Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Didn't love it
New wave synth-pop with a touch of funk. It's pretty decent, despite most songs going on for far too long. Title track is the best. 3 neon suits with oversized shoulder pads out of 5
Nice surprise - original and hectic, funky and with a little punk attitude thrown in - liked this one and want to hear it more often.
I honestly hated this. Maybe it was groundbreaking at the time. Only positive was it was only 38 minutes long.
Too Devo
Started as a 4 for me in the first few songs. The songs that weren't on spotify were notably worse and really brought this funky one down.
Far from heaven.
“We don’t need that fascist groove thing” is my new theme song
Fun and cool
Engelsk synthpop, lidt repetitivt
Enjoyed a couple songs.
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!
i agree with Dan LeRoy of AllMusic who felt that the album combined electropop with good melodies, and that Glenn Gregory was able to deliver the "overtly left-wing political" lyrics without sounding "pretentious"
Too tech funk 80’s. Hard pass.
Good new wave albun
This music does absolutely nothing for me.
I’m beginning to suspect that the author of this list misunderstood the assignment. This is clearly just a list of 1001 albums he has heard.
The 80’s cheese embellished dour synth pop won me over, and we still don’t need that fascist groove thing.
flophouse and basement
Yep, this album slaps. I always liked Fascist Groove Thing, but the whole album is this slinky, icy, electofunk, with an experimental bent. Great fun.
I tend to like synth pop but I found this album very grating. I don’t feel like it’s aged well.
Not my thing.
I was skeptical since this isn't a usual genre for me, but it was a good upbeat listen
Haven’t heard of these guys - described as early 80s pop. Quite a fun vibe right off the bat. It’s alright but nothing special imo, 3/5.
It's OK, elements of early alternative with the electric influence. Not something I think I'm going to listen to again. I did find a song or two by Heaven 17 I really like, however.
Goofy ahh synths 6/10
10/10 VERY ambitious for a pop album, but I guess that’s just how 80s UK was
3 ? lets all make a bomb we're going to live for a very long time!!
Nothing special.
this album has a lot of dead spots. its a little too synth-poppy (although its to be expected), like they just kinda noodle around on the keys a bit too much at times and can overwhelm the song. the vocals are pretty off. like they were more interested in making statements than you know, music.
Eh I dunno chief. This isn’t for me
Oh god, the production is way too generic 80s 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
Nunca tinha ouvido e gostei. Não é meu favorito, longe disso. Mas tem uma sonoridade legal com sintetizadores
Blech
it’s decent, if you don’t like synth and new wave, you won’t be liking this but, listen to what they are saying.
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
Hmm
it is fine
It fully is what it is. A snapshot of its time and cultural context. Clever, good songwriting with a message, and surprisingly funky (who's that BASSIST?).
Generally these songs would be ok if they popped up in my playlist occasionally but not a whole album. Innocuous synthy stuff.
Shows why they were such a big party of 80s pop. Great
Heard before: some Lots of these records have been reissued with bonus tracks and outtakes and extras, but frankly, I don’t have time for all of that. I base my reviews/ratings on the core tracks. But in this case, the bonus tracks are zany; electronic lunacy from the 1981, which helps inform the mindset of the band. For some reason they were lauded for their political lyrics (which are pretty toothless preaching to the choir), but their focus seems to be on goofy sounds, production, and hooks (which are top notch). And, despite some weird cases where the mix seems off, like in Play To Win, that’s where this album excels. Top tracks: Song With No Name, We’re Going To Live For A Very Long Time, Let’s All Make A Bomb
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
Although not my kind of music, there was something about the album. Each song had some catchy moments but just fell short for me.
This is like opening a door and stepping back into the 80's. BUSINESS. COCAINE. COUNTERCULTURE. It was a trip
Early 80s electronic. Sounds very similar to every other 80s New Wave.
The only strong suit I can see is that, if the instrumentals were improved, the hooks on this could be so much better. The sparse, plastic-sounding instrumentals bring it all the way down to the basement, exposing the flaws of the vocals. In a list cluttered with synth pop records, this one definitely didn't need to be here. Small concession: I do like how the final track cuts out midway through repeating "For a very long time!" Pretty funny.
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
No idea why this is getting such bad reviews
hahah what fun. Young teen me would have been right into this it's a bit too 80's for current me but hey nostalgia right? Fave track: Song With No Name.
