Have you ever changed your opinion on a band after seeing them live? I certainly have. I must admit I wasn’t a fan of the Levellers back in the early 90s, but my flatmate was. I wasn’t bothered about politics, Traveller culture or bands whose fanbase were mostly crusties with dogs on a bit of string (can you say that in 2025 or will I get cancelled?). After being persuaded to attend a free Anti-Nazi League march and festival in London back in 1993 featuring the likes of The Manic Street Preachers and Dreadzone, it turns out the band of the day just so happened to be the Levellers. You could say I was converted to the cause at that very moment.
Released in 1995 ‘Zeitgeist’ was the Levellers 4th album, and the first I was excited to hear. The previous year they headlined the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury and ‘Zeitgeist’ entered the album charts at the top spot, becoming their biggest selling album. Levellers were now big news, opening their brand of anarcho-punk/folk to a whole new audience.
Fast-forward 30 years, ‘Zeitgeist’ has been given the remix treatment by longtime collaborator and original producer Al Scott, and it sounds as fresh as the day it was released. Showcasing their heady mix of folky storytelling and angst-ridden punk energy, this album is the sound of a band reaching their commercial peak and hitting their stride live. Featuring 3 top 20 singles; ‘Fantasy’, ‘Hope Street’, and their very own drinking anthem ‘Just The One’, it also contains fan favourites ‘Men An Tol’ and ‘Exodus’. It’s a strong album that stands the test of time musically and sonically. It is also an album steeped in social commentary, as relevant today, if not more so than it was in 1995.
Of course, there is always a minority of die-hards who complain when their favourite band gets successful, and the Levellers were no different. Appearing on Top Of The Pops in suits, miming to ‘Just The One’ on the same show as Erasure and Mariah Carey probably didn’t help matters. Oh, the horror! Joking aside, as a stand-alone album, ‘Zeitgeist’ has aged remarkably well. I don’t remember it sounding this good to be fair. The opening’ Hope Street’ sounds massive, and the urgency of the following ‘The Fear’ takes it up a level. The well-known singles we don’t really need to cover, but it’s the lesser-known album tracks where the band and their songwriting shine. The subdued, folky charm of ‘Maid Of The River’ still hits in the feels, and the Strummer-inspired punk of ‘4AM’ kicks nicely. ‘Leave This Town’ is still up there as one of my favourite tracks by this band.
But that is not all we have with this celebratory version. The 2 LP edition features a bonus disc of remixed b sides; the CD box set adds a bonus disc choc-a-bloc with demos and other rarities that are well worth putting your hand in your pocket for.
Highlights are plentiful, from familiar b sides such as ‘Drinking For England’, ‘A Promise’ and ‘Your ‘Ouse’, to hard to find gems such as the acoustic live medley ‘Social Insecurity/Is This Art’ and a stripped back take of ‘Dylan’s ‘Hobo’, there is much to discover.
The Levellers were, and still are ‘rebels with a cause’, a band who refuse to conform and continues to do things their own way. And this 30th anniversary celebration highlights a timeless sounding album that stands tall with anthemic choruses and urgent beats from a little Brighton based band who went from cult status to festival headliners and on to national folk rock treasures.
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Author: Ben Hughes
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