NME Album Verdict - Genius or Grim ? — Forum Archive

22 Mar 2005, 06:54

Well neither really. 'God-ish' is the best it gets.

The reviewer awards a 6/10 and continues the theme of a number of recent articles by applauding a number of tracks while implying that the overwhelming feel is of a band trying to revert to their former selves.

The heading sums this up 'Same Old Order' and the sub heading reinforces this 'NME's Godlike Geniuses prove to be a huge influence.....on themselves'.

Its not up on the NME site yet so you'll have to be patient for 24 hours but its fairly condemning in some parts while complimentary of the song writing in others. Alongside the review is a song-by-song headline comment from Hooky, he compares ITYS to Marmite - "people either love it or hate it".

The review is a typical smart-arse NME piece which trips itself up on its own boot straps with a couple of glaring technical inaccuracies...apparently Low-Life was released pre-1984 and Get Ready in 2002. Research !

Still, they can't be too dismissive, front page cover photo goes to quoted NO fan, Gwen Stefani.......their influence just gets everywhere

Tossers.

22 Mar 2005, 06:59

I would have expected a 7 or 8 from them... funny.

Oh well, who cares anyways, we're not loving this band because of the reviews they get anyways...

22 Mar 2005, 07:05

The review of GR from the NME was equally impolite. At what point did they suddenly decide to shift NO to god-like genius stature?

Given about 5/6 of the songs from the new NO album are absolute classics (by NO's standard), with the remaining content quite palatable, surely that puts the work higher than material out at the moment by other bands, at least!?

Name me a current album that has more quality on offer and I'll eat my hat stand. And presumably these albums are gaining more ... 'points'!?

22 Mar 2005, 07:18

It's the NME's job to convince their readership that they are living in THE MOST EXCITING AND INNOVATIVE AND SEXY TIME FOR POP MUSIC EVER. Even when - as is true, by definition, most of the time - it ain't. It wouldn't do the NME any favours if they said that New Order - old enough to be the grandparent of most of the paper's regualr readers, recall - are still making truly fabulous records that are equivalent to, or better than, the mass of imposters currently swiping the sounds of the early 80s. It's feeding the arrogance of youth. Or hegemony, if you're a bitter academic ponce like me.

Interpol, Bloc Party, The Killers, The Bravery - they're young and skinny, and most of the boys and girls who read the weekly music press would probably like to shag them. You wouldn't want to fuck yer grandad, would you?

Personally, I'm looking forward to getting sneered at by 17 year olds in Joy Division t-shirts at festivals this summer (JD were young and skinny, AND the singer topped himself before he couldn't get into his 28" trousers any longer) 'cos we're old and past it.

Especially when Al Jarvis eats the little fuckers.:D

22 Mar 2005, 07:57

huntsman wrote: Name me a current album that has more quality on offer and I'll eat my hat stand.

What about the latest from Talib Kweli?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B0000719UL/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/102-9650309-0624166?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=5174

If the stand is oak, I recommend Tabasco.

:hat:

22 Mar 2005, 08:08

It seems everywhere is giving the album the same kinda reception 3/5 or 6 or 7/10

Give them about 180 plays like the rest of us and I'm sure they'd rate it a wee bit higher. Fuck knows how many times I have played it, but it's even better than the first 20 plays and in my humble wee opinion.....It's shit hot.

22 Mar 2005, 08:19

Finally - Shunter starts sounding like a real woman.

22 Mar 2005, 08:27

huntsman wrote: Finally - Shunter starts sounding like a real woman.

And that's the first compliment you've ever put my way....coincidence?

Maybe it's cos we've all got the tinteed glasses on, but the album's better than anyone's given it credit for in the press so far.

22 Mar 2005, 08:33

Shug wrote:

huntsman wrote: Finally - Shunter starts sounding like a real woman.

And that's the first compliment you've ever put my way....coincidence?

Maybe it's cos we've all got the tinteed glasses on, but the album's better than anyone's given it credit for in the press so far.

We at least have taken the trouble to actually listen to it, in apparent contrast to the reviewers.

22 Mar 2005, 09:27

Shug wrote:

It seems everywhere is giving the album the same kinda reception 3/5 or 6 or 7/10

Give them about 180 plays like the rest of us and I'm sure they'd rate it a wee bit higher. Fuck knows how many times I have played it, but it's even better than the first 20 plays and in my humble wee opinion.....It's shit hot.

I trully wonder how many times I heard it yet, in fact, that's the only thing I listen on my iPod right now.

I'm starting to know the lyrics.. that's a sign of listening to it too much!!

22 Mar 2005, 09:59

The best thing about the review is the Durutti Column reference in the title.