Wow, I enjoyed that a LOT more than I was expecting to - I only really know Heaven 17 from "Temptation" and I was not looking forwards to a whole album of that, but this was actually a really fun listen. I guess my rehabilitation to synth pop is proceeding apace! Amusing to read that the BBC banned "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang"! The BBC uncomfortable criticising fascism? pikachu_shocked_face_gif! Fave tracks - as well as the aforementioned, "Let's All Make a Bomb" was great, and also liked the bonus track "The Decline of the West"
terrible
stupid politics, fake funk, and the shit side of 80s production
Did not expect those incredible basslines in the first half, plus those sick intricate drum machine beats, it slaps. Second half is not as great, but a really interesting sound I wish more artists revisited today
Had its moments. 2 stars' worth, to be exact.
Uplifting
Many good pop songs, but also some misses
Un peu catchy, mais souvent désagréable. Synth pop anglaise assez dispensable, tiède.
If you ever wondered what a techo version of The Talking Heads sounded like. Look no further. Overall not bad. Very 80s techno.
I struggled to listen to this one
Had to turn it off :/
Frick I thought I wasn't going to like this, but this first song is a jam Yeah this was fun. Probably wouldn't play it for active listening, but I bet these would be fun songs to sample.
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.
Thought this would be more dogshit 80s synthpop with zero cultural relevance. I was wrong, this is actually pretty good 80s synthpop with zero cultural relevance. Shit, there might actually be something wrong with my music taste, because every time I like an album in a genre I don't usually care for and check the global rating, it's always at something like 2.66/5.
Pretty good but not really a genre I am super into
Way better than I expected. Some pretty satirical lyrics and a harder edge than a lot of their peers that I’ve gotten on this list. In general, a very cool album.
meh
Just a bit out there, as far as something both synthpop and disco can be.
Interesting enough. Didn't really have enough musicality to make me want to listen again
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
Ho boy this isn't good
0. Shit. Rubbish. That's not even music, it's CRAP.
Love me some synth but idk Heaven 18 wasn't doing it for me today.
It's got everything one wants in an early '80s classics – synths that sound like a Pong game, naive politics, sprockets-esque vocals. One can just about smell the gelled-up hair and flipped-up collars down the decades. Musically, it's plenty bouncy but totally soulless and also quite annoying. One senses the ambition for polyphonically oriented innovation or complexity or avant-gardeyness later in the record, but its falling short is the dominant impression. Rating this anywhere near the best of the '80s demonstrates just how horrendous that decade could be.
This is not the selection I expected. What rubbish. Am I missing something
Not for me.
Listened Before? N Wow, cool album. Political new wave! Love it. I have never heard of these guys or this album before. I'm guessing because I'm American and they had no hits here along with the fact this was banned by the BBC. Either way, good stuff. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Lets All Make A Bomb
Hade nog större förhoppningar om denna platta.
unlistenable shit
This is so good.
Is this what new wave is?? Because I like it. Just the basslines alone make you feel so silly listening to them. It makes me want to do a noodle arm dance. While grooving about that fascist groove thang. 3/5. I'm keeping this around.
Nothing special
Syhtpop is definitely not my thing, so this album was pretty boring for me. Honestly, the music that Spotify recommended afterward was a thousand times better. Not entirely sure why this is here, there's nothing particularly good about it.
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.
Didn’t know them. Was intrigued by packaging and song titles. Thought it might be awesome and was ready to be amazed. Then the 80s electronics/ synthesizer hit. While not used in a corny pop way, still doesn’t do it for me.
The first 45 seconds or so had me so hyped, and then we went on a fast track to mid city.
It was good, but in the slew of similar music I'm not sure it had much that really pulled me.
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.
Great sounds from my youth, particularly Fascist Groove Thang
Of all the albums why is this the one that's rated so low? I thought it was fantastic. Particularly Fascist Groove Thang, Penthouse and Pavement, Soul Warfare, Let's all Make a bomb, The Height of The Fighting and Song with no Name
As synthpop goes, this is some of the more unique of it. I will say this though, if this album came out today with a song like the first one, some knickers would definitely get in a twist. But I had a good time
Started well... ended a bit weird and shite
Fine really
Kind of really annoying but also kind of good
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.
Although it sounds exactly as you’d expect an English synth-pop record from 1981 would, a deceptive amount of lyrical depth and instrumental nuance keep things interesting.
Far more funky than Human League (sounds like real 1980s slap bass, not a bass-synth, but I might be wrong). "Right on" anti-establishment political lyrics are vaguely interesting, but a bit embarrassing. Vocal is deep and a good cross between Japan's David Sylvian and Human League. A good "sister" album to Dare.
