Electronic vs Republic

Alright, this is no poll, because I'm going to admit I don't own Republic. I've heard so many bad things about it. But I bought the Electronic album the other day and I'll say, a little sheepishly, that I highly enjoy it. So, seeing how Republic has often been stated as Bernard's record, how does it measure up to the Electronic debut?

Republic isn`t that bad,its just unlucky it followed the almighty on form Technique! If you dont own it,then its definitely worth getting.

The side project albums,if you take the 8 albums worth of material would have made at least 2 or 3 great NewOrder albums. Electronic`s debut is probably the best though.

Again its all about opinions..Mine is that Republic,barring the wonderful Regret,is a total stinker. Electronic's debut album by contrast,is a mint LP,without having a song on it that I like,as much as I like Regret. Regret is the only track from Republic I ever listen to. I still listen to "Some Distant Memory" a fair bit,from the Electronic debut...If you like Electronic,get the song "Forbidden City"..Class!

I have to say, and please dont hurt me, that I cannot stand Electronic. Get the Message was good, but I can't listen to the other stuff, particularly their first album.

Republic has some killer tracks. Regret, Avalanche are near perfect, I like Spooky (even though everyone else seems to hate it) and Everyone Everywhere is not bad.

all of you have to be joking; republic is the masterpiece of new order. probably and (of course unfortunately) nothing will ever be made better.

because you have to have your mind empty as a childs, let the melodies slipping onto well designed drums and basses through primitive (empty for the use of pioneer computer musicians, not fully ready for "look how this function works" type musicians) computer.. the music media changed, now our minds are fulfilled, not to be able to turn back and think like that ever again..

all of the album exhibits the great tranquil explosion of inspiration, waited 4years inside. nearly every note seems to be perfect, because the harmony has been perfectly established..

it is like joy division back; without the roughness, the anger, the punkness, and with a lot of technical perfectness. (!!!what kinf of a joy division!)

it is one of the two best albums (along with the PSBs behaviour) which shows the space in the music readiliy available for the inspirational musician to fulfill, with the revolutionary computer sequenced (do not confused with electronical) music.

electronic seems closer with raise the pressure, but more technical work to overperferfect the album makes it a little bit less inspirational, and more mechanic..

listen to ruined in a day, and free your mind...

i have to agree with the majority opinion. i still quite like republic though. it is a great album, just not a great new order album.

electronic is far superior, but inferior to all other NO albums besides republic and movement, IMO.

Electronic for me.

Get the Message possibly as good as Regret, 2 crackin guitar riffs

Regret let down by the most inane line Barney has ever written (have a conversation on the telephone?). Makes me cringe every time.

Barney Army wrote: Electronic for me.

Get the Message possibly as good as Regret, 2 crackin guitar riffs

Regret let down by the most inane line Barney has ever written (have a conversation on the telephone?). Makes me cringe every time.

I think Get The Message is better than Regret.

Electronic by a country mile

Twisted Tenderness is a cracker (the album not the song) Some quality tunes there. Check out Vivid and Breakdown, my personal fave

Republic is pants apart from RIAD and EE

For me, Republic was always a difficult record to comment. It boasts one of New Order's best singles ever (the mighty Regret) and THREE of New Order's worst singles (RIAD, World and Spooky, of course)! As album tracks, they're great (apart from World...) but they're hardly "single" material, are they? That, and the fact that the album marked the end of an era and subsequently the band's split-up, seems, to me, the reasons for it being labeled as New Order's bête-noire. Just as a side note, however, it still puzzles me how the band agreeded on London's marketing techniques. They even staged a world-wide media press conference in Rome, ferchrissakes!

I said a little sheepishly because the opening synth on "Tighten Up" sounds pretty ridiculous, but once the other instruments come in, the track's pretty fluid. There are a couple of examples like that on the album, and Barney's spoken verses on "Idiot Country" take a few listens to get used to.

"Reality", "Get the Message", "Try All You Want", and "Some Distant Memory" are instant stand out tracks for me.

Having purchased Singles when it first came out, I figure Republic will come my way once it's at the lowest sale price possible.

Do any of the band members talk about Republic? Their disappointments? It seems like the focus is mostly on Factory and the tension that was exacerbated on the '93 tour.

Barney Army wrote:

Regret let down by the most inane line Barney has ever written (have a conversation on the telephone?). Makes me cringe every time.

And in the same song as one of my favourites - it's the school exam, the kids have run away.

Doancha love em?

All the lyrics in Regret are class.

Barney Army wrote: Electronic for me.

