Not really given any of their side projects a proper chance to be honest so thought I may aswell educate myself and try and get into them at least. Just looking for some recommendations amongst you lot as to what ones to avoid and what ones to check out. Ive obviously heard a few monaco tracks and a few Electronic ones but dont have a clue about Revenge or The Other Two! Are they even worth buying the CDs or should I get them by other means. Cough! Cough! Bear in mind I am super skint and a jakey bastard from Paisley!
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Side Projects
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Try the first Electronic album reissue from 1994 and Monaco's Music For Pleasure from 1997. Some would argue that both of these albums kick the shit out of Republic and even give some of the other New Order records a good run for their money. Music For Pleasure in particular is like the mid-nineties New Order album we never got.
Alternatively for Electronic you could just pick up Get The Message: The Best Of which would give you an idea of what all their singles were like. Hunting down the albums would probably be more rewarding and you'd get more tunes though.
You can pick up most of these releases on Amazon for no more than £7 quid most of the time.
All highly recommended 
Ebay is your best bet for Revenge CDs (they're an acquired taste but the odd excellent track) and Other Two stuff. Other Two's second album Super highways is a bastard to come by these days so be prepared to shell out £20-30+ if you're really interested in finding a copy.
It really depends on what kind of music you want to hear. Each of us here have our own preference. We have different favorites and rankings.
Each side project has its own sound/genre. Electronic is electronic, The Other Two is alternative dance, and Revenge & Monaco is typical Hooky dominated bass guitar sound that you hear from New Order.
Personally, this is how I ranked the side projects. (1) The Other Two, (2) Electronic, (3) Monaco, and (4) Revenge.
Indeed*!*
Sub-Cultured*!* wrote: Electronic is electronic
I wouldn't call Twisted Tenderness an "electronic" album. It's mostly guitars turned up to 11 with the keyboards pushed to the back of the mix. Aside from the title track of course which resembles an updated (and better IMO) Round & Round.
Same with at least half of Raise The Pressure; Forbidden City, For You, One Day and Out Of My League are all band driven songs layered with lots of guitar.
Both Other Two albums are really good but they've always been a bit lightweight for my liking. If pure pop is your bag then you'll obviously love them. I prefer something a bit harsher like the aural assault that is Twisted Tenderness 
Still think Make It Happen is one of Barney's finest moments.
as above, other two a bit weak, but OK, my ranking is monaco, electronic, other two, revenge, I'm a bass head but revenge just didn't do it for me, sloppy keyboards, not very good production, although one track did make it onto the cindy crawford work out video (don't ask me how i now that!).
It depends on which side of new order you like, electronic obviously lack hookys bass and steves drums, monaco lack steves drums and barney vocals (but pots sounds very conincing on a lot of songs, i almost thought it was barney at points) and other two lack the voice and bass, you decide, or listen by other means and buy what you like.
mozza wrote: Not really given any of their side projects a proper chance to be honest so thought I may aswell educate myself and try and get into them at least. Just looking for some recommendations amongst you lot as to what ones to avoid and what ones to check out. Ive obviously heard a few monaco tracks and a few Electronic ones but dont have a clue about Revenge or The Other Two! Are they even worth buying the CDs or should I get them by other means. Cough! Cough! Bear in mind I am super skint and a jakey bastard from Paisley!
let me put this way... I would RECOMMEND and Buy them all. If you not a COMPLETIST, that's perfectly OK and does NOT matter! Just being a NEW ORDER & JOY DIVISION supportive fan is enough!
Each side projects were recorded with such intensity and expressions that each RECORD(s) or CDs were very different on their own respectively.
It was ALL a creative DIFFERENCES, EXPRESSIONS and OUTLETS, aside from being NEW ORDER members.
For Revenge, I'd recommend "State Of Shock" (preferably the full-length UK EP version) - I must be one of the few people out there who actually like Revenge! :)
As for Electronic, their first album is the best - I, for one, could never really get into either Raise The Pressure or Twisted Tenderness...
