Opinions on Electronics debut album versus the New Order classics

Would you guys give "Electronic" the nod over some of the new order greats, or it just wouldnt make the list at all? I personally think its an outstanding album, and i think that in the early stages of electronic, Sumner and Marr were right on par with the kind of innovation New Order themselves might have put forth. Just curious to see what other people think.

David Lubetsky wrote: Would you guys give "Electronic" the nod over some of the new order greats, or it just wouldnt make the list at all? I personally think its an outstanding album, and i think that in the early stages of electronic, Sumner and Marr were right on par with the kind of innovation New Order themselves might have put forth. Just curious to see what other people think.

History goes that Electronic should have been the next New Order album instead of Republic.

Ronald Kirsch wrote:

David Lubetsky wrote: Would you guys give "Electronic" the nod over some of the new order greats, or it just wouldnt make the list at all? I personally think its an outstanding album, and i think that in the early stages of electronic, Sumner and Marr were right on par with the kind of innovation New Order themselves might have put forth. Just curious to see what other people think.

History goes that Electronic should have been the next New Order album instead of Republic.

Lose Regret in exchange for Idiot Country? I think i'll refrain from the time machine.

I'm glad you mentioned it as it would probably be one of my top 10 fav albums of all time. So therefore yeah, I would rate it ahead of most of NOs output. I think the songwriting is awesome, great production, a couple of spine-tinglers. I love it.

But comparing albums is tricky - it's all about mood and what I think is great today may not be the same tomorrow depending on what mood I'm in. Even though I think it's a classic I don't find myself listening to it very often. But the couple of times a year I pull it out I adore it.

Overall I think it's a hugely underrated album and if nothing else, miles ahead of any of the side-projects' subsequent output. IMHO of course :)

I loved the debut Electronic album. Getting Away With It is my favourite "love" song of all time.

Buffer Low wrote: I loved the debut Electronic album. Getting Away With It is my favourite "love" song of all time.

Mouth to Mouth by the Glove is my favorite romantical song.

If 'Electronic' had some Hooky bass on it, can we dare say that it could be as good as, if not better, than Technique!?

His Holiness, The Pope wrote: Mouth to Mouth by the Glove is my favorite romantical song.

What about Like An Animal?

I absolutely adore this album and am happy to see I'm not the only one. It got some really really bad reviews when it was released, though. I wish they didn't go the way they did -- "Twisted tenderness" is really, really horrible, with the exceptions of the title track and "Late at night".

The Hannettarium wrote:

Ronald Kirsch wrote:

David Lubetsky wrote: Would you guys give "Electronic" the nod over some of the new order greats, or it just wouldnt make the list at all? I personally think its an outstanding album, and i think that in the early stages of electronic, Sumner and Marr were right on par with the kind of innovation New Order themselves might have put forth. Just curious to see what other people think.

History goes that Electronic should have been the next New Order album instead of Republic.

Lose Regret in exchange for Idiot Country? I think i'll refrain from the time machine.

Where's the time machine? Let me in! Let me in!!

Ray wrote: I absolutely adore this album and am happy to see I'm not the only one. It got some really really bad reviews when it was released, though. I wish they didn't go the way they did -- "Twisted tenderness" is really, really horrible, with the exceptions of the title track and "Late at night".

But can you explain why you find it so damn horrible?

Electronic, the eponymous album, is brilliant, but it still ranks below many of NO's albums (Technique, Low Life, PCL, and even Movement [This has grown on me a lot in the past couple months]).

Aww FANTASTIC LP!!Apart from Technique,this is my favourite. Every single tune is brilliant,it was a match made in heaven.Emphasis on was.Twisted Tenderness was bollocks! Quite surprised to see a lot of good feedback on the debut,the thing everyone seems to loath is Barney rapping.I hate rap but Barney's great! On par with hearing Neil Tennant rapping.So IDIOT COUNTRY,and TIMES CHANGE from Republic are amongst my favourites. Best thing about this Album is that it encompasses everything that was good about NO's early Factory electronica,which seemed to get bleached out when they stopped producing their own LPs.

I can't take anything that has Neil Tennant on it seriously

The first Electronic lp sounds like a demo to me and really dated. I take Twisted Tenderness over Electronic any time. At least T.T. got a "real band" feeling.

