Reviews (page 4 of 8)
Not good late 80s early 90s techno ish sound
kind of like a darker pet shop boys, this was fun
This is a 3.5 for me, but I can't really round up to 4 stars, as I feel the music is mostly novelty in this album. It sounds like Devo doing New Wave, which I can understand, but I would imagine a later album would pull it together in a better package. I don't dislike the album, but there wasn't a lot I really wanted to hold onto, and it just feels a bit too early to be praised too highly.
++: Play to Win +: (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang), Penthouse and Pavement, Soul Warfare, The Height of the Fighting, We're Going to Life for a Very Long Time +-: Let's All Make a Bomb, Song with No Name -: Geisha Boys and Temple Girls 5,2/10
This was an odd sounding one to me. I do feel like with another listen or two I'd like it more, but I don't feel inclined to test that theory.
1981 British synth pop. This isn't a neighborhood you want to be in, but if you are here, this might be the best restaurant in that part of town. Not offensive. Enough real sounding instrumentation and backup singers to enjoy.
I don't hate it, I just wouldn't listen to it. Best electric / dance pop type record thus far, just not my music
A weird album that I think doesn’t need to be on here. A little catchy but why have it here when Kraftwerk is on the list?
I liked the message. But something about it was just too in your face and weird. It was like 80's music, mixed with a news commentator, mixed with spoken word.
I want more anti-fascist dance music in my life but the music was just kind of so so.
I’m feeling spoiled…two days in a row, two hot albums from 1981 that are knocking my socks off (the other being Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret by Soft Cell). The vibe here is impeccable. It’s a cross between Kraftwerk and oddly enough, Wham!. The songs are funky, highly danceable and socially aware, particularly “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang” as a shake your thang meditation on the evil that was/is Reaganism, which extends its ugliest head into Trumpism today. I also really dig the cover art. I learned that they were mocking the burgeoning yuppie scene, which I’m here for. They are clearly ahead of the game on all counts, musically and on calling out political and social bullshit. Another big win for my ears!
Any album that starts with an anti-fascist boogie gets bonus points. This should really be one of the anthems of our time. The rest of this was kinda cheesy 80s fare, but I appreciate their efforts.
In my early 20s New Wave had run its course and I was hunting around for new stuff to like. I loved Dare by The Human's League and naively thought this might be the way forward. But turns out I was mistaken, even though I was subsequently duped into buying The Luxury Gap in a forlorn attempt to stay relevant. And that's the honest truth.
Fun, but unfortunately dammed by the post-album shuffle: when the first song auto-played after the album is over is by the same artist but much better than what you’ve heard so far.
Yeah I listened to this about 3 times over the course of yesterday and this morning I could not hum you a tune or even remember what the genre was. It was just noise to me for some reason.
A lot of complaining in the global reviews about the inclusion of this one. I greatly enjoyed it! It’s simple and effective synth pop. Similar to Mi-Sex with perhaps a tad more self-seriousness. Facist Groove Thing is the clear show stopper. I’d heard the LCD Soundsystem cover, so hearing the original was a delight. “Hitler did some funky stuff” is a spectacular understatement. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Helt ok
Repetitive and honestly sounded like a bunch of retro game sound effects for a lot of it. The bass was great on the first few songs and some of the synth sounds were cool, especially the “wet” synth sounds which I just love for some reason. There was some funky moments as well with the guitars (and the bass again) especially on the second song which I wish was more representative of the rest of the album as the female vocalist was great. I don’t really understand why this was on here though as it literally says this didn’t chart at all and doesn’t have any cool context to justify it here otherwise other than it being “an important outing”. At least it was a decent one though but only with a few major highlights for me. Favourites: title track and Let’s all make a bomb. Overall, 5/10.
I played this on college radio, back in the day, and remembered liking it. I remembered wrong. Groundbreaking use of electronics does not translate to a lasting work of enjoyable music. Saved from a single star by some message in the lyrics.
I usually stay away from this kind of music. That is, angular early 80s punk. But this album is more than that. While I admittedly don't care for the primitive synth tones, the drum machines, or the vocals, the grooves themselves are undeniable. The synth bass and drum sequences really carry this album for me. I'll only mention this album if I'm trying to impress people. Favorite songs: Song With No Name, Play to Win, Geisha Boys and Temple Girls, We're Going to Live For a Very Long Time.
Sadly I don't feel this is an album I needed to hear before i die.
The opening "[We Don't Nee This] Fascist Groove Thang" is kinda cool but after that it's just generic lame 80's synth pop. Singer sounds like knock off version of David Bryne. The end of "We're Going To Live For A Very Long Time" feels like trolling with how repetitive it is.
I was a teen when I discovered We don't need this fascist groove. Heaven 17 offered me a new horizon in music based and synths.
Starts off well, falls off midway. That leaves us in the middle.
Not unpleasant.
I never liked them growing up in the 80's (apart from Temptation, which is a great track). This album just reinforced my general distaste. Boring, monotonous, inconsequential bollocks. I did make it all the way through, so it's 2 stars!
Hmm sure interesting, the perfect hybrid between post punk and new wave, but not 1001 worthy 3/5
So 80s, es principi m'ha sorpres. Valor originalitat.
Pretty basic as far as synthpop goes, but still manages to be catchy some of the time
This album felt like everything bad and stereotypical about 80s pop got tossed together and left to ferment. The synths are over the top, the production is glossy to the point of being plastic, and the vocals sound like they’re trying way too hard to be edgy or futuristic. There might be a few moments that hint at something interesting, but they get buried under layers of cheesy electronics and awkward funk rhythms. It’s the kind of album that makes you appreciate how far production has come since the 80s. In short, Penthouse and Pavement just isn’t for me. It’s a product of its time in the worst way possible, and by the end I was ready to move on to something with a little less artificial polish.
Hot dog if you're going to make an hour and a bit long album you better have something profound to say and produce. This largely feels like they had all of these ideas and were just scared to trim it down. It's a big bloated mess with relatively interesting techno/synth riffs. At times got funky on the bass, and that's fun, but that's about it. One thing I hate is when you listen to a song, and you can tell that they think they have a hit, and it's just . . . not (example, The Height of Fighting)
Best thing was that it was short
nothing special but not as annoying as I was expecting which is nice. Definitely a product of its time. feels like a 3.
It's a curious cover, looking like the front of a Readers Digest novel (or something of that ilk). It's just so very misplaced for a pop record. It screams "Don't buy me, I'm so uncool, go spend your money elsewhere". The music? - oh yeah - that's equally naff, being second rate electro pop.
Im surè these guys have done a song I like. I did not like this.
At best this is a footnote to the dawn of the synth pop era. It holds a certain nostalgic charm for me but otherwise it's lucky to make the list
This makes me think of that time I went on a gay pride march in the nineties. I find the singing too dour. The jangly synths are quite fun. I expect the London Philharmonic Orchestra has had a good at these.
Interesting to read up on the backstory of Ware & Marsh transitioning from Human League to BEF/Heaven 17, and the Pavement/Penthouse sides concept, but that's as far as it went, I found the album itself quite dated and lyrics cliché.
Das ist good! Sprockets!
Sucks!
I didn’t hate this, but didn’t really like it much either. Just not my thing.