The album art had me confused and a little worried. This was actually pretty awesome, it’s pop with some gloom to it. The synth work on it is great, disjointed almost panicky vocals. Surprisingly trippy and interesting album here. 3.5 stars
This album STARTED by calling Reagan a fascist outright and saying the world is fucked and needs to change all will be one of the catchiest songs I've ever heard. This couldn't have possibly NOT gotten a 5 from me. Damn this is the kind of stuff I use this site to find.
I love me some 80's new wave, and this is some VERY early 80's new wave with a few good harmonies and melodies, but the songs all sound so cheap and sparse. Obviously you can attribute that to the synths and drum machine, I know.. Still doesn't explain away the overall lackluster feel of the album.
Idk how to describe it it's like groovy but uhh calm?? Boring??? It doesn't seem real HELPP feels like. hmmclosed instead of open (this isn't gonna make sense to anyone) It's incredibly simple there's like nothing to it IDKK it feels incredibly uncanny valley
3 enjoyed myself a lot having a little boogie but there wasn't a whole lot to it and wouldn't have enjoyed it heaps if I wasn't working while listening
It’s rare that you find an album where the tone and delivery of every track is as annoying as this one… I thought I was going crazy, I felt like my ears were engaging in civil war with my brain… wtf is this disjointed cacophony!?
I swear I'm not just rating these more controversial albums high scores to be different, I just really like some of these albums, and I suppose that differs from others. It just has this groove to it at points that I get really into, and I like the singer (singers?) voice. It does start to fall apart a bit with some of the last couple songs, but otherwise an album I enjoyed my time with quite a bit.
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.
I can definitely understand why some people don’t like this album, but I found myself oddly appreciating it for what it is. Very much a product of its time, though with it has admirable messaging that remains relevant to the present day. Fav tracks: (We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang, Penthouse and Pavement, The Height of the Fighting
Þetta var greinilega sándið hjá nýjum enskum böndum haustið 1981. Minnit um margt á byrjun Depeche Mode ferilsins. Allt í lagi annars, enginn banger.
If it's not historically significant, it didn't sell much, and the critics didn't like it, then why would it be on this list?
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.
Honestly not as bad as I thought it would be
Who're you getting Fratty? Goggly Go's? Johnny Zhivago? Heaven 17? Hm?
In my senior year of high school (Class of '84 represent!) my former best friend Marty ran for class president. His campaign slogan was "We don't need this fascist groove thing" and it's only now, nearly 40 years later, that I see where he got this from. He went on to win that campaign, and sure enough we didn't need that fascist groove thing. But I digress. This is okay, pretty standard eighties new wave. The best thing about this to me is the slapping bass. I don't usually appreciate bass playing but it kind of stands out for me on this album. 3 stars.
This album took me a little while to review, which was good because it grew on me a bit as I tried to sit down and listen to the whole thing. As an album, it's a bit more frenetic than a lot of early synth pop (e.g. stuff like Human League and Gary Numan). This both gives the album a very distinct style and makes it a bit more fun to dance to. I also like that political/social ideas were a little more at the fore than with other early synth groups. This band feels a lot more like a punk band that sold their guitars for magic synthsizers than a lot of their contemporaries 4/5
Aged. Aged badly.
it sounds like a Craig Ferguson bit
It’s adjacent to being something good but it has not at all arrived.
Pure Garbage.
Good album for the most part, catchy songs but starting to get more annoying than enjoyable towards the end
Pure genius!
Great - takes me right back!
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.
Weird 80's synth sounds and imitation robot singing. Reminds me of The The, maybe some Devo and . Wasn't able to listen to everything on Spotify, but was intrigued enough to navigate to YT for the Geisha Boys, Make a Bomb and We're Going to Live tracks. Best track is Let's All Make a Bomb which i'd listen to again, but the rest of the album is barely salvageable.
