Uncut interview and review

Well, the interview is one page only and it's just about Control, the movie about Ian Curtis... they're worried Tony's involved and afraid it'll lose money like Factory... There's also a small box with the review with three questions to Steve. He likes I Told You So as I do! The review gives 3 stars (out of 5 of course). I think the problem of these reviews is that many songs grow after some listenings. I really underrated I Told You So at first, though it was one of the weakest, but now it's my favourite. So this bloke doesn't like Guilt and Jetstream but might enjoy them after hearing them for another week... Anyway this mag is becoming way too fixated with fookin hippies, The Band are on the cover for fuck's sake, and the CD is of music inspired by The fookin Band! I mean... It'll always be the best mag, but this month Mojo is the winner...

Reviews should give albums more time. Perhaps an initial view followed by more considered comments after a couple of weeks worth of listening.

Uncut's Deputy Ed (Paul Lester) taught me Spanish at school. The guy had a ginger mullet...

Wow Pash, Paul Lester, even with a mullet, is a sort of minor legend in music journalism... he's been around for ages, I remember a good Electronic interview on Melody Maker in 1991 (still got it somewhere and the cover is STILL stuck on my wall! ;) )... I think he's a fan...

Yep, Paul Lester is a huge NO fan. His second favourite group are the Cocteau Twins.

A man with taste, by all accounts....

Nic, I HATED Blue Monday for more than 12 months after buying Substance!

I just heard this anonymous disco and didn't  get the emotions that those keyboards can give you, and all those elements that make the difference between New Order and any other dance music.

Then it was the key to understand their whole music and it is still my favourite song ever.

Yeah, the most of the songs aren't instant pleasers, they may be commercial, but hard to like at the same time, and this is their biggest failure, but also their biggest quality... because once you start to like the song, you like it more and longer than songs by any other artists...

It's just that their best songs have all these layers of instruments and tunes... it's not the two dimensional music you usually hear around... that music, you usually like it or dislike it, it doesn't happen often that after a while you discover something and change your mind.

With New Order you don't get the whole picture with the first listenings, but when you start to get it, you get the most wonderful things...

It's the case of I Told You So on this album... what appeared to be a mediocre song revealed to be a masterpiece once I could get all the pieces in their right places... and it grows again: just yesterday  I realized where the best moment of the whole album is: 03:45 : right after those fragile female soul vocals over that beat the whole song  rebuilds again piece after piece, first that majestic sequenced banjo, then bass and keyboard (which reminds the wonderful keyboard hits of the second verse in True Faith), Barney's voice and guitar, the melancholic tune and backing vocals... it's just this huge creation in under a minute... if you get this minute you get the whole song... and there are other fantastic moments: the beginning (the beat breaking into the radio, the ragga keyboard and the huge bass joined by that superb keyboard and Hooky, the verse...) and the ending (with the scary synth choir) are perfect, the chorus is sort of understated, almost an introduction to the instrumental section which is the strongest part, but still mysteriously charming, and as I said I love the  Mondays guitar... lumpy my arse, this is not predictable at all, it's so inventive..  more things happen during this song alone than in a whole album by any other artist!

The second best song New Order have made since Vanishing Point, after Player In The League!

Mick Aneworderfan wrote: Nic, I HATED Blue Monday for more than 12 months after buying Substance! I just heard this anonymous disco and didn't  get the emotions that those keyboards can give you, and all those elements that make the difference between New Order and any other dance music. Then it was the key to understand their whole music and it is still my favourite song ever. Yeah, the most of the songs aren't instant pleasers, they may be commercial, but hard to like at the same time, and this is their biggest failure, but also their biggest quality... because once you start to like the song, you like it more and longer than songs by any other artists... It's just that their best songs have all these layers of instruments and tunes... it's not the two dimensional music you usually hear around... that music, you usually like it or dislike it, it doesn't happen often that after a while you discover something and change your mind. With New Order you don't get the whole picture with the first listenings, but when you start to get it, you get the most wonderful things... It's the case of I Told You So on this album... what appeared to be a mediocre song revealed to be a masterpiece once I could get all the pieces in their right places... and it grows again: just yesterday  I realized where the best moment of the whole album is: 03:45 : right after those fragile female soul vocals over that beat the whole song  rebuilds again piece after piece, first that majestic sequenced banjo, then bass and keyboard (which reminds the wonderful keyboard hits of the second verse in True Faith), Barney's voice and guitar, the melancholic tune and backing vocals... it's just this huge creation in under a minute... if you get this minute you get the whole song... and there are other fantastic moments: the beginning (the beat breaking into the radio, the ragga keyboard and the huge bass joined by that superb keyboard and Hooky, the verse...) and the ending (with the scary synth choir) are perfect, the chorus is sort of understated, almost an introduction to the instrumental section which is the strongest part, but still mysteriously charming, and as I said I love the  Mondays guitar... lumpy my arse, this is not predictable at all, it's so inventive..  more things happen during this song alone than in a whole album by any other artist! The second best song New Order have made since Vanishing Point, after Player In The League!