Sooo weird, almost industrial, sometimes clunky and too raw, but sometimes just jaw-dropping
Odd. Questionable lyrics but pretty catchy? 3 ⭐️
Meh, whatever. The first track really seems to think it's making an Important Political Statement, so of course the album gets docked points for that. But "Geisha Boys and Temple Girls" is fun.
I’m reading a lot of hate here for this album. What the fuck do YOU know? This is more Human League than Human League. So much so that the last 2 tracks even sound like Philip Oakey singing them (or probably more likely the other way around since Glenn Gregory was the singer they wanted for Human League in the first place). Not to detract from either the Human League or Heaven 17 - I like both their respective albums on this list as much as the other. Well no, maybe Dare just a teeny bit more. But they are basically the same band.
Such a weird conglomaration of genres compressed into one album. This weirdness is what I signed up for. 3/5
Fun. I dunno why later electronic acts thought they could ditch the song aspect of music and still be tight. Somehow he sounds like every other singer singing this year. But clever lyrics, and slightly aged, but pleasant production. Fucking fascists...when will song defeat them?
3.5 Quite enjoyable early new-wave, sounds distinctive to a lot of what came after and an evolution of what came before. Lacking in great hooks is the main downside, first track was probably the highlight. A lot of the tracks are not bad, but overall forgettable.
Meh!
Prva Stvar nije nimalo izgubila na snazi😃
Pretty standard early 80's synthpop and new wave. Not much to say about it, there seem to be a lot of these on here. It is quite funky, though. Key tracks: (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang Play to Win
Quintessential 80's movie music.
# 586 : Penthouse and Pavement Penthouse and Pavement – Basslines in a Sea of Beige Two stars for effort, and maybe half a star for getting my foot tapping once or twice. But over an hour of long-winded '80s synth pop? That’s a lot of neon for not much payoff. This album feels like being trapped in a lift with a malfunctioning Casio keyboard and a guy who insists “this was groundbreaking, mate.” There’s some sick bass playing throughout, especially on the title track, which almost tricks you into thinking the album might be good. But then the rest happens. The sound hasn’t aged gracefully, and the songwriting is hit or miss—mostly miss. It’s not awful, but it’s not good either. Kind of like being handed a warm beer and told it’s “craft.” Thanks for letting me hear it, but I can live without it, thank you very much. Best Track (if you must): Geisha Boys and Temple Girls – like a synth-pop fever dream where the bass player showed up and everyone else phoned it in. Verdict: ★★ for the bass. File under “albums that peaked at the rhythm section.”
Interesting music from a band that got its name form A Clockwork Orange
I was a little surprised to see this band having an entry in the book, they are definitely not the best of 80s UK pop, that crown going to Duran Duran, and the only single I ever liked was Temptation. Their lead single off the album “We Don’t Need this Fascist Groove thing” with such brilliant politically charged lyrics has sadly a tune so dull I wonder if the BBC banned it for being boring. That’s what I wrote before I heard the rest of the album. Track 4 onwards is great and credit for making a political pop album, so ultimately 3 STARS.
Forgotten gem. A little too clubby for 7a, but good stuff nonetheless.
Some solid dance floor tracks, some cool hooks. This album is a pass from me. I'm not fan of the synthesizer on this album, it just tends to sounds more obnoxious than anything else.
Don’t think I made it through a single song. Every song just repetitive
2/5 one or two ok songs and a lot of stuff i'd expect to hear in the waiting room of a dentist
Devo dire che non mi è dispiaciuto tuttavia che dopo 1h e 20 ero un pochino esaurito
I guess in 1981 this was pretty cutting edge and set the template for the rest of the decade as all the eighties cliches are are here. i like the vocals and the sentiment of Fascist Groove Thing but rest of songs are pretty forgettable.
Dated rubbish. Sounds like a couple of teenagers and a casio keyboard. Not as good as Human League, OMD, Kraftwerk or the like. One extra star purely for the Fascist Groove Thang, which is ok and has been sampled successfully elsewhere, and has a good message.
Does anyone need a fascist groove thang? Anyone? This groove thang was almost a four but not quite.
A little bit I like here, though weirdly more like there’s bits of certain songs I like and other bits I don’t. So I have to listen like I’m eating a salad. You know how make yourself a salad with ingredients you don’t like, so you have to eat around them?
Started out stronger than a three but ended pretty shit.
This album has bass -- thick, meaty, fill your macros bass -- and I absolutely love that about it. Add also some sweet synth lines and kooky experimentation and this is a well-rounded and highly enjoyable album. Off to a kooky start with some busy ethnic percussion forming the base of opener (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang. Add to that layers of horns, synths, and pure-80s sounding bass. This a fun time and reminds me a bit of Devo. Soul Warfare is such a wonderfully funky jam. Absolutely love the bass line. Geisha Boys and Temple Girls starts out so wonderfully with the stuttering synths congealing -- wish it ran a bit further with that idea. The opening progression on Let's All Make a Bomb feels really familiar. Almost like something from Daft Punk maybe? Whatever the case, this song is completely sweet (even including the weird as whistle breakdown). The Height of the Fighting is like a poppier Depeche Mode. Love the warbly synths in closer We're Going To Live For A Very Long Time. Solid thump track to close things out. Man that was some top tier synth pop and a hell of a fun ride. Not quite the power of a 5, but a very high 4.
This one had it's moments, but ultimately I was ready to be done with it. Didn't feel like I listened to anything at all, really. The production or songwriting felt like it was missing something entirely and the singers voice was subpar. 2-3 range.
The usual goody 80's synth wave singing voice which all sound the same on every album like that. But this was some funky ripping shit I must say. Some parts of this album really got me going. Let's All Make a Bomb was a funny song I really liked the effects in the background. Also that chanting voice in The Height of the Fighting sounded like the voice that is used in Legends of the Hidden Temple whenever he was announcing to the Green Monkeys or the Silver Snakes
Was scared going into this with the sound of the first 10 seconds, and the rest of the song blew me away. Beginning of Geisha Boys is fun af. Same with Let's Make a Bomb. We're Going to Live for a Very Long time is pretty terrible. It was probably in low 4 range before that but that brings it to a high 3 instead. Still much better than a lot of the British synth dribble we get here.
Yeah, I like it well enough. At first I thought it was some second-rate version of Human League or ABC or something. Turns out it kind of is, as 2 of the guys were in Human League. I think this might be better. It is a bit same-y throughout, but it's fairy high quality for this type of music. They've got some horns in there for variety. Pretty good. The bass player is doing some fine work throughout. Most notably on "Penthouse and Pavement" and "Soul Warfare". (In the latter, it starts out with a few minutes of fairly repetitive sound, but then they just say "Hey, bass guy... go for it!") While I am one of the rare(r) listeners that quite enjoys longer songs, this has some that are too long for no good reason. Extra time is good if you're going to take some twists and turns. Here, it's just doing the same things for a few too many minutes. I'll end this review in an analogous way, ending on a down. "We're Going To Live For A Very Long Time" is Far too repetitive. Sad that the album ends on this sour note. 3
Alright
I never liked 80's music, and this is amongst the most dull I've heard
Unremarkable 80s synthpop. I didn’t need to hear it before I die.
New Wave, which I usually like, but this was really annoying and too long.
