Having achieved a massive hit and some respectable album sales with their previous album, Heaven 17 invested in a Fairlight (well Ian did) and locked themselves away to record "How Men Are" in 1984.
I like this record. This is just as well as I seem to own 3 copies: the 2019 blue version from the "Play to Win" box set, an original UK pressing and a 'European' version. I had completely forgotten I already owned an original 1984 copy so mistakenly bid on another on eBay and won it. I only discovered my mistake when sliding the record into its space on the shelf. It's not the first time this has happened, and it probably won't be the last.
The album kicks off with the schizophrenic "Five Minutes to Midnight" which switches between melodic verses and the snide 'yeah yeah yeah' refrain of the chorus. In fact the vocals on the chorus sound like they are cut straight from the football terraces.
The backing vocals of Afrodiziak dominate the single "Sunset Now" which features a wandering Fairlight bass and occasional synth motifs. Yet, like many Heaven 17 songs, "Sunset Now" doesn't have a strong hook and isn't an obvious single. On the other hand, the excellent "This Is Mine" has a fine melody and some stunning production that place it amongst the band's best efforts.
"The Fuse" is a bit of a mess but at least the incessant Linn LM1 of the first two albums has been replaced by an incessant LinnDrum. The next track "Shame is on the Rocks" is rather syncopated and lacks a bassline, but somehow it succeeds. Things slow down for "The Skin I'm In" and Glenn is allowed to croon over the top of a "simulated Spanish guitar" derived a Roland System 100.
When making this album the band seem to have developed a fondness for multi tracking backing vocals and "Flamedown" is a prime example of this. I can't imagine how much studio time they wasted. Another aspect of this record is the increasing use of acoustic instruments played by session musicians. Whilst songs like "Reputation" undoubtedly sound far more accomplished than anything on the first two albums, you can sense the essence of the band beginning to peter out.
The album finishes with the 10 minute opus "And That's No Lie" which features a mesmerising coda that has to be heard to be believed. Whilst I like the version on the album, the single mix provides a lusher arrangement. My memory tells me Martyn is playing a Yamaha DX7 on the video but it turns out I was thinking of the performance on The Tube.
Sometimes this album gets lost in exploring the art of what's possible technically rather than concentrating on how best to realise the potential of the material. Too many of these songs are centred around syncopated rhythms and stuttering sequences that rob them of any momentum. I know Heaven 17 are good and I am a fan, but I do wish these early albums had more groove. 3/5
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