Reviews (page 6 of 7)
Some sensational funky basslines in an otherwise repetetive and bland album
There was a time when if a song didn't appear to have any "real" instruments in it, I would snobbily shun it. Synths were fine if they supplemented or were accompanied by other instruments. Nothing lamer than Depeche Mode: watching well-coiffed meterosexual dudes dance in front of keyboards where they played mostly one note at a time to a preprogrammed artificial drum beat... blech! Of course, later I grew up and realized that art could be made with any kind of instrument, and by any kind of person. But there was also that important period where you imprint on music, in your teens and slightly beyond, when you're also going through social anxieties... and when you don't get invited to dance parties, you might start to resent all dance music. Not saying that happened to me, OBVIOUSLY, I was and am unceasingly popular, *ahem* ...but dance-y electronic-basic music was never something I listened much to. I came to appreciate the hookiness of some of those '80s songs that married electronic instruments with new wave jitteriness, and Kraftwerk and Neu! and others eventually became essential listening. But I don't think I ever thought twice about Heaven 17. I barely remembered that they existed. This is the first "essential" record on this journey where I've thought, "Did I miss something special... really?" Well.... meh, not really. I did dig the John Taylor stylings of the bass-player-for-hire on the title track, he went nuts at the end of that track! Duran Duran meets Level 42 with too much cocaine... Released in 1981 before "synth pop" really got heavily produced (this is the same year Depeche Mode's 1st album came out), you can expect the sequences and production to be somewhat rudimentary. There just don't seem to be hooks anywhere, though, that make me want to listen to any of this again. "...Very Long Time" kind of has a sing-along-able chorus I guess. What version are people listening to that's so long? This album is 9 tracks, folks. And for the endless stream of complainers? You don't have to participate. Don't listen to the record. Move on with your life. Sheesh.
Political 80s techno pop that gets really repetitive. I think every song had one sentence of lyrics and repeated for over 5 minutes. The 80s beats were pretty simple and not very tasty. Had potential to be something good but kind of just flopped. 3/10
Didn't wow me.
Is this a concept album? Kinda humorous
There is way too much 80s synth-pop crap in this list - maybe some catchiness on this record but I'll never listen again. Do all these bands have the same vocalist?
Matige herrie
I guess this was edgy in 1981. Just tedious now. I’d rather listen to Devo for this sorta thing.
Probably the most 80s sounding record on the list. I don't like it very much. This kind of music should be either catchy or mysterious. It's neither. It doesn't sound essential to me at all. It doesn't have their biggest hit Temptation. I didn't really have a favorite song. None of them stand out.
Straight 80s synths, with repetitive lyrics.
Don’t love it
I mean, this has aged tremendously badly I’m sure it sounded unique at the time but it’s a bit ripe these days
Completely unremarkable 80s brit music. Too much of this in the set.
I find this kinda lame. This list continues to mystify me.
I don't like this genre at all. This album went on for a very long time. For a very long time. For a very long time. For a very long time. For a very long time.
it was ok
yeah, not my thing,
The bass was my favorite part
Groovy electro-pop that’s frankly got a bit too much going on and is just a bit of a mess. The opener (We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang is the clear highlight, and LCD Soundsystem’s cover of it is better anyway
This one was just ok. I did wonder why it was on this list.
Thankfully only 5 of the 9 tracks were available to stream on Spotify. That's 15 minutes of my life I don't need to waste on shitty electro new-wave.
Idc
You can see the beginnings of absolute stone-cold smash "Temptation" in here, but there's a lot of "we've got a new synth and are going to use ALL the functions" here too.
Liked it more than I thought I would
This album should not be on this list. Lost me at first song. Don’t need a bunch of Brits lecturing about US politics and redefining the word facist.
Why repeat so much
this was dumb 80's synth pop. Nothing special, boring, repetitive, mildly annoying. Bleh.
ugggghhhh. why??? tracks repeat the same refrain over & over, vocals are weak, and it's early 80's overly synth "music". 1.5 stars if possible.
Annoying.
When I first listened to this album in my first run through the List, I had this down as 'awful 80s synthpop nonsense, with the exception of the title track'. I will admit my views have softened on this now, to merely 'staid, samey 80s synthpop with the exception of the title track'. Don't get me wrong, 'Penthouse and Pavement' is great, but the album of the same name is definitely going in the 'no thank you' pile.
Some catchy pop grooves, so I can undertand its appeal; I'm just not a fan of pop, especially drum machines. Too much synth for my liking.
Didn't know of this offshoot. Seams like a coked up version of Human League.
Not a fan. Not as bad as I thought it would be but not good.
**An ok album. Nothing exciting. Many tracks sound the same.
Quite juvenile. Early 80s synth pop with weak lyrics and political undertones. I think Let’s All Make A Bomb (hard to believe this is the best song) is what got Penthouse And Pavement on the 1001 list. (2.4*s)
Wow, ok, so three teenagers just discovered tape looping and got their hands on a synth... why is this even on the list? There's way better SynthPop out there. This could not be more 80's and it did not age well. Overuse of cricket-leg chirping sound on every song, it's damn right annoying. The lyrics are weak, songs all sound the same, horrible production choices, then add politics? Whattt. Don't even get me started on the cover art. "Groove Thang" wasn't even groovey. ::boy plays rubber band, add machine gun sound effect:: 1.55 if I'm being generous.