And, the Other Two - Superhighways is the better album, IMHO... Just listen to "The Grave" (very atmospheric), "New Horizons" (essentially a vocal version of the "Common As Muck" soundtrack), and "Cold Feet" (again, a soundtrack from the Season 1 of the same series)... I do, however, think that Gillian should have stuck to the singing duties, and not Melanie Williams (who was a vocalist with "Sub Sub" - pre-Doves)...
Anyway, my twopence worth...
ally wrote: Other Two's second album Super highways is a bastard to come by these days so be prepared to shell out £20-30+ if you're really interested in finding a copy.
I *believe* that Superhighways *might* be on iTunes (UK), but I can't check on my laptop?
ally wrote: Super highways is a bastard to come by these days so be prepared to shell out £20-30+ if you're really interested in finding a copy.
A bastard these days?? It always was a bastard.Found it impossible to get a copy in stores when it came out.Think i bought off Amazon in the end
The three albums by Electronic are all brilliant with at least four or five essential tracks each, like Reality, Tighten Up, Dark Angel, Second Nature, Freefall, Haze, When She's Gone... you better check the Get The Message compilation on iTunes, then, to download the magnificent Imitation Of Life, featuring some of the most wonderful keyboards ever heard. Revenge are my favourite side project, One True Passion v2 is absolutely essential. Not so sure about Monaco anymore, used to like them a lot back when they were around, but sound a bit weaker nowadays, anyway each album has at least a couple of great tracks, Kashmere is one of the best songs ever by anyone... The first Other Two album still sounds quite weak as well, apart from the excellent singles. Superhighways, anyway, is a forgotten masterpiece at the heighth of the best Revenge and Electronic, and includes emotional gems like the title track and Wierd Woman.
Think most of the side project stuff got unfairly slagged for not being New Order, though there's some great stuff there.
Depending on your taste - the Other Two might be too twee and Revenge too gruff and bombastic.
The first and last Electronic albums are great, the 2nd one is a bit dull and uninspired.
You'll most likely need to buy used off Amazon (some so cheap it's practically free) and most is available on iTunes.
johnny wrote:
ally wrote: Super highways is a bastard to come by these days so be prepared to shell out £20-30+ if you're really interested in finding a copy.
A bastard these days?? It always was a bastard.Found it impossible to get a copy in stores when it came out.Think i bought off Amazon in the end
£45!!! fookin' hell.
Mine was £16.49 from HMV - still got the sticker on the front
How limited was the pressing??
First Electronic album is a given.
Other than that, personally I thought Revenge had a couple of amazing moments in Big Bang and State of Shock and, of course, there's Monaco's obligatory WDYWFM.
Not sure anything TO2 compares to any of the afore-mentioned?
Actually, no, Tasty Fish was a fine moment.
Twisted Tenderness hands down. i think it´s a very underrated album because everyone seem to be impressed with how Get Ready was a rockier NO comeback, but nobody seemed to notice that two years earlier Barney was already there. Prodigal Son, Haze, Vivid, Flicker, Make It Happen... brilliant tracks, good lyrics and nice production overall. in my opinion Electronic had great tracks until then but it was missing Marr´s guitar, like if he wasn´t sure where to put his talent. on TT they sound as a real band, a shame they didn´t tour with Jimmy Goodwin and Ged Lynch, that would have been great.
a very underrated album because everyone seem to be impressed with how Get Ready was a rockier NO comeback, but nobody seemed to notice that two years earlier Barney was already there
Completely agree. The way the media completely ignored TT, then praised Get Ready was very strange.
I do really love Hooky and Pottsy together in Monaco, their debut cd is just fine!!
Electronic also makes it good, but i'd rather listen to monaco
To be honest, all are a mixed bag.
