Reviews (page 6 of 8)
I’ve got this sudden urge to buy a Filofax and get on the property ladder.
My life is full of technically competent nerds with synthesizers and with no pop sensibilities. This album is what happens when you let them try to make a pop album. Charming and quirky. I kind of can't believe "Let's All Make A Bomb" hasn't been discovered as a low-cost needle drop for an Atomic Blonde type film.
fun, dancey, anti reagan, what can you complain about
Wow! I really liked this!!! I've never heard of Heaven 17 before, but I will be listening to more of them for sure. The first track ("Fascist Groove Thang") was definitely my favorite. It felt very 80s, but also fresh compared to a lot of 80s synth pop.
i LOVE this exact flavor of 80s bullshit
started off strong but I fell off a lot after the first 3 songs
Yes, perfect. The ideal rate and ratio of beeps and boops. Just enough Ronald Reagan libel/slander (that's a lie, I could go for a little more).
Aikamoista. Ainakin on pojilla yhden sormen syntikkamelodioita. Viihdyttävää, ei kyllä erityisen hyvää.
He ovat kekseliäämpiä säveltäjiä kuin moni suostuisi myöntämään. Toisaalta he kokevat tarpeelliseksi koristella biisejään hupsuilla kokeiluilla ja laserefekteillä ynnä muulla. Ja lopulta heillä on ihailtavaa tajua pelastaa se, mitä pelastettavissa on.
"Across that great wide ocean Reagan's president elect Fascist God in motion Generals tell him what to do Stop your good time dancing Train their guns on me and you Fascist thing advancing" This album certainly isn't the best example of synth pop, but then again, fuck Ronald Reagan.
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.
Quite weird
Good fun, this. Not loads to say about it really, except that I enjoyed it and wouldn't turn it off if it came on, but nor do I think I'll ever agonise over what to listen to and end up with Heaven 17.
Deep down in my heart, I know that this isn't *actually* a perfect album, but man does it hit right. It gives me that perfect synthy vibe that I am always down for. Fun times all around!
I had fun with this, but would I listen again? Probably not ..
Interesting album, I like it. A bit hectic in places so it wouldn't become a mainstay for me, but glad I gave it a few listens.
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.
Nice easy album to get into
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!
the fuck even was this dude. god dammit. i hate it
If Spandau Ballet got worse and repetitive gospel-like. This album is pure trash. Zero stars is generous.
Every time there's an 80s album that I don't recognize I nervously open the Wikipedia crossing my fingers it won't be another British 80s new wave or synth album. I've been burned again.
3 out of 5. A lot of these songs are catchy and easy to dance to.
Un album assez spécial. Je ne pense pas avoir tant embarqué, mais c'était assez unique et originale, surtout pour l'époque, mais même considérant ce qui se fait aujourd'hui. C'était quand même assez avant-gardiste. 7/10
Talking Heads if they fucking sucked.
Catchy.
Sounds very 1980’s new wave
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
Thos is so absurdly 80s that its actually enjoyable.
Starts off with a catchy banger. Followed by more than an hour of forgettable pop twaddle.
Certainly a foray into fusion. It’s as if Flea brought the bass slappin to The Talking Heads, while they had just listened to a fair amount of German techno pop. The production is exquisite and the recording is crisp. Very interesting.
kinda pretty good for very synth-driven early 80s pop
I listened to the 12 song Special Edition version with B.E.F. included. The original one linked had a few songs that were not accessible via spotify. (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang is interesting. You can tell it's from the 80s given the usage of synths and processed drums from that era. The usage of distortion throughout was neat. It's got a pretty decent grove though and I like the message, especially given this was in the context of Reagan being a foray into fascism in the US, and look at where we're at now in 2024. Overall the album was very mediocre, something that can definitely be assumed to have been from that era both in instrumentation as well as recording/mixing techniques. It's dated and the remaster doesn't really do it justice I'm sure. I do like the synth work, but the vocals and chord structures are nothing to write home about I think. I'd give it maybe a 3 or so.
