Higher and Higher: The Best of Heaven 17

Higher and Higher: The Best of Heaven 17 is a compilation album by English synth-pop band Heaven 17, released in 1993.

Higher and Higher: The Best of Heaven 17
Compilation album by
Released1993
LabelVirgin
Producer
Heaven 17 chronology
Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho
(1988)
Higher and Higher: The Best of Heaven 17
(1993)
Bigger Than America
(1996)
Alternative cover
Cover for the 1999 re-issue: Temptation – The Best of Heaven 17

Content

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The compilation includes singles from Heaven 17's first four studio albums Penthouse and Pavement (1981), The Luxury Gap (1983), How Men Are (1984) and Pleasure One (1986), plus two new remixes that were released as singles: "Temptation" (Brothers in Rhythm Remix), which reached number four in the UK Singles Chart in 1992[1] and "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" (Rapino Edit), which reached number 40 in 1993.[1] The US version of the album includes the Tommy D Master Remix of "Penthouse and Pavement" in place of the original version. The remix was also released as a single in the UK in 1993, reaching number 54.[1]

Re-issue

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In 1999, Higher and Higher was re-issued as Temptation – The Best of Heaven 17, featuring new artwork and the same track listing as the original 1993 version.[2]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [3]
Music Week     [4]
NME4/10[5]

Upon its release, John Harris, writing for NME, was critical of the compilation. He commented on the label's "marketing tactic" for releasing it to capitalise on the success of the Brothers in Rhythm remix of "Temptation" and noted how, like "most '80s synth-pop", the tracks "sound hideously dated". He felt that many of them were "plinky-winky plodding affairs" which are "made even more unbearable by Gregory's pseudo-operatic vocals and terribly pompous lyrics". Harris concluded, "At best, Heaven 17 sounded like Blancmange with brains. At worst, they were three pretentious home keyboard enthusiasts who'd read too many books – and it was that aspect that usually held the upper hand."[5] In a review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that the album is "an adequate overview of [Heaven 17's] career", although he also described it as containing "too much music for casual fans", that the order of the tracks was "slightly illogical" and that the album is "not comprehensive enough for dedicated collectors".[3]

Track listing

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All tracks written by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware.

No.TitleFrom albumLength
1."Temptation (Brothers in Rhythm Remix)"New track6:53
2."(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang (Rapino Edit)"New track3:59
3."Let Me Go"The Luxury Gap4:15
4."Come Live with Me"The Luxury Gap3:34
5."This Is Mine"How Men Are3:51
6."I'm Your Money"Penthouse and Pavement3:17
7."Play to Win"Penthouse and Pavement3:22
8."And That's No Lie"How Men Are9:01
9."Contenders"Pleasure One4:28
10."We Live So Fast"The Luxury Gap3:48
11."Sunset Now"How Men Are3:30
12."Trouble"Pleasure One4:01
13."Height of the Fighting (He-La-Hu)"Penthouse and Pavement3:05
14."Penthouse and Pavement"Penthouse and Pavement6:21
15."Crushed by the Wheels of Industry"The Luxury Gap5:52
16."(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" (original version)"Penthouse and Pavement4:17
17."Temptation" (original version)"The Luxury Gap3:32

Note

  • The US version of the album replaces track 14 with "Penthouse and Pavement" (Tommy D's Master Remix)

Production

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Charts

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Chart performance for Higher and Higher: The Best of Heaven 17
Chart (1993) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[6] 129
UK Albums (OCC)[7] 31

References

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  1. ^ a b c "HEAVEN 17 | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
  2. ^ "Heaven 17 - Temptation: The Best Of Heaven 17". Discogs.
  3. ^ a b "The Best of Heaven 17: Higher & Higher - Heaven 17 | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
  4. ^ Jones, Alan (13 March 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream - Albums" (PDF). Music Week. p. 20. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  5. ^ a b Harris, John (20 March 1993). "Long Play". New Musical Express. p. 32.
  6. ^ "Heaven 17 albums chart history received from ARIA in May 2024". ARIA. Retrieved 4 June 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart
  7. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
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