Reviews (page 2 of 8)
Shocked to see this has such a low rating, I quite enjoyed it. It doesn't really ever live up the the Disco groove of the first track though. It's a bit Disco, bit New Wave, bit of Pop. Just everything that was going on at the time, like watered down Talking Heads. Did it ever move the needle? No. It's just a decent album of its era that is worthwile enough to at least listen to once, if not more times.
This is an extremely 80s album in both sound and lyrics. It's fine. Not something I would listen to again.
Interesting sound, reminds me of the talking heads with less substance. 2.5/5
To put together a list of 1001 important albums you apparently have to be a fan of pretty marginal quality music.
Listened before?: nope (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang - 4/5 Penthouse and Pavement - 3/5 Play to Win - 3/5 Soul Warfare - 2/5 Geisha Boys and Temple Girls - 3/5 Let's All Make a Bomb - 3/5 The Height of the Fighting - 2/5 Song With No Name - 3/5 We're Going to Live for a Very Long Time - 1/5 Average score: 2.6/5 ⭐️⭐️ it's a peculiar album for sure. i really don't understand why this is on the 1001 albums list (besides the fact it's a british album), especially since this album didn't even receive much success or critical acclaim around the time it was released. it seems 2 of the 3 group members were also in The Human League at the time as well so clearly they were capable of releasing better material than this the first track was fun i suppose, but it's really not worth the listen otherwise. pioneers of the genre or not, there's better synthpop out there. it's albums like this that really make me question the author's taste and reasoning for recommending this stuff
Дивний альбом. Є хіти, є дуже дуркуваті пісні. Тексти з соціальним коментарем під двіжові пісні - це хороше поєднання. Хоч і деякі коментарі трохи претензійні та водночас поверхневі. Переслуховувати не буду, але було цікаво.
І знов британська квота (цікава). Перші десь 4-5 пісень прям класні, фанкові й все таке. Далі ж починається щось дивнувате, часто в поганому сенсі. Але в цілому не найгірший альбом в цьому списку, це точно.
I actually like this. the weirdness is a feature not a bug. it makes me want to dance which is big for my enjoyment of music plus you can tell they were really influenced by Bowie and Talking Heads
Painful. The worst type of music from the 80's. Cheesy lyrics/vocal sounds.
It's not a genre of music I typically enjoy, it's also just not a good album, like a shit Spandau Ballet
The techno pop was cool to feel nostalgic over, but I can't say I liked this album all that much. Im sure during its time it was fresh and new. Now it feels dated to me.
It's nothing if not interesting. Two very distinct sides, "Pavement" as side one, and "Penthouse" as side two. "Pavement" is very funky, and there are actually some pretty crazy basslines to be had if you listen through the cacophony of synthesizers and other electronic sounds. It's not bad, but not overly impressive either. "Penthouse" is much more modern and even futuristic sounding. Again, not bad, just different. The whole thing is a bit of an exercise in killing time though, as it didn't knock my socks off at any point. Not that an album necessarily needs to... but this one didn't.
Take me to heaven at any numerical cost.
Fun and groovy. The synths are damn heavy. Maybe thats not the word but they're intense. And with a kinda anti fascist lyrics. Its just alot of what im into. Not the best thing ever but pretty damn good. Enjoyable from front to back. I liked it
Hated it
I quite enjoyed this. Gloriously 1980s. Not really what I expected, certainly not as “pop” or as glossy.
People in the 80s thought that robots in the future would like this music.
song with no name is so good!
Since I somehow do not believe that Dimery chose this for its condemnation of fascism, at least in terms of Groove Things, I guess I am supposed to believe that a generic synth pop album is somehow special. I feel pretty similar to how I felt about Orange Juice at this point. It's an album that has pretty much zero musical identity. All it really does have is (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thing. But politics and synthpop always feel like inappropriate bedfellows. Politics should be heartfelt and raw, and synthpop is neither of those things. Political synthpop feels like the old chestnut that you can't trust a politician, because they're all fake. I mean, I'm also a big believer in not needing fascists. I hope fascists heard this in the club and felt as unwelcome as they should always feel. But without being the one being mildly called out by a pop simulacrum, it's hard to feel represented by this politically. It all just feels so futurist, and the futurists famously did like themselves a fascist groove thing. As for the music? It's largely an unsophisticated take on what would become the electro zeitgeist of the 80s. These aren't really catchy tracks, and it feels like there's no passion behind any of it. It's also wildly dated, not in the way that an old big band track is, but in the way that all frivolous technology gets immediately dated and dusty. It's why Harryhausen still feels like art but CGI continually feels cheesy within five years. I guess i would be interested to know what the book wrote about this one, though I can't imagine I'd agree with it. ⭐️⭐️
⭐⭐ Synthpop med tydliga funkinslag. Sången är torr och steril och jag tycker det funkar dåligt tillsammans med det funkiga, specellt tydligt på spår med kvinlig körsång då den funkar mycket bättre. Basspelet är riktigt bra. Sången har en märklig mixning så den låter som den kommer långt ifrån de andra instrumenten. Mitt största problem är sången, hade den matchat musiken bättre hade jag nog kunnat gilla detta. Musiken är grovig och funkig men sången är extremt 'vit", osvängig och känns nästan forcerad. Det går bli en 2a. Bäst är Facist groove thang, Penthouse and pavement
Spotify in it's mercy only has half this album available. Even that was too much
Very 80s! I remember the music video for Penthouse & Pavement
80's synth that's done using some krautrock repetitive backings and sprinkled with a bit of disco. It has some experimental sections and some danceable sections. For me it is cool background sound but not exciting enough to add to my collections. LCD covers Fascist Grove Thing, that's pretty cool
(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang Penthouse and Pavement
Didn’t need to be in here, but not awful.
naja...
aha es isch synthpop aber antifaschistisch? das cool. ah d BBC hets ge bannt guet bbc. title track au recht fun. seeehr minimalistisch me ghört dass sie bi de human league gsii sind. de bass findi chli viel, ide strophe wenner platz het chaner ruhig so viel mache aber im refrain mösster vlt nöd alles slappe. play to win ischh bitz fun aber viel a song isch nöd ume. soul warfare checki nonig. es isch amel sehr fest afoch bass, drum machine und sie singed e hook drüber. jo politischi ussage und so aber dünnnn. sehr guet agfange und starch nogloh. dreeeeeeeei.
s cover isch echt funnyyy d gitarre macht FUNKY SACHE ahh also logisch hanis gwüsst, dass es chunnt aber de underschied vode pavement zude penthouse hälfti isch seeehr klar hahaha let's all make a bomb isch FUNNY joaaa s het scho o spass gmacht aber bö. d synthi-hälfti hetmer glaub chliii besser gfalle?
Standard 80s synth … it was fine, but not the best of the genre.
Great album. A bit of a scary motif to the music but I like it. Added two songs to my favorites.
Liked but didn’t love.
Holy shit, that bass on "Penthouse and Pavement" rules. That whole side of the album really, but in particular the title track. The title track and "Soul Warfare" are definite standouts for me. Sweet funky grooves without too much of the irksome production dragging it down. For me the synth is a little overwhelming at times. The tone of it is piercing and unpleasant and the vocals kind of veer in that direction occasionally too. The production doesn't work too well for me. Fortunately the synth-heavy side B is a little less overwhelming in general. I still prefer the funky stuff from side A though. Overall a fairly run-of-the-mill synth pop album with some low lows and some high highs.
Pretty good early synth pop record. Didn’t recognize any of the songs really, but probably deserves a follow up listen
Unfortunately I can’t say that this is a stand out new wave album. Still had some good jams but otherwise forgettable.
Meh.
first of all, 82 minutes is a bit too long also brothers, sisters 45 years later, we still really don't need that fascist groove thang "the height of the fighting" reminded me a little of ross playing his experimental song in friends xD 40 minutes in and I NEED A BREAK. Allowing myself to move on 1.5 but I'm rounding down bc I didn't even manage to finish listening it's just not for me
Bog standard 80s synth-pop. I think the only Heaven 17 song I know is Temptation and that's not on this album. The lead single We Don't Need This Fascist Groove Thang, is a familiar title, but I don't recall ever hearing it before. Nothing special, hasn't aged well.
Very 80s, very synthy and boppy. It's not bad, but just not something I align with. To me, this music is corny, but again, I don't dislike it. I would not revisit this record.