There's something endearing about 80's synth pop for me. No matter how cheesy it gets there something about it that brings me positive vibes. I wasn't sure what to expect from Heaven 17 and was mostly pleased with the results. Penthouse and Pavement is an OK album. Side A (Penthouse) is admittedly better and more fun that Side B. Title track was the best song. Never heard of these guys but I guess I'm glad I was exposed even if its just another brand of 80's electropop that is mostly forgettable that will pop up every now and then. 2.38 stars
The most interesting thing about Penthouse and Pavement is that Heaven 17 really seems to hate fascism. Me too, boys! Otherwise this is 80s synth pop. Pretty cold. 3.9/10
Hasn’t aged well but some little nuggets of good ideas tucked away in some songs
Appropriate opening song. The rest was not my thing
not for me
A bit too political for my tastes.
This was okay best. Nothing really stood out and I was counting down the songs until it was over. 2/5
# Album Name: Penthouse and Pavement # Artist: Heaven 17 # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: This album starts of with two crackers with groove thang /Pent and pavement. Apart from that, the album progressively gets worse from there. I had high hopes for this because Temptation was one of my fav songs of the 80s. Alas, it was not meant to be. # Top Tunes: groove thang and Pent and pavement. # Would I listen to it again? No, just the first two songs.
Groupe inconnu. Sur les premiers morceaux les lignes de basse très funky sont intéressantes et les chorus variés également. Par contre les sons de synthés ont plutôt mal vieilli. La deuxième partie est très (trop) différente, entièrement électronique. Des morceaux sont vraiment pénibles, comme "The Height of the Fighting" avec des parties vocales vraiment mauvaises. Je ne l'écouterais pas une seconde fois. =>2/5
I don’t know, this is a tough one.
I really wanted to like this, but it was as if they were trying too hard. They wanted to experiment with different things, liked it, and then stacked everything on top of each other. The bass player had some funk! 2.5/5 rounding down as I believe there are examples from the time that were doing similar things in a better way.
I think I don't get it.
OK, I genuinely enjoy a little synthpop now and then, but one "little" is fairly important there, and these songs were often too long and too repetitive.
As a preface I enjoy synth pop but in very small doses. I do like the songs that have some fun and soul influence, some nice bass lines. However, many tracks go overboard with synthesizers, which might have been innovative once, but now comes across as excessive or repetitive for me.
I love synth-pop, but this album went nowhere. Early Human League could've easily taken this album's spot. It's a shame that 20% of this must listen list is crap and notable albums are left off. Oh well.
Was not engaged with this one at all.
What started off as all right became intolerable, and I was openly mocking it by the end. Unsuccessful second listen.
Not my thing at all. I'm sure their mothers think they are very talented. Perfect candidate for a 2.5*.
Wayyy too long, it seems like they r trying to be a little bit of LCD soundsystem wannabes(maybe or maybe I am just not clocking this right). Feel like there was some variety at the beginning but as it went on I was more and more over it.
Wasn’t expecting a lot when I saw scritti politti in their related artists. It was still bad
Pretty dumb. Listening to Yazoo instead.
It was okay.
No me ha conquistado
Kind of protesty and not very good.
The cover art alone is worth the pick today. Some super funky lines. This gets annoying after 3 or 4 songs into the album. I am done with it.
Pretty fun and entertaining. Quirky, authentic, committed to its specific kind of art. At some points, it's just super weird if you examine too closely. This is album is a clown. I don't hate the effort, I actually commend the devotion, I just find it unsettling.
Extra star for being mercifully short. Otherwise this was trash
only redeeming factor was the funky bass in the first few tracks
Been bouncing around with my opinion here for while, between abstract appreciation, actually liking and then hating this but ultimately, it's a Hell, No from me. First track is good (seriously love the synth chord progression and its timing) and then I can cling to the bass 'n funk for some more, but it gets progressively worse as those tunes somehow seem to slow time and, while they're dragging on forever, reveal how it's really just some New Wave bros childishly (for better or worse) playing with new music technology. And I positively didn't need to hear this.
Shitty Depeche Mode and 80s synth. Why is this here, 2*
Jezus… het begon wel geinig… maar daarna werd het echt te taai. Eentje die er echt niet op hoort
One of the 80s synth pop albums of all time (2.5/5)
Aikamoista. Ainakin on pojilla yhden sormen syntikkamelodioita. Viihdyttävää, ei kyllä erityisen hyvää.
An album full of meaningful lyrics ruined by subpar synthpop and a singer who couldn’t be less bothered trying to actually sound interesting. Outside of the lyrics, the only other good thing about this album is it’s only about 22 minutes long, so you don’t have to suffer more than necessary.