I tire of ⭐️ albums that I can't justify being included on this list. The only tolerable parts of "Penthouse and Pavement" are the funkier bits, but even those aren't enough to save the rest from oblivion. To counteract the bleakness of the single-star stinkers, I'm going to start adding a five-star review for an album that ought to have the offender's spot. Today we'll keep it heaven-related, and open with... Temple of the Dog - Temple of the Dog (1991) I've already lamented that 90s Seattle is under-represented on the 1001, and we'll come back to that idea when we finally get Pearl Jam's "Ten." But Temple of the Dog holds an amazing place in the history of the Seattle scene. Conceived by Soundgarden's Chris Cornell as a tribute to Andrew Wood of Mother Love Bone following his death, Cornell brought together Wood's former bandmates Mike McCready and Stone Gossard to create a pre-supergroup. Soundgarden had yet to hit it big, and Pearl Jam was still yet to form. Eddie Vedder was in town to audition for McCready and Gossard's new band and was brought into the studio for the TotD recording sessions. The rest, as they say, is history. Within a couple years, Cornell and Vedder would be two of the most talked about frontmen in rock, and to this day they are my two favorite rock singers. To have them together on TotD? Its transcendent. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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.
Decent
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
Just average synthpop
And now for something completely different. Ahead of their time clearly. But their Lyrics could be considered, funny, in very bad taste, or inviting violent insurrection depending on your perspective. Too bad they didn't develop this further. At times they
I had this on cassette, I think it died in the Strathfield Car Radios cassette player I had hanging onto the dashboard of the LC Torana. Every now and then it would kick back into life and play another strangled bit of Soul Welfare. This holds up really well, considering Ian and Martyn's background with Human League, it is funky as fuck, Penthouse and Pavement is an absolute stand out. I wonder if this album just suffered due to the overwhelming focus on Dare? One of the best, of many, lines in the Young Ones episode Interesting is when Rick comes bounding in and says "anyone for Human League", I'm still laughing. I think Glenn Gregory must have had a huge influence on the direction they took to great effect. Play to Win, Soul Warfare, The Height of fighting, crikey its a dance album. Worthy entry by Dimery and his minions.
Fascist Groove Thang is one of the very great dance trax of the 1980’s. And the title track of this album, which follows it, isn’t far behind it in quality. The rest of the album is good dancey stuff. I think the lyrics reach a bit of a nadir with The Height Of The Fighting & the repeated refrain “He-la-hu”. Really? But I have to give this album a high rating just for the opening 2 trax - they’re so good.
Here's an album that I have never really given a chance before. I have seen this a million times in bargain bins, but have never given it a chance. I think, mostly, I was put off by the cover art, not realizing that it is satirizing the go-go 1980s, not a sign off of cocaine-smoothed, success-obsessed, smooth synth pop. The sound is really 80s, but in a way that holds up, and certainly with an edge. I always loved Fascist Groove Thang (the 7" lives in my DJ box), and I really cannot explain why I never gave the whole album a go. I own the Luxury Gap album, which I also never really listened to. I suspect that, had I picked up a copy of this when I was a teenager, I really would have dug this. And it is far better than post-split Human League. IK listened to the deluxe reissue with a bunch of bonus tracks, which really stand up. They were clearly on a creative roll around this time. Star player: John Wilson on bass. Funky, political, satiric, and often catchy, with an innovative sound. Would listen again.
Esto no es música. Abz.
Decent 80d synth heavy record. Will have to come back to this one for more listens.
For some reason, seeing the cover made me think I would not like this - I think the ridiculousness of it was too tantalizing of a promise to be true - but luckily I was wrong, I loved it! The only thing I recognized was Fascist Groove Thang (I think from the LCD Soundsystem cover), but I liked most of these. I appreciate the political commentary, and the spare yet imaginative arrangements. The basslines in the first half of the album are so distinctive that I was shocked to find out that the bass player was not a part of the band - he was just some kid that happened to be at the local theater that one of the band members worked at when they were looking for a bass player. Really amazing story, well told here: https://www.songfacts.com/facts/heaven-17/we-dont-need-this-fascist-groove-thang
I've been patiently waiting for this one. It's about as close as it gets to RCE, if not in terms of sound, at least in spirit. Though honestly soundwise it's not too far off. The Kraftwerk influence is strong, but it's tempered with a decent amount of soul to set it apart. Right down to the BEF acronym, and just look at that cover! Listening to this is like getting DNA test results back and finding out who your long lost father is.
I had high hopes based on the album cover, but it didn't quite go art-rock enough. Just ended up as middling 80s electro-pop, which is done better other places. Only memorable song was the 1st one.
Echt doorsnee 80s synthpop weer, ik kan er echt helemaal niks mee. Maar onluisterbaar is het ook niet, dus toch 2 sterren.
ну что-то плохо запоминающееся из 80х
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.