Get the Message possibly as good as Regret, 2 crackin guitar riffs

Regret let down by the most inane line Barney has ever written (have a conversation on the telephone?). Makes me cringe every time.

That one is not even close in the cringeworthy stakes for me,without mentioning any Ana Matronic's or nowt...

Regret's lyrics are amongst Barney's finest to me... For about 10 years I thought he sung"Its a school exam,like kids I'd run away"but "THE kids have run away" is much better Drunk

If you find the cd cheap in a used cd store (and you will), buy it. I think it's a pretty chill album. Electronic was more rocking, but Republic is rather nice to set on after a harried day and unwind to. Republic will always hold a fond place in my music loving heart.

But that's just my opinion. It can't hurt to buy it. Just don't pay full price and you won't hate the waste of money if you don't like it.

Electronic beats Republic, there's no doubt, I still listen to Electronic a couple times a year, I never listen to Republic, some of the live bootleg stuff is ok though. Someone said a few years ago Republic is a little like New Order on Prozak, in my opinion the only thing about Electronic is that it sounds a little "Early 90's", but the quality is so good that it hold up. The most undertated In my opinion is Twisted Tenderness, although its a mish/mash of songs, the songs dont fit together like on a New Order cd. It would be cool if they did some live. The other underated cd is The Other Two's first cd, there are a few duds but the good ones make up for it

Electronic beats Republic, there's no doubt, I still listen to Electronic a couple times a year, I never listen to Republic, some of the live bootleg stuff is ok though. Someone said a few years ago Republic is a little like New Order on Prozak, in my opinion the only thing about Electronic is that it sounds a little "Early 90's", but the quality is so good that it hold up. The most undertated In my opinion is Twisted Tenderness, although its a mish/mash of songs, the songs dont fit together like on a New Order cd. It would be cool if they did some live. The other underated cd is The Other Two's first cd, there are a few duds but the good ones make up for it

Electronic by a country mile. I lose interest in Republic after "Regret", "Everyone Everywhere" and "Avalanche". But Electronic's debut album, from first song to last, was the quinteseential "alternative" album of its time and actually got relatively heavy airplay here in the States (at least out here in Cali).

The debut Electronic album sounds like an album I always knew but was never intimately familiar with until now.

Regret is classic New Order but Republic against Electronic at the time each came out. I would have to say Electronic by far. It was new and exciting. I wasn't blown away by Republic but I think it shows what the band were going through at the time. Anything after Technique didn't have a chance unless it was perfect. Republic wasn't.

Funny, I just listened to both these albums recently for the first time in years.

My opinion on them changed - Electronic sounded kind of throwaway and lightweight. Republic sounded full of intense emotion and dense layers of sound, with the songwriting making a cohesive whole.

When they first came out I loved Electronic but was really dissapointed by Republic. Republic's production sounded really plastic and bland.

I think you just have to be in the right mood to appreciate Republic; sometimes it sounds like total crap and other times genius.

I like Republic but not as much as others New Order albums I think some songs on it are quite weak...

I think Electronic is awesome especially with Johnny Marr`s guitar and harmonica. Haze is a great song!I love it!And many others Electronic´s stuff

Republic has grown a lot on me over the years... When it first came out Regret was the only song I cared for, but now, apart from Liar and Times Change, I think it contains a strong set of songs... That said, like Movement, it suffers from the production - too shiny and 'close' to be a truly great NO album - Hooky's bass (buried or lacking totally) needs to be more prominent, too many keyboards on many of the tracks, the whole thing needs more 'space' between instruments... Regret, World and Avalanche all usually go on compilations for me, and I think they're the 3 tracks I wouldn't change... That said, Electronic remains a cracking album, not a bad song, like Technique very much of the time, but still sounding great today... Electronic is a better album, but Republic is much better than some (most?) people think...

SHEDi xxx

Got Republic and Electronic when they came out and I defo play Electronic far more than Republic, although if you liked Electronic you should still find most of Republic pleasing to the ear...

I wasn't too fond of Republic when I first got it, but after many listens, I began to love it more and more. It is now one of my favorite NO albums (though of course not as good as Technique). I may be in the minority in loving Republic. Part of its problem, besides having to follow Technique, and having to live up to huge expectations, is that many people probably bought it after hearing the wonderful Regret and, frankly, the rest of the album is nothing like Regret. So it does take some getting used to. I also liked Electronic (though I'm again probably in the minority in that I liked Raise the Pressure better).
However, I would have to say that Republic is definitely better than Electronic, and I think that someone who liked Electronic should definitely buy Republic and give it a listen. I suspect that most people who like Electronic will also like Republic if they give it a chance and listen to it with an open mind.

I don't get why Electronic gets all the love while Twisted Tenderness is slagged most of the time. I haven't listened to TT in years but I loved it at the time. It is some of Johnny Marr's best work, and one of the only cases where his guitars chime loud and clear, unlike the murky production of the Smiths. The actual song Twisted Tenderness is kind of embarrassing at first becasue it just sounds so awful and cheesy, but then once it gets to the beautiful melody of the chorus it doesn't matter.

I honestly think TT is one of the most underrated albums of all time. Nobody seemed to like it when it came out and it sold sweet fuck all. I dont understand why?! If it was promoted properly I think it could've been huge, especially in america as it had a much more guitar-oriented sound.

Have to say Raise the Pressure isn't that great though, it's mostly Bernard on auto-pilot. I remember him saying when it was released that it was "the best thing I've ever done".

Now the Other Two, they're awesome. I also listened to The Other Two and You recently for the first time in ages and it's great. The melodies, arrangements and production are all first rate. Gillian's voice is really appealing. Have to admit, I wouldnt play it with friends around as it seems embarrassingly bad at first listen, especially the opener Tasty Fish. But once you pay attention to it it's shockingly good.

I also downloaded Superhighways and listened to it for the first time (you can get it for 9.99 on iTunes) and it's even better.

I feel kind of bad for them, they obviously put a lot of work into both albums but the world didnt seem to care.

By the way, does anyone have mp3s of their remixes on singles? I've tried looking for them on Soulseek but cant get them.

Electronic makes me think Bernard always had a huge hand in the keyboard lines for NO, even though in some interview preceding Technique he said he'd prefer to just be a lyricist. Maybe he was just being flippant about band roles.

I bought Electronic and Twisted Tenderness on CD. I haven't listened to them at all. I only listened to the songs through the podcasts. Republic is not that bad, imo. I can't stand Times Change, though.

I agree about The Other Two and You. A very underrated album. Should be more popular. Thanks for the tip on Superhighways. I can't find it in the US, even online. I haven't listened to Twisted Tenderness in quite a while. It was my least favorite Electronic album, but I should probably give it some more listens and see if my opinion changes.

Good Lord!!!

All these years passed and here we are, still debating Republic vs. Electronic.

Anyway, How´re you all?

Huber http://www.benevolencia.blogspot.com

Budvar Huber wrote: Good Lord!!!

All these years passed and here we are, still debating Republic vs. Electronic.

Anyway, How´re you all?

Huber http://www.benevolencia.blogspot.com

Good to see you BACK?How the hell are YOU?

Electronic's 1st album was for me one of the top 5 album's of the decade, an excellent mix of songs, 'Some Distant Memory' being the outstanding track for me, it still sends shivers down my spine now, if you havn't got Electronics's other albums I would highly recommend them both.

As for 'Republic', it did have a hard act to follow and the band were fragmenting at the time but it is still an essential purchase if you like New Order if you see it buy it.

Shellshocker wrote: I agree about The Other Two and You. A very underrated album. Should be more popular. Thanks for the tip on Superhighways. I can't find it in the US, even online.

I'll definitely agree with this, on first hearing I didnt think much about either of their albums but Gillian's voice just sneaks up and grabs you by the throat.

Shellshocker wrote:

I haven't listened to Twisted Tenderness in quite a while. It was my least favorite Electronic album, but I should probably give it some more listens and see if my opinion changes.

Twisted Tenderness is a grower , dig it out and give it another try, I played it once and then consigned it to the depths of my collection only to come across it again after purchasing 'Raise The Pressure'. IMHO 'Twisted Tenderness ' is Electronc's most underrated album.

I actually prefer Republic over Electronic's debut, but , I like Twisted Tenderness more than Republic, though I don't know the merit of comparing the two

I love the Electronic debut, but I love Republic even more as it's my favourite NO album! Am I the only one?? In fact, I don't think of it in terms of having to live up to Technique, because the latter is my least favourite pre-Phil album... *hides*

Anyway, R and E are both very enjoyable, but (imo!) I find Republic to be more consistent.

Shellshocker wrote: I agree about The Other Two and You. A very underrated album. Should be more popular. Thanks for the tip on Superhighways. I can't find it in the US, even online.

Also agreed about TO2&Y. I eventually found Super Highways used on Amazon, but it took time. It's worth the effort (and the probably hefty price :-P)! Gillian's voice is absolutely gorgeous.

many of the synths on the Electronic debut seem awfully sterile and dated to me, but i suppose that similar styles appeared on Republic also.

Bernard's vocals on the Electronic debut do seem like some of his most lively and confident, while Republic seems so much more forced and "filtered" overall... you can tell that this was "work" to get all the way thru to complete the record, not fun

I love both. I like all songs of Electronic's debut album, but in Republic I don't like much "Young Offender".

I've never understood why all the negativity about Republic :( It's my favourite NO album! If you compare it to Electronic's debut, I would say it is very very similar. If you like that one, you'll love Republic. So yeah... go get it! ;)

FtotheDoubleOff wrote: Republic sounded full of intense emotion and dense layers of sound, with the songwriting making a cohesive whole.

Kudos!

FtotheDoubleOff wrote: I think you just have to be in the right mood to appreciate Republic; sometimes it sounds like total crap and other times genius.

Aww come on, really?

FtotheDoubleOff wrote: Now the Other Two, they're awesome. I also listened to The Other Two and You recently for the first time in ages and it's great. The melodies, arrangements and production are all first rate. Gillian's voice is really appealing. Have to admit, I wouldnt play it with friends around as it seems embarrassingly bad at first listen, especially the opener Tasty Fish. But once you pay attention to it it's shockingly good.

I also downloaded Superhighways and listened to it for the first time (you can get it for 9.99 on iTunes) and it's even better.

I feel kind of bad for them, they obviously put a lot of work into both albums but the world didnt seem to care.

By the way, does anyone have mp3s of their remixes on singles? I've tried looking for them on Soulseek but cant get them.

Absoluteley agree with everything you have siad here. The layers of the other two songs is astounding - really brilliant, very underrated work. The melody of selfish is just pure heaven.

I have a few mp3s of remixes and a bside, send us an email and tell me your prefences and maybe we can sort summat out.

mil wrote:

FtotheDoubleOff wrote: Now the Other Two, they're awesome. I also listened to The Other Two and You recently for the first time in ages and it's great. The melodies, arrangements and production are all first rate. Gillian's voice is really appealing. Have to admit, I wouldnt play it with friends around as it seems embarrassingly bad at first listen, especially the opener Tasty Fish. But once you pay attention to it it's shockingly good.

I also downloaded Superhighways and listened to it for the first time (you can get it for 9.99 on iTunes) and it's even better.

I feel kind of bad for them, they obviously put a lot of work into both albums but the world didnt seem to care.

By the way, does anyone have mp3s of their remixes on singles? I've tried looking for them on Soulseek but cant get them.

Absoluteley agree with everything you have siad here. The layers of the other two songs is astounding - really brilliant, very underrated work. The melody of selfish is just pure heaven.

I have a few mp3s of remixes and a bside, send us an email and tell me your prefences and maybe we can sort summat out.

Add my voice to that too. Except, I don't mind playing it to friends - thet all think my music taste is embarrasing already - bloody U2 & coldplay they listen to W@nkers!

For me, I would have to say, Electronic, but that is mostly due to I liked just about all the songs on the album. While with Republic, I liked just a handfull of the songs.

Psy

Francis Maguire wrote: Electronic's 1st album was for me one of the top 5 album's of the decade, an excellent mix of songs, 'Some Distant Memory' being the outstanding track for me, it still sends shivers down my spine now, if you havn't got Electronics's other albums I would highly recommend them both.

As for 'Republic', it did have a hard act to follow and the band were fragmenting at the time but it is still an essential purchase if you like New Order if you see it buy it.

Shellshocker wrote: I agree about The Other Two and You. A very underrated album. Should be more popular. Thanks for the tip on Superhighways. I can't find it in the US, even online.

I'll definitely agree with this, on first hearing I didnt think much about either of their albums but Gillian's voice just sneaks up and grabs you by the throat.

Shellshocker wrote:

I haven't listened to Twisted Tenderness in quite a while. It was my least favorite Electronic album, but I should probably give it some more listens and see if my opinion changes.

Twisted Tenderness is a grower , dig it out and give it another try, I played it once and then consigned it to the depths of my collection only to come across it again after purchasing 'Raise The Pressure'. IMHO 'Twisted Tenderness ' is Electronc's most underrated album.

OK, I've given Twisted Tenderness some more listens. I'll agree it's a very good album. I didn't give it a fair listen before. I loved the dance oriented Raise the Pressure so much, and Twisted Tenderness is nothing like it, so I was disappointed. However, some of the songs are reminiscent of their first album, and some songs have got a bit of The Smiths in them.

I actually like 'Republic', but it doesn't stand a chance against 'Electronic' which is superb.