I'm kind of done with mid 80s indie synth postpunk
Boring After Track Number 6.
I appreciate experimentation but this just wasn’t for me. Nothing stood out, but it wasn’t terrible musically. Lyrics were fine. I don’t think I’d listen again.
Not for me.
First three tracks are pleasant enough, but the rest is quite grating. Cannot fucking stand the voice of a single person from England.
Danceable rhythm. Definite 80’s sound. Synthetic and sterile. Human League roots. As rock fans we loved to hate the Human League MTV videos. Maturity and nostalgia make it enjoyable today. Still a bit simplistic lyrically making it sound like a group of robots singing. Only so much I can handle before skipping ahead.
New Wave? More like Poo Wave…because this stank!
It started relatively strong. I am not the biggest fan of the simple electronic beats, but some songs were quite enjoyable. At the end however it overstayed its welcome. Didnt like them from Lets make a bomb onwards.
White boys with synths being ironic.
Weird . Background music. Kinda like
This has aged very poorly and even became annoying past a certain point
Meh
What for?
Penthouse and Pavement is a brilliant song. The rest are ok, but nothing memorable 2/5
I thought i would like this, i liked a lot of their singles back in the day..nut i found this quite boring and repetative
No están mal, pero un poco cansinos. Cantan a destiempo. Electronic punk ?¿
It definitely screams early 80s. It's fine, but nothing super fantastic, in my opinion.
With the exception of Duran Duran in not a huge 80s Synthpop fan as I always feel the songs were a bit weak and flimsy and for the most part don't age well. There is a couple of ok tunes but nothing to write home about.
I feel every sketch making fun of synth pop bands is making fun of this band.
What is this thing? Weird synthy 80s experiment gone awry.
Heaven 17's Penthouse and Pavement is definitely a different kind of album, and one I was hoping I would like more. The album being divided into two distinct entities is interesting: funk and electronic. It felt new and refreshing, adjacent to the disco aftermath. The topics covered throughout were great, too. I loved the concept of "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang," but I did find the music itself too repetitive at times. In the end, I just wasn't super engaged. At least it wasn't a total waste of time.
Given the year (1981) and the fact that this band and album are relatively unknown, I am going to assume this album is on this project due to it being a progenitor of new wave. But really, this album is a little too eclectic and a little too unfocused. It comes off as experimenting with the idea of new wave and not really mastering new wave, and thus in my opinion doesn't quite get it right. One thing that really amuses me is that two members of The Human League would separate from that band to form Heaven 17 and release this album, both to very little fanfare. In the same year, only a month later, The Human League, sans these two members, would release their "Dare" album, home of their iconic song "Don't You Want Me", which ironically had more of a lasting footprint on new wave than this album did. Anyway, this was just okay -- it's another inclusion that is a music history lesson, not really an inclusion that must be heard.
1.75
this feels like a worse version of other stuff I've heard a lot.. and again, like really blunt attempts at political/social messaging? "PEACE"/"WAR" not unlistenable though. 2
Made it more than halfway through, and I'm definitely not torturing myself with the rest
Unique sound that got old pretty fast. Surprisingly groovy in places and I liked a couple songs but it got repetitive real fast and that uniqueness lost its luster. Got boring.
This came out when I was 3-1/2, and I spent my entire life not knowing this album. After listening to it, I realize that was okay. I vaguely remember Geisha Boys and Temple Girls. I imagine that this album was a revolution in the New Wave Movement, with its synth-heavy rhythms and deeply British lyrics. I can hear the influence they had on everyone from Depeche Mode to OMD and the Petshop Boys. However, I respect this album for its evolutionary role more than itself as a piece of work.
Niet mega interessant erg neutraal
Bleh.
Not a fan of this style. I did like Human League's few songs.
2.5 Apparently two of the guys from this group are originally from The Human League, which makes sense given this feels like a continuation of the same sound - I guess this album even came out just a month apart from The Human League album we had on this list. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really add anything to the experience for me - if anything, it feels like a step down. I listened to this multiple times and just couldn’t find anything I found particularly enjoyable or catchy. The opener, (We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang, is great from a lyrical perspective (and sadly still relevant today), but for a synth-pop album, I was not vibing at all with the music. The closest I came was probably Play to Win, but just because something about the track gave me Super Mario vibes. Not particularly enjoyable, but inoffensive to the ears at least, so going to land in the middle with this one - another entry I’m unsure of why it made this list.
Nichts für mich. Zuviel Plastik.
juvenile synths paving the way to better electro. 2.5/5
I promise I didn’t need to hear this album before I die. It’s not AWFUL to listen to, but it’s so… nothing? It’s hilarious to me that it made this book.
Bit too kooky for me. The electronics were interesting, but all in all not for me.
