Operation Heavenly was the fourth and final album by Heavenly, the release sadly being massively overshadowed by the death of Drummer Matthew Fletcher and the cancelation of the bands promotional tour.
They have only now 29 years later managed to record some new music and have a comeback album due out next year. This album of brilliant joyous indie pop should have been a huge hit for Heavenly, who are Rob Pursey, Matthew Fletcher, Cathy Rogers, Amelia Fletcher and Peter Momtchiloff, with guest backing vocalist Calvin Johnson. The album was produced by Ian Shaw and engineered by John Wills.
The album bursts out of the speakers with Trophy Girlfriend a song in sort of praise for the sort of girl who is attractive, to almost everyone who ever sets eyes on her, jangling insistent guitars help accentuate the twists in the lyrics, exploring just what it can mean to be treated like a Trophy Girlfriend, while wondering if you really should aspire to that nomenclature, rather than just being another loser or wallflower.
K-Klass Kisschase is all the fun and games a girl could have while chasing or being chased by the staff members of K Records, in places they sound like the Dolly Mixtures, of course the lyrical twists are what elevate this above a run of the mill song of lust, into a brilliant slice of intrigue.
Space Manatee could easily be about the sort of stoned out of your mind, Indie geek they would come across, they imagine what it would be like to go to space with them, this has huge clattering guitars and super sweet backing vocals.
Ben Sherman is in praise of the sort of guy who has to save up for a new Ben Sherman and fancies Uma Thurman and is rather particular about the clothes they wear, they don't want to sleep with your clothes, just shut up and read some more Nick Hornby, the lyrics are brilliantly witty, even if Uma in in no way as sexy as her mum was.
By The Way what is on your mind, they can guess, by the way your eyes shine, but go on spill the beans and let them know, just what makes your heart sing. Cut Off is super speedy jangle pop for a girl that needs to be Cut Off from the bloke who wants her.
Nous Ne Sommes Pas Des Anges is a cover of the Serge Gainsbourg classic that they speed up and add clattering drums and guitar too, alongside Cathy's crystalline vocals, so that if your not familiar with the original you could easily believe that Heavenly had written a song in French, the synth in the background adds a counterpoint to what the guitars and drums are up too.
Mark Angel is the song on the album that I'm most familiar with, I know I heard this song loads when it came out, it still sounds brilliant, a slice of teen angst about a boy, they want to go home to there parents place with, with lots of adventures along the way, could easily leave this on repeat while I clap along with them, the guitars have a distinctly nouvelle pop twist to them.
Fat Lenny should probably have his name updated to Big Boned Lenny, we find out just what drugs he likes to take, the things they get up to with him, including listening to Mark and Lard, while they wonder why you never want to go out, so they are leaving him behind and going out having fun without him.
Snail Trail may not be where you want to end up, but they are going to have their fun and whatever you do don't get in there way,
The album originally closed with Pet Monkey a duet between Cathy and Calvin Johnson for a relationship that’s on the rocks and well owning a Pet Monkey isn't making things any easier.
The first of the two bonus tunes that were B-sides, is the bands cover of You Tore Me Down turning the Flaming Groovies classic into a pretty song of the pains of a break up, begging the other half of the scenario to say sorry too.
The album now closes with a great urgent rush through The Jam's Art School taken at hypersonic speeds, they sound punkier than Paul and the boys, without any juvenile pranks either. I wonder what any fanatical Jam fans who heard this version thought of it.
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