I don't exactly like electro pop, but Heaven 17 is not really bad. Some of the songs, including the title track "Penthouse and Pavement" have some catchy melodies, so I can understand there was some audience for this kind of music. Needless to say most of the album is absolutely cheesy from today's view
I don't really know what to say about this one. It is painfully 80s. But still fun. Great bass lines for the songs that actually have a real bass. It sounds like a soundtrack from a silly, feel-good 80s comedy. It gets a little repetitive. It's short and to the point though. I don't know why this album was included. I feel like whoever made this list was just to the point of 'yeah I need like 50 more, what's an album I've listened to that's not here yet?'. But still, it was fine for one listen through. 2.5/5
2.5 - ok
it was nice, but there were only like 4 songs downloaded on spotify lol
Dat dit in deze lijst staat slaat echt he-le-maal nergens op wat mij betreft, maar positief bekeken is het geen totale kutmuziek die je complete wil om te leven doet verdampen. Alsof Robert Dimery een soort Tourette heeft, waarbij z'n tick is dat hij er af en toe een compleet willekeurig Brits album uit begin jaren '80 uitgooit. Eén van de twee kerels van deze band is ook oprichter van The Human League, en alleen een album van die band in deze lijst proppen was blijkbaar niet genoeg. We doen het er maar weer mee. Op de eerste misschien twee tracks na nietszeggend. Twee sterren.
More hell than Heaven.
Heaven 17 is essentially a spin-off from The Human League, with most of the same members, minus a couple. This is their first album, and it’s a really good example of early 80s defining synthpop. The album has two distinct themes. The first half is the “Penthouse” side, featuring more polished, pop oriented tracks. The second half is the “Pavement” side, which goes in a darker, more experimental electronic territory. Like a lot of synthpop and 80s new wave, this album is driven by social consciousness and its politically charged. When it comes to late 70s and early 80s synthpop and electronic music, Heaven 17 has always been one of those standout, unique bands.
This album is fucking great, y'all are crazy. I mean just very good danceable synthy business, fun (and meaningful) lyrics, even got some kraftwerk-y industrial stuff to it? To me it really stays just about as good the entire time, and by good I mean great. Come and join the fun on the way to heaven!
White boys gettin funky. The A-side is pretty solid, but unfortunately this album is extremely frontloaded. The schtick was already worn off by the time the B-side started and it didn't get any better across the rest of the album.
This album started out actually pretty cool with the first two songs being pretty fun! And then OH GOD IT GOT SO MUCH WORSE WITH EVERY SUCCESSIVE SONG
Weird album. They're really good at the funky, danceable tracks they open the album with, but they gradually shift into some Kraftwerk-style, almost industrial synth experimentations. There's an ironic touch I enjoyed about the final track -- they're singing about dancing their way through collapse, meanwhile all of the danceability they had at the start of the album has crumbled away by this point. The entire B-side was a rough first listen, but there’s something strangely infectious about it that kept pulling me back. I think I’ve come around on it now, I think it's a solid record, though not one that's going into the rotation. Standouts: (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang • Play To Win • Soul Warfare • Let's All Make A Bomb
Ok don't kill me here but on a second listen I thought this was great. On my first listen it was a slog, but I figured they had to have had serious hits for a reason so I listened again and gave it my full attention. While listening closely I got the full effect of what initially sounded like the same somg over and over - this time I could hear the bass variations etc. By paying attention to the lyrics I really enjoyed the bleak condemnation of society and disillusion. Turns out, it pays to pay attention to what the artist is doing.
title track goes hard
Very groovy and out of my regular style.
Of all the 80’s albums, this is definitely one of them. There really isn’t much to write home about here, it’s inoffensive, but I feel like it just misses the mark.
This album stinks, but also fuck fascism
This was pretty crap
Like Depeche Mode if they all got jobs at a tech company.
Ugh. Too busy. Too dated. Too samey. Ended up listening to the first 10 seconds of.most songs and moving on.
80's synth pop, HEAVY on the 80's. This was a fun listen, but one that I don't think I'll be going back to much. Favorite track: Song With No Name
Quite possibly the worst album I have ever listened to. I wanted to set myself on fire.
3.25
4/5
Devo with less virtuosity and more politics that don't interest me. This is a fine concept album with glossy funky side A juxtaposed with darker synth pop side B, and several of the songs come close to something, but it's never the whole package. Some temporary earworms, but nothing that I would describe as "good."
This band is peak new wave with punk lyrics, loved it.
Det här musik jag har extremt svårt för. Musk å sång är too much. Överdrivet och spretande. Kan inte njuta. Det är inte vidrigt. Det är bara inte bra i mina öron. Skulle aldrig få för mig att sätta på sån här musik.
Börjar rätt bra och därefter mer ojämn. Rätt kul lyssning på det hela taget ändå, även om det inte är en skiva jag lär lyssna på fler gånger.
Preachy left wing logorrhea
Interesting snapshot of its time, but it’s tough to imagine people listening to it a lot today. Fascist Groove Thing remains a great song
You had me at English synth-pop.
Extremely 80s. And not in the good way.
Had its moments, there were shades of Talking Heads at times. Not my thing, though.
Pretty groovy early '80s synthy dancer tracks, fit for the most neurodivergent club in the most dystopian future sci-fi cybercity
I have a soft spot for electronic music from this era. At times it sounds like somebody cycling through all the presets of a Casio keyboard. Of course Heaven 17 likely didn’t have such a device. They had to invent it.
For a second I thought we were finally getting some pavement in the mix! Instead it was disco. This was ok. The Height of Fighting was fun. Light 3.
As New Wave as it gets. Unfortunately this is a less good version of the ABC album we heard a week ago.
What an appropriate opening track! I appreciated this fusion of new wave and disco even though my expectations were low. Good bass and synth parts.
Dance pop with some political commentary.
Certainly not lazy musicians - bewildering bass and enchanting piano arrangements. The vocals the weakest link. The vocals somewhere in the same influences as Orange Juice, Human League, Japan, Duran Duran,.... DEVO. I don't know how I missed this band before other than probably being hijacked by The Smiths. Anyway, let's make yuppie business suit skinny tie pony tails avant-garde again.
Am I being trolled?
This album is fucking amazing. Perfect production, really cool synth sound, and that fucking bassist going OFF!! Shame he disappears on the 2nd half, but Heaven 17 make up for it by making even more interesting textures for my ears to play in
Cool new wave style with some fun synth parts. I also appreciate the political lyrics on some of the songs. I’d like to like this more, but I didn’t connect with any of the songs here. Enjoyable (if dated) sound, but nothing too memorable. 2.5
Interesting and funky and serious at the same time... and not really my thing. It felt consistent with itself and explored within boundaries without daring too far away from the records defined sound, but it just isn't a sound that really grabbed me. I don't know if I'd listen again and I don't know if it really needs to be on this list.