I was getting to the end of this album thinking ah yeah 2 stars, feels like I’ve been abducted by a 80s sci fi film. Then I had a couple good songs come through and was like okay maybe 3 stars. Nope definitely 2, turns out those last couple songs weren’t from the album and was just Spotify playing a new album
There's some great synth pop out there, but this isn't it. Pretty average songwriting, hasn't aged well.
album was ok nothing really stood out simalar to other British bands of that era
New wave synth pop characterised by sparse arrangements. The plinky plonky synth sounds are unusual and intriguing, but overall it is more interesting than it is enjoyable. Rating: 2/5 Playlist track: Lets All Make a Bomb Date listened: 21/04/24
Nothing amazing. Maybe they were influential to someone? I didn't hate it but didn't like it either
No están mal, pero un poco cansinos. Cantan a destiempo. Electronic punk ?¿
bad synthpop
Weird synth noises didn’t like it
When new wave is good, it's really good. When it's bad, it's AWFUL.
4/10, spennende musikk men ikke min smak og noe eg komme t å hørre på
Nothing too exciting. Half the album was missing on Spotify and I didn't bother to hunt down the rest of it.
Lite kul med funkigt 80-tals synth men asså det låter som någon bakgrundsmusik till ett riktigt jävla skumt spel som man drömmer ännu skummare drömmar om. Sparade någon låt men plattan är inget jag lyssnar om.
Couldn't get into it.
J'ai juste écouté la moitié, mais j'ai l'impression d'avoir tout entendu. C'est du très moyen new wave, rien de vraiment intéressant
This is what would have happened if Ross and Chandler had gotten their big break. Weird, but I enjoyed some of it.
Obscure 80's synth pop that should probably stay that way.
This is a very silly little album that also happens to be about fascism and war mostly. An odd one for sure. It's another synth-heavy '80s album. I might be slightly getting used to the new wave stuff a bit because I actually didn't hate the first few songs on this. But it started to get old really fast though, and by the end I was just so ready for it to be over (and it's only 38 minutes). Favorite song: (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thing Other: Penthouse And Pavement, Play To Win 3/20/24
No.
Euh étrange. Y'a des moments chouettes mais généralement plus gossant qu'autre chose
Not my thing. Reason it was not a huge success
Good morning and welcome to " it's time for me to sound like an intellectual music critic from my flat in Manhattan." On today's show we have a forgotten tale of the1980's weirdness invasion. Take the strange out of Human League, zap it through the easy bake oven ,sprinkle on some Simon sounding robot beats...and you get a song banned by the BBC. Probably the only reason this album made the list. This group and sound had potential, but they leave no lasting legacy from the 80s British pop invasion.
This is the Wish version of Pet Shop Boys.
Early 80’s so need to give them some credit, but sounds very dated now.
Honestly, I don't know how to feel about this album. It's only five songs, which I can't imagine is going to happen that many times again, so I'm just gonna rate it based on how many songs out of the five that I would gladly listen to again. "Penthouse and Pavement" went on for a long time, which would've been cool if I could hear the jamming, but I felt like the vocals were too distracting and overpowered whatever they were doing instrumentally. The vocals were way too repetitive on that track. Whatever else you would call what they were doing the rest of the time (ad libs?): I was digging. "Play to Win" I actually really liked, and then throughout the album the bass was fun to listen to as well as the rest of the solos. This whole album gave the impression of some kind of early 80s movie montage played at 1.5x speed. Came just in time too because I was really beginning to think I might actually need this fascist groove thing. Nipped that in the bud.
During most of the songs I found myself thinking "okay I get it, I GET IT" but the song kept going on. And on. Repetitive 80s experimental. Siiiiiiiiiiiick, just what my ears want. Some songs were okay though. Some.
This album did not resonate with me wholly. While I did enjoy several tracks and could hear its influence on several modern albums I love I just didn’t enjoy it as much. But that’s ok I’m still glad to have heard it and honestly maybe another day upon revisit it will hit different!
fun techno-esque beats from an OG london techno group, but likely won't listen to again
no no no
Nothing too special here. A lot of songs sounded repetitive.
Not the worst album on the list, but I'm all set on this one...
Brit Synth-pop that really doesn't go anywhere, even though it's got a heavy political charge to it.
meh.
Þetta var allt í lagi. Ég hlusta ekki mikið á svona tónlist að staðaldri en það kemur fyrir og þetta byrjaði fínt en varð fljótt mjög þreytt. Ekki líklegt að ég setji þessa plötu aftur á eða muni eftir henni í framtíðinni.
Nothing here for me.
lyrics have aged like wine... shame about the music
Extremely 80s synthpop album. A few catchy songs but this is kind of an exhausting full listen. Certainly interesting in its atmosphere, at least. Best song: Play to Win
Eh
Too goofy
After so much insistence, it deserves 2 stars for some songs here and there, but essentially, it's just another electronic/synth-pop, whatever.
I can't quite work out what this album is all about and it puts me off that the music genre seems to change quite a lot through the tracks.
Definitely “80’s alternative”. Listened to the entire album and it never spoke to me. A bit to German electric rock for me. Would never put this on myself.