This has aged very poorly and even became annoying past a certain point
Ugh - if there were was an option for zero stars I would have used that....
Meh
That was nice. Didn't know the human league connection.
What for?
Penthouse and Pavement is a brilliant song. The rest are ok, but nothing memorable 2/5
Not great
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.
Ерунда какая-то, треки перезатянуты, надоедают, не можешььдождаться когда же это наконец закончится.
I got a strumming pattern or two out of listening to this. Interesting but I don't think I'll be regularly returning to the waters here
Good groovy vibes, but beats got somewhat repetitive throughout the songs
I really appreciated how funky and weird this one was, but not all of the music worked for me. Certain parts were really repetitive and annoying. But I enjoyed it overall.
i'd heard of this band but never listened to them prior. damn, was i missing out! this is some good ol' WEIRD 80s music. all these songs sound radically different and a little off-putting but i'm totally here for it, even if the BBC wasn't because they didn't want to offend the worst man of the late 20th century, ronald reagan. favorites: we don't need this fascist groove thang, penthouse and pavement, soul warfare, geisha boys and temple girls, the height of the fighting, song with no name
Between thin, crunchy, unbuttered layers of bass, squealing synthesizers and vexing vocals make for a thoroughly unappetizing musical meal.
I feel every sketch making fun of synth pop bands is making fun of this band.
why do people hate this so much in the reviews? Its a bit weird but in a good way
This is fine but A Certain Ratio are the Brit Funk/ Post Punk crossover band that should feature on this list.
Un album inclassable et surprenant, dont les claviers pop-rock donnent aux textes les accents d’une révolte manufacturée
I could never truly dislike an album whose opening track explicitly decries fascism. Some great funk on this one!
This might not be the greatest work of synth-pop of all time, but I don’t believe this record is nearly as abysmal as many of these reviews aver. The first half of this record has some funk in it which is evidenced by the very prominent bass. Truthfully, the bassist is what makes this first half interesting, but the songs sound the same. The band exchange the funkiness for a more electronic-influenced sound in the second half (starting with “Geisha Boys and Temple Girls”), and this is where the whole thing starts to pick up some steam, however, right as I’m getting invested, the record is over. I am not totally impartial as I have a fondness for electronic music, but this album would have benefited from sticking to electronic as opposed to having two distinct sounds. Ultimately, this album is a 3/5.
This was just awful. Maybe it sounded a lot cooler in the 80s. I don't know, and frankly, I don't care to know.
What is this thing? Weird synthy 80s experiment gone awry.
Understanding its early 80s ots cool for the time, dont think the music hold up. Most songs sounds like an 80s montage of a romantic comedy. I can see eddie murphy in beverly hills cop with any song. Its not bad for being brit pop and early synth pop it most have been great back then. Follow up acts were much much better but these guys paved the way for the better stuff so respect must be given at all time. Fu songs, happy songs but they lack something I cant pin point. The over use of the synth although part of the genere it gets boring. Still a strong 3 for the original music and for making something different at the time.
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.
Not sure about the genre. Dance mixed in with artsy.
Noise.
80s gubbins
No big hits, but sounds ok
Some real funky bass lines here. Other than that, fucking terrible.
Way better than I thought it would be. When the first notes of (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thing played I thought it was going to suck and be too whimsical but it's not, it's really nice maybe synth pop music.
An interesting sound, certainly. Couldn't shake the feeling that the vocalist(s) lines amounted to them talking at the listener to a tune, more than actual singing or meaningful expression.
Really good bass and all in all a solid album!
Cool album cover. The number of bonus tracks/alternate versions on the album was frustrating to navigate. Sound actually grew on me, crazy fast bass player if some of this is being player by a person and not a computer. The drum sample at 2:00 on "Fascist Groove Thang" is nice I like that it only shows up once, makes me miss that sound.