22 Mar 2005, 11:50

It doesnt really matter what NME , Q or anybody think.

If YOU like it.....YOU like it

22 Mar 2005, 13:35

Shug wrote:

It seems everywhere is giving the album the same kinda reception 3/5 or 6 or 7/10

Which in the words of "the worst thing New Order have ever committed to posterity (XFM Review)....."

I TOLD YOU SO!!!!!!

As I predicted during the infamous "Q Is More Evil Than Hitler" thread almost all the reviews to date have come back with the general consensus that the album aint very good. Not sore to listen to but certainly nothing to get remotely interested about unless yer a diehard. Like it or not people's perceptions here are bound to be influenced by the fact we're just happy to have summat new to listen to. However, history will (and it would appear has already started to) judge it to be a bit of a duffer.

22 Mar 2005, 13:45

Grahame73 wrote:

Shug wrote:

It seems everywhere is giving the album the same kinda reception 3/5 or 6 or 7/10

Which in the words of "the worst thing New Order have ever committed to posterity (XFM Review)....."

I TOLD YOU SO!!!!!!

As I predicted during the infamous "Q Is More Evil Than Hitler" thread almost all the reviews to date have come back with the general consensus that the album aint very good. Not sore to listen to but certainly nothing to get remotely interested about unless yer a diehard. Like it or not people's perceptions here are bound to be influenced by the fact we're just happy to have summat new to listen to. However, history will (and it would appear has already started to) judge it to be a bit of a duffer.

History may well reach that judgment. However, I would not take current reviews as a particularly accurate prediction of what history's judgment is likely to be.

22 Mar 2005, 13:56

Oh come on, New Order, Godlike Geniuses, get 6 and Kaiser Chiefs, a fookin Britpop band covering Blur's Great Escape 10 years later, get 8. If Waiting For The Sirens Call is a 6, then all the other albums by anyone shouldn't even reach 4! And it's true, they always say it's the best year in music history... a couple of years ago they were talking about a "New Rock Revolution", just because bands like The Libertines were emerging... Ask about the Libertines in Italy and not even the most indie loving kid owning all the Franz Ferdinand singles will know who they are... it's all fookin hype... I told you I don't trust the media and this is the beginning of the backlash I feared after seeing them awarded... just wait for the live shows and then we'll see everyone writing "retire you old farts" everywhere... We all know the best year in music history was 1987. This year comes close, but only because New Order will play at Glastonbury and Pixies will play at Reading, just like the good old days...

22 Mar 2005, 19:55

patrick wrote:

Grahame73 wrote:

Shug wrote:

It seems everywhere is giving the album the same kinda reception 3/5 or 6 or 7/10

Which in the words of "the worst thing New Order have ever committed to posterity (XFM Review)....."

I TOLD YOU SO!!!!!!

As I predicted during the infamous "Q Is More Evil Than Hitler" thread almost all the reviews to date have come back with the general consensus that the album aint very good. Not sore to listen to but certainly nothing to get remotely interested about unless yer a diehard. Like it or not people's perceptions here are bound to be influenced by the fact we're just happy to have summat new to listen to. However, history will (and it would appear has already started to) judge it to be a bit of a duffer.

History may well reach that judgment. However, I would not take current reviews as a particularly accurate prediction of what history's judgment is likely to be.

I reckon they're the ultimate gauge of what history's judgement is likely to be. Especially as they nearly all say the same thing!

22 Mar 2005, 20:44

I listened to the album all the way through for the first time in a number of weeks and it sounds better with every listen. It truly puts Get Ready in the shade. A brilliant peice of work for any band, never mind one that has been making music for 25 years. Even the songs which are 'different' (I Told You So + Jetstream) are catchy as feck. 3 out of 5 my arse. But then I don't give music journalism much kop--each person hears music a different way.

23 Mar 2005, 09:23

I find it quite sad that this excellent album is mostly getting reviews on the tone "It's a mediocre album, but since it's New Order and made history we can't give them below 6, and there are still a couple of good tracks" I mean I love Get Ready, and I was happy when it was awarded a surprising 8 at the time (surprising because there wasn't as much New Order hype as now and the flavour of the month had nothing to do with New Order, there were no Killers or Bloc Party at the time). But Waiting For The Sirens Call is even better, much better than Get Ready, and yet it's so underrated... I guess Get Ready was easier to like, though it was heavier... actually I instantly liked it and carried on liking it about the same... while I also instantly liked the new album, but it's growing and growing and it gets even better...

23 Mar 2005, 10:59

I think there is something of a journalistic back lash happening. It's very difficult for the album to live up to the sky-high expectation levels generated by the NME award and all the other eulogies which have been flying around. This is also a very British reaction to someone receiving a lot of praise.

Sirens' is a good album IMHO, and also the view of the majority on this site [Graham, you sure you've downloaded the right thing ? ;)], which in the past, has often provided the band with some of their fiercest critics. Remember Retro ?. There's a good possibility that in the future, when the hype has died down, Sirens' will be accepted by the press as a very good album and much better than they are currently prepared to say.

When Get Ready was being reviewed and judged against their previous albums, Barney reflected that the album hadn't had time to "mature" to make such comparisons valid. That considered view is even more meaningful currently, as the focus on their earlier god-like work has never been greater than it is now.

23 Mar 2005, 13:25

I was actually surprised that NME slagged off an album because these days (unlike the good old days of the 80s when i used to be in stitches as i read album after album and artists being ripped to shreds) the paper is so bland it gives almost every album a "nice " review as to keep up the illusion that we`re all living in some halcyon days of music.So in that respect it was good of them to slag an album for a change.Pity it happened to be New Order but there you go.

Oh and they had to go and pick THE worst recent photo of them all looking really old ,fat and haggard to go with the slagging.

* Have just read the review again and ermm .... now not sure if the reviewer likes it or not :scratch: *Oh well

24 Mar 2005, 03:19

Stockholm Monster wrote:

I was actually surprised that NME slagged off an album because these days (unlike the good old days of the 80s when i used to be in stitches as i read album after album and artists being ripped to shreds) the paper is so bland it gives almost every album a "nice " review as to keep up the illusion that we`re all living in some halcyon days of music.So in that respect it was good of them to slag an album for a change.Pity it happened to be New Order but there you go.

Oh and they had to go and pick THE worst recent photo of them all looking really old ,fat and haggard to go with the slagging.

* Have just read the review again and ermm .... now not sure if the reviewer likes it or not *Oh well

Ha ha, that photo is a bad one. What with Hooky sticking his tongue out as well !.

The review is a strange one. Neither fish nor fowl but still leaves a bad taste.

24 Mar 2005, 06:57

Mick Aneworderfan wrote:

We all know the best year in music history was 1987.

Nope... 1985. Cue Meat Is Murder, King Of America, Steve McQueen, This Is The Sea, First & Last & Always, Low Life, Fables of the Reconstruction of the Fables of..., New Day Rising, Flip Your Wig, Hounds Of Love, The Firstborn Is Dead, Between The Wars, Be Yourself Tonight, ... Not to mention loads of singles by the aforementioned, along with those awesome Woodentops 12inches "Well Well Well" & "It Will Come" (with fabulous B-sides) and The Triffids' "Field Of Glass". Also not to mention the early beginnings of The Wedding Present & The Shop Assistants. etc. etc.

NOT to mention Brothers In Arms, Born In The USA, No Jacket Required, In Square Circle, Knee Deep In The Hoopla, :dead: :vomit:

24 Mar 2005, 07:28

yeah thought it was a bit of a weird review myself. almost begruding the fact they had written some decent songs, and spending longer on the ones they didn't like.

Still, they went up slightly in my estimations for awarding the dismal Basement Jaxx a 4 but can't really explain how they can give a group so hopeless and utterly derivative as the Kaiser chiefs an 8, but there you go

24 Mar 2005, 07:33

Following on from that, is it me, or are Franz Ferguson just trap monkey?

24 Mar 2005, 07:50

huntsman wrote: Following on from that, is it me, or are Franz Ferguson just trap monkey?

They annoy me less than I thought they would, when first Mrs Wiseass purchased their long player.

24 Mar 2005, 07:57

Mrs. Huntsman introduced myself to The Killing Units and I have to admit they weren't that bad. I couldn't eat a whole one though.

FF seem a bit annoying, but at the end of the day, if Mrs. HW has spoken, then I wouldn't disagree.

I am about to unleash The Indian Braves onto the turning unit ... are they pop whistle or better than an ox?

24 Mar 2005, 08:04

Cack! Try Destroy Rock And Roll by Mylo.

Might be a bit too akin to those cats who administered remix culture upon us for your taste but there is beauty within.

24 Mar 2005, 08:06

>Nope... 1985.

I would add "The Head on the Door" to that list.

24 Mar 2005, 08:18

The Dream of the Blue Turtles.

24 Mar 2005, 08:45

Don't mind FF but they are starting to annoy me a bit.

If you want to try any of these new fangled NO rip offs, I'd suggest Bloc Party. I have to admit I do like their new album a lot. There's 5 or 6 really good songs on there.