Funk
British pop / new wave vibe
Bad
This might be one of the weirdest albums I've heard for this project, but not in the way that other albums have been weird. Something like the Residents is obviously weird in a way that was clearly intentional. That's the usual "weird album" for me, but this Heaven 17 album is weird in a way that's hard to explain. I really don't know how to put it into words. It all starts with the opening track, "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang." This song is outwardly anti-fascism and anti-Reagan. As a fellow hater of fascists, I love that. Songs like these are awesome for existing, and the fact that this song has been covered a number of times to be more befitting of the Trump administration is great considering how terrible both Reagan and Trump are. Fuck both of them. Anyways, let's keep talking about this album. While I love the politics of the opening track, it's kind of weird to hear it paired with the musical style. Yeah, this is a straight-up 80s synth-pop album. It's a little cheesy in the sound department and it's definitely dated. There's something about the sound throughout the album that just feels a little... off? I can't explain it. I like things like the bass, but the overall tone of the album doesn't really vibe with me. Additionally, while some songs are political in a respectable way like the aforementioned opener and "Let's All Make A Bomb," but other songs feel kind of meaningless, like the title track. I don't really know why this album's even on the list. It's not like it's super important or even a cult classic. It has good elements, but when you already have other 80s synth-pop acts like the Human League on here, I kind of get this feeling of redundancy from this specific inclusion. Speaking of the Human League, I guess this is kind of a side project of theirs, which makes this inclusion seem even more redundant. This album isn't bad, but it's kind of weird and I can see why others might be put off by it. Still, it has some things that I really like mixed in, so I can't give this too low of a score. 3/5.
There's a scene in A Clockwork Orange where two girls are in a record store discussing what albums to buy. Among artists with names like Goggly Gogol, they mention a band called Heaven 17. It was fictional band but it inspired some former members of legendary synth pop group Human League to steal the name. That tells you a lot about what you're in for with this album. In the 80s it may have felt fresh and new but in 2025, it has some strong retrofuturism vibes. It's definitely unusual but also fairly niche. They suffered poor album sales, very likely because their lead single was banned by the BBC for the references to Ronald Reagan. Without that controversy, I think they would have done a lot better in that period. "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" is still an amazing song that recently found new life from LCD Soundsystem, with subtle updates to reflect similar fears about another fascist in the White House.
Some fun moments, particularly the title track. Overall a tough listen and I won't be coming back.
Ok
80s pop funk. Short album. Fun listen. LCD Soundsystem covered the first song.
Okay - interesting, seemingly unique sounds for era. Good complex instrumentalities. Did not pay attention to the lyrics but supposedly they are good.
Being a 'young punk' in the late '70s I was stupidly dismissive of anything with a synth and programmed beats as 'new wave fluff'. Listening to this decades later with more accepting ears I'm realizing how much I missed by being a young proto-hipster snob. This album is kicking ass. The bass is killing it from beginning to end. Social inequality themes are still all too topical.
Selten belangloses Album.
New-Wave Synth-Pop at its funkiest. I always preferred the title track "Penthouse and Pavement" to the more popular (and more funkier) "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang".
From what I read both guys in this band were also founding members of The Human League. Fun cheesy '80s new wave with really prominent and groovy funk basslines. I really loved the one hit from this record (We Don't Need This Fascist Groove Thang) and of course Temptation and was hoping it was something like that. It's not, it has more of a dorky yacht rock vibe, but it's still fun and delightfully '80s, just not really something I'll come back to most likely.
Came and went, weirdly short.
Another band and of course another album of which I was unaware. It was "interesting", not something I would purchase but not bad.
Lots of interesting instrument choices. At one point said this is the most whistles I've heard in any song. Could kind of hear influence they had on later stuff.
Between a 2 and a 3. It's not the worst thing I've listened to, but it's not especially interesting either. Like off-brand Devo, it doesn't quite work as well as the good stuff. Very repetitive and by the second half I was ready for it to be done.
The song eponymous with the album is the stand-out song. Rest is mid. 3/5
feels like if DEVO sucked
Very repetitive lyrics, not enough background music.
meh
Första sidan består av funkdisco som verkligen inte faller mig i smaken. Jag tror att få skulle tycka att det åldras väl. Den enda höjdpunkten är facist groove thang som är en av deras bästa låtar nånsin, en banger. Sammantaget är det max 2 stjärnor 🌟 på sida 2. Sida två förvånar och är kall elektronisk musik som påminner mer om vad de gjorde i Human league, jag älskar sån musik lika mycket som jag har svårt för funk. Här är det fler stjärnor 🌟 , kanske en fyra eller trea. Så svårt om helheten är 2 eller 3.
Not my jam. At all
Stopped at Track 8. Wasn't feeling it. Interesting new wave sound but not catchy enough to draw me in.
A band that had all the best intentions, but failed to deliver anything remotely impactful. The music is pretty upright and dull, which sucks because the band clearly has a heart and a good message to get across. John Prine’s song “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven” came on this list a few days ago, and it’s a great example of something with more of a nuanced, interesting delivery. All the songs on Penthouse and Pavement read more like observations of current events with mild calls to action, and that’s all. “The Height Of Fighting” is my pick from this album. I wish for more, 2/5
Pew, pew, pewpewpewpewpewpewpewwwww…..
mid asf
As a fan of the 80s music era and particularly of this genre this was one of the more mediocre records. Lacks the hooks and epic fun that made the best records from this era delightful. Their pretentious Cold War obsessed lyrics are eye-rolling. You leave The Human League to create another band, in order to do this?
Super corny.
pretty goofy and fun. never heard any of these songs!!
Quite a surprise. Did not expect anything (was even a little afraid of the record, but it was fun. The songs remind of 00er Indie-Songs, Foals "Antidots" came to mind and the lyrics are frightenly accurate for present times. Keyboards/Synths sound a little trashy sometime, but it was 1981. I like it. Fav: Geisha Boys and Temple Girls
It's interesting. There's a weird pop-sensibility to these tracks which are actually angry post-punk. It kinda works, but the voice for me is a bit grating after a while. Nice though, overall.
More wacky 80s stuff. There were a lot of sounds on this album and I’m not sure if any of them were that good but I know I liked them more than some other sounds on this list.
Out of the albums I have heard so far, this one was the one I least liked listening to. I didn't enjoy the rhythms, the lyrics or the beats and it overall just felt awkward and monotonous. I like synth-pop but this was not to my taste at all. There was some songs where it goes into a horrendous screech and the lyrics keep repeating with a dull voice. Would not recommend this album to anyone in my opinion.
Too disco for me personally.
Great for dancing in the morning
I’ve read about Heaven 17 in a book about protest songs, but I’ve never listened to any of their music before. Based on the little that I know about them, and the fact that I enjoy some of Human League’s music, I think there’s a high likelihood that I’ll like this album. I didn’t fall in love with Penthouse and Pavement, but I thought it was a solid new wave album, and it was enjoyable to listen to. There was some excellent songwriting throughout the album, with plenty of social and political commentary (bashing Ronald Reagan is one of my love languages), and the bass grooves were consistently excellent. The first half of the album felt more rhythmically driven, but the second half had some synthesizer and piano melodies that I really enjoyed. “Fascist Groove Thang” was a very bold choice as an opening track. I loved the percussion, and the lyrics were awesome. The frantic guitar playing really added to the mood. I loved the bass and lead guitars on the title track, and the percussion was really good too. The lyrics really captured the whole ‘yuppie aesthetic’ really well. I really loved the synthesizers on “Geisha Boys and Temple Girls.” The overall sound of this song was really out there, but I the chorus was fantastic. That backing vocal fill was particularly excellent. “Let’s All Make A Bomb” was my favorite song on the album. The bass drum sounds were excellent, and the synthesizer melodies were fantastic. Lyrically, this song wasn’t as good as “Fascist Groove Thang,” but it was still awesome. Overall, this was a really unique album, and I thought Heaven 17 crafted a really unique new wave sound on this album.
