why's everyone gone so negative?

A new Other Two album does sound promising. It would be nice to get Gillian back in the mix.

Kerry Harris wrote: Just my 2 cents but I think a lot of this backlash is due to disappointment in the BL and the Freebass efforts.

I think people genuinely wanted their socks knocked off by those records and it just didn't happen, and we're frustrated by that.

Personally, I like a bunch of songs on the BL album (and really didn't care for the snippets of Freebass I heard) but nothing is "New Order at its' peak" quality for sure.

In reading this thread and the "meeting NO" thread it's clear that while there may be some expensive limited edition offerings from the band that seem questionable this is balanced by Peter Hook apparently being willing to sign for free virtually anything put in front of him. To me that's way more "limited edition" and cooler/more desirable than any Hacienda dance floor basses and coffee table books. The fact that he's apparently willing to do this with a smile balances out the other more frustrating things I've been reading about.

Also, I remember some threads about some work Bernard was doing with special needs children in his area. So, while we may not be crazy about everything the band does, there is a balance with them. Nothing's perfect, even them in their so-called prime, and ultimately we're just frustrated by losing something that was really special to us -- New Order.

Agreed, agreed, agreed.

Kerry Harris wrote: Just my 2 cents but I think a lot of this backlash is due to disappointment in the BL and the Freebass efforts.

I think people genuinely wanted their socks knocked off by those records and it just didn't happen, and we're frustrated by that.

Personally, I like a bunch of songs on the BL album (and really didn't care for the snippets of Freebass I heard) but nothing is "New Order at its' peak" quality for sure.

In reading this thread and the "meeting NO" thread it's clear that while there may be some expensive limited edition offerings from the band that seem questionable this is balanced by Peter Hook apparently being willing to sign for free virtually anything put in front of him. To me that's way more "limited edition" and cooler/more desirable than any Hacienda dance floor basses and coffee table books. The fact that he's apparently willing to do this with a smile balances out the other more frustrating things I've been reading about.

Also, I remember some threads about some work Bernard was doing with special needs children in his area. So, while we may not be crazy about everything the band does, there is a balance with them. Nothing's perfect, even them in their so-called prime, and ultimately we're just frustrated by losing something that was really special to us -- New Order.

Well put Kerry, and nice to hear from you again mate.

the special needs kids thing was the whole band, have a look here: http://www.worldinmotion.net/newsroom/2005.htm scroll down to november 19th

The Teacher wrote: See, personal attacks again.

You cant argue the point, so you get personal. You and Ultraviolent, happens every time.

Anyone else think Jed has been on the beer tonight?

I wouldn't say everytime...... maybe 99.99% of the time

It's been said before that this is an open forum, there will be periods where we will feel certain members are putting out shit. If anything, this helps the band/bands realize what their audience wants. If it wasnt for this site, there'd be noo hoopla over the remasters, and it seems sometimes the band themselves will coast the site. I think the criticism is also due to our conflicting opinions, some think anything Hooky or Barney does is gold, some think they haven't made a decent tune since Crystal, it's all subjective really. But the fact that we return to post day in and out proves we really were/are moved by what they've created in the past or present.

I’m not sure about everyone else, but I have been on edge lately because I lost my super rare video footage of Ian doing dishes.

Darkman wrote: I’m not sure about everyone else, but I have been on edge lately because I lost my super rare video footage of Ian doing dishes.

Was it followed by his advertisement for Converse? If so, I got it on Ebay.

The way I look at it is this: the reason some of us are 'negative' and like to have a whinge is possibly down to two things and two things only:

1. Warners still owning the entire New Order back catalogue, and as a result of this, every single fucking thing they have put out ever since (not counting the two last studio albums) has been an absolute travesty.

2. New Order not being the band they used to be.

Simples.

:p

By 'Eck! My Neck! wrote: The way I look at it is this: the reason some of us are 'negative' and like to have a whinge is possibly down to two things and two things only:

1. Warners still owning the entire New Order back catalogue, and as a result of this, every single fucking thing they have put out ever since (not counting the two last studio albums) has been an absolute travesty.

2. New Order not being the band they used to be.

Simples.

:p

Good points.

Burt Burterson wrote:

Barney and BL - so so album in places, surprisingly big effort to tour.. Ok stuff in general, but would be nice to hear something suggesting Barney is back on form.

Hooky, Freebass, the Light - no real comment, apart from what's been said on these forums recently in depth. 'you pay yer money, you take yer choices' etc. I've taken mine, and they don't involve paying money.

The Other two - who knows yet, but they might just pull it out of the bag.

Negativity on this site is clearly at things current and moving forward, and fully justified from what i can see. As for past material, it will always be revered and played on a regular basis by all the hardcore fans on here.

I'm glad this is a place where deserved (and undeserved) criticism can happen, and not a herd of sheep with credit cards.

Simple solution to cheer this place up, and to stop any 'cashing in' would be for the band to reform. Who knows.

And I'd be delighted if band members read all this, cos it is pretty much how it is.

Well for me...

The Hooky cash-in: Speaks for itself. Erase Third World debt or buy a limited edition EP, the choice is yours. Mind you I'm seeing the Light here in Rome 'cause I've never actually seen PH live.

Freebass: As a reviewer said of 'Raise The Pressure', can't believe it took so long to produce so little.