But I agree with some people here, the songs on Electronic would be more powerfull with Gillian, Steve and Hooky.

Definately think the eponymous debut is amazing.

I remember there was some anticipation about this 'supergroup' (containing members from my three favorite bands) that just seemed so exciting. What's best is that the album definately did not dissapoint.

"Some Distant Memory", "Try All You Want", "Get The Message", "Tighten Up", "GAWI", are all classic tracks....you can't compare. I remember when I bought this CD and first put it in and heard Barney rapping "my name is not important it's a signal a sign....." I thought...what the f*%k?!. But i quickly appreciated it as something fresh and different...and it worked....(for me at least). Very crisp production...and slick synths with Marr's recognizeable guitar....the album is always a treat to hear.

I do also REALLY like Raise the Pressure esp the track "How Long"... but thier first LP kicks (more) ass.

Lose Regret in exchange for Idiot Country? I think i'll refrain from the time machine.

But Idiot Country Two is brilliant!

I hate to say it gentlemen. But Electronic(the album) is leaps and bounds better than anything New Order has ever done. Seriously. I could listen to that album every day of the week and still not get tired of it. It is the true definition of a MASTERPIECE.

A Twisted Tenderness is juuuuuust a hair right behind it.

At least T.T. got a "real band" feeling.

That's the problem I reckon. A group called 'electronic' shouldn't sound like a rock band!

IMHO, its a great album overall. I absolutely love Tighten Up, Gangster and Get The Message. On the other hand, it does have a couple of clunkers on it (Patience of a Saint, Soviet especially), and I never quite figured out what to make of Feel Every Beat - most awesome song title ever, bar none, and great guitars from Marr, but Bernards attempt at rapping falls a bit short

Juliette Binoche wrote: I can't take anything that has Neil Tennant on it seriously

Of course you can Plus, it's got Johnny Marr

Brilliant albumXxx

Personally, I think it's a great album. Also, why's everyone so down on TT? I love that one!

besides being one of my Top 5 fav albums of all time, Electronic's first album has something i cannot find anywhere else, which is, the absolute magic to take me to a happy state of time and mind. I don't know why, maybe because when the album came out, i was really happy with my life for the first time, and i remember being at the store, waiting fot the album to arrive, and at my fisrt listening i was like "wwwwwwoooooooaw.... this is how i want to sound!!" an instant classic for me.

But as i said above, whenever i feel bad, sad or whatever, i grab this masterpiece and is like "ok...is time for my medicine", insert the cd, and as soon as Idiot Country start kicking in....i'm back in heaven.

Miss Disco wrote: Personally, I think it's a great album. Also, why's everyone so down on TT? I love that one!

Why's everyone so down on RTP? That's my favorite Electronic album.

The Hannettarium wrote:

Miss Disco wrote: Personally, I think it's a great album. Also, why's everyone so down on TT? I love that one!

Why's everyone so down on RTP? That's my favorite Electronic album.

Same here. Actually, I think several songs off WFTSC sound quite RTP-esque...

Very fond memories of when Electronic came out.It had seemed like a really long boring winter 90-91 and then it was May and it was warm and sunny, the summer lay ahead and i was listening to the new album.Back then it was my favourite album ever.Idiot Country ,Reality ,Gangster ,Get The Message ,Some Distant Memory , Feel Every Beat...

Reality was my favourite with that bittersweet, resignful yet triumphul "i dont need you anymore/im not the man you`re looking for" from Barney.Awesome sounds all through that song and the whole album.It was similar to Low Life with that Electro Love/Hate thing going on.One of the reviews at the time said how this band were the band of God or something (Melody Maker was it?) and i had to agree.

Sadly, such is life, the songs don`t sound as fresh and huge as they did back in the day.Would be great to go back to that time and hear the songs for the first time again!

Electronic are ass compared to New Order. If I wanted to listen to dated sounding music from the same era, I'd listen to Technique (or, god forbid, better parts of Republic).

Love Electronic, but it's not up to par with New Order. While Republic may sound Electronic-ish sans Regret, it's still missing that core sound from NO. No distinctive Hooky bass, no Steve Drumming and no Gillian fooking up on the guitars/keyboards.

Sometimes though I will listen to Electronic when I feel like more modern music (although with WTFSC I am enjoying it fully), but in the end it doesn't equal New Order. Close, yes, but no cigar.