First song sounds like Devo. 2nd song sounds like Bee Gees disco meets late 70s funk. “Play to win” feels like a song that would have been played in the TV show “Buck Rogers” to be “futuristic. The bass player is amazing on this record. “Would warfare” sounds like devo again. Let’s all make a bomb sounds like Depace mode. There is so much happening on this album I’m curious about its place in history. Was it a copy? Or did it inspire what we regard as familiar? Ok. So they were founding members of Human League that came together. That makes sense. This album is brilliant.
How on earth this made it onto the list of 1000 albums to hear before you die I do not know. I think listening to this album may have actually brought me closer to death. If not closer to death, perhaps just a little more insane. If the intersection of carnival music, elevator music and opera is what you are after this album may be for you!
80s synth pop with poorly charting singles? To say I went in with low expectations is an understatement, but I was surprised and actually enjoyed the first few tracks. Unfortunately, it quickly went downhill from there. I’ll give it some points for the incredible bass playing on the first few tracks and the sadly still relevant lyrics throughout. Other than that, I really don’t understand why this is an album I needed to hear before I die.
Good early New Wave. People think there was much more of this than there really was, especially in 81. It doesn't fully hold up and there may be too much of it on this list but I like it more than the 35 Madchester albums.
Did I enjoy listening - not really Are there important aspects of early synthpop, maybe edgy lyrics, some reason for this to be here - not sure and don't really care
One of these days the AG will tell me to listen to a band I've never heard of and I'll actually like it. Not so here.
Employing the typical 80s pop sound (Wham, a-ha) but juxtaposed with unusual song structures, melodies and lyrics. Interesting keyboards and bass guitar (in some songs).
i really don’t care for this particular brand of 80s pop
Odd, sporadic and musically hollow. Sounds like two guys screwing around in their garage hitting random effect buttons for 40 mins singing about whatever comes to mind. Hard pass
alkoi kyllä aika miellekkäälllä tavalla pää lipui paikasta toiseen rytmissä mutta aika äkkiä laadukas musiikintuontanto lakkasi ja aika vitun outoa ja amatöörimaista musiikkia kuin 15-vuotta sitten "luovat" youtube-kanavat mahdollisesti koomiset sellaiset tekivät omassa makuuhuoneessaan ilman suurta tietämystä tai taitamusta mutta ei haittaa koska hassu vidio youtubessa voi hekottaa vaan heheh ja ehkä sanoa: this is actually so good... mutta ei oikeasti aktuaalisesti ole so good mutta parempi antaa kehuja koska aikaa käytti henkilö tähän paljon ja humoristinen paitsi tilanne ei ole se vaan tämä on osa 1001 albums you msut hear before you die. we dot need this facist cgoorve thing
Anyone want to go to the Rollerdome?
I guess I appreciate that the content is still currently relevant but I just couldn’t get into it. Rounding up from 2.5
Ehh, it’s fine I guess. Generic, middle of the road, 80’s, synth heavy, new wave. It was not terrible, but I was underwhelmed, given the nature of this list. Certainly there’s better albums than this out there.
I never heard of Heaven 17. This is pretty middle of the road for me.
A stellar debut from the eighties' preeminent Bop-it based band.
While I do agree that we do not need this fascist groove thing (now more than ever), that song might not be the most convincing approach. However, the rest of the album was quite good. Some great grooves.
Rating: 5/10 Meh.
I would love to know what it is specifically about this album that everyone is freaking out about and rating it so low. I actually really like it 4/5
Information Society covered (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang in 2016, and that's the version I heard first. It's always interesting when you hear the original version after the cover. Unfortunately, this is another album of uneven quality - and I'm saying this as someone who's rather fond of 80's synthpop. Song With No Name was a particularly painful listen.
This album feels like someone told AI to make an 80s album and it just threw in everything. A lot of these songs are way too long. Temptation by Heaven 17 is a great song from this band but none of the songs in this album are anywhere close to that. There wasn’t one stand out for me, I found it quite an annoying listen
This was bad. It was bottom of the barrel 80’s synth pop. The singer has the generic 80’s synth pop voice that every band had at the time. It’s a voice I hate and find very annoying. The songs were hard to listen to. There’s one song on here that has a synth “solo” at the beginning that straight up sounds like a toddler mashing around on a keyboard. I don’t know why anyone would listen to this, let alone enjoy it.
-“vaguely gay British synth pop band i’ve never heard of” seems to be a very common category in this list. but it’s one i always enjoy delving into -this was an alright listen i’d say.. not my favorite at all, sort of generic, but the opening tracks for both sides were really fun. 80s synth pop just has such a cool aesthetic -Favorites are (We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang and Geisha Boys And Temple Girls
Not my thing at all
Kind of mesmerizing honestly. Very unexpected. Best tracks: Penthouse and Pavement Play to Win 3/5
This did not age well. Never again.
Preachy lyrics for generic songs that sound like what other artists have done better — but it was short and upbeat, so not unpleasant to listen to
Boring and dated
This was rather mid, I got bored halfway through. Highlights: (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang
Boring
The first song is still super relevant! Fun album, I enjoyed but I wouldn’t actively listen to this again Fav songs: (we don’t need this) fascist groove thang
Nearly an hour and a half of this crap? Why??? FWIW, the second half of the album is better than the first; standout track: I’m Your Money.
Yet another album with terrible reviews that I really loved... this was so cool, great grooves, great lyrics, interesting sound. I'll listen again I'm sure. Once again, what is wrong with you people?! (Maybe at this point I should ask, what is wrong with me...)
More stupid British synth pop. And this one has to be the dummest album on the whole list. Not the worst, but definitely the dummest. And no amount of beeps, boops, and laser beam sounds could save it. Praise be that half the songs were unavailable on Spotify. Unless you have an emotional attachment to this album because you listened to it while losing your virginity or something equally impactful I don’t see how anyone with functioning ears could ever enjoy this. Garbage.
Heaven 17 have that one good song, "Temptation", that is not on this album though... Excuse me, I just to go listen to that, so good. Anyways, this is an album you need to hear before you die? Well I guess I can stop doing chemo now, I'm done with life because of this album, its that bad.
Here’s another debut album, this one is from the British trio Heaven 17. Two of the three band members were with Human League previously, and the similarity is apparent. This album came out in 1981, at the tail end of the disco era, and there’s some disco vibe here too. A few of the tracks went on too long with too much repetition in my opinion. The record is a fusion of techno pop, disco, and 80s music.
A lot going on here. A political Human League (like actually, it's two of the same guys). I do generally like the music and lyrics, but it's a little bit maximalist for my preference. Hey la hoooo. Rounding up because they got their name from A Clockwork Orange, and because the final line "for a very long time" repeated indefinitely on the original vinyl album (and I love a gimmick). Highlight: 'Soul Warfare'
Well this was just horrible that had nothing going for it and just kept going no thank you. Put some real stuff here!
...I suppose among all the music I don't care for at least some (this) are openly anti-fascist, so.... yay? Ok - this is pretty definitively terrible as well as unremarkable and I'm puzzled who paid what to get this album nobody has heard of on the list. Nobody bought it, and the hilarious wikipedia defence of it having been "regarded as an important outing" is literally only quoting some rando from AllMusic which is akin in importance and credibility to a 12 year old tone deaf kid with a hook for a hand saying "hey my mom was proud of my piano recital." Killer bass though which barely pulls it over the 1 star line... 3/10 2 stars.