Awesome new wave album with similarly awesome messages. The early songs on the record sound like Primus if it were a new wave band.
sounds influential
This entire album feels like a "you had to be there" (maybe a working-class adult in the early 80s, to be specific). The songs are just all over the place, madness!! I really love the synth work though... and they REALLY love slap bass, it's front and center in like every single song i listened to, it feels like i'm watching seinfeld.
Hell yeah.
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)
This isn't as good as I remembered it (or imagined it was). It's a bit samey and less innovative than I had hoped.
This type of 80s aesthetic will always be nostalgic to me but my goodness this is unlistenable.
Atrocious
3/5 a little too much electronica for my tastes AI Review: Heaven 17's debut album, Penthouse and Pavement, is a synth-pop masterpiece that was released in 1981. The album features a unique blend of electronic and funk elements, with catchy melodies and socially conscious lyrics. The opening track, "We Don't Need This Fascist Groove Thang," is a political statement that criticizes the rise of far-right politics in the early 1980s. The song's infectious beat and catchy chorus make it a standout track that still resonates today. Other standout tracks include "Penthouse and Pavement," "Let's All Make a Bomb," and "Play to Win." These songs showcase the band's ability to blend electronic and funk elements seamlessly, creating a sound that is both danceable and thought-provoking. One of the album's strengths is the contrast between Glenn Gregory's smooth vocals and Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh's electronic instrumentation. The combination of these elements creates a sound that is both futuristic and timeless. Lyrically, the album deals with themes of capitalism, consumerism, and the dehumanizing effects of technology. The album's message is still relevant today, with its critique of the excesses of the modern world. In conclusion, Penthouse and Pavement is a classic album that still sounds fresh and relevant today. Its influence can be heard in the music of many contemporary electronic and pop artists. If you're a fan of synth-pop or electronic music, this album is a must-listen.
I really enjoyed this. I usually hate extended play albums but after enjoying the album, I listened to another 40 odd minutes of 12" remixes. This is also the first album my wife complained I could've waited before I played it*, so we played it again. Not sure it's a 5 star classic, but definitely worth a few more listens. *She wasnt too concerned about my bloody valentine.
A fun little 80s synthy ditty
This is an album I listened to that went into my ears and that I heard. I solemnly swear. It was neither good, nor bad. It just was.
I enjoyed this album despite it being pretty sloppy and sounding quite rushed in places. Despite the critics write up, it certainly isn't picking up where Man Machine left off.
is it weird to say it leaned to hard on electro without fully committing? bc they had nothing else going for them
4.0 - Each side is like a distinct mini record. Side A is a high energy mash between Talking Heads and "She Blinded Me With Science." I especially like the funky bass throughout. Side B has a more minimal electronic sound, reminiscent of Eastern European darkwave. The bright cheerful vocals give an ironic edge to the grim Cold War-inspired lyrics ("Let's All Make a Bomb").
This album was fun and weird and I had a good time with it!
Boring slog with a couple of ok songs.
this was not good
I’ve definitely given worse albums 4s and better album 5s. It’s on the fence for me, but I think it falls on the low side
This would be a 3.5 but for the purpose of this challenge I'll give it a 4. Note sure if it's an essential but I'm glad I listened to it. Quirky synthpop with lots of irony and... well, synths.
Great New Wave album that makes me think of early Men Without Hats stuff. Don't know how it got on this list, but was glad to hear it.
Ramdomize system is good sinxe a couple album. One of my favorite genre. weird just enough, nice use of the synth, album cover is cool.
It's not an album I would necessarily put in the 1001 challenge, but... Wow, I loved the unusual synthesizer sounds and kind of sarcastic vocals. "Let's All Make A Bomb" is a killer track. I think I loved that album.
High points: (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang, Soul Warfare. Reminds me of: Frankie Goes to Hollywood, the lighter side of New Order
Very hit or miss for me. About half the songs are bangers and the group makes some really unique and catchy tunes out of some off-kilter beats which was a blast to listen to. The others just really didn’t do much for me unfortunately though. 6/10
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.
Einfach schrecklich. Ein Tiefpunkt.
meh
legal legal oitentista e pa
1981 eh? What fucking new wave masterpiece is this gonna be today? I see the names of UK cities on the cover, too - good good, couldn't go more than a day without some kind of UK bullshit. Fuck you, Dimery. uuuuugh. I knew it would be new wave, but there was still a part of me that really, really hoped it wasn't. I'm so fucking tired of these same genres day after day. And this was worse than average new wave, too. 38 minutes never felt so long. 1/5.