Luv 80s
4/5 - long live south yorkshire synth-pop
1.75
I really dug some of the songs on this album — particularly the songs that seem to have been released as singles (Fascist Groove Thang, I’m Your Money, Let’s All Make a Bomb) so the band chose right. I will definitely be returning to some songs on this album (Fascist Groove Thang has already been on some of my playlists), but there are plenty of songs here I could do without.
British, quite fun, mostly uninteresting synthy music. Stand-out: We're Going To Live For A Very Long Time
Happy clappy electronic dance music with obligatory simple riffs, twangy bases and drum machine. Not my cup of tea. A one star
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
Early tech just sucks.
Made it more than halfway through, and I'm definitely not torturing myself with the rest
This makes me want to squirm around on the ground like God’s favorite bug 🐜🦟🐜🦟🐜🦟
I surprisingly enjoyed the record but do I see myself coming back again , Hell No!
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.
It was pretty good. Duran Duran-y
un disci de su época; para bailar y poco más.
Good to listen to early synth material & some nice grooves though not really my thing.
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.
I liked this one enough to play it twice. I'll be revisiting this one for sure. BTW - been a bit of a slacker due to family vacation in Oregon last week. I'm fully back in business now.
Cool 80’s sound.
"Fascist Groove Thing" is a guaranteed party starter
Starts strong , 80s electronic pop with very funky bass , slightly fizzles half way though . Five stars for side one though .
Play to
The album is consistent, but almost to the point of being repetitive. Hearing the themes against the upbeat 80s synth is really interesting, but overall I found the album uninspiring and repetitive.
Soul Warfare, Song with No Name is too slow
Interesting
Pleasantly surprised, funky and groovy.
This was really bad, not sure how it made this list.
After listening to this, I contemplated jumping out of the window of my penthouse only to land head first on the pavement below. Actually that thought occurred AS I was listening to it. Regardless that these guys shared members with the Human League, how the hell some of these albums make the list is beyond comprehension. Even if heaven existed in 17 different realms, I’m sure this album would not be included in any of them.
What an inclusion from the wiki on this: “It has since been regarded as ‘an important outing’”. Wow really makes you think. This album cover goes hard, GUYS DOING BUSINESS. But this was painful. Sounds like someone just got their Casio keyboard and has mastered the art of annoying you with every stock sound included.
You know how when something is not very good but it inspires someone to create something good. I don’t know if that’s the case but with this being early 80s maybe it influenced other music in that decade. I don’t know. That’s about the only nice thing I could say.
I’m perplexed. Flummoxed even. No clue why this album is on the list. As far as I can tell it was not popular, not critically acclaimed, has no hits, and isn’t particularly influential in the world of synth pop. So….what are we even doing? Sounds like a cheap rip off of the Lambda Lambda Lambda battle of the bands set. The album cover is pretty awesome, tho, in that so bad it’s good kinda way. 1.5/5
I like a lot of 80s music but this was a lot of fluff (needs more pumping base). I think I just wanted them to be Depeche Mode and they aren't. Honestly, this is what people are probably thinking of when they say they don't like 80s music. And why was this album so friggin long?
there are some very interesting ideas here but overall i dont think it achieves what it wanted. it feels like an inferior remain in light. ill be returning to this but it only gets a 6/10 for now
Voornamelijk lege interessant doenerij
Niet mega interessant erg neutraal
good synthpop
3.5 This may have been groundbreaking at the time, but it doesn't feel all that special now. If you're listening on Spotify and feeling inclined to skip the 50% of the album unavailable there, you've basically gotten the idea already. Half a star above average for Fascist Groove Thing and making me want to dance throughout.
I like it
Fun synth pop with a cool dual-genre concept. Lots of groovy keys and slapping bass, with pretty classic 80's drumming. Vocals are good, not great, but song concepts were pretty grounded and worldly, if not skewed a little cheesy by the new wave/pop arranging. I liked the pop "Penthouse" side more than the new funk "Pavement" side.