Some funky new wave with a cause! Having enjoyed the song "Let Me Go" for years, I never knew this band was political. Anyway, aside from the message, I like their tunes: very British, head boppy, and only a little monotonous. Top tracks: "Penthouse and Pavement," "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang," "Let's All Make a Bomb"
Her third worst album. Meh.
They (British Electric Foundation?) hired local session musician John Wilson to provide guitar and bass for the front half of this LP and the endeavor feels slick, professional, and invigorating. For some reason, they didn't want Wilson's help for the back half and the LP suffers a steep decline. fun album overall but fails to stick the landing ******************************************************************************* --(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang...we don't! according to Wikipedia this song was banned by the BBC for criticizing Reagan. fuck the BBC --Penthouse and Pavement...oh, we got a groove. funky bass. booty shaker --Play to Win...another fun bop. makes me want to dance --Soul Warfare...the bass is definitely the star. it disappoints me to learn that John Wilson is a session musician and not an official member --Geisha Boys and Temple Girls...cool synths but Wilson's presence is already missed --Let's All Make a Bomb...decent bop but the instrumentation is too sparse. add another member, perhaps? --The Height of the Fighting...the "Penthouse" side of this album just lacks a certain something from the "Pavement" side (spoiler: John Wilson) --Song with No Name...ugh, this one's a slog --We're Going to Live for a Very Long Time...the high end synth noise is fun, or is it annoying? It's fun for now
The synthesizers on this album for 1981 are done very, very well for an early synth pop group. No surprises here that the synthwork is from the guys at The Human League, I like this record much more than I've ever enjoyed a typical Human League song. What really makes this record good for Side A is the bassist session musician work of John Wilson. That guy should have been a band member because my God does he really work and fit in the space between the vocals and the synths to be super groovy. Side B is certainly weaker than Side A, mainly because Side A was such killer shit. Geisha Boys and Temple Girls is full of the bad kinds of 80s cheesy synth music, mainly in the lyrics because the synths on this album for the early 80s are really really good, and yes there is a difference in synth quality performances and recordings in the 80s, please understand the impact of the Yamaha DX7. This record predates Blade Runner and its iconic synthy soundtrack! The Height of Fighting sort of passed by, but the last two songs end the album on a great enough note, come and join God on the party line. For a very long time. For a pop-based record, the lyrics are pretty left wing and antifascist which is cool and a bit atypical for a non punk record in this time period. Much of it very prescient for the 80s in making fun of yuppies and the rise of corporate culture. It's easy to pass by this record as something typical of the era if you don't have a good grasp on new wave, electronic music, 80s pop culture or the advent of electronic music and the role of synthesizers. There's a lot more to the surface level for Heaven 17 than to other new wave acts, Depeche Mode wasn't even at this level in the early part of their career. Penthouse And Pavement is sort of a blend of Steely Dan musical sharpness or chops and Gang of Four's overt Marxist influences, though I would not put this band on either of those two's levels in terms of a finished product. The heights of the aforementioned Depeche Mode surpass Heaven 17 at their strongest (which might be their next album The Luxury Gap, not on the list), but I think for an early synth pop record it certainly punches above its weight. The ultimate 1980s corporate dystopian synth pop record.
2.8 Slappa Da Bass, Man! Half the album wasnt on spotify and Im not going to go out of my way to listen to the rest. Of what I did listen, I enjoyed only if just for the bass playing.
Very camp, very silly, very 80s. Sounds like they had fun making it anyway
Ég átti bara alls ekki von á þessu soundi miðað við dómana sem platan fær hér á síðunni. Þetta hljómaði eins og hreint synthapopp en er mun fönkskotnara en svo. Hélt þetta yrði tvistur en þetta endar í fjarka.
Some serious bangers, but also some quite weak songs and it isn't the most memorable or unique.
Nope
Very good
Previously unknown. What wasn't annoying was too cheesy to bear.
Damn good 80's synthpop. 4.5 bumped up to 5.
I’m at a 2.5 that I’ll bump down to a 2. I’m being mean today. It’s definitely prototype synthpop. A lot of the experimentation here is cool for 1981, but after the initial tones of it wear off, most of these tracks get stuck in an instrumental rut. The rut wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for the lack of an additional pulse in the back of most of these melodies, leading to an incredibly sparse soundscape that just doesn’t get the blood pumping. So, so many of these tracks would’ve kept my attention more with just any kind of countermelody to flow with the simplistic beep-boopy style of synthpop here, but they just don’t do it. Lyrically, these are fine to a point, but once you hit the moment where you’re repeating lines, verses & choruses several times in a row without fail, you’ve kind of just given up as songwriters. I did like 5 of the tracks here ((We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang, Play to Win, Soul Warfare (which is at least a minute too long), Let's All Make a Bomb, & Song With No Name), but they all have their own flaws along the way. These tracks also just don’t have big vocal lifts or anything super memorable past their first 2 minutes, and the longer they go, the less appealing they feel. The last track in particular (“We're Going to Live for a Very Long Time”) is the prime example. It just feels obnoxiously pretentious, so much so that it’s probably the main reason I’m going to bump this album down to a 2 for the ending alone – I understand the subtext that this guy’s overconfidence about getting into heaven will likely be met with a much harsher reality, but not hearing it happen leaves a doubt that I don’t like. Additionally, if you had the vinyl back then, that ending loop of “for a very long time” would’ve literally gone on forever until you lifted the arm up. Clever on paper, yes, but given the lyrical tone & the lack of comeuppance, it’s just… ugh. I don’t like how it ends normally & I really don’t like how it would’ve ended back then. Ultimately, I just wish it were more compelling. This album has a decent base to work from, but it just needs so much more. If this had come out even a year or two later, it would’ve felt deeply outdated compared to its contemporaries; once Eurythmics dropped “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)”, it practically created the blueprint for compelling synthpop. This is not very compelling synthpop. I’m gonna be mean when I bump this down to a 2, because it probably is much closer to a 3, but if I come out of 40 minutes of music where the only tracks I liked without bigger lingering issues are within just 8 of the first 15 minutes & the other 25 feel littered with them, then I just can’t really justify going up to a 3 in my head. It’s not a *bad* album. It’s just deeply underdeveloped. Perhaps the rest of The Human League were right to kick these guys out (for the record, they were: “Human” is an incredible track), but I guess that’ll be fully answered whenever we get “Dare!”, which came out the same year as this. As far as this goes, I'm just stuck at a 2. Sorry.
I enjoyed this I wasn't sure I would like it but I found the 80s vibe quite appealing its a fun sound and very 80s
(1/5) (deep, heavy sigh..) oh boy. More of this.. (deeper heavier sigh...) If I had the time or energy today, I'd write something like, "This feels like the 80s harassing the 80s, in active violation of an emergency protection order from the 80s" or "Why did I start to giggle at the start of each song. Were they trying to be funny?" Or "Enjoy the sounds of an epileptic cat thrashing about on a cheap, secondhand Casio Keyboard while a bunch of drunkards repeat -- drunkenly -- a friend's witty banter." ..That's what I could write. Instead, it's just a deliriously bad album that starts mediocre and just plummets to awful as quickly as it can and then (seemingly) veers into parody, or at least that's how I took it. Each song felt exactly 1 minute and 30 seconds too long and the musicianship is simply nowhere to be found. It's another Dimery pick and one can only imagine that it holds a special place for him because he heard it the first day his mum let him buy his first can of hair gel from the Boots up Winchestervilleham Lane in Hamptonshire On Tweedsville for 3 quid or what the fuck ever... God I'm so tired of this crap.
This is just not that good, and even by 1981 standards it sounds recycled and derivative. Sure, I'm on board with the early 80s condemnation of capitalistic corporate greed (solid cover, btw), but the derivative synth and forgettable loops just don't set this apart from its contemporaries of the day. Maybe it's laying a groundwork for future projects (I see that they had seven more albums after this and a version of them is still active), but like so many before it, I just can't figure out why this made it onto a list of music that I need to experience before leaving this mortal coil.