Actually, what I like to do is put all my NO, Electronic, Monaco, Other Two (and sometimes JD) tracks on my Winamp playlist and have it on random. A near-endless continuous stream of aural bliss.

Reality and Try All You Want would have made great New Order songs if Hooky's bass was in them. Just a tiny bit more organic.

I agree with the above poster, reality is an amazing song, one of my personal favorites actually, and some hooky bass in there would have really put it over the top, i think if hooky's bass was on this album, ur looking at an album worthy of fitting in new orders catalogue.

Raise The Pressure is my Electronic favourite, the only one going close to the power of New Order, though not as much as Revenge's One True Passion. Songs like Freefall piss all over anything out of the first album. I also see the parallels between WFTSC and RTP, both in guitar and electronic based tracks. BTW Getting Away With It wasn't on the original Factory release of Electronic, it got only included on the Parlophone reissue.

Ooh yes! The first Electronic album...amazing! I actually think that kind of sound production along with brilliant and simple melodies and harmonies might work on the kids nowadays.

The synths on this album was unique in their way of programming...simply a new way of synth production that worked very well (not too much of classic synth arrangements..instead a lot of rythmic, soft chords and a touch of demo-ness over it...brilliant!!!).

The second album was nearly as good, but lost some of the originality in synth arrangements when they brought in Bartos. But 2 or 3 tracks on that one are amongst the better dance tunes any NO-member have ever produced.

The TT-album just did not manage to stick out and be original in the arrangements and production. Still a couple of good tunes but I hold the first album on top...and actually on par with Technique (and after Lowlife of course).

I thought it was a great album and I do not believe it got negative reviews either. I know NME or Melody Maker and maybe both raved about it. I remember thinking it was outstanding. Not Technique, Low Life, or P.C.L outstanding, but as good as most of the rest outstanding (and better than Republic as a whole). My problem with it was that there wasn't enough Marr guitar, and some of the synth stuff was a bit on the dull or redundant side (like Try All You Want, a song I love, but that's so repetitive that it's ruined). Some Distant Memory is a worthy top 15 entrant in terms of all of New Order's various outputs, Idiot Country, Tighten Up, Patience of a Saint, GAWI etc.

TT never did it for me, I liked the opening two tracks and the title track and that was pretty much it. Raise the Pressure sounded dated and dull although there were definitely exceptions (particularly the last few songs).

If I were to rank Electronic, I would probably place it fifth or sixth overall among all the albums released by New Order and it's side projects.

Guys....I know opinions are subjective, but you can't possibly believe that Low Life is a better album than Electronic's first album. That is just absolute and utter madness. Low Life has a couple gems....Love Vigilantes, The Perfect Kiss, but I mean C'mon now...the rest of the songs don't begin to hold a candle to the songs on Electronic. Feel Every Beat and Idiot Country ALONE shit all over 80% of the songs on L.L.

Your opinion differs from most of our's. Yes we are serios. Fact 100 is a masterpiece.

Isamu wrote: Guys....I know opinions are subjective, but you can't possibly believe that Low Life is a better album than Electronic's first album. That is just absolute and utter madness. Low Life has a couple gems....Love Vigilantes, The Perfect Kiss, but I mean C'mon now...the rest of the songs don't begin to hold a candle to the songs on Electronic. Feel Every Beat and Idiot Country ALONE shit all over 80% of the songs on L.L.

Listen i think electronics debut album is a master piece...but those are some HEAVY words...and quite controversial...Low Life is my favorite new order album, and arguably their best work ever. You mentioned love vigilantes and perfect kiss, but the version of perfect kiss on low life is no where near as good as the full version on substance, and you failed to mention tracks like "this time of night," "elegia," "sooner than you think"...i dunno man, without a doubt ur entitled to ur own opinions...but low life is a classic, and i think most people on here would agree.

Guys....Haze ALONE should shank TT above all the NO albums

If Hooky's reading this. . .he is going to be very pissed !!!

Electronic is a solid group but mostly forgettable, especially the first album.

Bruuuue Mundaaee wrote: Definately think the eponymous debut is amazing.

I remember there was some anticipation about this 'supergroup' (containing members from my three favorite bands) that just seemed so exciting. What's best is that the album definately did not dissapoint.

