The Luxury Gap (1983)

After creating a marvelous electronic debut, Glenn Gregory, Ian Marsh, and Martyn Ware decided to tamper with their winning formula a bit on Heaven 17's 1983 follow-up to Penthouse and Pavement. The result, which added piano, strings, and Earth, Wind, & Fire's horn section to the band's cool synthesizer pulse, was even better, and The Luxury Gap became one of the seminal albums of the British new wave. The best-known track remains "Let Me Go," a club hit that features Gregory's moody, dramatic lead above a percolating vocal ... Read More

After creating a marvelous electronic debut, Glenn Gregory, Ian Marsh, and Martyn Ware decided to tamper with their winning formula a bit on Heaven 17's 1983 follow-up to Penthouse and Pavement. The result, which added piano, strings, and Earth, Wind, & Fire's horn section to the band's cool synthesizer pulse, was even better, and The Luxury Gap became one of the seminal albums of the British new wave. The best-known track remains "Let Me Go," a club hit that features Gregory's moody, dramatic lead above a percolating vocal and synth arrangement. But even better is the mechanized Motown of "Temptation," a deservedly huge British smash that got a shot of genuine soul from R&B singer Carol Kenyon. Nearly every song ends up a winner, though, as the album displays undreamed-of range. If beat-heavy techno anthems like "Crushed By the Wheels of Industry" were expected of Heaven 17, the melodic sophistication of "The Best Kept Secret" and "Lady Ice and Mr. Hex" -- both of which sound almost like show tunes -- wasn't. If there's a flaw, it's that while the band's leftist messages were more subtle and humorous than most of their time, they still seem rather naïve. But the music, which showed just how warm electro-pop's usually chilly grooves could be, is another matter entirely. [Note to collectors: there were differences in the original British and American pressings of the album. The 1997 reissue by Caroline follows the order of the British pressing, adding some extended remixes.] ~ Dan LeRoy, Rovi Read Less

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• CD, Very Good 1997, Caroline Records See Item Details ▾

  HPB Inc. HIGH Dallas, TX, USA

  $5.02 Add to Cart Add this copy of The Luxury Gap to cart. $5.02, very good condition, Sold by HPB Inc. rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Caroline Records.

  	Edition: 1997, Caroline Records CD, Very Good	Details: Label: Caroline Records Released: 05/06/1997 Alibris ID: 17893433212	Shipping Options: Standard Shipping: $4.99 Trackable Expedited: $9.19 Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
  Seller's Description: Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
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• LP, Very Good Virgin 8020 / 1983 See Item Details ▾

  MUSICAL ENERGI LOW Wilkes-Barre, PA, USA

  $7.49 Add to Cart Add this copy of The Luxury Gap to cart. $7.49, very good condition, Sold by MUSICAL ENERGI rated 2.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Wilkes-Barre, PA, UNITED STATES, published by Virgin 8020 / 1983.

  	Edition: Virgin 8020 / 1983 LP, Very Good	Details: Label: Virgin 8020 / 1983 Alibris ID: 17846849042	Shipping Options: Standard Shipping: $4.99 Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
  Seller's Description: VG++ / NM.
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