Levellers - The Recruiting Sergeant

Charity records are often bad, even if they are for a worthy cause. The latest release from the Levellers is one of the few exceptions. They have put together four of their anti-war songs on an EP to raise funds for the charity War Child.

The band manage to put across a serious message while playing music which is a lot of fun to listen to. However, the anger they feel at the pointlessness of war and the suffering it causes is unavoidable.

The title track appears twice - one is a “radio-friendly” special recording which features guest musicians the Copper Family, Shona Kipling and Dan Walsh and has been released as a single. The original album version also appears on the EP. In spite of the traditional sounding title, its subject matter is very up to date, dealing with the plight of a soldier in Afghanistan.

The quieter, more acoustic numbers, Another Man’s Cause and Not in My Name still have a strong message that is unashamedly political. Barrel of a Gun begins and ends with a very military sounding march style on drum and fiddle while the main body of the song is an angry tirade.

As a charity record, this is a refreshing change, and one with a hard-hitting message. Well worth buying.