Some good shit but not my vibe
Subpar new wave woke boogie music (but the boogie was solid and the bass line was groovy until it got repetitive)
Wtf is this
This was a bit of a struggle. It's dated horribly and as the article explains, it wasn't even that popular in the first place.
If you had asked me what I think about British synth-pop from the early 80s when I woke up this morning, I 100% would have looked you in the eye and convincingly pretended to know what I was talking about and as I told you it’s basically just post-Imperial flatulence. But look at me now! I’m humbled and educated and have Heaven 17 to thank for it. This is the tits!
Never heard of this band. This was pretty decent 80s sounding stuff.
Starts off pretty decently, but the second half of the album does away with real string instruments in favor of pure digital bloops and bleeps.
Not as good as I seem to remember. Still good though.
Pretty fun solid album.
Classic 80’s bliss. Not really my style of music, but I could definitely listen to it again. Rating: Good/Mid
proto synth pop com um espirito meio punk! com certeza vou ouvir mais
2/5. An interesting album full of electronic and funky songs with not very subtle messaging, which I don't disagree with. I think the songs on the first half are just far and above the songs on the second half. The first half had some soul and some strong instrumentation. Second half was an experiment, and although I do respect unknown ventures, this one didn't quite land and it is pretty clear to hear. I wanted to like it all the way through but most of the songs really do not stand on their own, which is unfortunate. It felt like maybe the lyricist should have written poems or a novel before making music for the most part. Best Song: Penthouse and Pavement, (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang, Play to Win
The Good: We’re in heaven… The Bad: It’s ranked 17th… The Ugly: At least we thought we’d stay in the penthouse… turns out that it is on the pavement… What in the actual fuck? And this is NOT the FIRST time I am writing this as the opening comment to a review… For a second I thought that we’d hear something incredible, as I’ve not had too much synth-pop show up on the list, and there are some amazing bands/albums that came out in the early ‘80s… Of course, if you lived in that period and you can barely recall hearing a Heaven 17 tune, you should know better… then again, I was pleasantly surprised with those Scottish lads from Orange Juice, or even better, the art pop from the Assocaites—believe you me, 1000% better than this horrid of an album. Can’t say that I really enjoyed listening to this… I believe that my thought was “can we get it over and done with so I can listen to Can’s Tago Mago album again?” Yeah, I feel bad for the chaps, guess they should never have left the Human League…
This one screams early '80s from the first synthetic snare hit. Half Human League spin-off, half business-funk experiment, it's all angular synths, stiff grooves, and anti-fascist posturing with a dance beat. I can practically see the college apartment: Flock of Seagulls haircut, safety pin earrings, a Union Jack taped to the wall, someone pouring cheap Jägermeister shots while pretending to understand Thatcherism. I might dance on the coffee table later, but for now, it’s 3 stars.
The synth on this isn't as immediately annoying as some other electronic music, but by the end of this album I was going crazy. It's both annoying and stupid, and the songs feel like they go on forever. And the synth ended up giving me a headache by the end of this.
Extra fuck you for not being on streaming. I had this here for months.
Did not leave an impression at all. Should be removed
I'll admit - I didn't love this album at first. But that's because the first half of this is the "Pavement" side, which consists of cocaine-fueled, overly-busy, panic-inducing electro-funk. It took some getting used. It's clear the band was growing into this sound, and wasn't entirely sure how this kind of music should sound. The mix is CRAZY, especially on "Fascist Groove Thang." The second side, "Penthouse" is more fun (and interesting) than the experimental funk of "Pavement." The band is clearly more comfortable with straight-forward electronic pop. "Geisha Boys" makes absolutely no sense, but the rest of the songs on the B side are excellent. I guess I'm more of a Penthouse guy. THREE STARS
What if the singer from Human League (in style of 'don't you want me baby') or Yazoo (move out don’t mess around) had joined early Depeche Mode before Martin Gore? This album is upbeat and fun - at least in places - but gets bogged down by its own repetitive sound. It has value as a time capsule reflecting early British new wave synth but not something I would regularly enjoy except as the soundtrack in Grand Theft Auto which I believe featured the 2nd song on the album. 2/5
I feel I would listen to this a lot in another universe where I also like silly pop music but I’m more cool and interesting and weird but in like a cool and normal way. The album, at least the spotify version I listened to also had some extra 7” and 12” versions of a few songs which I half feel I didn’t want to listen to but half feel some of the songs grew on me a bit more. I still have one of those 12” tracks to listen to but I’m writing this now for the sake of writing this before I go to bed
Not bad! 3/5
Ts is not tuff gng
Smart lyrics, had me dancing through the kitchen, fun album.
2.4 3x on airplane to SFO for 2 and 3
Never heard of this....but I bet LCD Soundsystem has. This cannot be from 1981. I call shenanigans!
Not bad
- übel nervig
Отшибленный и странный синтипоп
synth pop meio estranho né não é necessariamente ruim, mas tem uma sonoridade que eu achei meio estranha?? as letras são ok
a primeira metade eh PEDRADA demais, synthpop com outros ritmos e um baixao gostoso demais na segunda metade fica mais atmosférico e um pouco experimental demais... mas num eh ruim nao!!
slick, glossy, album which set the scene for a BIG WAVE of synth pop. all these years on, it is a tiresome listen - limited sounds, mannered vocals.
I’ve seen Heaven 17 live before, supporting Squeeze at the Royal Albert Hall, but I’d never actually listened to one of their albums in full—until now. I decided to give their debut Penthouse and Pavement a try. Given my love for 80s music and synths, I thought this would be right up my alley. Unfortunately, I was wrong. I found the album surprisingly dull and directionless. I’m honestly baffled as to how it earned its place on any “must-listen” lists. It didn’t chart particularly well upon release, and the critical reception at the time wasn’t glowing either. In my opinion, it hasn’t aged gracefully and is a really poor album. Favourite track: Penthouse and Pavement — probably the most listenable song on the album. Least favourite: Soul Warfare — an absolute low point; it just didn’t work for me at all. Album artwork: A very corporate, business-like cover that matches the aesthetic but doesn’t excite.
Like a lot of these albums, I find it interesting because it's important rather than because it's engaging. Heaven 17's best tracks are on The Luxury Gap. On this, they've clearly got a soft political message to make and they're very experimental with the electronics.
Painfully 80’s, far too earnest for its own good, and despite the unique sounds very little songwriting here. Just a drag of a record.
offensive
Brothers, Sisters, the only redeeming factor about this album is its brief 22-minute run time.
3/5
Fuck sake.
"We got Depeche Mode at home"
Weird, but not without charm.
eh 5/10
Not my style
I thought it was fine. Some of the songs got a bit repetitive, but that's not unique among new wave. I always find it funny when Brits act like Reagan was the epitome of right wing terribleness while they're in the midst of the Thatcher government.
Side A is incredibly funky and side B is a little bit generic synth-pop. Lyrics are one of this albums strongest points. I like side A very much, it's 5/5, but the other half is mediocre 3/5. So all in all 4/5
01) (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang - 7,5 02) Penthouse and Pavement - 7,0 03) Play to Win - 6,5 04) Soul Warfare - 6,5 05) Geisha Boys and Temple Girls - 6,5 06) Let's All Make a Bomb - 7,0 07) The Height of the Fighting - 6,5 08) Song with No Name - 6,5 09) We're Going to Live for a Very Long Time - 7,0 TOTAL: 6,78 (68/100)
Early 80’s new wave and throwing everything against the wall. Drum machines and synths meet horns and samples. Curious flow to the record but not in a bad way. Kind of leaves a road map for those that came after. Like experimenting with this and that only to have another artist clean it up and make it theirs.