Bleh.
Early UK synth pop
Not as bad as the other reviews make it seem. Was a fun listen but nothing crazy. Nice and short
Not a fan of this style. I did like Human League's few songs.
Should have just put a Pavement album here instead of whatever this was attempting to be. This was not very good at all and way too long. Think it said the genre was rock and pop. Not true. The crazy debate going on in my head right now is who did it worse, the Dylan album yesterday (really any Dylan album) or these guys? And I see another Radiohead album coming up? WTF? I suppose I had this coming after several 4 star albums. I'm guessing the next album I see will be another Neil Young. Sheesh......I guess if I gave Dylan negative stars, these guys deserve none. So zero it is...... 0
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
It was about 3 on the scale
Interesting
Have never had a positive opinion of Heaven 17 – not sure why, just never had a good vibe about them… Could not have picked out a song of theirs – so it wasn’t anything experiencially-related, but it’s always been that way… Well – after listening to “Penthouse & Pavement” – my long-held disdain for Heaven 17 was absolutely dead on, as this album – as my good friend Keith is fond of saying – was fucking terrible!!! Not pretentious like many other “1’s” that I have given, nor was it mindless speed metal – which I have been known to trash – no, this was just a level of extraordinary suckitude that one doesn’t come across very often… The funniest part, was the ONLY song that I found even remotely listenable, was “Song With No Name” – which I’d probably give a 2-stars out of 7 – but after that, there was absolutely nothing else worth listening to, over the rest of the ONE HOUR & 22 MINUTE exercise of sonic futility… That was until Track #19 came on (i.e. I might have had listened to the deluxe version…) – and I was like, oh – that doesn’t suck as much as everything else… When I went to check what the title of said song was on TIDAL, I found it was called “Song With No Name – 12-Inch Version”… HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Seriously, this was absolutely awful, and that’s ONE HOUR & 22 MINUTES of my life that I’m not gonna get back… Would honestly give this a “0” if I could, as listening to this actually pissed me off, but the site won’t allow it, so begrudgingly I’ll give it a 1…
nice synth pop album
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.
answering the question “what if thomas dolby was 11 years old and got a keyboard for christmas”
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
Weird 80s mix of funk and electro. They made the song temptation from the trainspotting soundtrack but it's not on this album. 4/10
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 ?¿
Well, I was a little hesitant going in, since I never listened to Heavens 1-16, but I figured I'd get the gist of the plot through context. Pretty decent, some Talking Heads vibes (but worse lol).
bad synthpop
On release the public didnt like it, the critics didn't like it and it sold sod all so let's put it on the list??? The authors desperate need to convince us he's a musical intellectual is starting to get a bit stupid now.
Another truly dire album
Pretty good Brit synthpop, tends a bit clangy sometimes.
Shake your fascist groove thing is a classic! I appreciate that this album is either an EP or just very short. I like it, but I don’t know how much I would listen to the whole thing on purpose. Maybe just some of their best of instead.
Weird synth noises didn’t like it
A bit too long maybe… never heard of them before!
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.
Not bad.
The first part of the album was very good. The other half not so much unfortunately. One extra star just for the bass!
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.
Short. Sweet. New to me.
Couldn't get into it.
Not good
Amazing
Hipper than hip early 80s electronica
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
I'm down with this album's concept for sure - especially looking back on the early 80s this far into the future and realizing that yuppies still exist in the 21st Century. The synth grooves and hooks are solid but many of the songs don't quite hit for me. LCD Soundsystem fans will probably love Penthouse and Pavement.
I can't help but to think this album is on the list because the author had the lp in his collection rather than because this was culturally significant. Pioneering is a weird way to describe this. Doing something early is cool and all. But it would have to be also be coupled with good to be worthy of this list. Sadly this isn't good.