So you're telling me it didn't chart successfully, and it didn't wow critics successfully either. Then why the fuck would this ever be on the list? As an example of complete and utter underwhelming mediocrity? A what not to do? Ain't nobody got time for that. It's shit. And I don't need to listen to shit for shit's sake.
cool
Very quirky and fun album. Chaotic energy.
ok not more
8/10 - funky nice to listen to
I started off pleasantly surprised by this but my attention soon waned and I lost interest before the end. Seems to be reasonably ahead of the curve for electro-synth-pop but it’s not a curve I’m super excited to be involved in. Interesting to read that they are a splinter group from The Human League, very similar Sheffield sounds.
Only about half of this was available on Spotify, but I got the idea. This was fine, pretty 80s.
A fun little synth pop album, pleasant listen, not too long. Saved tracks: Soul Warfare, The Height Of The Fighting, Song With No Name
I hated every second of listening to this. Those synths are something else, man. Best track: N/A
Synthjungelen tar helt overhånd her. Song with no name har et munnspill gående der inne. helt magisk. Resten blir litt generisk og strebende.
This feels like a weird bridge between Disco and New Wave.
Weird new wave pop bullshit
I really liked this!! I love 80s synth pop and this is about as 80s synth pop as you can get. Bummer the BBC banned their single, thus inhibiting the success of this album. This is probably a 4.5 for me.
Almost perfect
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.
+1 for the album cover. +1 for the vocal delivery.
Very 80s. Back in the day when 12” versions were much sought after, but did feel a bit like all filler no killer.
I'm expecting another bad English New Wave band after looking at the cover of this album. Oh what a surprise I was right. This album was so bad it made me reconsider my enjoyment of other new wave bands.
Not at all what I expected. Thankfully not too avant garde as to make it unlistenable. Not bad. Standouts: (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang, Play To Win, Let's All Make A Bomb
A bit too repetitive
Classic synth-pop album. Perfect in every way (lyrics, art work, song writing) and part of a perfect 3-album streak with its two successors, The Luxury Gap and How Men Are.
Interesting synth pop album. Most of the songs are just okay, but my favourite track by far was the highly Kraftwerkian I'm Your Money, and I loved the weird arpeggiated synths on Geisha Boys and Temple Girls.
Compliments to these guys for making a synth pop album that I thoroughly enjoyed. Favourite track: Song With No Name.
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.
They were tedious in the 80s but with the passing of time they have become absolutely soporific. Why is this in the 1001? I can think of no justification whatsoever for including it. They had one hit - Temptation - which is not even on this and is not very good anyway.
For all the synth pop that came out in the early 80s, Heaven 17 stands out from their peers for a couple of reasons. First of all, they embraced a lot of Latin and disco-infused rhythms, which gives a nice funky edge to their sound. I also think adding some strategic use of "live" instrumentation like bass, piano and sax adds some depth that you don't always hear on this kind of music. The band also wears their politics on their sleeves, which is something I always like to hear. As an American teen growing up in the Reagan era, I remember appreciating dance music with more politically provocative subject matter. My main critique is that stylistically, it feels like they're playing around with sounds rather than having clearly thought out arrangements. As a result, some of the songs don't really land as well as others. Fave Songs: Penthouse and Pavement, (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang, Play to Win, Let's All Make a Bomb, Soul Warfare
J'ai aimé cet album: ceci est un appel à l'aide.
l'idiote du village qui a encore écouté une version extended de 1h
I think it says something when the radio that comes on after the album ends plays far better synth-pop than the album itself. This wasn't great but I'm guessing it was pretty influential for this kind of music in the early 80s
Although I generally don't listen to synth-pop, I can appreciate what the early pioneers were doing, and it's impressive to me that this album dates all the way back to '81. The music is quite good even though it's unlikely I'll listen to it again.
Interesting synth techno pop album, enjoyed the beats and the lyrics, would listen again
This is a reason why I am taking part in this listening exercise: to hear albums like this that I had little to no knowledge of. I enjoyed it, need to listen more.
I love this record *almost* all the way through, but it is a very strange album indeed. The mix is weird as fuck, the arrangements are weird as fuck, and it is delightfully subversive dance music. Though its classified more ass synth-pop or new wave now, this record kicks off with a really strong funk bent that I just dig. its Side B slows down a bit, but mainly because side A features John Wright’s funky-ass bass playing that really makes it all work for me.
