One record at a time: 165. Heaven 17 - Pleasure One

"Pleasure One" was Heaven 17's fourth album and was released in 1986. Here I will be playing an original UK copy, but there is also an orange vinyl from the "Play to Win" box set in my collection. Neither get played much.

This album found the band, and Martyn in particular, backing away from electronic instruments and using more session musicians to deliver "instant satisfaction". Unfortunately what the band delivered was a rather dull album with few highlights.

The single "Contenders" kicks things off with its pop/soul groove that features bass guitar, rhythm guitar and acoustic drums. Whilst this is a bright and chirpy song it sounds like everyone is trying too hard. "Trouble" is another uninspiring song that was never going to be a hit. 

The blue eyes soul nonsense continues with "Somebody" which is a bit flat as a composition but is a very finely polished production. "If I Were You" is bad enough to make me curl my toes and it seems to go on forever. "Low Society" is a poor Level 42 sound-a-like that annoys me - it's not a homage, it's just appropriation of someone else's sound. The band were clearly proud of the horn arrangement for "Red" but forgot to include a tune. 

There's a ballad called "Look at Me" and a couple of generic mid tempo tracks to see us out. This album is beautifully produced and has a real polish, but unfortunately the songs are forced an uninteresting. There's no doubt that when this album was made, Heaven 17 were leaving behind any notion that they were a synth-pop band and they saw more virtue in getting a conventional band to play a song as they produced it. This approach doesn't appeal to a lover of electronic music and it didn't seem to strike a chord with the record buying public either. 1/5

One record at a time: 164. Heaven 17 - How Men Are

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

One record at a time: 163. Heaven 17 - The Luxury Gap

Happy New Year! Now, let's rewind forty years...

The sleeve of this record is one of those images that suffers when it is crammed into a CD case. Touches such as the peeling in the top left corner or the outline of the schooner get lost when the image is reduced. I also love the faintly gormless look on the band's faces which gives the impression they have just emerged from an all night party (or studio session).

My original 1983 pressing comes from a time when a new chart album only cost £4.29 and it has the sticker to prove it. I bought this record five years ago from ebay and, whilst it is playable, its not in the best condition. Happily I have a pristine yellow vinyl from the "Play to Win" box set for better fidelity.

This record was a more concerted effort by Heaven 17 to incorporate soul and blues influences into their music. Their debut "Penthouse and Pavement" had attempted the same feat but achieved mixed results. For this record, the band had access to much better instruments, newer technology and unlimited studio time. Therefore it is unsurprising that this album is sonically more refined and features more considered songwriting.

The first song "Crushed by the Wheels of Industry" isn't a radical departure from the sound of the first album but does have some funk influenced flourishes. The Wikipedia article for this song cites a contemporary review that suggests it is the best the band have produced to date but it is, "still less than great". I think that is a fair summary as, whilst this song has some good moments, it simply doesn't have the strong hook required to propelled it up the charts.

The intended pop/soul/electronic mélange is realised more clearly with the second track "Who'll Stop the Rain". Despite the soul influences this song is the usual assortment of piano, Linn LM1 and synth burbles that don't quite click into place.

Martyn Ware regards "Let Me Go!" as one of the finest songs the band produced and for once, he's right. The melody on this track is great and when you throw in the burbling TB-303 bassline and some interesting lyrics you have a sure fire winner. When released as a single the song didn't become a hit and Ware places the blame with BBC Radio 1 who refused to playlist it. Yet, as I remember, the record buying public were obsessed with immediate pop tunes like "Uptown Girl", "Karma Chameleon" or "Billie Jean" in 1983. Subtle melodies underpinned by a TB-303 and glissando synths were a step too far for the majority of the record buying public back then.

As "Let Me Go!" didn't make much impression on the charts, I wasn't aware of it at the time of release. In fact, I didn't really come to listen to Heaven 17 in earnest until 1992 when the Brothers In Rhythm remix of "Temptation" became a big hit. I used to think the original version of "Temptation" sounded frail and old fashioned, but today I'd argue the pounding TR-909 and Korg M1 presets of the remix have dated much more than the superb original we hear on this album.