Memories
Bit scatty like
The album starts out quite strongly with the politically charged dance floor rave up of Fascist Groove Thang and the funk-inspired title track featuring some amazing bass playing. The first side is very strong but things start to unravel with side 2 which has trouble holding my attention. I think they shot at an update on Kraftwerk's sound but missed the mark. The idea is commendable the execution not quite there. 3.5 stars
Funky.
Fascist Groove Thing is still a great song. Should be on the radio now. Haven’t heard Penthouse and Pavement in a million years. This all so perfectly 80s. Even the cover art is a spoof of the Yuppie takeover; a premonition of American Psycho, complete with executive ponytails. Oh snap, I totally forgot about Play to Win. Jesus, this is such a blast from the past. This is a fun little record. Did not expect to see it on this list. It’s really pretty good, though. Smart, upbeat, and funny. Final song is hilarious. Not everything is intended to be serious.
Favorite Tracks: Penthouse And Pavement Geisha Boys And Temple Girls The Height Of The Fighting
This is what would have happened if Ross and Chandler had gotten their big break. Weird, but I enjoyed some of it.
No. Not well-received by charts or critics? Fantastic. This is a great experiment if you wondered what Talking Heads would be like without any actual talent. Every once in a while, I’d think a certain riff was decent… and then they’d repeat it for five minutes until I hated them even more. Why?
WHO THE HELL IS PICKING THESE ALBUMS?! WHO DECIDED I NEEDED TO HEAR THIS?! 1/5
This album wasn't bad but it just didn't grab my attention
Enjoyed this one. The Dead Milkmen covered the Fascist Groove Thang and the original is just as good.
Another album I'm wondering why it's on this list. This was a struggle to get through.
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
This should remain in 1981. No reason to bring it back. Yes it's got the 80s vibes but there are so many 80s soundtracks that are much better at it.
Me gustó bastante de a ratos, para tener en cuenta.
I value my life more than keep listening more than 5 tracks of this album. Not amused at all.
Interesting experiments but needed guest vocals, and better when it does. Also some sick session bass.
Outhouse..
A haiku: Heaven 17? Heaven 2 or 3 at best Aren’t I clever?!
average Brit sound, will probably not listen again.
No.
an enjoyable and lively synthpop album. there's a good amount of funk and i would say maybe disco influence scattered here and there. it starts off relatively on the pop side and then goes a little deep with the synthesizer and drum machine experimentation later on. this was definitely around that era of early 80s business capitalism... rebel stuff mixed in with current sociopolitical issues around that time. it's rad.
Like a cross between Oingo Boingo, Devo, Wang Chung, and NPR. I liked a few tracks but most of it wasn't good, certainly not for 1.25 hours
Shouldn't be on this list, in my opinion.
Kein Folk - erster Stern. Ansonsten gibt es nur noch einen Punkt zu klären: Wie(so) hat es das Album in diese Liste geschafft?
5. One of my favorite albums on this list so far
Euh étrange. Y'a des moments chouettes mais généralement plus gossant qu'autre chose
Nice mixing of electronic music. Really has the 80's sound. Not sure if this just a copy of that sound or the originator of it? First time listening.
Based on the cities listed on the cover, looks like we have another UK album today. So often am I bewildered at songs 40 years ago so plainly stating concerns, struggles and issues that are still present today. "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" plainly labels the GOP as fascist and racist in an almost joking manner that it's hard to tell if it's ironic that they were right, or just calling it like they saw it. The rest of the tracks could easily be used as a montage song throughout the decade and would fit right in. That upbeat synth has its charm, but it does kind of wonder around without much direction. Overall pretty interesting, but limited in lasting appeal. Favorite track "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" 3/5
Not my thing. Reason it was not a huge success
Oh boy, that started off strong. So much keytar. I feel like if you took out the lyrics, it would be kinda cool background music.
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.
Noise
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 got my foot tappin'! I'm a sucker for that upbeat type of electronic percussion especially paired with that groovy/funk vibe they got going with the guitar. Also sick bass lines. I have no nostalgic feelings for this style of music, but somehow it all worked for me. It seemed like the band is self-aware of the silly/playful nature of the music. The songs are definitely too long though.
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!
1981 Genre: New wave, synth-pop, electropop Standouts: Penthouse and Pavement, Play to Win, (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang, Let's All Make a Bomb. 4/5
fun techno-esque beats from an OG london techno group, but likely won't listen to again
Talking Heads did it better. Every song on this album sounds the same. No point in even ranking them.
I’m getting post punk synth pop vibes on this one. This screams 80’s and not in a good way, it doesn’t age well because the synths are too obnoxious and it punches you upside the face and doesn’t let you forget. I understand this, Being that the genre was in its infancy (i think?) at this time, but to me the fun tapers off as it goes and I find myself bored.
Add this to the list of Title songs that go dummy hard. I love this not all the songs hit but this is so david bowie coded and I love it Geisha Boys and Temple girls is a highlight for me. Again it feels strange to have on this list like totally out of place imo. Fun techno vibe that doesnt have the worst parts of techno like a good 5/10 but i will give it a 3
Nice
no no no
Nothing too special here. A lot of songs sounded repetitive.
No Thanks!
Not the worst album on the list, but I'm all set on this one...
Phew. Especially the production really didn't do anything for me. It just sounds so sterile and lacklustre.
A fantastic electronic pop album. I do feel that they front-loaded this somewhat, or maybe it just gets a bit samey after a few tracks, but this deserves lots of stars for Groove Thang alone. Timeless AND so of its time simultaneously.
A five star album, even before listening to it once again. The precision in the recording and the sound is incredible. It still sits well in the early 80's critiques of Thatcherism. Unlike most, it has aged incredibly well.
Did not expect this synthpop/new wave album to be as enjoyable as it is. Give it a chance if you’re a fan of the genre
Loved this album when it first came out. I think it’s really dated now but still love it!
Me: Mom, can we have Kraftwerk? Mom: We have Kraftwerk at home. Kraftwerk at home:
Interesting to hear such an early synth pop. A precursor to the better song writing of the Pet Shop Boys.
I like a lot of this, interesting anti-war lyrical content, and feels a lot like some fascinating beginnings of electronic work (Kraftwerk, OMD are good comps, and human league for 'former members of the band' reasons. The original pressing I guess played to the edge of the record and looped "for a very long time" as long as the record still went, which is a cool easter egg. Side 2 decidedly was my favorite. Only didn't fancy the title track. May rate higher as I revisit
Brit Synth-pop that really doesn't go anywhere, even though it's got a heavy political charge to it.
meh.
The Fascist Groove Thang is nice funky song, real 80s synth with nervous singing, the bass in Play to Wind is great and more to enjoy. And then politics was everywhere, also in synth pop music. But sound bit outdated and slick, 3 stars
such a bop!
Not my thing
Þetta er ekki skemmtilegt .....
I didn’t know that this record is so good. It’s rough and very danceable. Perfect!
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.
Rather surprisingly I loved this so I'm going to give 4*
Nothing here for me.
Really good 80s New Wave...as a bassist I thought the bass lines were awesome...totally slaps
Not a good cover for this album. I saw the low cumulative score for this album and I get why many don't love it. I enjoyed the album fairly well the first time through, but the more I listened to it, the more repetitive it felt and I started to enjoy it less. This is so weird. This is so danceable. The repeated choruses over and over really started to wear on me. I just don't know when I would listen to this one again, but I didn't hate it. I'm concerned the more I listen to it, the more I may end up hating it.
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
Too repetitive, pretty mindless lyrics. Musically, maybe it was a new sound in 81?
I reluctantly really enjoyed this. Fun synth beats and very danceable. I do think you have to remember the 80s because this album feels very much of its time
Eh
does not cllick with me
Too goofy
It is a synth-pop album.Not exactly my style, but not bad either. I may give it a chance if I don't find anything good.
