Harman Patil (Editor)

Level Headed

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Released
  
January 1978 (1978-01)

Length
  
39:53

Producer
  
Sweet

Recorded
  
1977

Label
  
Polydor Capitol

Genre
  
Neo-progressive rock Art rock Pop rock

Level Headed is the sixth album by Sweet. It features "Love Is Like Oxygen", the band's last original single to hit the top 40 on both sides of the Atlantic, peaking at #8 in the US and #9 in the UK. The single version of "Love Is Like Oxygen" is substantially shorter than the album version, and the US version has only the first verse, shorter intermezzo and the funk outro. A second single, "California Nights", was released from the album but only reached #76 in the US.

Contents

This was the last album to feature the classic lineup, as Brian Connolly departed around a year after the album's release, in order to embark on a solo career. The remaining trio of Steve Priest, Andy Scott, and Mick Tucker continued as Sweet and delivered three more albums before breaking up in 1981.

Reception

Allmusic lauded the album in their retrospective review, praising the wild sampling of styles and the band's shift from their earlier bubblegum singles to album-driven rock. They concluded "Certainly, this is not classic-era Sweet, but that's precisely what's good about Level Headed - they're off-kilter and adventurous, occasionally stumbling but always making interesting music on an album that's anything but what the title promises."

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Brian Connolly, Steve Priest, Andy Scott, and Mick Tucker except where noted.

European release

  1. "Dream On" (Scott) – 2:53
  2. "Love Is Like Oxygen" (Scott, Trevor Griffin) – 6:53
  3. "California Nights" – 3:45
  4. "Strong Love" – 3:28
  5. "Fountain" – 4:44
  6. "Anthem No. I (Lady of the Lake)" – 4:11
  7. "Silverbird" – 3:26
  8. "Lettres D'Amour" – 3:30
  9. "Anthem No. II" – 1:02
  10. "Air on 'A' Tape Loop" (Priest, Scott, Tucker) – 5:59

Bonus tracks on 1991/1997 reissues

  1. "Love Is Like Oxygen" (single version) - 3:48
  2. "Cover Girl" – 3:34
  3. "California Nights " (single version) – 3:22
  4. "Show Me The Way" – 3:22

Bonus track on 2005 reissue

  1. "Love Is Like Oxygen" (single version) - 3:49

US release

An alternate version with a different running order and album cover was released in the US on Capitol Records.

  1. "California Nights" - 3:39
  2. "Silverbird" - 3:24
  3. "Dream On" - 2:50
  4. "Fountain" (last part with harpsichord is shorter and no hi-hat cymbals) - 4:12
  5. "Love Is Like Oxygen" - 6:49
  6. "Anthem No. I (Lady of the Lake)" - 4:08
  7. "Strong Love" - 3:28
  8. "Lettres D'Amour" - 3:27
  9. "Anthem No. II" - 0:58
  10. "Air on 'A' Tape Loop" - 5:59

Personnel

  • Brian Connolly – lead vocals (except as noted)
  • Steve Priest – bass guitar, synthesizer voice, lead vocals (track 1), backing vocals
  • Andy Scott – guitar, synthesizer, lead vocals (tracks 3, 4), backing vocals
  • Mick Tucker – drums, percussion, backing vocals
    • Additional personnel
  • Ronnie Asprey – brass
  • Richard Harvey – baroque wind
  • Stevie Lange – vocals (track 8)
  • Geoff Westley – keyboards, string arrangements (tracks 6, 9)

    • References

    Level Headed Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA