Republic - is it worth it ?

Originally posted by Gnu Odor > Originally posted by Patrick> The CD singles for World and Spooky are must-haves.> >

Dammit! I got all hot to order World, Spooky, and Ruined in a Day, only to find out that the Ruined in a Day single wasn't released in the U.S. (is that true?).

Oh well...the first two are on their way, but a pack of three seemed like such a nice number...so right.

I will give Republic credit for being a good record to have on an overcast day like today, when you just don't have it in you to rock the shack.

My recollection is that Ruined was only an import (2 CD's)

Originally posted by Patrick My recollection is that Ruined was only an import (2 CD's)

The very very good New Order discography at http://www.niagara.edu/neworder/ suggests that it was a promotional release only in the U.S. The "official" U.S. site by Reprise lists it happily among the other singles, though, but with a different track listing than the one I ordered from Amazon.

The World CD I ordered includes a couple of the Ruined remixes, so I'm assuming those were slapped on the U.S. version because we didn't get a proper single...

...which seems to be the case with Someone Like You, remixes of which ended up on the 60MPH single (more remixes, actually, than the "A" side got)...hmmm.

I know the record company folks are on drugs; I'm just wondering which ones.

I've started listening to Republic again - four times in last three days in fact. It's finally beginning to grow on me. Always did like the first five anyway, but I'm starting to appreciate Young Offender and Liar now as well. Maybe by 2010 I will like Times Change, but I doubt it. But, as they say, times change !

You have to face it that Barney's...um.."rapping" on that is terrible. No guts, no passion, no feeling..... he'll never be Grandmaster Flash!

Buy it. You shouldn't be concerned with the expense! I've gone mental in the past and bought multiple copies of New Order releases just cause they were different (and I was a student then too). E.g. Pwer, Corruption and Lies (first on vinyl), then again when CD's came out, then again on import from the US cause the CD includes two extra tracks (Blue Monady and The Beach). I think I have about four different vinyl release of BLT and True Faith. Does anyone else suffer from these dillusions?

If you ignore the awful 'rapping' on a track or two its otherwise a good album. Don't expect much Hooky bass though, I don't think he was around after they recorded the first few tracks.

Have also been listening to Republic for the last two weeks, to see if I'd overlooked anything. It still won't replace Technique or Low-life or Get Ready at the top anytime soon, but it sounds a bit better than my initial impressions.

Also have the turntable on the other side of the house, away from the computer, to make it somewhat harder to change the record if it's no good. Since I had usually hit the lift needle button on Times Change, before the end of the album, I have rediscovered Special and Avalanche.

"Liar" is the track on that LP that truly makes me cringe....doo doo-doo doo doo!!,..,, what bollocks!!

the more i listen to republic, the more i believe that it could have been a masterwork. the songwriting is very strong, theres real pathos there, buried under that sub-ace of base production. now that ive entered the ranks of the unemployed ive been spending my days lying in bed pondering (among other things of course)the great album that could have been, and in my head i can hear exactly how it shouldve turned out. if they had ditched the house-by-numbers strategy and gone for the full-on glitch effect,coupled with enhanced atmospherics (maybe even ala movement)and more varied textures it would have surely been a classic; of course the removal of backing singers and rapping is taken for granted. they shouldve revelled in the melancholia of it all not tried to make it bloody chirpy. if only the fuckers would re-record it..ok now im definitely in the realms of delusional fantasy.

the more i listen to republic, the more i believe that it could have been a masterwork. the songwriting is very strong, theres real pathos there, buried under that sub-ace of base production. now that ive entered the ranks of the unemployed ive been spending my days lying in bed pondering (among other things of course)the great album that could have been, and in my head i can hear exactly how it shouldve turned out. if they had ditched the house-by-numbers strategy and gone for the full-on glitch effect,coupled with enhanced atmospherics (maybe even ala movement)and more varied textures it would have surely been a classic; of course the removal of backing singers and rapping is taken for granted. they shouldve revelled in the melancholia of it all not tried to make it bloody chirpy. if only the fuckers would re-record it..ok now im definitely in the realms of delusional fantasy.

REPUBLIC hrrrrrrrrm i rember buying it when it came out it grows on u its an odd one but since it has regret and spooky it does get listned to but not all the way im not sure if i like it or not but as many has said it is NO so that means u should buy it anyway i think they were under a lot of stress at the point of recording it new label and all plus not all members were in the studio while it was recorded and it does show its very clean and nice sounding unlike PC&L etc

Originally posted by velocity girl if only the fuckers would re-record it..ok now i`m definitely in the realms of delusional fantasy.

Hell, there's enough of us on the forum that, if we all worked together, we could lock 'em in a studio and make 'em re-record it, Get Ready style.

Now, the only question is who we'd stick behind the board. The obvious choice is me, of course. Barring that, who? John Robie's barred for life for what he did to Subculture. I've liked Steve Osborne's work with Curve, but I wish he'd clean the wool out of the microphones before recording.

Oh man...who would let NO be NO, while at the same time crack the whip on those backing vocalists?

It's me after all. London Records, I await your call.

Originally posted by Gnu Odor > > > Hell, there's enough of us on the forum that, if we all worked together, we could lock 'em in a studio and make 'em re-record it, Get Ready style.> > Now, the only question is who we'd stick behind the board. The obvious choice is me, of course. Barring that, who? John Robie's barred for life for what he did to Subculture. I've liked Steve Osborne's work with Curve, but I wish he'd clean the wool out of the microphones before recording.> > Oh man...who would let NO be NO, while at the same time crack the whip on those backing vocalists?> > It's me after all. London Records, I await your call.

Fantastically put, Mr Gnu!! One small problem, who should brandish the whips once the band were all rounded up together? And should they be made of leather or steel?! (assuming of course, this should be a major factor in determining the actual Sound of the finished sessions!)

Hooky should produce it - having heard some of the stuff he has done for other bands (Blessed Ethel being one that I know well), there would certainly be no poxy backing vocals, and there would be B A S S :)

Hey Mr Guiseppe - how on earth do you get yer letters to appear so big? Is there a secret method in your madness or do you just have a very smart computer, huh? :D

Originally posted by Todd (Ben Sweeney) Hey Mr Guiseppe - how on earth do you get yer letters to appear so big? Is there a secret method in your madness or do you just have a very smart computer, huh? :D

"Subtle" use of HTML. I put in a tag to increase font size for that one word. In much the same way as I made this go red and this green :)

I actually listened to Republic for the first time in about 6 years. I was back home for the weekend and found my mum's copy.

I was surprised at how good it sounded after all these years. Regret, World and Ruined sounded great. Even the second side sounded better than I remembered it apart from Young Offender and Liar. I had forgotten all about Barney's 'rap' on Times Change as well but it still sounded alright.

If GRrrr had Republic's keyboards or Republic had GRrrr's bass we could be looking at a classic NO album.

Ah well...

Originally posted by Mickey Way I actually listened to Republic for the first time in about 6 years. I was back home for the weekend and found my mum's copy.I was surprised at how good it sounded after all these years. Regret, World and Ruined sounded great. Even the second side sounded better than I remembered it apart from Young Offender and Liar. I had forgotten all about Barney's 'rap' on Times Change as well but it still sounded alright.If GRrrr had Republic's keyboards or Republic had GRrrr's bass we could be looking at a classic NO album.Ah well...

Come again? Yer MAM's copy of Republic? That was nine years ago!! - that must make her one of the oldest New Order fans in the country then, man!! Jeesus! How come YOU didn't have Republic then - yer're not that young are yer surely??

I bought Republic on its first day of release (as you do) but only on vinyl and as I am without a record player at the moment I've not had a chance to listen to it for a while. My Mum was well into the Order, through my influence, but loved Lowlife particularly and bought alot of the records off her own back...quite cool really. ;)

Originally posted by Mickey Way I bought Republic on its first day of release (as you do) but only on vinyl and as I am without a record player at the moment I've not had a chance to listen to it for a while. My Mum was well into the Order, through my influence, but loved Lowlife particularly and bought alot of the records off her own back...quite cool really. ;)

LowLife release day Saturday 18th May 1985. I remember the day well, as I was playing cricket for my school, and had to go down at the lunch interval in my whites to get a copy. Was well happy walking back with new vinyl to look forward to, as I hadn't heard Peel playing the tracks the few days before, so only had the live versions to go on, and didn't know the titles of all of them for sure.

I'm interested as to whether anyone bought that special release orange squishy pack of Republic. Were there extra songs (the track listing said no)? If not what was the point? I guess you could use it as a pillow to catch a few extra winks at work while the boss wasn't looking.

Well, like you said - it was a pretty pointless exercise (about 4 copies available or sumthing). Bit like the actual album itself, mind....

Originally posted by Mickey Way I bought Republic on its first day of release (as you do) but only on vinyl and as I am without a record player at the moment I've not had a chance to listen to it for a while. My Mum was well into the Order, through my influence, but loved Lowlife particularly and bought alot of the records off her own back...quite cool really. ;)

Indeed it is, mate!

There actually is bass in Times Change. If you turn the bass up to max, you can just make it out. They made the bass too quiet compared to everything else. I personally like Avalanche too.

[Content deleted by Logan Edwards on 1/22/02 1:08:15 AM EST]

Not very original message:

BUY IT!!!!!!!

Buy the Japanese version (including bonus track) Buy the original version (now for sale very cheap in Holland: EUR 11,32 or less). Buy the CD singles, including fantastic remixes, for World, Spooky and Ruined in a Day.

And enjoy the Special Order!

DJ

Originally posted by And You Will Know Me By the Trail of Empty G&Ts I'm interested as to whether anyone bought that special release orange squishy pack of Republic. Were there extra songs (the track listing said no)? If not what was the point? I guess you could use it as a pillow to catch a few extra winks at work while the boss wasn't looking.

I did. No extra-track, just the pillow :D

That's a pisser. And, when I think about it, it wastes a lot space in your cd rack. Sir Ni, I hope it becomes a collector's item and you make tons of money on it.

Originally posted by Knight of Ni > Originally posted by And You Will Know Me By the Trail of Empty G&Ts> I'm interested as to whether anyone bought that special release orange squishy pack of Republic. Were there extra songs (the track listing said no)? If not what was the point? I guess you could use it as a pillow to catch a few extra winks at work while the boss wasn't looking.

I did. No extra-track, just the pillow :D

There are used copies of this POS (piece of shit) in this city. The problem was/is that Very from the Pet Shop Boys was released in the same special edition packaging. Why charge more for a cheaply made piece of orange fluff with no bonus material/post cards/interview/chewing gum etc...Maybe the special edition includes Peter Hook on bass.