146. Penthouse And Pavement - Heaven 17 (1981) 7.18.26 Variety: 1 Adequacy: 2 Listenability: 1 Uniqueness: 1 Emotionality: 1 = 1.2 rounded down to a 1 "He-La-HOOOOOOOOO-ooooooooo-OOOOOOOOOOOOh!" I know I've heard stuff from these guys before, but I could not tell you what, where from. I do know that for the longest time I confused these guys and Haircut 100 pretty frequently. I think the group has a reputation of being innovators who were influential in the early 80s scene, but who never struck it big. The only track I think I could pick out of a lineup from them would be "Temptation" which is not on this one, and which did not do much for me. THE TRACKS Side A "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" - The biggest thing that stands out about this is just how overpowering a vocal influence David Bowie seems to have had on the white male performers of the early 80s synth pop scene. Whole there were definitely other UK artists before and after Bowie who didn't try to ape an American accent when they sang, Bowie's inflection, his look... just got aped endlessly for some while. I can appreciate the influence they must have had, but musically this was so very whitebread and faux funky. Maybe the wrong lessons were learned from Bowie? Good messaging at least though. "Penthouse and Pavement" - The rhythm section at least is a bit more on point here, with a nice piano sting that carries throughout. But once again the farty synths are just kind of all over the place, and the vocals leave me cold. Even the background vocals lack any real soul ( even if it's 100x whatever the lead vocalist is putting out there). Though, I think this would have been vastly improved by letting the ladies takeover and just provide ALL the vocals. "Play to Win" The whistle-clap-cla-clap is at least a nod towards crafting a hook, but man, three tracks in and I am SO fucking bored already. This just sounds like the same song with vary slight variations. I think that bass being so high and clear in the mix is not helping, and the flatulent horns are pretty grating. "Soul Warfare" - What if the massive shoulder pads from an 80s power suit gained sentience and learned how to sing and program a synth? It might sound something like this. Now the bass is getting in on the farting. Awesome. Side B ("Penthouse") "Geisha Boys and Temple Girls" - Just the name of this one had me wincing a bit before I hit play. I was fully expecting a stereoytypical "Asian" music riff to lead us off. Instead we get a VERY simple computery beep-boop ode to... interacial computer dating? I guess? It seems maybe these guys' intentions are good with the lyical content, but WOW are they underdelivering performance-wise. For a much better take on the simple , full throated embrace of the synth sound that's also more successful it its self aware humor, and that feels much more full of life, check out Depeche Mode's first one instead. Vince Clarke's most throwaway melodies shit all over anything to be found on here. "Let's All Make a Bomb" - More than halfway through and we finally get something that's at least a little interesting. This was a bit funny, and even a tiny bit catchy. However, the whole time I kept being reminded of the infinitely more entertaining "Space Olympics" by the Lonely Island, which must have been influenced by this a tiny bit. "The Height of the Fighting" - Embarrassing chant aside, this one had me laughing, but I think for the wrong reasons. "Song with No Name" - This one has some legit interesting ideas form the start with a odd construction putting the chorus first, but then the awful verse comes in and slows things down and it becomes hilariously dour and overly serious. Do yourself a favor and just play that chorus on repeat if you are going to bother listening at all. "We're Going to Live for a Very Long Time" - The industrial beat had me hoping for at least a nice note to go out on, but instead we get robot vocals from all involved, over top of instrumentation that sounds like it came straight from Gene Belcher's CasioSK-5. HIGHLIGHTS MIDLIGHTS - "Let's All Make a Bomb" - "Song with No Name" LOWLIGHTS - "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" - "Penthouse and Pavement" - "Play to Win" - "Soul Warfare" - "Geisha Boys and Temple Girls" - "The Height of the Fighting" - "We're Going to Live for a Very Long Time" FINAL THOUGHTS Feels like punching down after slagging off most of the tracks on here, but I think it might not seem like such a surprise that the Human League immediately exploded in popularity after these guys left. They seem much more concerned with ideas and general vibes than actually putting anything too catchy or memorable in their work on this, so that by the end I struggle to differentiate much of any of it. That might be fine for an album of ambient music, or for a film score ( imaginary or not) but when it comes to what is by all accounts, pop music, I expect to be entertained and be able to dig into some hooks. This was all farty synth synths and fartier horns, and coldly delivered sentiment. The humor was definitely present here I think, but maybe so subtle that when they intended to make dance music satirizing the yuppie lifestyle, they ended up accidentally just making a soundtrack for the gormless yuppies to dance to. Any points they get for effort just get cancelled by the end result. If you want genuinely danceable, catchy disco-inspired music from the same general period, look across the pond at the freestyle scene populated with candy coated ( but yes, ultimately empty) pop gems by the likes of Shannon ( "Let the Music Play"), Nayobe ( 'Please Don't Go"), or Lisa Lisa ("Head to Toe"). PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - PowerShell Clear-RecycleBin FURTHER LISTENING - Speak & Spell by Depeche Mode - Duran Duran by Duran Duran - Architecture & Morality by OMD - The Lexicon of Love by ABC - Upstairs at Eric's by Yaz - Dare! by the Human League
The inclusion of this album on the list, “1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die” was not an insult to me, but it was an insult to this list. Never heard of these guys. There’s no song of note. But at least this album made gold. This is not interesting. Its bottom of the barrel 80s English synth pop. The genre is already represented and largely from this region. Did Dimery owe someone a favor? Is that why this album is taking the place of a much more deserving album? 1/5
I hope someone finds this enjoyable.
this grew on me a lot
that bassist carried. but didnt carry enough…
Expected to enjoy the Penthouse side more than the Pavement but was surprisingly the reverse. Was totally unfamiliar with Heaven 17 before listening but this listen definitely piqued my interest.
A very bizarre record, I'll be honest; like a synthpop Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy). Artsy and danceable all at once but not exactly my kind of sound.
Literally never heard of this group before, but upon skimming their Wikipedia page, turns out they were kinda foundational to the entire synth sound of the 80s. Very funky and fun, dance-ish even if not the sort of thing you can sing along to.
Dear me. You can hear the shared heritage with the Human League, but this version is just painful to listen to in comparison. It was cool and fresh when it arrived, but this album has aged like milk. Awful. 1.5
5/10… synthi pop / new wave / *1981
Another album included because the GenX music critics are overly obsessed with 80s New Wave. At this point (874 albums done) the sound of 80s synthesizers gives me nausea.
Lighter depche mode. Ultra light
Listening to this album reminded me how crap some of the early 80’s music was. Sounds now very flimsy and I now feel embarrassed to have even giving it any house room. Don’t have this album but bought their next one The Luxury Gap which sounds just like this. Says it all when I say I haven’t played it in over 40 years and truly wish I hadn’t been reminded of its existence. 1/7 10/7/26
While I respect the message of the opening track and the studio craft on display, this kind of pop music doesn’t really do it for me. It feels too choppy and abrupt; feels more like a collage of early 80s sounds than a considered collection of songs. As a whole feels both undercooked and overworked. I guess I’ll just concede that I don’t get it and move on.
Anarchist new wave. I kinda dig it.
nem é tão ruim como os comentários falam, é até bem divertidinho. só é meio inespecífico e tá tudo bem! as vezes a gente precisa disso mesmo.
Bro is woke af and has that 80s groove
Not really a fan. It had moments when it wasn't awful.
Not too bad
Didn't do too much for me.
There are some fun songs on here, but don't think they'd make any of my regular playlists
eeeehhhhhh
need to re listen. i liked it.
This is pretty bobbins isn't it?
The wiki article says “ The album sold reasonably well, but was not a great commercial success on release”… and I can see why. Heaven 17 has better material than this.
Важко щось виділити, окрім хорошого басу. Просто сінтпоп початку 80-х. Оцінка: висока 4/низька 5
High 3, really strong opener but other songs fell into a less interesting realm, but still solid enough album
🎶 WE DONT NEED NO FACIST GROOVE THANG 🎶 i really fw this album though, hella sick nasty baselines and 80s commercial mall music ahh chords. Also a big fan of this kind of vocals lol. big fan of this :P bonus points their name being inspired by a clockwork orange thats cool 🎶 IM YOUR MONEY 🎶
The album cover alone is just insanely awesome 1980s. Heaven 17’s let me go was one of my first 45s. So massive sentimental value here. The lead singer’s voice is good, but ultimately I came down on the side of this just being too much kooky new wave.
These guys were pretty early to a brit pop sound that dominated the mid-80’s. I’m not a big fan of the sound and associated nihilism (which i associate with the Psychedelic Furs, The Smiths, Tears for Fears, and so many others) but, like most pioneers, their sound is more fresh and creative than those that followed. I give them credit for the creativity. A 3.
Title song is ok
Kinda forgettable synth-pop. I didnt hate this, but I also won't remember it.
No
Each song was quite distinct, but it was still not my groove.
