VIDEO OF THE WEEK:
LEVEL 42 - THE SUN GOES DOWN (LIVIN IT UP)

Another No Static At All fave left us this week with the announcement of the death of Rowland 'Boon' Gould, founding member of early 80's BritFunkers Level 42. Taking their name from the "ultimate meaning of life" from Douglas Adams' classic novel The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, lead guitarist Boon - along with his brother Phil on drums, lead vocalist and slap-bass pioneer Mark King and keyboard wiz Mike Lindup - soon broke away from the constraints of their early funk sound and embraced the mid-80's pop smarts and catchy choruses of the big chart-bothering bands of the day. Selling millions of records and garnering huge hit singles with the likes of Something About You, Lessons In Love, Running In The Family, It's Over and To Be With You Again, the future seemed set fair for Level 42 to become one of the decade's biggest bands. Their trajectory was stymied though after Boon - who suffered from crippling panic attacks - left the band at the height of their success in 1987. Although the rest of the band soldiered on without him, they were never really the same again. Phil Gould also left not long afterward and, whilst King and Lindup have continued to tour and record ever since, the core quartet only played together one more time in 2012. Boon was found dead at his home earlier this week having passed away at the age of 64. The band were at their very best when he was with them, and his funk-infused guitar frills were - along with King's fantastically fluid basslines - a real joy. RIP old chap.