I've just spent a couple of days testing out my new PC's Sound Forge and CD Architect software, by digitally capturing my old New Order vinyl using my Technics 1210 Mk3 and a fancy, expensive Preamp. With some of my rarest and most treasured vinyl edited to remove any silence at the start and the end, and a Noise Reduction plug-in used to remove any really bad vinyl cracks, I think I've made a lovely job of recording as-near-as-perfect versions of these old vinyl tracks onto CD.
I thought I'd bang my favourites on to five CDs, in my attempt at a more "fan-friendly" version of 'Retro', and I'm very chuffed with the results. Sound Forge has a nice normalizer than can increase overall volume without digital clipping, so I've managed to get a professional volume level equal to that of the remastered tracks on the released version of 'Retro'. I based my own 'Retro Revisited' on the original five-disc format, but changed the categories slightly to accomodate the unreleased vinyl tracks, rather than existing album tracks.
Have a look at the tracklist, and see what you think of my selections... All but the "Live" disc are in rough chronological order, and I kept the rare tracks on the fifth disc, along with some even rarer stuff I have. The live disc stayed the same, but exchanging 'The Perfect Kiss' (which is already on BBC Live) for 'Everyone Everywhere' and 'True Faith' from the 1993 Reading Festival.
* An asterix denotes track taken from vinyl source.
Disc One - Singles
Ceremony* - 4:39 Original 7 Inch
Everything's Gone Green* - 4:15 7 Inch
Temptation* - 5:21 Original 7 Inch
Confusion* - 4:11 Original 7 Inch
Thieves Like Us* - 3:55 7 Inch
The Perfect Kiss* - 8:46 Full-length 12 Inch
Sub-culture* - 3:25 7 Inch
Shell-shock - 6:03 Original Version from ‘Pretty In Pink’ soundtrack
State Of The Nation* - 3:30 7 Inch
Bizarre Love Triangle - 3:44 7 Inch
True Faith - 4:10 Original 7 Inch
Fine Time* - 4:43 12 Inch - slightly different from ‘Technique’ version
Round & Round (Edit) - 3:47 Edited ‘Technique’ version from Qwest records DJ promo
Run 2* - 3:37
Regret (Radio Edit) - 3:48 Edited ‘Republic’ version from DJ promo
Ruined In A Day (K-Klass Edit) - 3:52 Edited ‘Reunited In A Day Remix’ from DJ promo
Spooky (The Album Edit) - 3:44 Edited ‘Republic’ version from DJ promo
Crystal - 4:19 Single version
(79:54)
Disc Two - B-Sides & Remixes
In A Lonely Place* - 4:39 7 Inch
Mesh - 3:00
Hurt* - 4:47 7 Inch
Lonesome Tonight* - 3:53 7 Inch
The Kiss Of Death* - 5:10 7 Inch
Shame Of The Nation* - 3:35 7 Inch
Paradise (Remix) - 6:39 Robert Racic Mix from Australian ‘True Faith’ 12"
Don't Do It - 4:29
MTO* - 3:43
Vicious Circle (The New Order Mix) - 4:07 Cassette single version
1963 (95 Arthur Baker Remix) - 5:04
Behind Closed Doors - 5:25
Sabotage - 4:48
Player In The League - 5:34
Here To Stay (Extended Instrumental) - 5:54
Confusion (Koma And Bones Vocal Version)* - 8:11
(79:05)
Disc Three - Rare
Temptation - 8:47 Original 12 Inch
Hurt - 8:03 Full-length 12 Inch
Confusion - 8:13 Original 12 Inch
Perfect Pit* - 1:22
Sub-culture* - 7:26 Full-length 12 Inch
Evil Dust - 3:43
Confusion Dub 1987 - 5:23
Salvation Theme - 2:13
Touched By The Hand Of God - 5:00 Original Version from ‘Salvation!’ soundtrack
Sputnik - 2:30
Skullcrusher - 2:50
Vanishing Point (Instrumental Making Out Mix) - 5:10
Run 2 (Extended Version)* - 5:23
Let's Go (Nothing For Me) - 4:01 Non-fading version from American release of ‘(The Best Of) New Order’
Brutal - 4:49
60 Miles An Hour (Dave Kahne Remix) - 4:43 From ‘20 Years Of New Order’ Qwest promo compilation
(79:38)
Disc Four - Live
Ceremony - 4:49 Studio 54 Barcelona, 7th July 1984
Procession - 3:34 Central London Poytechnic, 6th December 1985
Everything's Gone Green - 5:14 Tolworth Rec. Centre, Kingston, London, 12th March 1983
In a Lonely Place - 5:33 Glastonbury Festival, 20th June 1981
Age of Consent - 5:03 Spectrum Arena, Warrington, 1st March 1986
Elegia - 4:42 Glastonbury Festival, 19th June 1987
Fine Time - 5:02 Popular Creek Music Theatre, Chicago, 30th June 1989
World - 4:48 Starplex Amphitheatre, Dallas, 21st July 1993
Regret - 4:02 Reading Festival, 29th August 1993
As It Is When It Was - 3:46 Reading Festival, 29th August 1993
Everyone Everywhere - 5:02 Reading Festival, 29th August 1993
True Faith - 4:46 Reading Festival, 29th August 1993
Intermission by Alan Wise - 1:20 Paris Olympia, 12th November 2001
Crystal - 6:52 Big Day Out, Gold Coast, 20th January 2002
Turn My Way - 4:57 Liverpool Olympia, 18th July 2001
Temptation - 7:47 Big Day Out, Gold Coast, 20th January 2002
(77:18)
Disc Five - Unreleased & Bonus Material
Rocking Carol* - 3:33 From HAC51b Xmas Flexi
Ode To Joy* - 3:56 From HAC51b Xmas Flexi
The Perfect Kiss (Live take recorded at video shoot) - 9:55
Sunrise* - 4:17 Edited version from ‘Debut’ magazine issue 11 compilation
Elegia (Full Version) - 17:29
Theme - 3:04 From ‘Cool As Ice’ Be Music compilation
Bizarre Love Triangle (Remixed & Edited)* - 3:35 Slightly different Canadian 7 Inch version
Let's Go - 3:42 Full-length instrumental version from ‘Salvation!’ soundtrack
Best & Marsh - 4:27 12 Inch
Round & Round (Live) - 4:24 Reading Festival, 29th August 1993
Temptation 98 - 4:08
True Faith (Pink Noise Morel Edit) - 4:29
Run Wild (Steve Osborne Original Mix) - 4:11
Transmission (Live) - 3:59 Big Day Out, Gold Coast, 20th January 2002
Such a Good Thing - 4:07
(79:19)
This nice fancy software of mine was expensive, but it's been invaluable for indulging myself and getting my "ideal" version of 'Retro'! And yes, I really should get out more often - but it's been raining all week anyway!
Andy.