This one was interesting. It started with this disco funk but as it continued the music became more experimental with electronica vibes. The songs were an interesting mix. Some of the songs had a sort of rebellious vibe while others came across as superficial club/dance songs.
Heel mooie hoes, wel eens tof om te horen, maar niet mijn ding
Niet leuk tijdens het werk, wel tijdens de gym!
The bassist is spectacular! Everything else is painfully annoying.
Meh at best, Pretty bad in general. I didn't like it personally.
A very unique album, that starts off very strong and I loved the first few tracks. Tails off a little for me after that but very solid nonetheless. Favourites: (We don't need) This fascist groove Penthouse and pavement Let's all make a bomb
Just happy to be a mess.
So ziemlich mit das Schrottigste aus den 80ern! Übel!
(17/100)
It's British synthpop, it's British synthpop, it's British synthpop, it's British synthpop, Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit's Briiiiitiiiiish SYYYYYYYYYNTHPOP. We all hate fascism, but do we have to call it a "fascist groove thang?" I feel as though that cheapens your message. Whatever. My critiques are meaningless. Look, if you didn't know, approximately 89% of this list is British synth-driven schlock designed to appeal to the ponytailed suits on the front cover here. This isn't the worst example of said music, but anti-fascist or not, this uhh "groove thang" makes me want to de-chune the radio, bruv. Is that even something one can do? How do you go about that? Switching through the static until you hear French CBC? Imagine standing in a northern England nightclub, watching these dorks plunk away at their Casio singing "we are the geisha boys." Real fist pumpin' times. My daily reminder that I hate music. 1 HIGHLIGHTS: The lowlights, mostly.
Pleasant Chavs, Blokes! Boring Albuhm
Sounds very dated
Couldn’t really get on board with this one
At times it hints at a Talking Heads vibe but is mainly average pop music.
“No Temptation, No party!”
Sigh. Why?
Listens: 2 (barely) Standout Tracks: Penthouse and Pavement, Let's All Make A Bomb First I'll say that I mostly hated this. Electronic and other synth-based music from the 1980s, for whatever reason, just plain sucks for me. I haven't liked Depeche Mode, Gary Numan, Kraftwerk, etc. and I don't really like Heaven 17 either. Second, I'll say that I recognize the importance of the genre. 1980s electronic music walked so modern electronica music, in its functionally infinitely-branching sub-genres, could run. Third, while I don't really like the music I heard today, I did largely appreciate the subject matter and themes present in most of the songs. Themes of consumerism, greed, hypocrisy, the (cold) war, politics were all on point when the album came out and are just as relevant today as ever. Simply put though, how these themes and considerations were presented were pretty bad. At several points I debated just straight up turning off the music, not even switching to something else. I have no desire to hear this again, but plus 1 star for the themes.
elikkäs brittipoppia alkeellisella europop meiningillä. Vai mitä tuo voisi olla? Duran duran?
6.5/10
This might be another album that’s meant to be experienced on a sweaty dance floor and languishes in a living room, but alas no club seems to be bumping Heaven 17 these days
Well produced pop with corny lyrics that leave me bobbing my head yet uninspired. If found in the $2 record bin I would buy because I bet this would sound great on my system. 2.5 rounded up.
Could be worse - could be Depeche Mode
Oh, thank God! After two solid weeks of terrible albums, I was starting to dread this daily game of Russian roulette. Unfortunately, Robert once again has his head up his ass and picked the wrong album for this list. If Heaven 17 is going to have only one representative within the 1,001 (because we certainly wouldn't want to miss out on every ounce of excrement ever produced by Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, and Radiohead), then it should have been "The Luxury Gap". Do yourself a favor: go listen to that album whether you like "Penthouse And Pavement" or not (but especially if you do). That said, I still love this album and seem to be once again (comfortably and confidently) in the minority with my rating. This was pioneering for 1981 and is topically still relevant in 2026 (sadly).
This was great. Listened to it twice. Something I will explore more.
Yikes...nothing here. Except it's better than ABBA. At least if I were really high I could dance to this (in the correct venue). Still, 2 "not presently on the dance floor" stars.
Most people see the Wikipedia summary talking about “(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang” not achieving chart success and assume the album itself didn't do much. Surprisingly, this thang charted in the UK Top 100 for 77 weeks, so it clearly found an audience. What the album suffers from most is that the sound is so aggressively '80s that it doesn't always survive the era. Some albums transcend their decade; this one is firmly planted in it. That said, the best part of the album is the fun, funky grooves and killer bass playing. That's the real highlight here. You can hear the blueprint for a lot of music that came later, and I kept hearing traces of it in Chromeo, which is a guilty pleasure of mine. I love the funk, and when this album leans into that side of its sound, it's at its best.
What are we doing here. Why am I listening to this
Enjoyed Facist Groove Thang. Didn’t enjoy much else.
I'm pretty sure political camp synthpop is one of the lesser-spotted genres in the book and the music industry more broadly. I liked it about as much as I'd have expected to. I didn't know Heaven 17 formed out of the ashes of The Human League but that's about the extent of my takeaways from today's pick.
I'd never listened to this album before, but knew Facist Groove Thing (which remains an absolute banger). Interesting album, particularly the 2nd half. Would listen again
Enjoyed this a lot - again, new to me. Liked the instrumentals towards the end of the album.
A great album, Sheffield must have been some place to be at the turn of the 70s and early 80s!!!!! Three stars. Tom.
Favorite Track: Let’s All Make a Bomb Least Favorite Track: Song with No Name
Ultimately, kinda dull
Synth-pop and post-punk funk built from punchy drum machines, elastic bass lines, glossy synthesizers, and cool, controlled vocals feels like touring a gleaming corporate headquarters after hours while someone quietly explains why the entire system is rotten—stylish, intelligent, and more engaging than most of its contemporaries. The album balances danceable grooves with sharp social observation without sacrificing either. The constant beat combined with the pressing vocals still strains my attention.
It was forgotten for a reason. Such a pure example of a list, barely more than a one hit wonder band and the one hit isn’t even on this album
It was ok. Good lyrics though.
Se me hicieron un poco largas pero me encantó el ritmo, nunca escuché algo así.
Something new, definitely will come back to see how it resonates with me later
4⭐️/5 06.11.2026
One reviewer brought up a good point: this album didn't do well on the charts, and wasn't received well by any critics other than a couple UK-only publications, so why the fuck is it on this list? Synth-pop on its best day is just OK, and this is not one of those days. This isn't anything groundbreaking in the genre or well-loved. The opening track is kinda interesting, but all songs after that were varying degrees of bad. It's over-mixed, dense, and noisy in a grating way. This didn't deserve a place on a list like this, the author sucks and is a bit of a dumbass. Low 2/5
It was ok
Insane freaky synthy rock fun - i will DEFINITELY be coming back to this
Sonido típico del inicio del new wave. Melodía pegajosa. Lástima que solo se pueden escuchar 3 canciones en Spotify
630/1001 2026.06.05 🌕🌗🌑🌑🌑
*1981. English synth pop. *This sounds bizarrely aged (like I would've guessed 70s, not 1981) - kind of disco-y like the B-52s but with some electronica. *(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang is the only song I know. It's fine. *I'm not a fan of the B-52s or electronica. This was fine at only 38 mins, but I'd never revisit. RATING - 6/10
Another day, another album I've never heard of from an artist I've also never heard of. Going by the album cover and year of release, there's only two things that this album could be. Either a synthpop album or a punk offering. Honestly, I have no fucking clue. This album cover invokes the image of that one 80s synthpop album which consists of five well-dressed guys laying on the beach. What was that album again? Oh, yeah. "Pelican West" by Haircut One Hundred. Apparently that album is new wave and sophisti-pop, though I've always associated their sound with synthpop. Anyways, this illustration is too classy to be punk, but a little too early to be synthpop. Fuck it - I'm hedging my bets on synthpop anyways. Here goes. Oh, hey. I was right on the money. Feels good to relish in my victories every now and then. Anyways, this album was some quirked up Eurovisioncore. Probably the Eurovisioniest album on the entire list. I didn't mind it for the most part. The professional, corporate image redeems how stiff, stale and dated much of the music is. The funky bass guitars are kind of doing the heavy lifting as far as my actual enjoyment of this album is concerned, however. The very second that they disappear from this album is the moment where my attention span goes out the window. Some of the other performances on this album were also decent. Being one of my favourite guilty pleasure instruments, I'll never object to some good cowbell action in my music. There's also a commendable level of variety in the lively, vibrant synths which populate the album. This especially comes in handy during the latter half of the album, which features the more experimental and challenging sounds. Overall, my opinion of this album is mild-to-negative. From the songwriting to the instrumentation, this album gets just enough right to hold my attention, though there is an emptiness which hangs over much of this music. Book time. Two of the members from this band are Human League defectors, who left the band at the start of the 80s over creative differences. Before they formed Heaven 17, however, they created the British Electric Foundation, which was a strange band and production company that had a gimmicky, corporate image. The BEF logo at the bottom of this cover as well as the general style of this album is a homage and spinoff to said project. The Heaven 17 band name was derived from the name of a pop group in A Clockwork Orange. "Fascist Groove Thang" was acclaimed by critics in addition to receiving a lot of play in nightclubs. The single was banned by the BBC for insinuating that Reagan was a fascist, which obviously inhibited its success on the charts. This album was recorded alongside The Human League's "Dare!" in the exact same studio. Parodies the rise of transnational corporations. Side A of the album is accessible and danceable, whereas side B is more avant-garde and experimental. Wikipedia says this album was generally well-received by critics and had modest chart success, notably peaking at No. 14 in the UK and reaching similar positions in Finland and Sweden. This band certainly has a deep lore, though I don't think it's translated into much of a legacy or creative influence. Heaven 17 also appear to have tanked in the critic ratings and chart success following the release of the fourth album - a blunder from which they never recovered. Yeah. There's probably a better, more timeless synthpop album which didn't make it onto this list and could really use the spot. While I admittedly haven't listened to it and the music appears to have deviated from their established synth-pop sound, "The Seeds of Love" by Tears for Fears looks to be a respectable replacement. Guess that decides it. In place of this album, I humbly submit "The Seeds of Love" by Tears for Fears for inclusion on the list.
