Search - Levitation :: World Around & 2 More

BOTH versions of this item are excellent, but only ONE can b

Charles | Atlanta, GA | 10/13/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am posting this review as an aid to Levitation fans, random buyers, and sellers of this item here on Amazon.



Firstly, let's clear up a major discrepancy with this item's detail page.



There are, in fact, TWO versions of this single, one that contains 3 tracks ("World Around", "Jay", "Usher") and one that contains 4 tracks ("World Around", "Resist", "Purgatory", "Mantra").



The item listed on this detail page, the 4-track Capitol Records release of Levitation's World Around single, is likely NOT the item you will find from the sellers linked to this page.



The item that the sellers linked to this page are selling is the Rough Trade/EMI/Capitol 3-track version, but for some time now, Amazon has listed it as the 4-track Capitol release. Through periodic monitoring of this item and directly emailing the sellers, I have learned that none of the sellers here are selling the 4-track version of the single.



The problem seems to lie with the fact that the two versions released domestically by Capitol somehow share the same catalogue number (see detail below).



It is known to many Levitation fans that the 4-track single exists, but none ever seem to appear here from any sellers. I have also heard it said that the 4-track single was a cassette-only release, which if true, renders it a completely different class of item. In any case, it does not shed any light on the confusing catalogue number problem.



SO...



If you are a seller of this item, PLEASE be sure to detail WHICH single you are selling in your item description. Any designator will do: "3 tracks", "3-track version", "4 tracks"...whatever. Some sellers have taken the time to do this, others haven't. If you are posting a new item to this page, PLEASE indicate which item you have. It will save all of us, buyers and sellers alike, a lot of time.



If you are a buyer or Levitation fan looking for this item (4-track version), you probably won't find it here, unless a seller that actually has one eventually comes along and posts one. Hopefully, should this occur, the seller will have read this review and labeled the item accordingly.



To Amazon: any chance you might finally FIX this problem by having the correct sellers accurately linked with the correct items?



For buyers' and sellers' (and Amazon's) benefit, here are the catalogue specs for the two versions of the single:



4-TRACK VERSION-

(the item detailed here)

Title: WORLD AROUND EP

Format: CD (and/or Cassette??)

Track list: World Around, Resist, Purgatory, Mantra

Label: Capitol Records (US)

Cat no: C215841



3-TRACK VERSION-

(the item actually sold here)

Title: WORLD AROUND EP

Format: CD

Track list: World Around, Jay, Usher.

Label: Rough Trade (UK)

Cat no: R2853, R2857

Label: EMI(Germany)

Cat no: CD 86 2004 2

Label: Capitol(USA)

Cat no: C2-15841



I hope this info helps to clear things up for both buyers and sellers. If anyone from Capitol Records happens upon this page and wishes to clear up the catalogue number issue once and for all, that would be most helpful.



Now for the items themselves...



Levitation were a rare phenomenon. They came along at a time when "Grunge" was taking the world by storm, and intelligent, progressive psychedelia was beginning to temporarily slip out of mass awareness. What's worse, the band barely made the radar here in the States, and to our own detriment.



Levitation were one of the most uniquely gifted, exquisitely talented rock bands to come along in many, many years, and the fact that they vanished almost as quickly as they arrived is on the one hand unfortunate, and on the other, quite fitting. They blew through like a passing comet, and shone brightly for those who were paying attention. For those who were not, I'm sad to say that you missed out on one of the most profound convergences of musical talent since the 60s and 70s. But, it is not too late...



Both versions of this "World Around" single are excellent glimpses into the magic that was Levitation, at the time of their brilliant LP release "Need For Not".



With the 3-track version sold here, you get a sampling of Levitation's most accessible work, the radio-friendly "World Around". Also included is a fabulous instrumental piece entitled "Jay", which is not only one of my favorite Levitation tracks, but one of my very favorite rock instrumentals of all time, as well. "Jay" first appeared on a fan-club cassette release of demo tracks, and it reappears here in upgraded form and in full glory. This track is a GEM, and is evidence of the band's true brilliance, as it illustrates how effectively emotionally evocative the band could be, with or without vocals. "Usher" is another great tune, an indicative sampling of the band's more brooding side, and a prime example of their penchant for fusing haunting psychedelia with driving, technically precise rock.



The 4-track version is just as brilliant, containing the aforementioned "World Around", but also including another of their classic tracks, "Resist". The 3rd track on this version is the main point of interest for most die-hard Levitation fans, a track called "Purgatory", which was never released anywhere else, and is yet another prime example of Levitation's ability to be musically intricate and overwhelmingly powerful all at once. Lastly is "Mantra", a nose-first dive into the deep end of the band's most psychedelic leanings...a full-on musical head-trip.



Bottom line: if you love powerful, emotional, musically intelligent, technically proficient progressive psychedelia that borders on being transcendental, you'll love Levitation...and either of these singles is a great place to get your first taste."