My second purchase from the tiny Kettering record shop was this debut from Heaven 17. It was a hit album on release in 1981, arguably doing more to continue the Sheffield electronica legacy into the 1980s than their parent Human League, but I never actually got round to getting hold of it, so singles aside, this is a first listening.
But clearly not a first time for opener (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang, banned by the BBC for referring to Reagan as a fascist (and how tame he now seems compared to current Republicans), and previously visited on the Sheffield compilation Dreams To Fill the Vacuum. And what an opening track it is! Still groovy over forty years on. Title track Penthouse And Pavement sounds very dated by comparison, with very 1980s funky bass and female vocals. I'm not as convinced, much more new romantic than electronica, but that just shows where my interest lies. And my interest lies very much more with following track Play To Win, and the electrohorns making no attempt to sound authentic. Just fantastic. Soul Warfare drifts by, quite ordinary, ending the first half (entitled Pavement).
The Penthouse half kicks off with Geisha Boys And Temple Girls, a fairly nondescript, slightly Eastern toned number, but things get more interesting with Let's All Make A Bomb, far more appealing to these ears, funky yet minimal, and toe-tappingly infectious, while The Height Of The Fighting continues this mood.
Song With No Name drags a bit, but there's a bright uplift with the optimistic We're Going To Live For A Very Long Time to finish.
All things considered, this album does feel a little dated, but there's a lot to enjoy, and a couple of actual bangers here.
3* - a creditable debut, as Heaven 17 develop their style and find their pop feet
Comments