One of the foremost pop albums of the '80s, and stands up br
World Music fan | USA | 04/09/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'm typing this review only out of a sense of duty to my fellow music lovers. I was shocked to see that nobody had reviewed this album; it's an oversight that simply has to be remedied.
If you buy this CD used for five bucks, as it's listed when I write this, you'll pat yourself on the back for your good judgment until your arm snaps. If I were to categorize this record, it would be this: take The Human League, authors of the vapid but catchy dance hit "Don't You Want Me, Baby?", and parents of Heaven-17. Then add far superior and more sophisticated musicianship, sly and mature socio-political commentary in each and every lyric, and all without losing one shred of enjoyable pop danceability. This album produced four smash hits in England, and while it is a reflection of its synthy era, it still stands up well to critical listening today. One of the best albums I've ever heard, and one I still listen to with great enjoyment now and again; you will absolutely find merit in it. Peace."
Brilliantly Remastered But Lacking Bonus Tracks!
Jason W. Bellenger | Byron Center, Michigan, USA | 07/13/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The 2006 Virgin/EMI reissue of Heaven 17's 1983 'The Luxury Gap' is a must-have album for '80s music fans. Included from this classic new wave effort are a handful of hit singles, including "Let Me Go" (U.K. #41, U.S. #74), "Temptation" (U.K. #2), "Come Live With Me" (U.K. #5), "Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry" (U.K. #17), and "We Live So Fast" (U.S. #102). The album, their most successful, peaked at #4 in the U.K.
The album is digitally remastered by Donal Whelan at Hafod Mastering. Donal has brought out the punch and the kick sonically, a major audio upgrade over previous masters. The music now sounds full, rich, and wide, almost 3-dimensional! Take the synth line in "Let Me Go", for example. It jumps out! The punchy drums of "Come Live With Me" sound amazing, and the bass finally has a presence in the recording. "We Live So Fast" sounds crisp and clean with it's dicing instruments and sing-a-long chorus.
Now on to the bonus tracks... The 1997 reissue on Caroline features "Tempatation [Extended Version]" as a bonus track, in addition to "Let Me Go [Extended Version]" and "Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry [Extended Dance Mix]" as extras. "Let Me Go [Extended Version]" reappears here, but where are the other two?
In place of "Crushed By The Wheels Of The Industry [Extended Dance Mix]" (6:17) is "Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry [Part 1 & 2]" -- that is, "Part One", the actual 7" version, and "Part Two", the second half of the 7". This mix is better known as "The Industrial Mix", clocking in at 6:59. This mix is much better than the original LP Version, in my opinion, and an essential addition here. (Note that the 2006 Greatest Hits includes the LP version, unfortunately, instead of the 7" Version).
"Temptation [Extended Version]", clocking in at roughly 4:37, is completely missing from this compilation. This 2006 remaster only clocks in at 61 minutes with the bonus tracks! Another 18 minutes + are available for not only "Temptation [Extended Version]" but also other mixes as well.
First of all, why is "Come Live With Me" on here twice? Although this gem is probably my favourite track on the record it's still repetitive! The official 12" Version of "Come With Me" is identical to the LP Version except that the outro does not fade as early. The LP Version fades at 4:18, whereas the 12" Version fades at 4:34. Why not just restore the full-length version (12") for the LP Version? (It's a shame that the song never got a better 12" mix with added instrumental parts and sections).
Where is "We Live So Fast [12" Version]" (6:01)? While not much of a hit in the U.S. the 12" is very rare and should have been included! As far as I know, "Who'll Stop The Rain" is actually the "Extended Version" (6:15), not the "Dub Version" (6:50) as listed, since it not only includes verse/chorus vocals but also clocks in at roughly 6:15.
Ideally, the bonus tracks should have consisted of the following:
Tracks 1 - 9 as the original album, with the exception of "Come Live With Me [12" Version]" (4:34), plus --
10 Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry [Part 1 & 2 - The Industrial Mix] (6:59)
11 Who'll Stop The Rain [Extended Version] (6:15)
12 Let Me Go [Extended Mix] (6:22)
13 Temptation [Extended Version] (4:37)
14 We Live So Fast [Extended Version] (6:01)
I'm no expert when it comes to 'The Luxury Gap' since I was only a few years old when the album was released. Nonetheless, after doing a bit of Internet research I discovered that these bonus 12" versions were once available on vinyl and should have their place on a reissue. So why are they missing here? Missing master tapes? Sloppy record company work? Maybe the next remaster will bring us a more complete collection of bonus cuts? Despite my gripes with the bonus tracks this remaster is still a solid release with the brilliant remastering and few extras. I still have to recommend it!"
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1