There’s nothing super special about this music for me.
After so much insistence, it deserves 2 stars for some songs here and there, but essentially, it's just another electronic/synth-pop, whatever.
feels like heaven - heaven 17 of course - lets all make a bomb
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.
Still holds up
Do not like electronic.
Off beat synth-pop is definitely my style, I definitely dig this. A couple songs jacked for play lists. Probably will be coming back to this, it's got some bangers for sure.
Doesn't hold up well and I generally enjoy synth pop. Tough to get through and found it extremely jarring
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
It was ok. Typically 80s Sound and british too. Few Good Songs and some songs i dont need to revisit. Album Cover goes stupid hard tho ngl that sit brazy. 2.5/5.0
I liked Play to Win and especially Soul Warfare with its pianos and prominent bass. Lots of weird squelchy synth sounds. The Height of Fighting also fun to listen to. Overall... weird... I can't decide if this should be ** or **** so I guess it's in between.
Great first album. I always liked them.
Love the base work throughout this album. This is manic 80s madness that I never would have found on my own.
La verdad es que no
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
Probably special back in the day, but I didn't really care for this a whole lot. Favorite song though: Let's All Make A Bomb.
#106. Big oof. This manages to be both terrible and full of pretentious twattery. 1/5: Surely no one likes this, right? Song added to playlist: Play To Win I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
More like Hustler and Bullshit
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.
Fun! Miss that old synth pop sound!
Liked classic 80s sound
I'm starting to learn how empty and dry some these 80's synth albums sound - I guess that's the reality of using analog electronic instruments. Darkly comic concept album, gotta love satire - capitalist systems, warmongering and yuppies galore. I don't think it's something to return to as it can get a little annoying with the constant nature of 80's synth drums, but it was a really interesting listen. It honestly started to lean on horror music elements, especially in the latter half of the album. Really happy to have given this a go. A creepy, satirical synth album!
Fun take on 80’s new wave. Great driving bass lines. Album is definitely a little cheesy but is also apart’s of it’s charm.
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
Please don’t recommend me this type of music again
Very synthy and 80s. Not very interesting to me.
Weird. Not my jam. And I like other Euro synth pop, just not this.
Depeche Mode early in their basement with pre-loaded keyboard sounds. OK, but nothing special
Pretty terrible. Has not aged well!
Wohoooo! Heaven 17.
odd but good
Noice, bar 3.5
Some great vibes and instrumentals but overall it doesn't feel groundbreaking. Very catchy and enjoyable. Penthouse and Pavement and The Height Of The Fighting were the standouts
Funky new wave from the wierdly prolific Sheffield post-punk scene. Lots of that Nile Rodgers-style strat rhythm guitar high in the mix alongside the synths and cheesy keyboard sounds. Sometimes crosses into Talking Heads territory, sometimes into Donna Summer remix land. The very heavy disco influence and a sing-songy vocal style make this feel really plastic and goofy - but the Clockwork Orange reference in their name and the gang of Patrick Batemans on the album cover hint at a level of playful post-industrial cocaine satire going on here alongside the earnest embrace of some of the most excessively silly in retrospect 80s excess that's part of a liberation from the tiresome self-seriousness of authenticity-punk/rock.
It was okay. A bit too synthy for my tastes
A fantastic album that summed up a lot that was wrong with Britain under Thatcher. Musically it more than stands the test of time. Lyrically, sadly, it also stands the test of time... :(
This one peaks in the first two songs and then just kinda isn’t very good. Love the bass playing.
Didn't like this at all, fascist groove is ok
80s albums come out very low in my rankings. I owned this one and love lots about it. The ethic the songs and I think it holds together well as a album. Go Sheffield. 3.75.
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.
