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with the ancient races, as in the opening number, or evoking the journey through picturesque lands of the Boatman. Men-An-Tol deals with the magic and emptiness of the Cornish landscape.

So I find myself among
The brave south western hills
Running like a mad man on the moor!
Let the sweet Atlantic rain
Wash away my ills
The Men-an-Tol shone strangely in the storm

Rising from a simple voice and acoustic guitar to build into a typical, if some what haunting, Levellers tune it contains a certain amount of bleakness that reflects the subject matter well. An earth song if ever there was one. The is none of your hippy flowery trappings that many writers would fall into when tackling such subject matter, just an honest connecting with the outdoors and its timeless existence. The familiar classic violin riff and twinkling mandolin licks of The Road drag us through all of the small clubs, street corners, transit vans and roadside cafes that formed the early career of the band. And through it all the optimism of playing music and the beauty of the freedom of such a life style belies the realities of such a lifestyle. But it's a great dance tune and that's what they are in the business of doing.

From here on in the album begins its build up to the crescendo of the show. As the mournful sounds of the didgeridoo build, those in the know cheer for the arrival of one of the bands best known songs. Tension is built through eerie guitar sounds, the audience claps the rhythm, drums and bass set the pace and finally at breaking point, the place explodes and by the time Mark has the audience chanting "There's only one way of life, and that's your own" the place is on fire. The pace is kept up by the raucous violin build up of England, My Home a punk fuelled rant at what the band see as the demise of the place of their birth. Mark asks "Why is it England, I feel like rubbish on your streets?" and his love and loathing for his country come pouring out in equal measure.

The Battle of The Beanfield is one of the most powerful pieces in the set, the story of the battle between the Police and the New Age Travellers at Stonehenge in the early nineties, a dark piece of history and a call for justice and changes in the laws. As the band speed of trough this slice of hate filled rock and roll, sirens wail and the words are spat with venom as those mean times are invoked. Liberty is the title and subject of the next song and the pressure is not letting up. Guitars and drums charge into this stomp of a song, a real rally to arms for the common man.

The album ends with a frantic folk thrash called Riverflow, a reflection on times past and a real audience participation number, you can see bodies flying around full pelt and fists punching the air, a great end to a great set captured in all its glory on this album.

As live albums go this one has the right feeling to it. It may be slightly lacking in production in places, but it is an honest documentation of the live abilities of the band. Leveller's warts and all. Whether you are a fan of the band and want to experience or recapture the essence of the band, or are looking for a place to start as an introduction to one of England's finest bands, then this is the album for you.

Learn more about this author, Dave Franklin.
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