Not my vibe but appreciate the music this likely pioneered
Seems like something that would make me smile to hear again if I’d been into it in the 80’s…but not keep on for long
I liked the first song a lot. The rest was OK 80s synth pop but nothing special. There's better material in the same genre from the 80s than this.
Oh noes, synthpop :( Now I have to clean up all of these synths and pops
some 1980s weirdness. for someone who did not grow up in the West, it is absolutely not interesting
Very synthy and 80s. Not very interesting to me.
Weird. Not my jam. And I like other Euro synth pop, just not this.
Pretty terrible. Has not aged well!
This one peaks in the first two songs and then just kinda isn’t very good. Love the bass playing.
Another English band that I have never heard of, and after listening to it, I can see why. I am sure this was a big deal at that time in the UK. But it feels like pretty standard new wave synth stuff. I understand that one of the songs was a hit, it's not familiar to me. I am hoping the whole album is not represented just because of that one hit.
British new-wave synth-pop. On paper this should be right up my alley, but in practice it's everything wrong with new-wave. Quirky instruments and weird mixing choices (to say the least) do not a good album make.
When I finally got to a nice song it was the Spotify suggestions already
Gets annoying quite quickly
Didn't love it
Too Devo
Engelsk synthpop, lidt repetitivt
Lacklustre forgettable bland 80s techno-pop. Not for me, but not offensively bad. The locked groove on the last track (spoiler?!) is a cool copy of a cool idea - but doesn't hit the same on digital versions with a fade out!
This music does absolutely nothing for me.
Eh I dunno chief. This isn’t for me
This album was fine, but nothing particularly stood out to me. It had the dance qualities of new wave but there just weren't any hooks for me. I think it's a matter of other bands doing it better, including themselves. Best Songs: N/A Listen Again: No
Blech
Smerige disco met slap-bassisten gaat toch vaak net de mist in...
Veel uit de jaren 80 was ronduit slecht. Dit is niet veel beter.
Dit begon best aardig, maar langzaam zakt het dan toch weg in gedateerde deuntjes die ik best kan missen.
Too much weird sounds
Generally these songs would be ok if they popped up in my playlist occasionally but not a whole album. Innocuous synthy stuff.
Tylsä ja keskinkertainen
Funkkielementit toimi, mut turhaa harhailua aika paljon.
Pretty terrible, funky electro pop. At first I thought I got some Talking Heads vibes vocally, but lyrically and musically none of it really sounded good.
Not my thing
Really not my style of music
Unintentionally hilarious! Someone should’ve had a tighter leash on the comical use of studio sounds. If that aspect had been more subtle, and the lyrics weren’t so childish, there might be something there since there’s keyboard, beat, and melody talent.
Not really my jam
Had its moments. 2 stars' worth, to be exact.
Un peu catchy, mais souvent désagréable. Synth pop anglaise assez dispensable, tiède.
I struggled to listen to this one
Synthpop från 80-talet som låter så jävla mycket som 80-talet. På ett sätt som tyvärr åldrats rätt dåligt. Vissa höjdpunkter, men oftast dåligt, som till exempel 'Play to Win'. '(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang' är albumets stora hit, och även om jag håller med om andemeningen är den inte särskilt bra. Till det som är bra: 'Penthouse and Pavement' är rätt groovy. 'Geisha Boys and Temple Girls' har ett intro som gör att det känns som man kryssar genom ett asteroidfält, rätt cool låt även om texten är konstig. 'Song With No Name' också bra, även om jag inte vet vad jag ska kalla den. Trummor som känns som att upprepade gånger bli slagen i magen ganska löst, kombinerat med en mörkare synth-basgång gör den lite suggestivare än resten av albumet. Bästa låt: Geisha Boys and Temple Girls.
Pretty good but not really a genre I am super into
meh
The bass player was rad, though I didn't like how it was recorded/sounded Did not like the drum-machine sound or the lyrical aesthetic or vocal delivery (fist-pump guy-group-sing-along) - the 'fight the power' lyrics could be pretty ok though
Love me some synth but idk Heaven 18 wasn't doing it for me today.
Not for me.
I didn’t think that I’d be rating a Heaven 17 album before any Human League albums on this list. TIL that Heaven 17 was named after a band in A Clockwork Orange. That’s cool. This album? Yeah, it’s alright.
The first 45 seconds or so had me so hyped, and then we went on a fast track to mid city.
While it starts off pretty strong with the opening track, the album as a whole ends up feeling very one dimensional. Not enough variation or stand out tracks, despite some nice grooves here and there.
Cheesy 80's shite.
Had a hard time getting through the first track. Half the tracks were missing off Spotify. I’ll come back to this one but really wasn’t feeling it.
Very 1980s. Drum machine, no memorable melodies, the usual synths but well below the standard of the Human League and OMD. The only track I liked was 'Let's all make bomb' but I"m not so keen on that any more. A poor album.
This is the band that was created from 'Human League'. Funky bass lines for a synth band. 3 of the 9 tracks are not available on Spotify. 2 good tracks: Penthouse and Pavement Play to Win (sounds like Devo)
Not my thing.