Not for me
Bit too dancey for me
I dug this. Love all the frantic funky guitar and bass mixed with synth and drum machine. Some nice sax samples in there too. 3.5/4
Liked this initially, but it got too same-y through the listen. Some neat things here, and cool to hear early dance music, but overall I wouldn't listen to it again. 2.75/5
I’m honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I think for new wave, I either need it to be as soulful as this or still have some of that post-punk energy. Otherwise, I don’t really care for synthpop. B
"Penthouse and Pavement" is the debut album from English new wave and synth-pop band Heaven 17 consisting of Glenn Gregory (vocals), Martyn Ware (piano, synths, percussion, vocals) and Ian Craig Marsh (synths, sax, percussion). Ware and Marsh formed this band after breaking away from The Human League. They actually first formed the production team British Electric Foundation which was credited with the production of this album. Critics called this electro-pop with good melodies. I'd agree there..very much sounding of the early 1980's. Although the singles didn't fare as well, the album stayed in the British Top 100 for 77 weeks. Side A or the Pavement Side starts with the first single "(We Don't Need This)Fascist Groove Thang" which was a song banned by the BBC for its commentary on the political Right particularly Ronald Reagan. A poppy song with a very quick beat and mechanical sounding which goes funky towards the end. A synth jam opens their second single, the title track "Penthouse and Pavement." This is kind of groovy. A very busy song with all that's going on. Female backing vocals. A cool guitar/synth ending. OK, this sounds a lot like The Human League. He's going the motions during the day and is free at night. "Play to Win," the third single keeps up the up the quick, poppy pace. Just go for it in life. "Geisha Boys and Temple Girls" open Side B or the Penthouse Side. It sounds like "Close Encouters" with keyboards and laser sounds. Well, we're in that era. I think about forget trying for boys and girls to get along. Their last single and far and away my favorite song on the album is "The Height of the Fighting (He-La-Hu)." A dance groove, mechanical. A deep male voice saying two words and the singer responding. Great, great vocal chorus repeating the title. Very similar to Depeche Mode. An anti-war song. A happy-sounding song "We're Going to Live for a Very Long Time" ends the album. Another song with a very catching chorus. A positive song about people living people together with opposite views. This album definitely throws you back to the early 80's with a few extremely good songs. I can't say this quite as good as The Human League's "Dare" released around the same time. This album is a great example of early 80's synth pop genre.
This was an interesting one. I liked the opening track, in fact i liked mostly all of these songs. But it just felt like something was off the whole time. I dont even know what it was, maybe the bass and synth in the background of every song, but it felt unsettling on most songs. It was pretty cool though I don't know many albums like this. Creative 6/10
Shit was ass
3.5
It is definitely an 80s album but with no well known songs. I tolerated it.
Bit of a struggle to be honest
Left wing lyrics over industrial electronic dance music is a proper mood and Heaven 17 deliver an ambitious and unusual album. Ahead of its time in many ways and an admirable record.
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.
funky
I love some songs by Heaven17 unfortunately none are on this album. Quite weird songs on here
Never heard of this before. I see new wave and think ew no I will not enjoy, then I see synth pop and my interest is back... the first song seems like it could be stressful but then I am actually really enjoying it. It's juicy 80s synth goodness and I like the message. I see radio 1 banned this debut single/opening track for fears it libelled Reagan haha I love that. Also really like the title track, really funky. Ok I officially love this album it's super fun. Groove Thang is great, also Soul Warfare and Geisha Boys and Temple Girls were highlights too. Glad I've been introduced to Heaven 17 now.
It was gloriously 80's, which I was into but then got a bit bored of. Didn't get some of the lyrics
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
This is a fine, fine example of early 80s British synth-pop, which is a genre I strongly connected to in my adolescence. Not that I knew this album, but I wish I had. It also gets points for the politics of the time. Coming today, on the U.S. election day, "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" helped me emotionally cope with a terrifying day. Maybe I can get through this with a defiant dance beat! Is it perfect? No. But it speaks to me and it made me happy today. And it has a perfect cover.
Something just felt lacking for me on this album. I guess it was fine, but it wasn't all that memorable for me and possibly at times a bit tedious. I hadn't heard of this group nor any of the tracks, but the sound was kind of a familiar one...just not one that captivated me...
The kind of 80s brit pop that I tolerate more than enjoy, this one had me bopping along pretty good.
Despite growing up in the 80s, I haven't listened to a lot of Heaven 17 before. The album cover had me ready to like this album, and like it I did. I love this synth-driven, pop extravaganza. It addresses some pretty interesting topics (I enjoyed "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" as I placed my ballot into the collection box today). Some days the relative simplicity of a lot of the songs might not have appealed as much to me, but it was perfect today!
