The Japanese magazine Crossbeat had some content about BL, so here's some scans and translations (translated by me) if anyone is interested.
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/depechegirl.kevinspaceyfan/BernardSumner#5387812998325902242 (Click on the magnifying glass thingy to look at the scan upclose)
Bad Lieutenant article November 2009 Crossbeat Yoko Araya
"In the end, it boils down to personality differences between me and Peter," says Bernard Sumner, casually reflecting back on the messy demise of New Order. "When you're young, you can try to make it work out, but it's useless to be in a band that's no longer fun to be in, at this age."
So, it does sound too good to be true that, as opposed to the Mancunian bassist trio Freebass (the main singer is ex-Haven singer Gary Briggs) formed by Peter Hook, for them to form Bad Lieutenant, as they are three guitarists from Manchester.
But, Bernard had no intention of competing with Peter, and the formation of the band was merely how things turned out. It turned out that he first firmed the band with Alex James of Blur. In late 2006, he started doing jam sessions with his old friend Alex, at Alex's house. The new band started to develop slowly. Alex was too busy with cheese making and writing stuff that he had to drop out, and Stephen Morris couldn't commit to the band full time due to family issues (he will be going on tour with them).
In the end, the ones who remained full time members besides Bernard, were two younger guitarists whom Bernard calls "the people who are the closest to me now"---Phil Cunningham, who joined New Order in the 2000s; and a nearly unknown singer/guitarist named Jake Evans. He is the frontman of the band Rambo and Leroy, whom Bernard liked and chose.
"We didn't really have something specific that we wanted to do musically. It was most important to me to make music in an environment that was fun, in an environment that everyone gets on with each other, and without any egos. Jake was not uneasy in the studio, and everyone was able to work on an equal footing."
So, their first album Never Cry Another Tear, which will be out on the 7th of October, is one of the most organic sounding rock album in Bernard's career, which features guitars and combines all three member's playing styles.
By the way, apparently the age difference was not a problem to them (Bernard is 53, Phil is approaching his mid-30s, and Jake is 29) and quite the contrary, Bernard was surprised about how the younger two were conservative, musically speaking.
"It's inevitable when you're playing the guitar, but their musical roots are in older rock music, and so if the beats get a little bit dancey, they don't know how to deal with it because they don't have a background in dance music culture. So it was always my job to push them forward musically," Bernard says.
That being said, as a result, that strange twist ended up working out well. You can feel the naive innocence of the three playing their guitars without being tied down to a specific era or style, and Bernard's melodies and singing voice which never seem to lose it's innocent feel no matter how old he is, are brought forward. So please be relieved that this is not something that a New Order fan would be taken aback at. Yet, as for Bernard, it's not like he's not under pressure regarding his musical history of 30 years, counting from Joy Division.
"Even though I've started a new band, I won't be free from my past. But I want people to give the new songs a chance. It turned out wonderful, I'm proud of it, and if I were just repeating the past, I'd rather quit being a musician. "
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/depechegirl.kevinspaceyfan/BernardSumner#5387813001564012530 Never Cry Another Tear reviews Nov 2009 Crossbeat
- Reviewed by Masatoshi Arano Due to conflicts with Peter Hook, the situation became complicated, and New Order is now on indefinite hiatus. Bernard Sumner and Phil Cunningham added Jake Evans to their lineup, and they started a new band with the unexpected situation of having three guitarists. This is a guitar-pop album that is reminiscent of latter day New Order, and there are hardly any electro elements. I'm surprised at the first song "Sink or Swim"'s The Byrds-style jingly-jangly sound with 12 string guitars. The fact that there are fairly strong rhythms make me think that they wanted to go on tour when making this album.
Yet the melodies are more melancholic than ever, and there are many songs that are touching. Jake's vocals, which Bernard liked, are spectacular, and I'd like to recommend "Shine like the Sun" (which has Morrissey-esque crooner vocals that are pleasant) as the highlight of the second half of the album. There are parts that remind me a bit of Electronic (with Johnny Marr), but the songs are uniformly good, and they are playing their guitars and simply rocking out. On this album, you can enjoy Bernard's vocals, which have matured. It is an album that fans can shed tears of joy. 3.5/5
- Reviewed by Jin Sugiyama When I first heard of the formation of this new band, I thought it was going to be completely like New Order, but I was surprised that it wasn't. Peter Hook's melodious basslines, which characterised Joy Division and New Order's sound are gone, and in Bad Lieutenant, there are several different guitar riffs, and vocal performances that are in perfect harmony, instead.
Of course, it is not an autocratic band headed by Bernard, either. There are hardly any dancey elements that everyone imagined to exist, and it is a fairly guitar orientated style, with occasional melodies that remind me of The Smiths. But, like the masterpiece "Shine like the Sun", the sheer variety of the songs shows that there is indeed a chemistry within the band that is unique.
Due to the situation being different, you don't necessarily feel that something new will happen, like when New Order released their debut album Movement. Yet the way how they have tried something new without adhering to the past, shows a dignity that is captivating. 3.5/5
