"Higher And Higher: The Best Of Heaven 17" - reviewed by John Aizlewood
They
were a faceless, somewhat charisma-free bunch, Ian Craig Marsh, Martyn Ware
and Glenn Gregory. Yet, beneath a contrived corporate image, they made a
succession of joyous singles which, more so than even Spandau Ballet, defined
that brief period in the early '80s when it was seen as vaguely sophisticated
for grown men to have a pony tail and to sing nominally anti-Thatcher lyrics
for partying hedonists. Laughably, they also thought there was no need to
tour. Ever. Their downfall was precipitated by constantly ropey albums which,
for reasons still unclear, descended into a cod-soul Light Of The World would
have rejected as being too furry dice. This compilation excludes later flop
singles and their mighty cameo, The Hillsboro' Crew's Steel City (Move On
Up) but finds room for two versions of both Temptation and (We Don't Need
This) Fascist Groove Thang. Delights are manifold: the pervy lyrics of Come
Live With Me; Play To Win's swirly bits; Carol Kenyon on Temptation and Glenn
Gregory's Wellsian voice on everything. Even the pointless parentheses on
(And That's No Lie) somehow add to the proceedings.
Rating: 4