I did not care for this much.
Actually it was good
Synth-pop with a post-punk attitude. It was tolerable even if I didn't love it.
Thought this was a bit more enjoyable than a lot of the many similar-but-different English albums on the list so far, but “liked” is a strong word.
A few of the songs were pretty interesting, but nothing stood out as being really special to me.
I liked the first half better than the second half - surprisingly catchy.
CHILL
Nothing I'd ever heard before. Not bad, little campy at times. 2/5
OHHHH I THINK I MIGHT LIKE THIS ONE --- yes I did in fact like this one
Too repetitive. They say the same things over and over in the songs.
I'd rather be shot
Oh for schisms! Without this one this is what we could have expected from the Human League. At the time it was a more agit prop funky synth compared to the pure pop of HL. It was fun and good for dancing. Now it sounds so dated and rather immature.
“The Height of the Fighting (He-La-Hu)” sounds like they are doing a parody of whatever this is. I say “whatever this is” because a lot of this album sounded more like weird proto-techno/post-disco than what I think of as synth-pop. Genre quibbles aside, this was faux laser beam sound-filled noise that I did not enjoy. After repeated listens, I can confidently say that - of all the albums ever made - this is without a doubt one of them. I’d just like to give a shout out to Robert Dimery. Apart from a few compilations and at least one soundtrack, basically all the albums featured in “1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die” are, in fact, albums. I have not come across a single entry like “A can of tuna I found in my pantry that I’m not sure how it got there” or “A sunset I saw once when I was eight” or “Slacks”. Essentially every album featured in this book is an album. Great job bud.
Weird!
Meh
At least it was relatively short.
Fun
Bass playing is top notch, but songcraft is poor and everything sounds so thin. 2.5 rounded down.
Electro pop?! Sounds weird bit
80 's pop, new wave?
Synthie-Pop. Kann man sich anhören, ist aber über das ganze Album ziemlich ähnlich. 3/5
i can get behind the hating fascists part but the music is kinda ass, like it lacks this energy to it i dont fuckin know
Not bad..... I liked this one.
I don't see what all the hate is about.This is actually a pretty fun and interesting record.Sure.It's a bit tedious and corny, but isn't that what music is supposed to be?Doesn't that what keeps us entertained
Love the spirit, not really my jam
1981. Early 80's groovin and social commentary. I kinda like it but it also seems very cleche but since its so early in the 80's maybe it is the trendsetter
yeah pretty lit
Penthouse And Pavement was just a really weird album and a really difficult one for me to speak my opinions on it. I guess one thing i can really say about it is "The 80sness is strong with this one" as this is probably one of the most 80s albums i have ever heard. You can just tell that this album was from 1981 with all the synths, the style of the vocals and all the quirks that this album had. The quirkiness is the real make it or break it moment for this album for a lot of people. I can see why some people find it annoying but oddly enough, i did kinda enjoy just how quirky this album is. Its definitely an odd one but still a somewhat enjoyable one. Best Song: Play To Win Worst Song: Song With No Name
Favorit We dont need this fascist groove thang Soul warfare Geisha boys and temple girls Lets all make a bomb
The lyrics are interesting... Would like to hear someone remake this in a non-synth pop style. As is, it's fine to ignore while listening at the gym.
I think I like the story/mythos behind this album even more than I like the album itself. And it is an excellent piece of new wave/elctro/pop/funk.
I don’t have much insight into this album, but I quite liked it.
you have to admire the chutzpah necessary to be party to the founding of Human League, only to leave a few years later and start a worse version of Human League
Classic '80s sound with lots of synthesizers but this album falls short.
Fun New Wave album
B-minus grade 80s synth pop that pales relative to peers like Human League, New Order, and Depeche Mode, but still mostly fun and listenable if you are a fan of the genre. A more funky and danceable variation that at times sound like a combo of Chic and Kraftwerk
I can't say I liked this record. The stripped-down, experimental synths with the washed-out vocals didn't really tickle my fancy. There was probably some sort of message in the lyrics, but I couldn't get any of them since they were so faded. Favourite Track(s): Penthouse And Pavement Least Favourite Track(s): Soul Warfare, Geisha Boys And Temple Girls, Song With No Name
normalito, olvidable
Nogle enkelte solide numre (den sidste, den første, Let's All Make a Bomb), men syntes generelt det lød ret primitivt. Det lød lidt som synthpop fra 70'erne
Yes lige mig, mere new wave slurp slurp. Lyder som post punk, helt synth baseret men de her synths lyder dybt mærkelige
One of the more interesting new wave albums. Cool synths
Не особо впечатлило, однако достаточно необычно и иногда можно послушать. 6 из 10.
Synthy Pop. Nothing special.
Enjoyed more than expected and grew on me as I got into the album and accepted it for what it was. 80s electro/synth pop with some nifty samples and experimentation. Bordering on parody at times and a kind of pet shop boys / Alan Partridge bass mash up. But good fun and energy. Would expect to really not like this but something is just getting under my skin, in a playful, fun way. Interesting history with BEF and Human League. There is something cheekily infectious about this album. (3.5)
Tough sledding.
