Monday 11 July 2011

Levitation: Meanwhile Gardens, Version 1

Just when you’ve recovered from the devastating fact that there are no more Rain Parade live recordings in the BPFE vault, I hate to break this to you – this is the last of the Levitation rarities….

We’re going out on a high tho’ as this is excellent stuff. It’s their second album ‘Meanwhile Gardens’…not the ‘only available in Australia’ version with Steve Ludwin on vocals but the first draft with errant frontman Terry Bickers still at the helm. Potential and promise oozes from every chord, but it was never to be and they languish in the ‘90s also-rans’ file. Bloody heartbreaking.

This post comprises nine album tracks with three other tracks recorded at The Barn. They’re all great. If you listen closely, you can hear echoes of Radiohead and Muse, but tempered with a modern psychedelic feel that gives them a unique sound. What a loss they are to music. Terry Bickers where are you when we need you?

For more information:


I’m indebted to The Spiritualized Forum – in particular Spunder for sharing files and a wealth of information.

And here's the album:


01 Bodiless
02 Greymouth
03 Food For Powder
04 Gardens Overflowing
05 King Of Mice
06 Going Faster
07 Magnifying Glass
08 Twice
09 Burroughs
10 Heavy Roller (Barn Sessions Track)
11 Unknown (Barn Sessions Track)
12 All at Sea (Barn Sessions Track)

14 comments:

  1. Cheers for that, slightly different to the version I have.
    01-Levitation-Garden's Overflowing
    02-Levitation-King of Mice
    03-Levitation-Under Stone
    04-Levitation-Chain by Day
    05-Levitation-Food for Powder
    06-Levitation-All at Sea
    07-Levitation-Even When Your Eyes Are Open
    08-Levitation-Greymouth
    09-Levitation-Life Going Faster

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  2. hi, please PLEASE can you re-up this? the link is dead, only just found your site, gutted...

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  3. Hi Comforts Of Madness - nice to have you on board. I've just checked the link and it seems to be working...at least the Megaupload site is. Give it another try and if you still have no joy, I'll send you another link.

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  4. Only just discovered this post (great blog btw) after chatting to an old friend of mine. We were massive Levitation fans back in the day--he had the Australian import of Meanwhile Gardens which I don't remember being that impressed with.

    Would love to hear the Bickers version but the upload link doesn't seem to be working. Any chance of making available again?

    Anyway, good to see them being remembered. Great band.

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    Replies
    1. See my main comment if you're still looking for this material.

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  6. Hi there. Saw Levitation with Cardiacs in Portsmouth, UK. Was an excellent gig. Have not heard original Meanwhile Gardens album before. Link above gives message "Invalid or Deleted File". Any chance of providing a working link? Would make my day/week/month. Thanks.

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    1. See my main reply if you're still looking for the tracks.

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  7. By "echoes of Radiohead", I hope you meant that Radiohead owes Levitation a heavy debt, as do many of the Alt acts that came out of the UK in the 90's, whether they know it or not or acknowledge it or not.

    My track listing for this piece breaks down into two parts, one entitled "Summer" and the other "Winter", the former consisting of 8 tracks, and the latter consisting of 9 tracks, for a total of 17 altogether...though there may have been more, depending on who you ask.

    If those who posted here are still in need of the items listed (as it seems the links here still do not work), feel free to contact me at the following: wearetheoneisyou AT outlook DOT com. It might take me some time to get back to you, but I will be happy to share what I have. Contact me to make arrangements. ~A

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  8. Thanks, Alex...I've e-mailed you :)

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  9. Any chance you can upload these Levitation gems again?

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  10. I trust everyone's aware of the recent releases on bandcamp. Sure you are. Here's the link just in case....vinyl still available:
    https://levitationband.bandcamp.com/

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  12. Amazing stuff. Do you by any chance have the Cradle album or any rarities?

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