is Bernard a freakin' looney??

yeah, i know thats a pretty exaggerated emotion statement meant to draw attention... but he seems a bit out of touch with reality (maybe more) since the end of the 80s, and the ego seems to have taken off and wandered off, got lost, then stuck somewhere in another dimension... his interviews i have seen and read are bizarre, often embarrassing....and what about the seemingly "drunken" Peel session?... i mean, he seems to have the delusion that he is a "pop star", the singer songwriter frontman, like he is Morrisey or something. No wonder Hooky was pissed at him, Sumner was treating the rest of the members like they were his backup band. That is why in the USA label support for Electronic and New Order fell off so much, they couldnt possibly sell him as a pop frontman, nor could they sell him as indie or alternative anymore...

... so how did they get Sumner to do Get Ready? was there an intervention? Did Sumner start to run out of money for drugs? and what is next? is he going to allow them be a "band" now/still? interesting to see what comes next, hope its less overproduced than Get Ready... go back to the basics of a band i hope even further, let the other members have some more light....

Not, really. I think everyone who is lead singer goes through something like that. Maybe you were off yours, perhaps?

i don't know. it seems to me from the interviews i've read that he's mellowed out a bit now that he's reached middle age. no more partying and e-ing all night. of course, nothing happens in new order without him and he seems like he can be a bit stroppy, but i think that's normal with the lead singer/songwriter in almost any band. i think it was rob gretton's death that got them into the studio again, not any 'intervention' or anything. whatever it was, i don't care. as long as they stay there! :D

Yeah, I have to agree with the Agent. I think the surprise of Rob Gretton's death took all of them by storm and put them into the studio. Especially after Rob seemed to glue it all together. They realized something was in jeopardy.

i'll just never forget Bernard saying on MTV(US) that Raise the Pressure was a better record than anything done by him or his bands in the past, implying both New Order or Joy Division, that with Electronic he was at the peak of his artistic career to that point... the reviewer gave him a chance to restate himself, and Bernard reaffirmed his statement... when he said that I thought for sure that New Order was extinct...

Originally posted by Ubik i'll just never forget Bernard saying on MTV(US) that Raise the Pressure was a better record than anything done by him or his bands in the past, implying both New Order or Joy Division, that with Electronic he was at the peak of his artistic career to that point... the reviewer gave him a chance to restate himself, and Bernard reaffirmed his statement... when he said that I thought for sure that New Order was extinct...

I think maybe he was just trying to promote RTP:)

Barney's always had "lead singer syndrome" even when he was "just" the Joy Division guitarist. At Finsbury Park he was joking about Temptation being a song he wrote all by himself, it's his sense of humour more than anything.

I'm not entirely convinced that he has 100% learned from his e-excess and Pernod soaking days, but in a way that has fuelled the creativity.

Originally posted by Ubik i'll just never forget Bernard saying on MTV(US) that Raise the Pressure was a better record than anything done by him or his bands in the past, implying both New Order or Joy Division, that with Electronic he was at the peak of his artistic career to that point... the reviewer gave him a chance to restate himself, and Bernard reaffirmed his statement... when he said that I thought for sure that New Order was extinct...

I still have to read an interview with an artist in which he says something along the lines of:

"Yeahh my last record/movie/book is awright but to be honest my output has been steadily declining since the glory days of the nineties. That's what all the people should go and buy. It is only to honour my contract that I have launched this record/movie/book, that frankly is piss poor"

Barney with a ego? That's a newie! He: hates gigging hates singing hates TV shows hates giving interviews hates having his pic taken hates shooting vids hates writing lyrics In fact he hates almost everything commonly associated with the rock music way-of-life... and you say he's a rock star with an attitude problem? I agree with the "loony" bit, though...

i've said it before and i'll say it again...Barney is the Weak link in the NewOrder chain....his lyrics are now almost always pointless and humiliating, he's fat, he can't dance^, he's a 50 year old drug addict, he needs a prompter to remember his stupid lyrics and his guitar playing is shit.

just wait until we are all cringing at the lyrics to the new album then revisit this post.....

^not only can he not dance but his dancing provokes LAUGHTER from the crowd....not something you'd expect from the guitar player from Joy Division

i do place a lot of blame for Barney's unforgivable lyrics on his excessive drug intake....everyone likes a little here and there but it's ruined his performances.....all that whooping and whistling RUINS the songs and i think it's directly influenced by the lines of charley he must do before he takes the stage....will probably die on the toilet concetrating on lyrics to the 2006 World Cup Song....

Just inverse what BioHazard's just written and that's how I feel about Barney.

Anyone agree?

Originally posted by Huntsman Just inverse what BioHazard's just written and that's how I feel about Barney.Anyone agree?

His singing is one of the things I love about NO.

The weakest link in New Order! Don't make me fuckin' laugh!! Sumner is THE creative driving force in New Order. Always has been, always will be! It was the same in Joy Division. Yes, Curtis wrote the lyrics but it was Sumner who wrote most of the music. No Sumner, no New Order! Simple as that. Now get real!