It’s basically outsider music made by non-outsiders. Which can be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it it’s a tough listen at times. But it’s definitely not the worst thing I’ve ever heard.
This entire thing just sounds so thin. I also hate all the little sound samples, they’ve all aged like milk.
Worst 80s music I’ve ever heard
Terrible album. More words than that is a waste of time.
no joke i made some of these same beats on garageband back in 2007
According to Wikipedia, the album has the funk-influenced Pavement side and the all-electronic Penthouse side. I definitely prefer the Pavement side. The songs are maybe a little repetitive for me, but the beats are fun and I love a good saxophone addition. I even liked the synthetic horns despite not generally being a synth fan. It helps that the album seems quite left wing. It loses me a bit as it goes on to the all-electronic side, but not as much as I thought it would. Liked it a lot more than I was expecting, considering this is a genre I usually don't get along with. Not sure I'd come back to it, but I've enjoyed listening. (I’ve had Cubs in Five in my head since seeing we were given this album, might have contributed to my enjoyment of it.) Fav song: Play To Win Least fav: Song With No Name
Not very into this one. Some of the beats are ok but just out me off. And some parts of the songs are painful. Specific rating - 2.7 Fav song - groove thang Least fav - let’s all make a bomb
Some lyrical moments I really liked but the actual music seemed set on pissing me off. There was a moment in Let's All Make A Bomb where all the squeaking and whistling felt like they were about to transition into HSM's hit song Get'cha Head In The Game. Love that the original vinyl had a locked groove to repeat "for a very long time" indefinitely but on spotify it just makes it feel like just an annoying choice. Favourite song: Song With No Name Least: Geisha Boys and Temple Girls
Extremely repetitive in both sound and lyrics, I appreciate the intent though. It’s just forgettable in a genre that usually delivers much more excitement. The only song that stood out to me was the final track, ‘We’re Going to Live for a Very Long time’.
From reading the Wikipedia article and the song titles I think I like their politics more than their music. Synths are too squeaky without a bottom end like New Order's stuff of the same era.
Synth is not my jam
Its like they picked all the wrong presets
Really, yet another album that was only a hit in Britain? This never sniffed success in the States and there's a reason why. The opening track is so repetitive and annoying I was unable to suffer through all of it. I am SHOCKED 4M people have listened to it. It's the same 9 words for over 4 minutes!! The title track with it's layered percussion assault is so overcooked, "Play To Win" is the definition of crappy 80's music. The rest of the album isn't worth mentioning, it's filler. I'm an 80's kid, there wasn't anyone jammin' to this album in 1981. This entire album was atrocious and does not hold up well at all, the sound is so dated and the percussion is the textbook version of what not to do in a recording studio. There's a reason no one knows Heaven 17 today. No hits, no one has ever covered any of these songs, no influence (in the US at least), no longevity. This is 100% an album I could have never heard and died in peace. Utter shite. 1 star, it's that bad.
🎧Gets better/more interesting in the second half.
Nah. thanks thogh
This honestly wasn't good at all.
weird
Album #167 Heaven 17: Penthouse And Pavement I’m not too surprised by the contempt shown for this album here, since most people don’t have a lot of patience for 80s New Romantic/ New Wave as it is, and this one is, well, pretty much the stereotypical version of that sound. However, I happen to be quite partial to that scene, so I feel as though I approached this album more favourably than most. The first track is definitely a classic of the era and the best song on the album. It sets the tone that the band will look to be political and try to actually say something important, despite the seemingly commercial aesthetic. The rest of the album is pretty consistent in its anti-war themes, which are far from the issues with the album. I think what holds this album back from being a classic is that it is simply too minimal; outside the opener, there are few moments of memorable instrumentation and explosiveness. If you are going to lean into synthpop, you need to have those large moments that make the music feel important; you just come off as being pretentious. Essentially just Alphaville without the bombast; I love Alphaville and the bombast, Heaven 17, I can take or leave. Best Songs: (We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang, Penthouse And Pavement, Geisha Boys And Temple Girls Worst Song: Song With No Name Score out of 10: 6
Didn't do much for me, and the unnecessarily repetitive and annoying last 30 seconds definitely brings it down to a 2.
He doesn't want a facist groove, which is fair. Cause fuck facists.
Cool at first but really dwindled by the end. I think synths provide a cool effect when it’s done in moderation
I liked the beginning but the synths get stale pretty quickly. The second half wasn’t nearly as entertaining. Just middle of the pack for me
1.5/10
The album that makes you think “if I was a gay man in the UK in 80s this would have been my jam!”
Honestly, I was really impressed with the first half of the album (which was amazing with the songwriting and production, but the songs got progressively worse after every song and thought it had much more potential. Definitely disappointed because of how it could have turned out, but it did have some fire tracks. Overall Score: Decent 5
"we have talking heads at home" but its more explicitly political. meet the new boss, same as the old boss. 3.5/5
'Reagan's president elect / Fascist God in motion.' The opening track, far & away the best here, is still not an all-time great, an anthemic response to fascist tendencies that's neither a vigorous takedown nor a funky, clarifying clap back. The rest is essentially faux soul, a whole lotta of clunkiness, & a bad take on 80s synth-pop that also feels like a mediocre reflection of the turnings & burnings of the emerging hip-hop scene. 'It's all that I can give to be a fugitive.' Incoherence like this evinces the dry & faceless qualities of the album, which is never interesting & approaches terrible on songs like 'Geisha Boys and Temple Girls.' The Mad Men who populate the cover are the real artists here & offer no ironic gesture, i.e., this is beige office music.
It was the beginning of the 80s and Heaven 17 set the template for synth pop. Or something. It’s ok I guess, but it didn’t made an impression on me when it came out and other than ‘Fascist Groove Thing’ the tracks are mostly forgettable.
Would I listen again: no Very 80s, can’t really remember much of it.
An amazing moment of bass over dubbing that makes all the eighties pioneered sound so sweet
Another 80s LP. That's not for me
Thought this was actually really cool 4/5
I really enjoyed this, it’s not too long. The style is fun and catchy and you can’t go wrong with that. Not much variety because they fall into their style so much. I don’t think many people were making music like this in the early 80s, so it seems they relied heavily on this type of instrumentation for all the songs. Either way it worked pretty well. I liked it, but could understand if someone found it annoying.
This wasn't too bad. Some of the songs are kind of hokey, but there are also a handful of legit catchy ones. The lyrics are decent.