Electronic is not as good as New Order or The Smiths but have a number of nice tracks. Electronic's first is overrated, second is underrated, third was just mostly ignored. Best song "Forbidden City"
Revenge was unfairly maligned (reading reviews it makes you wonder if reviewers actually listened to it, just looked at the cover), but not really all that good or essential either, quite dated. Best songs "Jesus I Love U" & "14K"
The Other Two... the first record has a few nice (nice as nice and nice as mindstream attempt nice), but some extremely bland filler. "Tasty Fish" and "Selfish" are fine tracks nice. The second record coulda been sold out of Steve's tank and sold more copies.
Monaco... has a nice single, "What Do You Want From Me?" but is all over the place, some of it very unessential. The second album tries to repeat the formula with less success but has the best most masculine flaming disco song ever made called "See Saw"
Had this convo the other day via email 
The first and third Electronic albums are the bollocks and the second includes Forbidden City which is up there with some of the best New Order tracks. As Ally says, get the best of Electronic, if you like that, invest in the albums. Even though I put together the double Revenge DVD, I was never a massive fan, though I would recommend the singles and work yer way to the album that way. Monaco's Music For Pleasure is great an all, containing several jems, a definite must have. The Other Two's albums were perhaps the bravest of them all, to paraphrase Johnny Giles, no singer and the balls to do something a bit different.....again, TO2's singles are a must, Tasty Fish is another favourite.
My stand outs :
Pineapple Face, 7 Reasons, Slave....Revenge Tasty Fish, Super Highways, Selfish....The Other Two What Do You Want From Me, Shine, I've Got A Feeling....Monaco Get The Message, Feel Every Beat, Forbidden City, Vivid, Haze.....Electronic.
I'm another odd sort, in that I like Revenge, too!
Rather than shell out silly money on eBay, however, why not pick up a copy of One True Passion V2.0 from LTM records - £10 (including UK P&P) for two discs which take in most of the non-album material, and include the version of Big Bang known as The Trouble with Girls, which appeared on The Select Factory Tape (FAC 305C) which is for my money the closest Revenge got to sounding like New Order.
As for The Other Two, I rather liked their early poppy electro singles, but the first album has a too-high instrumental count for my liking.
To remedy this, I burned up my own expanded edition, taking in some remixes from the singles, along with the song Satisfied from the Innocence 12" on Qwest. This is a much more enjoyable listen.
But I couldn't get on with the second album, much as I tried. I think I preferred the naive charm of the first one, and found Super Highways too polished.
I'll leave Electronic out of this for now, except to say that the first album is a bit of a curate's egg, but the associated singles have some very nice mixes.
ShugZViking wrote:
My stand outs :
Pineapple Face, 7 Reasons, Slave....Revenge Tasty Fish, Super Highways, Selfish....The Other Two What Do You Want From Me, Shine, I've Got A Feeling....Monaco Get The Message, Feel Every Beat, Forbidden City, Vivid, Haze.....Electronic.
I've long maintained that if each member had brought their best side-project songs to the table for a New Order album, it would have been a fookin' cracker!
Electronic - Electronic 9/10 Electronic - Raise The Pressure 6/10 Electronic - Twisted Tenderness 8/10 Other Two - & You 6/10 Other Two - Superhighways 5/10 Monaco - Music for Pleasure 8/10 Monaco - Monaco 6/10
They all have their standout tracks though.
Just listening to the song Superhighways. Forgot how good it was. Especially that little bit at 1.30 :)
The Other Two & You - worst sleeve design ever?
LeggyD wrote:
johnny wrote:
ally wrote: Super highways is a bastard to come by these days so be prepared to shell out £20-30+ if you're really interested in finding a copy.
A bastard these days?? It always was a bastard.Found it impossible to get a copy in stores when it came out.Think i bought off Amazon in the end
£45!!! fookin' hell.
Mine was £16.49 from HMV - still got the sticker on the front
How limited was the pressing??
£6.99 from Manchester's Vinyl Exchange on Oldham St, 2 weeks before it was released. Promo stickers still intact. I have NEVER seen it in the shops again.