Summary: An album that I would've hated as background noise, but upon close listening it's unprofessional and silly enough to wrap back around to being kind of good. Lots of goofy synths, following in disco's footsteps and doing the experimentation that would be capitalised on by Prince, Jackson, and many others. The record starts with a few densely textured tracks, but as soon as the piano and guitar drop out, the rest of the album is missing a little something. (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang: The synths set up a cool chord progression that never really resolves, so it's a bit unsatisfying. The low synth solo at around 1:35 is pretty nifty. In general, the singing is mixed quite low, and I think the music would sound better with something more "upfront". But it's still groovy. I do worry that the lyrics imply Reagan was a fascist president. Listen, I dislike Reagan and his stupid economic policies as much as the next guy, but he's no fascist - especially compared to some other (unspecified) presidents. Penthouse And Pavement: Another prominent synth part. I see a theme. This one captures the early-80s electronic fascination that makes that decade such a charming little time capsule. Cool percussion, especially when it's soloing at around 4:00. The piano (with a convincing chord progression!) and back-and-forth female backing vocals give this a post-disco feel, which I would normally shun but is actually pretty good here. The song's too long, though. (Pah. Typical disco.) Play To Win: This sounds very much like Let's Dance-era Bowie. Except, unlike with Dave, something about this singing is just unprofessional-sounding and unappealing. The reverse fade-in noises in the backing(?) vocal continue to make it sound like a Bowie parody. The synth solo in the middle of the song doesn't quite save it. But the synths, guitar, and bass do. I just hope Heaven 17 grows out of this disco feel before the end of the album. Soul Warfare: Essentially the lengthy outro of the previous track. It's the same tempo and uses a near-identical set of instruments. Great little bass solo around 3:10. The basswork throughout this album, so far, has been really strong. With this particular track, the bass really sells the entire song. The percussion definitely anticipates Michael Jackon's 80s material, and I wouldn't be surprised if he took notes from Heaven 17's output. Geisha Boys And Temple Girls: The noises in the intro could be best described as "squirty synths". They're unpleasant and I have to imagine they just haven't aged well. It's like if the Star Trek universe had water guns, and the water guns made an appropriate or inappropriate) sound. The rest of the song is uninspiring and the synths are a bit of a nuisance here. Let's All Make A Bomb: The texture feels a bit thin here, and I guess that's a good thing. It creates more of an "album experience" to have some variation in thickness and loudness. The octave-harmonising is fine, though I think there should be some more interesting vocalising going on when they sing the song title. This has the beginnings of a good song (maybe good for covering?) but as it stands it's not *that* great sounding. The Height Of The Fighting: "HEAT. WAR. SWEAT. LAW." These vocals are unnecessarily grandiose (and kind of cavemannish) which definitely adds to the charm. Again, another fairly thin texture - pretty much every instrument, including the vocals, is played with staccato. I miss the fatter synths and piano. Still, this is a fun track. Song With No Name: Lots of interacting synths here. Complex textures are always a win, and this is probably the most interesting track so far in that regard. I don't know what the heck's going on with the melody. Definitely some polyrhythms going on, but at times it sounds completely improvised, for the worse. There's also a construction drill noise that's very distracting to the ear. I kept hearing it and glancing out the window to admire the phantom blue-collar workers outside. (Still a good song though!) We're Going To Live For A Very Long Time: Are we, now? A very high synth mimics the melody and also gets a few solo lines. It makes the whole song sound silly and nonserious. And great at the same time. Why am I enjoying this? It almost objectively sucks. But hey, at least these guys aren't actively trying to sound bad for the purposes of societal revolution (I think they aren't, anyway) - and for that, this entire album gets several bonus points above punk, post-punk, and industrial music. Repetition of the track title at the end is goofy and such an odd choice to send off the listener that I have to give props. Because, perhaps unexpectedly, I enjoyed this album. 3/5 Key tracks: (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang, Penthouse And Pavement
Good
Favorite song: pay to win. Overall score: 7,2/10
Kinda Duran Duran-y, with a hint of talking heads
I've never heard of these guys, but this list seems to have every single synth pop album ever made while having nothing but a dim notion of genres like rap, so I guess that's not surprising. Anyway, it's weird as most synth bands are, and goofy, also like most synth bands. Not the worst synth pop album on this list--there is too much competition on the crap end of that formula--but pretty close to it. The first song is OK. Much of the rest sounds a little too heavy on the experimental side and low on the listenable side. Like "hey, we discovered electronic beeps and whizzes. Cool, let's put them all on the album at the same time." At least this album is short. 1/5
british synth-pop with political themes. good listen.
Bore me, please.
Surprisingly great, I had never heard this band before.
Surprisingly fun and catchy. This was a sleeper hit
I got three songs into this it’s just not for me.
V funky and v groovy. I like the synths and the beats and all of it.
if you could pick one album that says "80s Wallstreet Music", it would be this one
Enjoy a bit of 80s.
OVERALL: Before listening, I was actually partially excited. I like synthpop, and this is a very short listen. After listening, my opinion on the 1001 magazine has gone down. Was 1981 just a really bad year for music? Why is this album on here? The best song on here is the intro, and it's barely above average. The first half has a pretty good bassline, and the occasional good part. The second half doesn't really have any good parts, only maybe around 3 in the entire half. The synths have aged so poorly, if you like synths, listen to something like Imaginal Disk (an actually good album) because this being someone's first exposure to synthpop cannot be good. I can understand how some people can like this, but it's not really for me (even though I like the genre). There are good aspects, such as some of the songs' messages, and you could make a genuinely good argument for the vocals being good. But holy shit, Song With No Name and The Height Of The Fighting are not for me at all. Surprisingly, this album is not a 0/10 or even a 1/10 because of the messages and the very rare sonically good part. SONG AVG: 2.8744/10 PERSONAL RATING: 1.8/10 (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang: The really weird thing in the background that lasts for the entire song isn't that good, but otherwise the song isn't that bad. It isn't very good either, but it's listenable. The instrumental sounds like it was made by either a person who is insanely sleep deprived or someone who thinks this is what all synthpop sounds like. Unfortunately, the lyrics are pretty relevant, however they are largely drowned out by the very slightly above average chorus. 5.5/10 Penthouse & Pavement: I don't think that this is as bad as it probably is, however it doesn't sound good at all, especially if you know the potential that this genre has. The instrumental sounds very rushed, and pretty much everything feels out of place except for the bassline, which is way too good for this song. 4.75/10 Play To Win: I feel like the rest of the album is just gonna be mediocrity with a pretty good bassline. This is different, because it has ONE other good element (the horn). Other than that, nothing is really that good here. 4/10 Soul Warfare: Okay, I think I understand why people don't really like synthpop or new-wave if THIS is considered to be a must hear album. The only thing about this that I like is the bassline, everything else has at least one problem with it. It's either actively bad or painfully mid. 3.25/10 Geisha Boys and Temple Girls: This seems oddly racist. It also has the worst intro of all time. After the worst intro I have ever heard, we get a very okay section. Then the synths come in, and they aren't the worst, but could definitely have been used so much better. Thankfully, everything after the intro is arguably good, until we get a section with diarrhea synth and bland, flavorless drums only. After that section, the synths suddenly become ass. Since there are listenable parts, it isn't a zero, but the intro disqualifies it from being anything higher than a 2. Which really sucks, because I genuinely like some sections, but they are unfortunately brought down by literally every other part. 1.75/10 Let's All Make A Bomb: Why is the song with bomb in the name right before a song whose name is based on Japanese culture? Anyways, the message is good, however the "HEY!!! :DDD" does not fit at all. The instrumental is also garbage. I feel like if the instrumental was being made in like the 2010s or later, it would have sounded much more polished. Instead we get rusty nails scratching a dinner plate. 2/10 The Height Of The Fighting: HEEEEEY LAAA HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I swear I like synthpop, but there is nothing really going on here. The lyrics are pretty much a loop, and the instrumental is also maybe a loop??? The police sirens do not work at all. Who the hell says "Hey La Hoo" at the height of a war/fight. It doesn't get something lower than a 1 because you could make the argument that it doesn't sound like ass. 1/10 Song With No Name: This sounds like actual garbage with the most unseasoned dry chicken drums on loop. What filter are they doing with the lyrics? The synths aren't that good either, who the hell put this on the magazine? It isn't painfully long or the worst song I've heard, not even on this generator, so I guess it has that going for it. 0.12/10 We're Going To Live For A Very Long Time: I've been very critical of every song so far, maybe this isn't as bad as I think it will be. (After listening) This song defines this album the most. It has mid to under average vocals, a boring drum loop, an annoying part in the instrumental, and a stupid ass chorus. And since it is in this album, it will probably live on for a very long time. It also has the most annoying outro of all time. Thank god this album was not any longer (I am not listening to the bonus tracks). I really want something good tomorrow, preferably something I've heard before and actually liked. 3.25/10
Once you get through the initial "wtf is this shit" you can actually hear that it is in fact shit
People that like this think AI videos of Will Smith eating spaghetti are the coolest thing since sliced bread
Had promise, but really tailed off as the album wore on. Nothing I would ever return to. 1.5/5