Back to December 30th, 2023 HL: “Play to Win”, “Geisha Boys and Temple Girls”, “Let’s Make a Bomb”, “We’re Going to Live for a Very Long Time” Like another synth-pop album I really love, Architecture and Morality, I need to remember there wasn’t much of a blueprint for this stuff that would be everywhere by the mid-80s. The reverb-less, dry production wasn’t something I cared for at first, esp. in “Fascist Groove Thing” & the title track. I was about to write the album off as an early British new wave relic, but then the 2nd half’s more avant-garde tracks were surprisingly tolerable. The pads in “Bomb” sound like something Aphex Twins or Boards of Canada would use
That was fun to listen to. Very dated.
So, I’m thinking that maybe the Linn Drum machine is the culprit that instantly dates so many 80s artists. In addition to Heaven 17, there’s Prince, Madonna & Duran Duran who had that already-retro-by-1990 sound. I was thrilled to hear the song “Penthouse and Pavement” again. Josie James’ voice is heavenly and puts that song in a different league than the others. It reminds me of that period in the 80s when “new wave” bands like Human League, The Jam and Gang of Four, started to bring in background vocalists to broaden their sound. Since half the songs here weren’t on Spotify and I wasn’t in the mood for another YouTube adventure, I’ll base this on the tracks we have – which appear to be the most popular. I’m sure if I heard the rest of the LP I’d lower my mark. Kudos for having "Fascist Groove Thing" banned on the BBC.
I remember when this first came out in the early 80s and how exciting it sounded along with Gary Numan, The Human League, Gang of Four etc. This was the newest thing from England and it was so different. Fast forward to today and it sounds embarrassingly dated and archaic. Fun fact, the name Heaven 17 was first mentioned in Stanley Kubrick‘s movie Clockwork Orange, when the main protagonist goes into a record shop and names off a few fictional band names to impress a girl who he’s trying to pick up. Did I say that this is horribly dated?
I knew this would be good going into it. Not only are they a Sheffield band (hell fucking yeah), but it’s also the first one I’ve been able to listen to on vinyl as my dad has the record, and it did not disappoint. Some of the best 80s electronic tracks, with Fascist Groove Thang and the titular track being my favourites. The combined use of synths and drum machines with a hectic bass line and fantastically satirical lyricism makes this just excellent. Pavement side was perfect, but the Penthouse side tracks tailed off a bit, so I can’t bring myself to give it a full 5. 4.5/5
Some of this is pretty good, but a lot of it is too similar to the rest and you really start to feel that to appreciate this you need at least some of the cocaine that was required to make it.
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.
Beep boop 80’s music. It’s not a bad record but I need one or two big, bombastic dance hits to really breathe some life into it.
Was expecting an instant 1 star when seeing synth pop and 80s, but way more funky than expected. Not sure how quickly I'd come back, but I liked it.
For techno pop that was a hard listen. It did not have a beat you could dance to and felt disjointed.
Started very funky! Later less so, but I like it
I definitely remember this album, I didn't own a copy but borrowed one from a friend, it didn't make a huge huge impression at the time. I'm enjoying this record quite a bit, it's got some elements that came along in other ways from other bands that made more impact, like Human League.
Not for me. At all.
When I got this I didn't know what to expect. I knew of Heaven 17 and assumed they were just very lightweight synth pop. Then I looked at the score and reviews, and was kind of dreading it - 1 and 2 star reviews, average below 3 ... but its really not as bad as that. It's not great, but it's perfectly pleasant and more political than I expected, but I quite enjoyed it. Not enough to seek them out again, but if I had to hear it again I wouldn't be upset.
I'm missing some quality here
It’s ok
When I finally got to a nice song it was the Spotify suggestions already
Gets annoying quite quickly
Excellent synth album with political themes. First song is A+.
How have I never heard of this album! Super interesting. Proto New Wave & Electronica almost. Loved it. Except for the last song.
Went back and forth listening to this. Very likable music, but I'm just not in a New Wave mood today. Might have to try it again in the future.