a chance - and dance It's a chance - dance All across the world there's people high on confrontation And they try to solve their problems burning up the nation Turn the whole world upside down and leave it in confusion But still we get no answers using yesterday's solutions We are the ones, keep sight of it Don't have to make a fight of it Dance on heavy weather Learn to live with modern times You can take the pressure It's all a state of mind - so we can Dance on heavy weather Raise the heartbeat of the young If we move together Don't you know that we are the ones Take a chance - and dance It's a chance - dance You can try to hide behind a mask of contemplation Say you want to live your life in private isolation From the east you can't ignore the storm of disillusion And so it falls on all our shoulders to find a new solution You've got to make a start of it You've got to feel a part of it Dance on heavy weather Learn to live with modern times You can take the pressure It's all a state of mind - so we can Dance on heavy weather Raise the heartbeat of the young If we move together Let the soul - take control - we are the ones Take a chance - and dance It's a chance - dance Hear the sound of the heartbeat of the young Though the rhythm is so unfamiliar Just be sure to be there now the time has come Hear the music that brings us together Dance on heavy weather Hear the sound of the heartbeat of the young We can take the pressure We may have a solution, we are the ones Dance on heavy weather Hear the sound of the heartbeat of the young If we move together We may have a solution, we are the ones - Pharoah's Dream (Of Endless Time)
- Standing in the Light
Letra
A summer's day in sixty-eight Sunlight through a window falls across the page A young boy tries to concentrate His mind would rather fly beyond the classroom cage He can take the teacher's voice Turn it into music from another place All the other kids don't have that choice Hanging on to every word the teacher says Day and night - we will be touched Standing in the light - don't shadow the genius So out of school he walks alone Soon his thoughts are flowing like a golden stream An empty house he calls his own This place becomes a temple to a silent dream Sometimes he will clap and sing Then deep in meditation he will learn to be And only birds upon the wing With upward fascination claim to be so free Day and night - we will be touched Standing in the light - don't shadow the genius Your smile, your freedom Comes to you from within Still a child with a reason You're afraid but it's time to begin Blow the wind of change Though the words are strange - to hear Say what's on your mind Now is not the time - for fear A summer's day in eight-one Sunlight through a window falls across the page A young man's fight has just begun And rising up inside him is a burning rage They called his dream a fantasy A song that every child has sung since time began But just as long as he believes Standing in the light he'll make them understand - I Want Eyes
Letra
It's late I know but I can't sleep Peace of mind is hard to keep I saw it on the news today A thousand lives just blown away I want eyes I want eyes Another page in history But the why is still a mystery Won't you come so we can talk this through Do you need me now like I need you I want eyes I want eyes On the beach lies a boy Thrown away like a toy In the field lies a man Left behind, he was calling, calling No one saw him die Sitting there you're telling me That everything is meant to be But when I say I can't go on I know I'm not the only one I just can't live on planet hope And watch the world go up in smoke I don't know how to face the facts When I see a child respond to impact I want eyes I want eyes I want eyes I want eyes So I wake every night With the same dream in mind In a field there's a man Left behind, he was calling, calling No one saw me cry Call - People
Letra
I'm forever struck by the people in this town and the way they go about their world have they given up all the fun they used to have in adolescent xanadu everything is too much time and trouble they must be seen as being respectable they're too busy with their social climbing waiting for a rise [Chorus] Why can't people just be people when they were young they would wish for the summer evenings that would never end now the day's too long and the key to life is locked away in childhood memories some people judge a man as reasonable if the wine he buys is seasonable they've time for friendship if it's advantageous and causes no pain [Chorus] why are people so deceitful why can't people just be people there is more to the world than is offered by the soap and war found on the TV screen and there is more to this life if you would only take the time to look within and find the key don't believe words when they're superficial don't put your trust in values artificial let your heart do the talking for a little and feel yourself shine [Chorus] why can't people trust in people why can't people just be people find the time and you'll realise life isn't too much time and trouble [repeat til fade] - Machine Stops