As I've said before, I think this track is structurally crucial to the entire album, the climax to side 1; after this track, everything changes. Also, as I've said before, this track is where the Sirens really dwell, not on track 3.

I just wonder if they applied special thought to the song name ... mmmm ...

Have you lot got a different version of I Told You So than me?  It's the 'Ace Of Base' track you're discussing here isn't it? Sounds like a Republic reject with some Happy Mondays riffs chucked in, goes on far too long as well.

HW speaks with wisdom and a pinch of truth.

4 posts? I've made more than 4 posts. Didn't I used to have capital letters as well? What's going on?

Your going to need sedating first.

hank_wiseass wrote:

Have you lot got a different version of I Told You So than me?  It's the 'Ace Of Base' track you're discussing here isn't it? Sounds like a Republic reject with some Happy Mondays riffs chucked in, goes on far too long as well.

true, it's possibly the only real 'skipper' for me so far.

Seb Briggs2 wrote:

hank_wiseass wrote:

Have you lot got a different version of I Told You So than me?  It's the 'Ace Of Base' track you're discussing here isn't it? Sounds like a Republic reject with some Happy Mondays riffs chucked in, goes on far too long as well.

true, it's possibly the only real 'skipper' for me so far.

It's beginning to look like it's Mick and me against the world on this one.

... good luck!

huntsman wrote: Your going to need sedating first.

I just hope Howie got my job application.

huntsman wrote: ... good luck!

On a raft, with sharks circling, waves crashing, stormclouds gathering, thanks for the encouraging words, H!

Hanky - HW is due a return at midday, which seems to be the usual pattern. We've got a flatbed truck, 4 bear traps and a bag of rabbit food, with any luck we'll snag us that creature off The Legend of Boggy Creek and force him to employ you. I hope your proficient in Adapti Power Sausage for the Mac!

huntsman wrote: Hanky - HW is due a return at midday, which seems to be the usual pattern. We've got a flatbed truck, 4 bear traps and a bag of rabbit food, with any luck we'll snag us that creature off The Legend of Boggy Creek and force him to employ you. I hope your proficient in Adapti Power Sausage for the Mac!

Wouldn't it be too confusing if HW hired HW?

Not really, HW2 would be Henry Bakefield.

huntsman wrote: Not really, HW2 would be Henry Bakefield.

Or from another perspective, it might be HW getting PS to hire HW.

patrick wrote:

huntsman wrote: Hanky - HW is due a return at midday, which seems to be the usual pattern. We've got a flatbed truck, 4 bear traps and a bag of rabbit food, with any luck we'll snag us that creature off The Legend of Boggy Creek and force him to employ you. I hope your proficient in Adapti Power Sausage for the Mac!

Wouldn't it be too confusing if HW hired HW?

I'm practically an Adobe acrobat.

patrick wrote:

It's beginning to look like it's Mick and me against the world on this one.

*No, I think there are other fans who like it... it appeared on quite some lists in the thread that asked to make an album of 11 songs taken from the songs New Order released since they came back...

I'm just sorry for those who can't feel what I feel with this songs, I completely understand as I thought it was weak myself, but keep on listening and something might click, and if it clicks, it clicks big time and you fall in love with it...