Level 42: Guaranteed Ltd Num Clr

LP Record Guaranteed is the ninth studio album from Level 42, and it's a pleasure to listen to from start to finish. Mark King's and Mike Lindup's vocals have never sounded better, whether together or separately, than on this album. By bringing in musicians like Wally Badarou, Gary Barnacle, Allan Holdsworth, and Gary Husband, they managed to deliver an album of exceptional pop/funk, the likes of which they had never recorded before. Particularly impressive are the slower grind grooves that uphold the funk tradition in songs like "Overtime", "Set Me Up", "Her Big Day", and the Afro-Latin-influenced "The Ape", which are strongly reminiscent of the musical diversity and energy that first brought the band to the public's attention.