"Come Live With Me" is another hit single that deserves your attention. Too many times Heaven 17 failed to hone the winning formula, but this and the proceeding track mark their commercial peak.

"Lady Ice and Mr Hex" is a jazz influenced number that points to the sound of future albums where the band threw the baby out with the bathwater and stopped using electronic instruments. Things improve with the surprisingly catchy dance track "We Live So Fast" which also lends is melody and chord structure to the less frenetic final track, "The Best Kept Secret".4/5

One record at a time: 162. Heaven 17 - Penthouse and Pavement

I have two copies of Heaven 17's debut album. The first is an original pressing from 1981 which I bought from eBay in 2017. Both the disc and sleeve are in pretty good condition when you consider their age

The second copy is the white vinyl from the "Play to Win: The Virgin Years" box set of 2019. The artwork for the new version has obviously been scanned and gives the impression of having been printed much more heavily as a result. 

Whilst both records sound pretty good, I'm choosing to play the original here as the discs are a bit difficult to extract from the box set.

Opening track "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thing" is a timely and depressing reminder that politics haven't changed much over the last forty years. This record was banned from the BBC when it was released as a single and this is thought to have led to its relative lack of success. Yet, even if it were being played on national radio, I'm not so sure this track had enough hooks or gags to interest the record buying public en masse.

The familiar title track is a blend of slap bass, female backing vocals, grand piano and an incessant Linn LM1 pattern. "Play to Win" continues to lean on John Wilson's guitar skills to underpin the synth horns and Glenn's impressive vocal. The concept of this first "Penthouse" side of the disc is encapsulated by the soul/funk sound of "Soul Warfare". Naive block chords are pounded out on the grand piano as the elaborate slap bass rattles around. Most of the tracks on this side of the record are good, but they rely too heavily on the influences of soul and blues for my taste.

For me, the real action on this record is the "Pavement" side which dispenses with the slap bass and relies on synthesisers. "Geisha Boys and Temple Girls" sounds completely under produced by today's standards, but it does have a great melody. The brilliant "Let's all Make a Bomb" has some subtle harmonic elements, but it really would benefit from a bassline or some other rhythmical component. I don't know if the sparse production on this album is a style choice or if the band just didn't have enough synthesisers.

The first electronic bassline is encountered on "At the Height of the Fighting" which thankfully omits the brass section that was overdubbed onto the "He-la-hu" single version. There is some album filler called "Song With No Name" to be dealt with before the excellent final track "We're Going to Live for a Very Long Time" is heard. The original record ends in a locked groove that plays the "For a very long time" refrain until you lift the needle. On the 2019 repressing the refrain is looped for about a minute and then fades out - no doubt the master for the repressing was the same digital one used for CD. 3/5

One record at a time: 161. The Grid and Robert Fripp - Leviathan

This album is a collaboration between The Grid and Robert Fripp and consists of improvised soundscapes originally recorded during the sessions for the album "Four Five Six". "Leviathan" is presented as a double album pressed on two 200g super heavyweight vinyl discs: overkill of the highest order.

Having established with my previous post that I don't like improvised music, you may be able to guess where my review of this album is about to go (the picture might be a subtle clue too).

"Empire" belongs to the "droning" class of improvised pieces and is deeply irritating. "Milkwood" has a few synthesised tinkles but is the same type of nonsense. There are a few deep pulsing noises that underpin "Pulse Detected" but it goes nowhere. "Loom" almost has a chord structure and that's the best I can say. 

I could go on, but I know I won't find anything positive to say about this album. I'm getting to the point that I can't tell any of these track apart - it's just one giant smear of droning guitars and deep burbles. I accept that some people may like this album and I am pleased they do; but it isn't for me. The most upsetting thing is that I paid money for this. 0/5

One record at a time: 160. The Grid - One Way Traffic

The Moog Sound Lab was a large mobile studio that also operated as a record label. The lab was equipped with various Moog synthesizers and made available to recording artists by invitation. The Grid were the first to use the new facility in 2015 and "One Way Traffic" is the result of that session.

As these sessions were rather short, they tend to produce improvised pieces rather than be used to record in a more conventional way.  

