RhoDeo 1240 Aetix

Hello, Aetix time again and todays band has been highlighted previously in the Wavetrain-Sheffield Sons post June 2007, more than 5 years ago that is, so time to renew acquintance with The Human League's more conscious side Heaven 17, some classic work here remastered and with some great bonustracks. Njoy !

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Taking their name from the Anthony Burgess novel A Clockwork Orange, the U.K. techno-pop trio Heaven 17 grew out of the experimental dance project the British Electric Foundation, itself an offshoot of the electro-pop outfit Human League. The core of Heaven 17 was originally comprised of Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, a pair of onetime computer operators who first teamed in 1977 as the Dead Daughters, a duo that integrated synthesizer patterns with a heavy reliance on tape loops. Soon, Ware and Marsh were joined by Philip Oakey and Adi Newton and changed their name to the Human League, where they remained before exiting together in 1980.

As a means of establishing the synthesizer as an expressive, human instrument, Marsh and Ware formed the British Electric Foundation, a production project that employed a variety of musicians and singers including Tina Turner, Sandie Shaw, and Gary Glitter. The B.E.F.'s debut, 1980's Music of Quality and Distinction, Vol. 1, also included vocalist Glenn Gregory, a former photographer whom Ware and Marsh met at a Sheffield drama center; in 1981, the duo enlisted Gregory for Heaven 17, the first and most successful B.E.F. alter ego, and debuted with the single "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang," a minor hit banned by the BBC over its title. The album, Penthouse and Pavement, followed the same year. Clearly they lost the battle for the music hearts and minds that year with their previous bandmates scoring big with Dare. But then the more intellektual side of the old Human League had a long term vision and they came back strongly with their next album.

By the release of 1983's The Luxury Gap, The B.E.F. had fallen by the wayside and Heaven 17 had become Ware and Marsh's primary focus; the LP proved highly successful, spawning the hit singles "Temptation," "Come Live with Me," "Crushed by the Wheels of Industry," and "Let Me Go." The follow-up, How Men Are, was another British hit, but Heaven 17 receded from view after its release; when they returned in 1986 with the album Pleasure One, it was with a number of guest musicians and vocalists. After the commercial failure of 1988's Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho, Heaven 17 officially disbanded; Ware focused on production chores and worked on Terence Trent D'Arby's debut, Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby. In 1990, he and Marsh resurrected the B.E.F. aegis, releasing Music of Quality and Distinction, Vol. 2 the following year.

In 1996, a re-formed Heaven 17 returned with Bigger Than America and embarked on a tour, documented by the Live at Last CD released in 1999. The studio effort Before After was issued in 2005; the following year Marsh disappeared from the group’s live lineup, and by 2008 it was confirmed that he had left the band. The group soldiered on as a vehicle for Ware and Gregory, however (and with an expanded role for former backup singer Billie Godfrey), releasing the Naked as Advertised CD -- including one new song and re-recordings of early tracks by both Heaven 17 and the Human League -- on the Just Music label in 2009 following a tour held in December of the previous year.

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When synthesists Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware left the Human League in 1980, the decision seemed iffy; after all, the League appeared on the way up and would achieve global fame the very next year with Dare!. The first album from Heaven 17, Marsh and Ware's new trio with singer Glenn Gregory, wasn't greeted with quite the same commercial kudos when released in 1981, but it turned out to be an important outing nevertheless. Picking up where Kraftwerk had left off with The Man Machine, the group created glistening electro-pop that didn't skimp on danceable grooves or memorable melodies. What set Heaven 17 apart was the well-deep vocals of Gregory, who managed the difficult trick of sounding dramatic without seeming pretentious, and an overtly left-wing political outlook best expressed on the debut single "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang." Other standout combinations of witty lyrics and whiplash electro-grooves include "The Height of the Fighting" and "Play to Win," while the funky title track draws on American R&B for its popping bassline. Despite the catchy material, chart success proved somewhat elusive. Nevertheless, Penthouse and Pavement stands as one of the most accomplished debuts of the '80s.

Heaven 17 - Penthouse And Pavement (flac  406mb)

Pavement
01 (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang 4:21
02 Penthouse And Pavement 6:23
03 Play To Win 3:37
04 Soul Warfare 5:04
Penthouse
05 Geisha Boys And Temple Girls 4:33
06 Let's All Make A Bomb 4:07
07 The Height Of The Fighting 3:01
08 Song With No Name 3:36
09 We're Going To Live For A Very Long Time 3:28
Bonus
10 Groove Thang (B.E.F.) 4:07
11 Are Everything (12" Version) 4:28
12 I'm Your Money (12" Version) 5:11
13 Decline Of The West (B.E.F.) 7:17
14 Honeymoon In New York (B.E.F.)2:52

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After creating a marvelous electronic debut, Glenn Gregory, Ian Marsh, and Martyn Ware decided to tamper with their winning formula a bit on Heaven 17's 1983 follow-up to Penthouse and Pavement. The result, which added piano, strings, and Earth, Wind, & Fire's horn section to the band's cool synthesizer pulse, was even better, and The Luxury Gap became one of the seminal albums of the British new wave. The best-known track remains "Let Me Go," a club hit that features Gregory's moody, dramatic lead above a percolating vocal and synth arrangement. But even better is the mechanized Motown of "Temptation," a deservedly huge British smash that got a shot of genuine soul from R&B singer Carol Kenyon. Nearly every song ends up a winner, though, as the album displays undreamed-of range. The music shows just how warm electro-pop's usually chilly grooves can be.

Heaven 17 - The Luxury Gap (flac  428mb)

01 Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry 5:54
02 Who'll Stop The Rain 3:04
03 Let Me Go 4:22
04 Key To The World 3:42
05 Temptation 3:34
06 Come Live With Me 4:18
07 Lady Ice And Mr Hex 3:45
08 We Live So Fast 3:49
09 The Best Kept Secret 5:09
Bonus
10 Let Me Go (Extended Mix) 6:21
11 Who'll Stop The Rain (12" Version) 6:14
12 Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry (Parts 1 & 2) 6:59
13 Come Live With Me (12" Version) 4:33

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It all came together for Heaven 17 on this album, and as a result it is by far their strongest, most brilliant album. Combining their various influences (including R&B, pop, dance, electronica), Heaven 17 fused these styles together to create an almost perfect sound. There is simply not a weak track on the album. Highlights are numerous, including the very long but very wonderful "And That's No Lie." A strong melody, stunning vocals from Glenn Gregory, and tight production equal a fascinating glimpse into the human struggle. Adding a number of session players, including a guitarist, Heaven 17 was able to expand and build on their solid sound. Gregory is also allowed to branch out on this album and write more personal and political statements that were not clearly heard on their first two albums. Fans will not be disappointed, and in fact, this could be the album to win new fans over. "Sunset Now," "Flamedown," and the brilliant "This Is Mine" are just a few of the reasons for this album's greatness.

Heaven 17 - How Men Are (flac  422mb)

01 Five Minutes To Midnight 3:50
02 Sunset Now 3:36
03 This Is Mine 3:51
04 The Fuse 3:04
05 Shame Is On The Rocks 4:06
06 The Skin I'm In 3:48
07 Flamedown 2:59
08 Reputation 3:09
09 And That's No Lie 10:10
Bonus
10 This Is Mine (Cinemix) 8:46
11 And That's No Lie (Remix) 6:17
12 Counterforce 2 3:09
13 Sunset Now (Extended) 5:29

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