Took a minute to get used to. Eventually came around to this leftist synth-pop gem. Thematically a bit like Gang of Four but more early eighties Cold War anxiety. A bit strange with a little Devo influence I think (Are Everything or Height of Fighting). And a lot of Human League influence obviously. Walls the fine line between annoying and fascinating. Height of drum machine mania, a post-punk classic.
This is an overall decent album, not too bad. I like the business people album artwork, which probably has some meaning, but I didn't look it up, so I'll just say that it's decent.
This was fun! 3.65
A little too 80s for me. The repetition in the last song was uncalled for
Una época en la que esta música estaba vigente, pero nunca me gustó y ahora aún menos. Para eso tenemos Jo Boxers, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, y en otro nivel los origianles The Human League o Tom Tom Club, The Style Council... Dos lados, el A mas funk (en los 80 eso eran baterías digitales, esos bajos eléctricos sin cordal, todo terrible y artificial). El B más sintetizado, igual de pop. En ambos las letras son buenas, crítica social (Thacherismo) etc. Let´s all make a bomb es lo más salvable de este disco. The height of the fighting también. Obviable. No puedo con ellos ni con Scritti Politi, y lo he intentado pero no hay manera.
This is what happens when the gifted high school glee club gets a synthesizer. Sounds impressive for about 20 seconds (hopefully long enough to keep up their G.PA.) but eventually finds the music tedious and repetitive.
An obscure British record from the 80s that did resonate with me. It needs more memorable songs for a four-star rating, but still an enjoyable experience.
It's a decent early 80's synth type album. It has some good hooks.
As much as I want to praise a band whose songs goes hard enough against Reagan than BBC gets cold feet about playing them, there just isn't much else here.
Like if Erasure had socially conscious songs about nuclear war anxiety and fascism. Solidly 80s in sound, and often a bit clunky lyrically given the messaging they're trying to land while also having a dance synth feel. Weird & a little obvious at times but not unenjoyable.
Guess they should have stayed in the Human League? Im kidding. Love them pointing out that nobody needs that fascist groove thing (because fascists have no groove) and taking Kraftwork to the next logical step.
#358/1001. I played this from my record shelf, which probably tells something about my favourite genres. I haven't been presented too many 80s electronic pop albums yet, but luckily it seems to change since there has been Eurythmics, Gary Numan and this in the last two weeks. The story of Human League, B.E.F. / Heaven 17 is an interesting one, and against most odds Human League came out as a winner. But this is not to say this wasn't or isn't a brilliant album as well. Despite that, and the fact that I own it, I remember only a song or two from the album. Dare however I know more or less by heart. I have always though the cover is interesting - it looks like some advertising agency stock illustration left over from a boring big money project, a very anti LP-cover. These people were reinventing how music sounds, looks and should be consumed.
I thought this was okay.
Thin 80's production, basic synths and a drum machines, good bass lines though. No great songs here, had stronger tracks on later albums.
Thin, weirdly manufactured sound. Not my style at all. I’m not sure if it’s even a good example of this genre.
Fun synth beats coupled with (unfortunately) still-relevant lyrics make for a really interesting listen. I never would have looked this up on my own, but I am glad to have heard it. Favorite track: "The Height of the Fighting"
heaven 17 didn’t become a hugely famous new wave band in the US, which is a bit of a shame.
Very of it's time. Loses the energy after the 2 first tracks and is not very memorable.
Unique or maybe just strange, it was interesting to listen to British electro pop with a political message. Most of it wasn’t for me, but I liked some of the instrumental tracks toward the end of the album.
It's fine. I can tell it was very early for the time, so I appreciate the innovative style, but I also think it leans too heavily on style and not enough on substance.
I appreciate “We Don’t Need this Fascist Groove Thang” for its sadly evergreen relevance, even though the lyrics reference the dawn of the Reagan ‘80s. I also like a synth-forward sound. But these songs do not rise above the sum of their parts, a rather odd mash of new wave with funk and gospel-y guest vocals. I wish the songs were better and tighter.
Low end 80s synthesizer music
FOR A VERY LONG TIME FOR A VERY LONG TIME FOR A VERY LONG TIME FOR A VERY LONG TI I truly was not expecting to love this album whatsoever. I looked at every single one of the genre tags and not a single one appealed to me. So color me fucking surprised, I loved this front to back! I enjoyed the fast pace of the first track, and how widely critical its message is, even though it's dated. And even though that's the fastest song on the album, I feel like the intensity never slows down. Every song makes me wanna bob my head constantly, every song is super catchy. Even if the lyrics are...weird. I'm still trying to figure out what exactly is going on in Geisha Boys and Temple Girls. But I LOVED this thing. I was really shocked by it!
Very 80s. Took a while to get going but I really dig the second half of the album
*Unique sound for the time as a mix of dance and techno with new wave *Cool bass lines but gets repetitive at times
Fun, funky, and experimental, but didnt really do it for me
1.8/5 There wasn't anything bad about this album, it just wasn't really interesting. Run of the mill 80s synth pop that I've never really been a big fan of.
de primeras, el synth pop no me gusta, y el primer tema del disco me espantó un poco, de hecho no lo logre terminar, es muy malo, me suena a boiled dog shit, pero desde segundo track ya tuvo algunas cosas que me llamaron la atencion, como por ejemplo las lineas de bajo, el groove mas funky. si bien no es lo que suelo consumir, fue una experiencia no tan desagradable para ser synth pop, que es un genero que reitero, no me gusta casi en absoluto. Este disco tiene cosas rescatables. le voy a dar un 3 de 5
At least it was a little funky at times
It's hard to rate an album that is really out of my wheelhouse, but this was very difficult to listen to. I hated this album like 30 seconds into it. I generally don't love early 80s synthpop, but this album is especially bad at it. It's actively annoying and repetitive, and generally not mixed well. I really don't find this album to be vital or important enough to be included in a list of 1000 albums that one must listen to before they die.
This one surprised me and is the reason I really enjoy this whole project. Had never really heard this band. The first two songs, "Fascist Groove Thang" and "Penthouse and Pavement," blew me away. Fun, great bass, and, if you substitute Trump for Reagan, could be the anthem of 2026. The first half of the album is better than the second, mainly because of that funky bass, but the more introspective and muted second half makes for some great early 80's synth pop. And I love the whole anti-yuppie, anti-capitalism message throughout. One of the better discoveries I've made with this whole thing.
Starts off strong with the first two tracks and was into it but kind of lost its spark for me as it went on. Like a lot of synth pop, if I'm into the main groove I enjoy it, but if I'm not i get sick of the repetition. Also fairly primitive production/mixing, had to turn it almost all the way up. Not bad, not great
The bar must be very low for this album to enter the top 1001 God damn I had to come back to this review with more hate in my heart as I got to the end of this album. Holy fuck what were some of those vocals
Stupid ass bullshit. 1.5/5
80’s unremarkable.
A good album, I liked Penhouee and Pavement and We're Going To Live For A Very Long Time the most.
The music gods found out that the last 2 albums I listened to from the generator were one of them best Rolling Stones albums and a life changing Van Morrison album and decided I needed something completely ass to balance things out. This is honestly one of the most bullshit albums I’ve heard in the 700+ I’ve listened to so far. I’m only about halfway through the album while writing this review, and I’m ready to rate it because I guarantee even if the next few songs are all perfect (they won’t be), it will not even come close to balancing out how bad the first few have been. My god there are whistles now. This might be one of my very few “so bad I couldn’t finish” albums. It’s actively pissing me off. Even the “leftist” lyrics don’t make this any better. This should be one of the lowest rated albums on this site, and I’m offended that it isn’t. I’d rather listen to Kid Rock’s entire discography than listen to one more moment of this.
Excellent white boy synth funk with a great, quirky sense of humor. Sounds a bit like if Brian Eno made a Talking Heads record with the Talking Heads. Seriously toe-tapping stuff. Unfortunately the album loses some of its momentum in the second half but remains urgent and impressive.