I'll be upfront and say I'm not a fan of improvised music. Improvisation equates to either extreme repetition or droning nonsense, and this album contains plenty of both. It's not only the quality of the music that annoys me, but it also irks me that the music cannot be replicated.

I have been tinkering with keyboards and synthesisers since I was a child and my dream was always to own an instrument or system that offered total recall. I always longed for the ability to pull up a track in exactly the same form as it was recorded and for it to be fully editable. For whatever reason, the idea of music being unrepeatable is an anathema to me. The fact that improvised music is also dull and often repetitive seals the deal.

The title track that starts the LP is an edited version of the 26 minute behemoth that features on the digital release. Whilst the repeating sequence is pleasing for the first four minutes it gets a bit grating as times go on. There is some progression and manipulation of the synths but nothing to justify the run time. "Test One" is just a minute of noise and "Distrubia" is a faintly intimidating ambient piece that end side one.

"Goldenfilter" is the first track that sounds like consideration was given to structure and variation. There are some really interesting rhythms and sounds on this track that make it the standout. "ECG" and "DPM" are more abstract and experimental and don't hold my interest. 1/5

One record at a time: 159. The Grid - Four Five Six

In the early nineties I would search the myriad of record shops in city centres for new electronic and dance music to buy. 

One day in HMV I came across a 12" called "Figure of 8" by The Grid. I think the record must have been cheap as I can't think why else I would have bought something completely unknown to me.

As it turned out I quite liked the song and some of the Todd Terry mixes were quite good. There was even a second 12" single to fit into the gatefold that completed the set; so I bought that too. The next single "Heartbeat" convinced me to buy the parent album "Four Five Six" when it was released a couple of weeks later.

As with the majority of my collection, I originally bought this album on CD and acquired the vinyl more recently. I bought this record from eBay in 2014 and it is very good condition. As it turns out the sleeve for the CD is just detail from a larger image which is featured on the LP sleeve.

The album gets underway with "Face the Sun" which is a track that clearly illustrates how far the band have moved on since their debut album "Electric Head". The strong TR-909 swing beat pumps away as synth sweeps and wah-wah guitar riffs float along. Sun Ra delivers a typically spaced out monologue as the bassline continues propel us forward. Unfortunately there's some screaming guitars but the backing vocals of P.P. Arnold soon begin to take over from the cacophony.

There is an effortless segue into the next track "Ice Machine" which is nothing to do with the Depeche Mode song of the same name. Here Dieter Meier delivers his usual vocal which is then layered over Kraftwerk inspired rhythms and some funky percussion. There's a more contemporary dance track next in the form of "Crystal Clear" which I always thought was very clever. When this song was released as a single I was keen to hear the inevitable remixes that would be included. However, I was left disappointed by the absolute garbage that was delivered by The Orb and Justin Robertson. The original version remains the only one worth listening to.

"Aquarium" is a bit of a weird song that harks back to the sound of the first album and even uses the same vocalist Sacha Souter. Robert Fripp turns up to deliver a laconic performance on guitar and there is even some real harpsichord thrown in for good measure. There's a short incidental piece called "Instrument" which consists of bubbling noises and whale song to end side one.

Side two opens with the single "Heartbeat" (although a punchier edit was released for the single). This track sounds slow and a little cheesy now, but hearing it takes me straight back to 1992. The afore mentioned "Figure of 8" comes next with its deep bassline and funky beats. Having not heard these tracks for a long time, I am struck by how brilliant Dave and Richard are at constructing basslines. There's also a massive rumbling sub sonic bass on the first single from the album "Boom!". This track passed me by when it was first released and, back in the day, singles seemed to be deleted very quickly and once they were out of the shops they were impossible to find again, so I didn't get hold of a copy until relatively recently. 

"Leave Your Body" is another track that reminds me of the first album and doesn't really do anything much. However, the album is set to finish on an almighty high with the superb "Fire Engine Red". This final track features Robert Fripp, P.P. Arnold and some great drums by Steve Sidelynk. The cherry on the top is provided by the growling vocals of Zodic Mindwarp which somehow work perfectly. 4/5