First impression here is the repetition is off the scale. Some of these songs are just a phrase repeated over and over again with little to no variation. It did end up being just short enough to get away with being pretty awful in some places. I kind of didn't mind some of the jingly-jangly proto-synth-pop bits, but as I'm typing is I can hear they put the last song on an annoying loop to close out the album. Was going to be generous and go for a three, but this is definitely two material.
Aged. Aged badly.
It’s adjacent to being something good but it has not at all arrived.
Pure genius!
A few good tracks otherwise I won't remember it tomorrow.
This is the most 80's album I've never heard of. Wildly 80's.
The funk influenced tracks get me in the groove. The primitive synth driven songs sound like a Time Machine and are comical. Overall, they tend to have repetitive lyrics which leads to waning interest.
Today's album is another synth-pop album from some obscure British band. Apparently members of The Human League broke off to form this band. There is some highly repetitive stuff on this album, especially on the song Penthouse and Pavement; it really didn't need to be 6 minutes long. There's also some experimentation with different sounds....like the fucking repeated whistle in the song The Height of the Fighting. The bass groove that is played for the first half of the record is it's only real display of talent. These guys sound like a Walmart brand of Talking Heads. And Talking Heads are shitty enough, so imagine how cheesy these guys are. Overall, not my style of music at all. Not horrible, but not great. The album cover looks like you are going to be listening to business meetings on tape. Favourite songs: (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang, Penthouse and Pavement Least favorite songs: Soul Warfare, Geisha Boys and Temple Girls, Song With No Name 2/5
Ei jotenkin lähde. Pitäs olla parempii biisejä tai julmempi tanssimeno. 2/5
Ihan kyllä jotenkin hauska, mutta ei nyt erityisen hohdokkaasti ole ikääntynyt.
Voiko olla niin että vaan luulin pitäväni synapopista kun arvostelen kaikki genren levyt aika alas? Tässäkin muutama ok biisi, mutta kokonaisuus kyllä kovin keskinkertainen. 2/5
Echt doorsnee 80s synthpop weer, ik kan er echt helemaal niks mee. Maar onluisterbaar is het ook niet, dus toch 2 sterren.
Par-for-the-course New Wave. Not really interesting, without any standouts or any sense of hooks or melody. 2/5
2023/04/04
Elektronista, vähän Depeche Mode tyyppistä poppia.
Never heard of these guys. I'll give it an honest listen. Being that it's 1981 might have some potential. Wait!! I just saw what their top track is. Temptation from Train Spotting. So yes I've heard them but that's the only song. Cool! Now I'm excited. Well it was alright. Nothing I would revisit again. It definitely had that feeling like it was trying to break away from the previous decades sound that was disco. I think the coke pandemic had already invaded Britain by this point.
This is very bad.
Interesting as a historical footnote in the evolution of electronic music, but not interesting for much else.
Kinda fun? is all the possible positivity I can give this album. Unoriginal, aggressively repetitive, lackluster lyrics, alright production. The best of the album is when it ends. I really fucking loved the bassist on this, though. He is the only aspect keeping this album from a complete failure. Funky funky. 2/5
Not a big fan of the production of this album. It feels very hollow and dated but there are a few decent/catchy songs. I feel like I'm digging some of the lyrics and the point of view of the writers but just don't love the finished product. Standout Tracks: Penthouse and Pavement, The Height of the Fighting (He-La-Hu)
Boring slog with a couple of ok songs.
This was mostly horrible to me. However I am glad I heard it. It's kind of on the fringe of something I might like, but it never gets there. I don't know why, but I kind of like the title track a bit. Like I said, glad I heard it, I'm probably not coming back though.
meh
Synthjungelen tar helt overhånd her. Song with no name har et munnspill gående der inne. helt magisk. Resten blir litt generisk og strebende.
Weird new wave pop bullshit
Well, I'm sure that this was a groundbreaking album that helped bring synthpop to the British mainstream, but lordy I think this is dull. What it says in a whole album could probably have been achieved in 2-3 tracks. Maybe if Vince Clarke had been involved, they'd have been more interesting.
A bit too repetitive
Very much an album of the 80's - said that a few times but this one seems directly aimed at the issues of the time. Of course some of those issue are ongoing today as "we don't need that fascist groove thing" however it seems like a completely different era and doesn't seem to have aged out of the 80's well at all.
while I love some of the tracks on this record. I don't believe it belongs on the list. There are way more influential bands out there (Squeeze perhaps?) that did not make the list.
Not for me
It is definitely an 80s album but with no well known songs. I tolerated it.
Bit of a struggle to be honest
Synth-pop is just not my thing. There are some cool moments on here, especially the funky bass lines. I don’t think this has aged well.