"Some Distant Memory", "Try All You Want", "Get The Message", "Tighten Up", "GAWI", are all classic tracks....you can't compare. I remember when I bought this CD and first put it in and heard Barney rapping "my name is not important it's a signal a sign....." I thought...what the f*%k?!. But i quickly appreciated it as something fresh and different...and it worked....(for me at least). Very crisp production...and slick synths with Marr's recognizeable guitar....the album is always a treat to hear.

I do also REALLY like Raise the Pressure esp the track "How Long"... but thier first LP kicks (more) ass.

Totally agree, especially about "How Long" also 'Second Nature'. It took me quite a while but "Twisted Tenderness" is a great album.

As comparing them aganst NO classics they would always be a distant second best.

Electronic's first album is superb, but not in the same league as Technique! Twisted Tenderness was horrible... dirgy, tuneless rock.

DShamen wrote:

Twisted Tenderness was horrible... dirgy, tuneless rock.

Dem's fightin' words

Let it grow on you some more

I was always a big fan of the first Electronic album. I still play "Some Distant Memory" all the time.

And "Reality" really was my theme song back in 1991 when it came out. For the past two years before that, I had been seeing this girl off and on and by 91 had put her out of my mind. With the lyric, "I don't need you anymore, I'm not the man you're looking for "- I used to think that someday that girl was going to regret treating me badly and I remember feeling strong that if she did come back to me that, I really had moved on by the end of 92.

Its a bit like comparing coffee and tea, dark chocolate and milk chocolate, boobs or legs. I like them all.

I think the first Electronic album was the best of the 3. All very catchy songs and still stand up now. I think all the talk of "what if Hooky played bass on it" is a bit pointless. People are forgetting that the reason why its such a good album is that Barney took a step away from the band. Therefore he could create his own ideas and brought in Johnny Marr to bounce/jam ideas around. The two work well together. I sometimes feel Hooky and Barney are competing on songs (rather than complimenting).

Raise The Pressure has some good songs but lacks variety. Plus Barneys vocals are generally week and poor lyrics feature.

Twisted Tenderness has more a band feel (and yet the only album Electronic toured with was the first (strange but true)). Its a bit more guitary album and can see the reason in Get Ready also being guitar driven.

I would rate "Electonic" behind only Technique. For me its better than Low-Life and the rest of New Orders input. Dont get me wrong, Low-Life is a great album but some poor singing (Sunrise, Sub-Culture, Face-Up)and the edited verson of Perfect Kiss prevent it from being a brilliant album.

In my mind, the Electronic debut was one of the greatest albums ever written. Tracks like Idiot Country and Gangster are just so perfectly crafted. Gangster is my favorite track ever by any band and I wish it got more than just the "FBI Mix."

My top four albums of all time in no particular order and excluding compilations:

Electronic Technique Very (PSB) Ex:El (808 state)

All within a ~4 year period. I still have a lot of other favorites spanning as far back as Low Life but this era seemed like the peak where anything these bands did was brilliant. So yea, I'd say Electronic tops many of the NO classics.

That being said, WFTSC is rapidly approaching this list, but it's too new for me to be objective yet - need to give it some more time.

Come now...TT is a very good album. I especially like the line from Like No Other:

"Sometimes he feels so small he turns to alcohol she doesn't like the taste but then it's better than his face."

Beer goggles anyone?!:D

Make It Happen and most of the rest of the tracks on this album have a nice woven tapestry of guitar rock and electronic sequencers/synths. I happen to like it.

NYneworder wrote: In my mind, the Electronic debut was one of the greatest albums ever written. Tracks like Idiot Country and Gangster are just so perfectly crafted. Gangster is my favorite track ever by any band and I wish it got more than just the "FBI Mix."

My top four albums of all time in no particular order and excluding compilations:

Electronic Technique Very (PSB) Ex:El (808 state)

All within a ~4 year period. I still have a lot of other favorites spanning as far back as Low Life but this era seemed like the peak where anything these bands did was brilliant. So yea, I'd say Electronic tops many of the NO classics.

That being said, WFTSC is rapidly approaching this list, but it's too new for me to be objective yet - need to give it some more time.

Oh man, I must say you have excellent taste! Everything you said in this post spot on! Glad to see I'm not only fan of 808's Ex:El here