Heaven 17 need little introduction to the record buying public. Formed in 1981 when a formative Human League split, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware recruited vocalist Glenn Gregory and hit pay-dirt with their first single - (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang. A sideswipe at Ronald Reagan, it was promptly banned by the BBC which generated considerable interest in their debut album Penthouse And Pavement.

By 1983 and the release of The Luxury Gap, Heaven 17 had established a regular chart niche for themselves and a more commercial sound. The single Temptation with superb vocals by Carole Kenyon was a classic of the genre and sounds just as fresh today as it did then. The album also yielded the singles Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry, Come Live With Me, and Let Me Go. It was, and remains, their finest hour.

The follow-up How Men Are released only a year later in 1984, found the band's popularity on the wane. So what more could you want than a Greatest Hits package that includes their 19 best tracks. And for collectors you even get an original demo version of Temptation.

I'd like to tell you that the videos (all 13 of them) have equally withstood the ravages of time, but as the pre-release promo wasn't made available I can only guess that (as with most 1980's videos) they're probably not that essential.

****

Review by Pete Whalley

Related>> Album review

***** Out of this world | **** Pretty damn fine |
*** OK, approach with caution unless you are a fan |
** Instant bargain bin fodder | * Ugly. Just ugly