When your mind merges the known-to-it musical quantities of Heavens to Betsy and Excuse 17 into Heaven 17 as some imaginary substitute for the band you are abruptly shocked by this record more than if you had simply pressed play without all those erroneous associations. It says something about how expectations shapes our response to what we perceive to have that happen. Now to get down to my experience of this record after the initial shock: it reminds me of a cross between Depeche Mode and Gang of Four. Quite possibly this record is the average of those two bands. That's another way of saying when I hear this, it reminds me to listen to records I like better.
I love some songs by Heaven17 unfortunately none are on this album. Quite weird songs on here
This did not speak to me at all. It was a style typically I would like but I just found it irritating
Started off quite nice and I thought it would be good but I got quickly bored
I am trying to understand this album's inclusion this list. It feels like an album that one of the list makers really liked and decided to put it on. If you look at the Wikipedia it's basically like "yeah this album wasn't well received but some people have liked it more over the years." If I were to make a list of my 100 favorite albums, there would be a ton of niche picks on there that absolutely not every person needs to listen to unless they really like the genre or something. This feels like one of those album's. For starters, it's repetitive as hell. The lyrics in most songs just repeat and repeat and repeat "for a very long time." Secondly, aside from a few moments, the synthpop sound isn't even that noteworthy or interesting. I did really like the groove on the title track, but it didn't need to go on for almost seven minutes. And, "Soul Warfare" was a pretty repetitive, boring song until the totally ripping bass solo. Other tracks were downright obnoxious to listen to: "Geisha Boys and Temple Girls" and "The Height of Fighting " to name a couple. It's not necessarily a bad album, but it's not good either.
Very forgettable synth-pop.
Decent
it's not great. patchy at best and the best patches aren't patches i'd want to listen to again
The album started really strong but fell down fast. Most of the songs are way too repetitive and long with OK production, but the concept/ideas are interesting. Still, didn’t exactly hate the rest of the album, most of it was just mediocre. This is the type of album where you save the first couple songs and never listen to the rest again (which is an hour and a half!)
A pretty weird and overall underwhelming 80s pop style album. The album felt a bit long and some songs dragged on due to their repetitive lyrics. I didn’t find this one to be very interesting or that important. It was an okay album but would not be revisited. 4.2/10
Sparkes did it first and better
I was due to record 'An Audience with Nigel Spackman' for the BBC back in the early 90s. I overslept and was late setting off for the recording, meaning I hit rush hour traffic. Feeling hungry, I decided to grab a large cheese burger from a vendor on the corner of a road. I wolfed it down in seconds. Moments later, I felt my stomach begin to twinge. Soon, thunderous belches and farts oozed out of me. I was in trouble. I was in a race against the clock, but also about to burst with a volcano of shit. I decided it was best to just get to the venue and unleash hell in my dressing room. As I pulled up, people were already filtering in and some keen autograph hunters spotted me arriving. I found a dark corner of the carpark and decided I couldn't wait any longer. I had to get this shit out. I moved onto the back seat of the car behind the driver's seat, pulled down my pants and curled out unimaginable darkness into an old shoebox I had previously discarded. What a relief. That was until someone tapped on the window of my car. I turned to see a group of around 30 Nigel Spackman fans staring in horror at what they had just seen. I opened the door, posed for some photos and gave the shoebox to a young boy as a souvenir. I smashed the gig and went home triumphantly. This Heaven 17 record reminds me of that evening.
Hopeless bunch of preening synth-poppers create a swirling vortex of ennui.
I never was a fan of synth-pop, not then and still now. Most of it was listenable, but it reminded me that there was a lot of music in the early-80's that I disliked and this would have been one of those albums that confirmed that. Not the least bit essential, at least for me.
Kinda bland and forgettable, not offensive but hardly a defining album
very 80s
There was some cool funk moments underneath, but overshadowing it a bit was that cheesy 80s synth pop that does sound quite dated. I think I’ve enjoyed some synth pop, but this one didn’t quite do it for me. I can see the appeal though
It’s not bad, but as at the time, it just made me want to listen to the Human League albums that were out at the same time or before this. They were ok, but others did it better. As an aside, when they were younger lead singer Glenn Gregory reminded me of Gary Busey.
They had a vision for what they wanted, and they went for it; I'll give them that. When I think synth-pop, I definitely don't think about socially conscious bands that are looking to make commentaries with their music. The lyrical content makes the focus of this album plain, but the conspicuously artificial sound of the synthesized drum tracks and keyboards add an additional dystopian and ominous air to most of the tracks. The result is an album that isn't necessarily entertaining, or rather that feels less casual and more forceful with it's desire to be heard. I appreciate a group that is willing to do that, but I also have to admit that in this case, it kind of undermines my ability to enjoy it too much.
2, had its moments
I was given Duran Duran's Rio a few albums ago and I thoroughly enjoyed that trip back to the 80's. So when I saw this come up I was happy to dive back in. Also, for context, I gave Kraftwerk Autobahn 5 stars. So this album sounds just like something I would enjoy, but oof. I certainly see what they are trying to do but it's too simplistic and aimless to get there. Even the short songs feel too long. The bassist really goes for it which merits a star. Otherwise, it's a listless mess that I actually didn't need to hear before I die.