The lyrics and themes are pretty inspired, and that's about the only positive thing I can say about this album. I didn't enjoy it at all.
very pleasant surprise. sort of a proto lcd soundsystem vibe in some spots, kinda kooky synthpop stuff, new order with a little more bite. favorite song is Song With No Name
Rating: 6/10 It's interesting, sort of a unique kind of spin on the New Wave sound, and kinda incredibly based with cool political concepts and album cover, but still a bit of a mixed bag for me in terms of sound and execution. We Don't Need This Fascist Groove thing starts pretty cool and was apparently banned by BBC Radio (? very lame) and the title track and Let's All Make A Bomb were both good too. Otherwise, I'm not sure how much I like the weird disco infused mechanical synthpoppy tunes, but then again the three tracks alone I listed take half the album's runtime so it gets just over a middling score
I think this is an example of "dude music was way better in the 80s" but you've only heard of the good stuff, and this is the stuff that didn't make it. Penthouse and Pavement is great and Play To Win isn't bad but the rest lowkey kinda sucks (or maybe I don't get it and I don't want to figure it out) but yeah sadly I didn't love this one 3.6/10
Cool sounds here and there and I liked the political edge. But overall I got a little bored. The standout track was The Height of the Fighting.
Completely unfamiliar with Heaven 17. Quite enjoyed it.
well, if there's no intelligent life up there on the moon and my broken relationship can't be mended, Heaven 17 coming back doesn't seem like the worst consolation prize! this has a pretty great head to hips ratio in terms of the part of you it's trying to move - the first two tracks in particular are funky enough to make the agitprop go down very smooth. it's not all quite so memorable, but the hooks and choruses stay strong and the production wonderfully off-kilter
The music feels maybe a little ahead of its time, but not particularly interesting or exciting. And vocally and lyrically it’s a lot of shouting and nonsense trying to make political points but a little too on the nose. Feels quaint given everything going on now to hear Reagan being referred to as a fascist. Maybe learn some subtlety.
I liked this album a lot more than I thought I would. Very catchy early 80's dance music. You can definitely hear the Human League in this.
This was a very forgettable album. Nothing stood out at all. 1.2
I hate this
It’s disco, new wave, but why does every song need to be five minutes long?!
This album is really bad but I like the album cover. It looks like they're answering the phone saying, "Yes, you've reached Big Business. Speaking. How may WE exploit YOU today?" Don't get me wrong, I'm all for not needing this fascist groove thing, but not like this. Way too 80s in the worst of ways
80s esoteric Brit-pop, did not enjoy. The synth rhythms and programming were probably mind blowing in 1981, so credit there. Cold war angst throughout the album, did not interest me. I stopped halfway thru.
I remember this album. It was pioneering but it’s not great
(2.75)
Is this speed New Wave? So many lazers.
What a strange album. Going to need to read why this exists.
80's vibe - it was alright
How is it possible that I don't like Talking Heads but I do like this?
Strange 80’s music. Never heard of them. No wonder, no hits.
The vibe was so Austin Powers to me. I'm not going to listen to it ever again, but kinda fun & funky.
I recently slated Non Stop Erotic Cabaret, giving it a 2/5 and feeling that other synth pop bands since were doing it far better. This is doing it far better, two whole months before Soft Cell’s effort. I still don’t think it’s the most compelling listen ever but I had a lot more fun with it than NSEC. It’s a high 3.
It's punk. But funk. What now do I want on my life?
Feels like it should be an American album as a response to yuppie and Reagan-era cultures. But I'm surprised to see it's yet another middling English album. Kind of interesting, but very forgettable.
a band formed around ex members of the human league, with this album being released the same year and recorded in the same studio as that band's decade-defining commercial breakthrough Dare. this is a pretty interesting album either way but its doubly so within that context...while Dare was a landmark moment for what would become many of the defining sounds of the 80s, this record feels like its subverting and deconstructing them, along with the whole culture of the decade, before they even really got going. the surface level sheen doesnt hide the uncanny discomfort that is the main emotional timbre of the songs, its a deeply cynical record told through a tacky language of optimism, like a vaporwave version of itself. the music itself didnt blow me away but theres plenty of cool sounds and loops to be found...its no kraftwerk, but theres a lot of production wizardry and openness to left field ideas that are more than enough to sustain the relatively short runtime. a bit of a draining listen, but definitely a cool one, and i always perk up at these releases that throw a wrench in the easiest chronological narratives of how art and culture develop
Meh
What.
ohh well well.. i am not really a techno person.. i do enjoy house party music that said... i like the poppy grooves of them though.. especially the second song in the album is kinda good...
Band wishes they were Devo.
Not the synth pop I was looking for. Too happy?
Good Lord this has aged poorly. Not that I was ever a Heaven 17 fanboy but the lyrics and this style of electronica makes me want to play Atari pacman and drink RC Cola.
Not for me. I made it through, but the deeper I got into it the more I started questioning my life choices.
I could see having a great time dancing to this in an 80s club if that’s your scene. Some very catchy beats but it gets very repetitive.
(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang 2.8 Penthouse and Pavement 3.3 Play to Win 3.2 Soul Warfare 3 Geisha Boys and Temple Girls 2.7 Let's All Make a Bomb 3.1 The Height of the Fighting 3.3 Song with No Name 3.2 We're Going to Live for a Very Long Time 2.7 Score: 3.033333333
Do danas sam samo znala Temptation i bila sam malo skeptična posebno jer sam vidjela ocjenu ovdje ali hejteri nemaju pojma, meni je prejak ovaj funky groovy anti-kapitalistički synth pop iako nije naj naj primjer žanra.
This album is packed with industrial-era anthems that still sound fresh decades later. While listening I felt completely hooked — the energy never drops and it keeps pulling you back in. It’s near-perfect in my book. The instrumentals are funky as hell with these perfect, godlike basslines that just lock you in and make your body move. The catchy lyrics sit on top of tight synths and sharp production, and those signature robo-human voices give the whole thing this cold-but-sexy, futuristic edge that Heaven 17 does so well. Tracks like “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang,” “Play To Win,” and “Geysha Boys and Temple Girls” are absolute standouts, but honestly the whole record flows beautifully. It’s danceable, smart, and has this slick 80s new wave polish without ever feeling dated or cheesy. The album grabs your attention from the first second and simply doesn’t let your mind slip away. It’s catchy, clever, and ridiculously fun. One of those records that makes you want to turn it up loud every single time. Easily one of the best things to come out of the early 80s synth-pop scene.
What stood out to me most was the bass, some good grooves there. The first two songs are really good, and there’s some other good stuff, but I’m just not sure it’s a great album.
How this ends up in a list of great albums is a mystery to me! Maybe this synth-pop helped usher in the New Wave revolution of the 80s, but this album is a tedious listen in 2026. Mostly, it’s the annoying self indulgence of “weeeee new toys!” and just forces unnecessarily weird rhythms & patterns & sounds. I’d like to cut 50% of the technology out of it and return it to the land of the living.
Favorite Song: N/A
This is some weirdo stuff Gotta love when the coolest part of the album was the bassist and it turns out he wasn’t even part of the group he was just some random studio musician. Seriously though there were some awesome bass work going on. Singlehandly carried the album for me. I’m just not a huge fan of the remaining content, I don’t think anything was too terribly awful but it just kinda had me on edge, like there’d be a note that’d be ever so slightly sharp and grating. They could very easily make this unlistenable garbage with a couple of small changes. Lyrics and content are also just so hilariously on the nose at times that it’s kinda weird I can’t bring myself to loathe this, but I also don’t think it’s fair to give this anything higher than a 3 despite there being some fine sounding stuff in there. I really don’t think this is very good music at all (which seems to be a pretty popular opinion)
I love scary synths graaaaaaaahghghghghg
English synth pop from back in the day. Nothing extraordinary. Background music at best. Did NOT need to hear it before I died...
The first song was kind of boring to me, but then the second song played and I thought it was a really cool and funky song, but then the rest of the album just dragged on. I was pretty happy to find out the last few songs on the version I was listening to were different versions of songs already in the album. Overall, I like the sound of it, it gets funky and I vibe with it, but the last few songs were just so boring and were not interesting in the slightest.
If you had told me a week ago that I would be giving a disco album a 4... I don't know what I'd do, but man this one's a banger. Side A or the Pavement Side starts with the first single Fascist Groove Thang which was a song banned by the BBC for its commentary on the political Right particularly Ronald Reagan. A poppy song with a very quick beat and mechanical sounding which goes funky towards the end. A synth jam opens their second single, the title track Penthouse and Pavement. This is kind of groovy. A very busy song with all that's going on. Female backing vocals. A cool guitar/synth ending. "Geisha Boys and Temple Girls" open Side B or the Penthouse Side. It sounds like "Close Encouters with keyboards and laser sounds. Well, we're in that era. I think about forget trying for boys and girls to get along. Their last single and far and away my favorite song on the album is "The Height of the Fighting." A dance groove, mechanical. A deep male voice saying two words and the singer responding. Great, great vocal chorus repeating the title. Very similar to Depeche Mode. Overall really solid, even though I was skeptical of disco.