BL: Loved the album more'n almost anything since my 6th-form days and 'Electronic'. Also impressed with the gigography of 'touraphobe' Bernard this time round. Nowt wrong with playing assorted career trax either, if Paul McCartney assembled a new bunch for a new CD you wouldn't wanna hear that alone, you'd like a career-spanning compilation.

Other Two: Never got into the Other2 and their colourless instrumentals and SAW synthpop. If they do make another album I'll probably buy it, listen to it once then consign it to my attic.

Michael Monkhouse wrote: Well for me...

The Hooky cash-in: Speaks for itself. Erase Third World debt or buy a limited edition EP, the choice is yours. Mind you I'm seeing the Light here in Rome 'cause I've never actually seen PH live.

Freebass: As a reviewer said of 'Raise The Pressure', can't believe it took so long to produce so little.

BL: Loved the album more'n almost anything since my 6th-form days and 'Electronic'. Also impressed with the gigography of 'touraphobe' Bernard this time round. Nowt wrong with playing assorted career trax either, if Paul McCartney assembled a new bunch for a new CD you wouldn't wanna hear that alone, you'd like a career-spanning compilation.

Other Two: Never got into the Other2 and their colourless instrumentals and SAW synthpop. If they do make another album I'll probably buy it, listen to it once then consign it to my attic.

I know music is very subjective and indeed objective but I have to say from my end that Raise The Pressure was and still is superb. My favourite of all the solo albums. Very much captured the mood in music at the time. I played it to death in 1996 and from then on. Love every track although I never got into Forbidden City.

It's weird when I really give it some thought....

.....that newOrder ceased - in my view - to be a truly vital band after Technique came out in 1989. Thats TWENTY ONE YEARS AGO!!!!!!! Bar their world cup single the following year, we then didn't get another peep from them until Regret - a bit of a red herring actually, because it was such a great single, which then trailed such a bland and mediocre album as Republic with four good songs and seven not so good ones.

There was a palpable sense of disappointment and anti-climax with Republic that didn't diminish even with the two subsequent newOrder releases Get Ready and Waiting For The Siren's Call.....

Add to that the rather nondescript solo albums (excepting the first Electronic, first Monaco and second Other Two ones), and the whole amounts to very little payback - just three good albums from an incredible TEN post-Technique releases from all five different - main and side-project - permutations of newOrder before the final parting of the ways in 2007.

Of all of the solo efforts, I was particularly underwhelmed with the second - extremely bland - Electronic album Raise The Pressure. Not only were the contents anonymous, the cover art sucked to high hell as well - truly awful artwork! The other let down was the second Monaco album - a poor copy of the first [a couple of songs excepted] - and the need for them (as well as Electronic with their third album Twisted Tenderness) to print lyrics within the CD booklet elicited a resoundingly loud "WHY???" from myself. Both releases were rather pointless, and accordingly (if not deservedly) did far worse than their predecessors.

Of all of the side projects, perhaps the least feted / trumpeted was the Other Two. Here at least was the chance to investigate the more soundtrack-y aspect of newOrder through the tantalising glimpses of Steve and Gillian's work from TV programmes such as Making Out, Reportage and Common As Muck, and, essentially, the two albums did not disappoint too badly (their second, Superhighways, was actually my fave pop album of 1999 - pissing all over their debut and, come to think of it, anything the likes of Dubstar or Technique [Alan McGee's bird's contentiously-monikered baby] had to offer by that point).....

If I was to take the unusual (novel?) step of compiling a "Best Of The newOrder Side Projects" compilation and in so doing create a concise 18-track resume of the highlights in the Electronic/Revenge/Monaco/Other Two canon, I might come up with this:

(NB, the sequencing is intended to work like an old fashioned vinyl record - albeit one split into four sides!)

A1: Electronic: Soviet A2: Monaco: What Do You Want From Me? A3: Electronic: Tighten Up A4: Other Two: The River A5: Monaco: Shine (album version)

B1: Other Two: Tasty Fish (7" single version) B2: Electronic: Reality B3: Monaco: Happy Jack B4: Other Two: Unwanted B5: Revenge: Slave (7" single version)

C1: Monaco: Kashmere (alternative mix) C2: Electronic: Get The Message C3: Other Two: Ripple (aka Common As Muck) C4: Monaco: Shattered

D1: Electronic: Freewill D2: Other Two: Superhighways D3: Electronic: Some Distant Memory D4: Monaco: Sedona

Be interesting to see what others think of this track running order.....

Agree with Mr Neck. Except for the Other 2, not my kinda thing I'm afraid.

Michael Monkhouse wrote: Agree with Mr Neck. Except for the Other 2, not my kinda thing I'm afraid.

I like Raise the Pressure, some great lyrics and catchy tunes

My feelings on RTP were expressed admirably by this review back then http://www.feeleverybeat.co.uk/albums/nme6july1996.jpg. 14 years on I still feel the same way, but each to his own and all that poo. Much preferred Twisted Tenderness but it gets a bit tiresome/samey two-thirds of the way through.

People will always whine and get themselves slightly overwrought in the absence of not having enough to worry about in the real world.

Hooky and the rest of the band were financially screwed in the 80's and 90's so they are entitled to make money now. If you don't want to buy it, or think it's overpriced, don't buy it. I need to feed my family so I won't be buying the limited edition of blah blah blah, but I'm still very happy the band members are staying active with the music.

That's not to say that NOOL should be sycophantsonline.com, but there is a line across which constructive criticism becomes attack.