Its experimental which is good. But also Meh, which isnt
Eh, wasn't really my cup of tea.
Brit Devo
List fail. Rhythm section was OK.
No fascist groove thing is catchy and fun, leaning into the title. But even with that and after it just really isn't my thing.
Meh. Not for me. Synth pop is repetitive and a strain to listen to.
I love the 80s music wise but this was just painful
I don’t know if I’m edgy enough to be in this party :(
No están mal, pero un poco cansinos. Cantan a destiempo. Electronic punk ?¿
Part new wave and parts power pop this really didn’t hit me in any particular way I cared for enough to sink more time into the band.
The Human League was enough of a waste of time to include another synth-pop side project of theirs.
Tecno pop
i kinda find this very mid, i don't hate it and i thought it'd be something i would like but unfortunately i find the production to be very poor and the actual music to be both cold and in a position where it does absolutely nothing for me
C’est weird, un peu electro, synth j’ai pas deteste . Mais c’est pas fou 2.95
2 1/2
Enjoyable.
nä, det här höll inte tyckte jag, inte min påse puka.
Meh. Forgettable
Formulaic
I cant believe I made my ears listen to this shit. He-La_Whooo
There's quite a few things I enjoyed about this album, but it faded quite badly after a strong start. They really have perfected the art of matching the melody and lead synth lines and singing them over and over and over
Some great bass. An album I can enjoy but will probably never listen to again.
A band and album completely foreign to me. The only thing I recognized was the opening song, "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang", covered by LCD Soundsystem on a live album. Pretty good. Obviously, the whole album is a satire of sorts intended to dunk on yuppie corporate life. But I'll be frank, this is pretty shallow, musically. Some of it is catchy, sure, but I'm sitting here listening to some fart-y synths and can't help but feel like this album needs some "punching up", so to speak. Bass groves are, more often than not, holding this shit together. I love the idea of this album, but the songs just don't deliver.
Old pop
80 is wank
out at the slap bass
Funk pop electrónico, con sintes ochenteros. Hiperproducido, entre la New Wave y los Nuevos Románticos.
Laat me redelijk koud.
.
I am sure it was cutting edge in 1981 but it sounds very dated in 2021. It is a tremendous effort considering the group's youth and limited production available. However, it is not my cup of tea.
It was ok.
Fuckin 80s man
Background noise
Znowu po brytyjsko, ponownie lata 80, ale tym razem w klimacie synth popowym, dosc dlugie sluchanie, bo wersja spotifajowa zawiera wszelakie single wydawane na roznych nosnikach. wiec z orginalnego 38 minutowego materialu zrobilo sie z bonusami godzina 22 minuty, wiec mocarna dawka densingowych rytmow, bo wlasnie tak grany jest ten synth pop, disko nowej fali lat 80 wyspiarzow, jesli juz smithy uzywaly wstawek synthowych tworzac swoje popowania, to tak tutaj calosc jest oparta na syntezatorach, ale ciekawe motywy liryczne sie przewijaja na plycie, bo jest dosc duzo ironizowania, wiec taki punkowy pop, poprawnosc polityczna nie jest synonimem tego materialu, bo jeden z kawalkow byl nawet zbanowany w mainstreamowych mediach ze wzgledu na swoje anty thatcherowo murikanskie przeslanie, a tytul tego traka to (we dont need this) fascist groove thang, ktory leci na plejke razem z soul warfare
First two songs are great but the rest is pretty mediocre. 5/10
oof, this album was kind of a hard listen to, I am not a fan of synth-pop, and this album didn't change things. after reading about the band, i can see why, I was never into The Human League either, but there were some good songs on the album "Let's all make a bomb" was the best track for sure.
Very funky 80's style jams. Also very strange. About half of the songs are unavailable on Spotify, but I felt like I got the gist of it. Highlights: -Penthouse and Pavement
It's time to listen to some Heaven 17, and their 1981 album Penthouse And Pavement. It's a bit rough going to be honest. I'm all for Electro-Pop and Synth and I've enjoyed a lot of similar types of music over the years. The Trainspotting soundtrack is to this day top five soundtracks of all time for me. It features Heaven 17's most famous song I think - called 'Temptation' and its very enjoyable. I listened to it again this morning and verified the enjoyment. This album is hard to digest, and it might need another hook or two - just to keep me invested. It feels more like just beats and repeated lyrics over and over and lots of other odd noises mixed in. I'm a big fan of Kraftwerk and it's mentioned that this album feels like where Kraftwerk left off with The Man Machine. Maybe I need to give that album another listen because I'm not enjoying this as much as I did that album. I'm halfway through this album, so we'll see how the side B feels. Adding the synthesizer to pop music was an important step forward - but this band is a hard listen in 2021. I'm Your Money is hitting the spot towards the end of the album, just because the end sounds very much like Kraftwerk.
Never heard of this band before, it's not bad but I will forget about its existence soon.
agressive
Basically drunken me trying my best on Fruity Loops
Wack
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.
Sigh. Why?
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