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.
Not my speed
Initially I was somewhat irritated, but getting into it this is actually a pretty fun record.
Very forgettable synth-pop.
Shout Out to the Sharon Stone vehicle Sliver, which features the title song from this album. Big Human League vibe here, which makes all the sense in the world since the bands are somewhat related in a Poco/Eagles sort of way, with some band members splitting to join the other. Turns out that…I like Heaven 17 now? Fuck it, I might just love them. Some of this is better than a lot of similar music that hit in the States at the time. This should have been big here in 1981. The lesson, as always: Nobody knows anything.
Nothing to write home about.
Decent
80's. English.
Genuinely cannot understand why this album is on the list. There were so may better electronic bands around at that time. IMO this is a poor album from an overrated band.
Boring, boring synth pop. I barely made it through.
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!)
I like the sound of this album a lot. Not every song did something I liked, but it was still interesting to hear. The themes in this album were definitely interesting. My favourite song was Play to Win.
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
Experimental synth-pop-rock-dance-whatever. Lots of sounds that would later define genres. Just kind of meh for me though.
Some bangers, Def an interesting type of music!
The cover is fantastic. I wanted a whole album of 'Let Me Go' level stuff. This wasn't it. Interesting, but nothing that made me take notice. Makes sense that this album came first. I'd leave it on in the background.
Not much to say, aside from the fact that I like wobbly, nervy synth pop from this period very much. I only knew 'Temptation' prior to giving this a listen, fool that I am. There's a strain of peculiarly English glumness that runs through this otherwise twinkly offering that I find most appealing. Aside from the music, that's an all-timer of an album cover. Answering phones! Making deals! Getting paid! Truly, the most Thatcherite of new wave sleeve art imaginable, and I love it.
Electro garbage
Highlight: (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang
Not bad.
Sparkes did it first and better
$/& sauced
4.5
Not too bad
Very playful and expermental. But inconsistent
Too weird for me, and in that manner of a lot of early synth pop, too enamored of its machine generated bleeps and bloops. I didn’t absolutely hate it but I was glad when it was done.
Not my style. But really glad I listened to it.
that's one of my favourite album covers i've seen in a long time. the music is a lovely dichotomy of the 80s with some of it being amazing fun times yuppie good and some of it being toxteth riots terrible noises.
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.
Un muy manido estilo tecno-pop de los 80 en los que no sorprende nada. Se deja escuchar, pero tengo la sensación de haber escuchado muchos discos de ese estilo. Nada sorpresivo
8/10. Cool album, it usually annoys me when Spotify only has the extended version of the album, but in this case I was left wanting more at the end of the album's run time so it was okay.
I love hearing Reagan hate though not all of the songs were jams. 7/10
Kinda bland and forgettable, not offensive but hardly a defining album
very 80s
Strong 3
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
I loved the first track “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang.” This album is overall pretty cool, though I can see how some might get bored after hearing repetitive tunes in some songs.
Disco lite. Somehow harder to listen to than regular disco.... Not terrible. Not going to go on my playlist any time soon
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.
This is English synth-pop band Heaven 17's debut album. At release it did not sell much, but the sales grew over time so it eventually was certified gold in the UK. The first single "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" was banned by the BBC, which potentially caused the lull in sales at release. However, the album remained in the Top 100 for 77 weeks so it was still popular. The music was good as a result of the electropop melodies and non-pretentious political lyrics. I can appreciate a good synth-pop album, but none of the tracks stuck out to me as overly amazing so I can't rate this too highly.
Best Song: Soul Warfare. Give me more of that bassline, please. Worst Song: Decline Of The West. There is a jangly little audio snippet in here that sounds like a compression fragment... I don't know what it is trying to be but it sounds awful and is used liberally. Overall: Really weird album. What started as an interesting, disco-inspired groovy pop thing suddenly took a radical turn at the end, turning into a (failed, in my opinion) attempt at industrial music. The result feels very fractured, but highlights were sufficiently interesting that I could see myself returning.
Kinda funky vibe, but in a way that was pretty good I think
3.5 / 5. Really good songs! Second time I've come across this one and it is growing on me!
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.
Rating: 7/10
2, had its moments
Soa com um Depeche Mode piorado.
Fun synth pop album. Very 80s but that is a great thing. I took of a star as along with all the amazing there a few duffers.