How Men Are


How Men Are is the third studio album by the English synth-pop band Heaven 17, released on 24 September 1984 by Virgin Records. The album peaked at No. 12 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified silver by the BPI in October 1984.
Three singles were released from the album: "Sunset Now", "This Is Mine" in 1984, and an edited remix of "..." in early 1985, which was the first Heaven 17 single to fail to reach the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart since "Let Me Go" at the end of 1982.
Although digital sample-based instruments such as the Fairlight CMI and the LinnDrum drum machine were still responsible for most of the album's sounds, How Men Are marked the beginning of an increased usage of acoustic instruments in Heaven 17's music. A small orchestra is employed on three tracks, and two tracks make use of the Phenix Horns Esquire, Earth, Wind & Fire's brass section. Another notable contribution to the album was made by the vocal group Afrodiziak, who sang on four tracks.
In 2006, Heaven 17's first three albums, including How Men Are, were remastered and reissued with bonus tracks.

Reception

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Aaron Badgley deemed How Men Are Heaven 17's "strongest, most brilliant album", finding that the band had managed "to expand and build on their solid sound", while also expressing "more personal and political statements that were not clearly heard on their first two albums."

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh, and Martyn Ware, except where noted.
Side one
  1. "Five Minutes to Midnight" – 3:46
  2. "Sunset Now" – 3:35
  3. "This Is Mine" – 3:51
  4. "The Fuse" – 3:05
  5. "Shame Is on the Rocks" – 3:59
Side two
  2. "The Skin I'm In" – 3:46
  3. "Flamedown" – 2:59
  4. "Reputation" – 3:03
  5. "And That's No Lie" – 10:02

    Additional tracks

2006 remastered CD bonus tracks
  2. "This Is Mine " – 8:43
  3. "... " – 6:17
  4. "Counterforce II" – 3:08
  5. "Sunset Now " – 5:21
All bonus tracks originally appeared on various formats of the singles taken from the album and had never appeared on CD before. "Counterforce II" was originally a B-side from the "Sunset Now" 12-inch single, and was also released under the title "Chase Runner" on the Electric Dreams soundtrack.

Personnel

Heaven 17

Certifications