Great album!
This was horrible. Boring melodies, repetative, void of atmosphere, not fun. One song was OK, the instrumental. Why is this even on the list?
If I heard “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang” come on the radio today, I would have assumed it was Hot Chip’s newest song. Not just the vocals, but the whole vibe and makeup of the song is so like Hot Chip. It’s uncanny. Of course, I wouldn’t hear it on the radio, because I listen to BBC Radio 6 Music, and this song was banned by the BBC. If it wasn’t, maybe I would have heard of Heaven 17 before today. “Fascist Groove” is an absolute tune. It’s utterly insane (like most of this album), fevered in tempo, and with so much going on in each of the electronic layers, it’s hard to keep up. I absolutely love it. This was released in 1981, and falls into the category of music production that sounds very much like it was released in 1981. Usually not the type of stuff that I enjoy. It’s a mixed bag sure, but there’s something about this album that I really liked. It’s camp, weird and dated, but in the middle of all of that, it’s serious fun, and there are actually some really great songs in there. 3.5 stars.
Simple, repetitive, and borderline annoying. Being generous, It seemed like each track had a kernel of something good that never developed further. It’s hard to see why it was included in this list. 2.5
Ideal para personas que gusten principalmente del Synth Pop Probablemente en ese nicho posean bastante notoriedad Se ve que igual rasgan otros géneros en su ejecución No pude destacar algo en particular desde mi perspectiva
Niet mijn muziek
Si curieux surtout après Kendrick le saut est géant. Les morceaux instrumentaux sont ceux qui me plaisent le plus comme ceux qui empruntent le plus au funk. Fascist Groove Thang, song with no name.
Not my thing. the title song was great--soulful bassline, great vocals and all-around groove. But the rest of it was electronic, industrial, or both. As soulless as the men featured on the album cover. Does that mean it achieved its goal? Sure. Doesn't mean I liked it. 2 stars.
L: 7 M: 9 F: 8 O: 9
I fucked with this one
For a person who loves the 80's thing and is all about early techno, electronica, I should be all about Heaven 17. But... Heaven 17, while having groove in their early, maybe even pioneering electronica, having decent lyrics and delivery, having range... it is so so stuck in the 80's... Maybe one or two songs at a time would be more than fine, fun even, but an album listened full through... Wow... it was not bad for what it is but what it is is very very stuck in its specific era. It might be fun as part of an 80's playlist as it does range differently than most pop music of the era. That, yes, would be worthy.
Nothing offensive here. Obviously early electro, the songs drag on a bit uninspiredly.
- banger album cover - we Do Not need this fascist groove thang... yeah this is funky and fun enough - cold war era art stays fascinating to me - favorites: penthouse and pavement, let's all make a bomb, song with no name - rating: 3.5/5
3/5
fun, okay highlights: penthouse and pavement 2.5/5
Good for its historical value. And it really isn't BAD. But this will be the last time I listen to it.
very 80s
after the duo which founded the Human League quit that band and ceded its name to the remaining members, they went and formed the British Electric Foundation and one of its intended side projects, Heaven 17. although the Human League, indisputably, became the bigger band, Heaven 17's debut album Penthouse and Pavement did quite well for itself commercially, especially considering that it is exceptionally strange! as evidence, look no further than the opening few seconds. "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" starts with a whirlwind of noise that eventually settles into a Kraftwerk-esque cold, synthy jam with some frenetic bass guitar work and a detached lead vocal decrying the rise of Reaganism in America, even directly calling Ronald Reagan himself a fascist. (perhaps a controversial statement at the time, but one which, if you ask me, carries at least some truth.) a lot of the lyrics on this album can be read as dealing with life under late-stage capitalism, actually. the title track is about dead-end, unfulfilling work that leaves you feeling exhausted and empty; lead vocalist Glenn Gregory worked as a photographer in London before joining Heaven 17, which I can imagine is a pretty serious hustle to pursue as a full-time effort. "Let's All Make a Bomb" captures the Cold War anxiety of imminent nuclear annihilation with a grim sing-along chorus. for as incisive as Heaven 17 can be in terms of subject matter, you gotta be prepared for some synths that, let's be honest, sound very tacky by today's standards. not to mention the fact that a lot of these songs follow very similar structures, undercutting the surprise of "Fascist Groove Thang" somewhat by failing to fully match up to its weirdness ever again for the rest of the tracklist. what really saves is for me is the strength of the A-side, particularly the insane bass playing from session musician John Wilson. light 7/10.
Fuck facism! The beat is pretty neat
I went into this expecting to hate this. I've been burnt too many times throughout this project by dated synth-pop that should have been left in the eighties. I'm happy to say that this record was weird and quirky enough that I could enjoy my time with it. One glance at the cover art and you can see that there is a sense of self awareness with these lads. They are riffing on the corporate culture of the time and it almost feels like they are satirizing how safe and commercial this style of music would become. That's pretty impressive when you consider that this album came out at the start of the decade! The goofiness of opener '(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang' won me over with its absurdity. The bass and synths on this record are very funky and the vocalist has a strong deep voice that drives the songs forward. There's a sick bass line on 'Soul Warfare' that made the track stand out amongst the rest. I'm not saying this is a classic album by any means, the quirkiness wears thin eventually and the band does feel like a poor man's Talking Heads, but this is still better than a lot of their contemporaries.
its fine, not really my thing. Is this the first new wave album? Hard to see why this one in particular is a big deal.
Bass carried the whole way. First half wasn't very good but the second half made up for it. 3.1/5
5 for the basslines, 2 for the rest
It's quite an unusual album this. The music in it is strangely engaging, even though it's a bit mad and frantic, and with weird synths. I'm not sure I've ever really heard anything else quite like it. It's very 80's in terms of production though. Way stripped-back sounding and without much oomph. I'll be generous because I appreciate the weirdness. 2.5 rounded up.
that 80s sound!!!
well, this is categorically bad or anything, but I didn't enjoy it at all. Samey, bland and the vocals aren't for me. I remember "Temptation" on the radio and I never particularly liked it so I never bothered to listen to any of the other material.
Nah
bit too long but good
Early 80's synth wave Talking Headsish. Didn't get me super excited.
Not for me
We Don't Need This Fascist Groove Thang rings very true today. Very funky, happy sound that is covering some dark themes.
Favorite Track: Play To Win
This is how you splinter from a group and come out FANTASTIC
Very little about this really excited me, don't think I'll be coming back to it.
angsty and funky i like it a lot. its like punk disco im fw it. loving the song titles too. cool ass album
This is an early synth-alternative album. Interesting, but not great. Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: n/a Best Songs (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang
I can comfortably support the first track’s title. The vocals for the band ultimately feel like a bad David Bowie or Depeche Mode impersonation. Unfortunately it didn’t get much better from there.
The opener is kinda cooking. Some catchy choruses but some of the more experimental verses didn't really hit for me. Decline Of The West was a nice instrumental that reminded me of some chiptune VG soundtracks like Celeste. Overall had a couple decent moments but no need to ever revisit.
Nicht gehört
Hört sich an wie Musik von ITlern, die elektronische Onstrumente cool fanden
Decent
Nice
For some reason when I first glanced at this album cover I thought it was some obscure Pavement album. PSA: this music does NOT sound like Pavement.
Hey, wanna start Marxist corporate funk band blending dance rhythms and bleak, intellectual punk? Throw in some 80s synth, and baby you got a stew goin'! I don't love this... but I don't hate it? How about "I admire it"? It's clever, stylish, and distinct, but also as emotionally withholding Lucille Bluth. (That's two Arrested Development references if you're counting). Not a chunk of music that invites you in, more spreads the cheeks and lifts the sack, but a decent view!
I... I like this? Something about the industrial, mechanical, communist sound really held my attention and kept me engaged. Good for background, not distracting, couple of interesting lyrics that perked my ears up here and there. Yeah, I think I like it!
Kinda interesting, really liked the 80s vibes, did it pioneer electro? OK I HATE IT IT GAVE ME A HEADACHE I PREFER WILLIE NELSON
didn't finish :/ at a certain point it truly sounded the same which was meh.
Heaven 17 produced two absolute bangers of tunes : Fascist Grove Thang (on this album) and Temptation (not on this).The rest is.... middling.