Originally posted by JORGE TEIXEIRA Barney with a ego?That's a newie!He:hates gigginghates singinghates TV showshates giving interviewshates having his pic takenhates shooting vidshates writing lyricsIn fact he hates almost everything commonly associated with the rock music way-of-life... and you say he's a rock star with an attitude problem?I agree with the "loony" bit, though...

He doesn't hate being in the studio - that's his favorite part. He doesn't like playing live though. I would say a little self absorbed, but a drug riddled lifestyle can do that to you.

what is it with people calling them '50', 'almost 50' or 'fast approaching 50' ? The oldest members of the group are Barney and Hooky who are both 44.

Originally posted by The weakest link in New Order! Don't make me fuckin' laugh!! Sumner is THE creative driving force in New Order. Always has been, always will be! It was the same in Joy Division. Yes, Curtis wrote the lyrics but it was Sumner who wrote most of the music. No Sumner, no New Order! Simple as that. Now get real!

it's hooky's bass and morris's rhythms that do the trick for me though.....with that simple synth line hanging on top...delicious...i can do with out the bursts of guitar and inane lyrics....of course there are exceptions to my statement but anyone who writes songs for 20 years is bound to stumble on a good one now and then....i completely disagree that Barney is the driving force in neworder....that award goes to PeterHook. Barney is the DIVIDING force in NewOrder.

Originally posted by Wolfmann > Originally posted by JORGE TEIXEIRA> Barney with a ego?> That's a newie!> He:> hates gigging> hates singing> hates TV shows> hates giving interviews> hates having his pic taken> hates shooting vids> hates writing lyrics> In fact he hates almost everything commonly associated with the rock music way-of-life... and you say he's a rock star with an attitude problem?> I agree with the "loony" bit, though...

He doesn't hate being in the studio - that's his favorite part. He doesn't like playing live though. I would say a little self absorbed, but a drug riddled lifestyle can do that to you. I didn't said he hated the studio, just that he hated singing: meaning he hates being the frontman!

Originally posted by teleharmonium what is it with people calling them '50', 'almost 50' or 'fast approaching 50' ? The oldest members of the group are Barney and Hooky who are both 44.

close enough

Originally posted by Biznotic Love Trapazoid i've said it before and i'll say it again...Barney is the Weak link in the NewOrder chain....his lyrics are now almost always pointless and humiliating, he's fat, he can't dance^, he's a 50 year old drug addict, he needs a prompter to remember his stupid lyrics and his guitar playing is shit. just wait until we are all cringing at the lyrics to the new album then revisit this post.....^not only can he not dance but his dancing provokes LAUGHTER from the crowd....not something you'd expect from the guitar player from Joy Divisioni do place a lot of blame for Barney's unforgivable lyrics on his excessive drug intake....everyone likes a little here and there but it's ruined his performances.....all that whooping and whistling RUINS the songs and i think it's directly influenced by the lines of charley he must do before he takes the stage....will probably die on the toilet concetrating on lyrics to the 2006 World Cup Song....

You.must.be.joking.

Right, Brian?

Honestly...I think that some healthy criticism is good. After all NO are not a boy band and most of us are not teenagers to suck up to every whim of their bland, spineless idols but you are pushing it, don't you think?

I mean, in just one short post you've accused the frontman, main songwriter of the band I thought you loved of:

Being a disgusting liricist Having a drug problem Being fat Being older than he really is Having lost his memory Not able to play guitar Piss poor dancing

Some of these accusations are pretty accurate (and we have all laughed at his dancing for example, but when you say it you say it in such earnst that seems almost personal) some are grossly unfair.

I have never been to a Cure forum but I am sure they've never done so good (and so uncalled for) a demolition job as you just have.

Have to agree with Marlboro Man: No Barney, No New Order.

ditto all pro remarks.

the only thing i exaggerated was his age. still i was very harsh in my post but i tend to overstate things to spur conversation. barney is a crucial element of neworder if only for the uniqueness of his voice. you must admit the only person to ruin more songs live is Gillian....and i doubt she has ruined as many as Barney. i do love neworder. i have for more than 15 years now and will continue to listen to their music daily. HOWEVER, i stand by my criticism of Barney. It was harsh but there is truth in there. I would love for the new album to feature 3 instrumentals and 7 vocal tracks. I do not have confidence that bernard can write lyrics for 10 songs without half of them being utterly pointless.

hey, do yo guys like new order? it seems pretty negative here.

get some sun

smoke a fatty then listen to it all over again

"tony wilson is my cousin, but don't tell anyone...thanks"

ed, i'll take your advice....

I love neworder but the mystique has worn off....post Technique NewOrder lacks the same integrity as the neworder that changed set lists and didn't put singles on albums....combined with the rapidly depreciating quality of Bernards lyrics, the multiple releases for each single with meaningless remixes and the continuous stream of reissues with little thought to the true fans....Slow Jam is one prime example of the failure of NewOrder post Technique.....the worst lyrics i've ever heard over one of the dullest oasis b-sides......counter that with the extreme pleasure of Primitive Notion, Vicious Streak, Crystal, Close Range, Sabotage, Here To Stay and I am still very much a fan....just not deaf and blind. accept the good with the bad to see the whole picture....

Slow Jam is not worse than We All Stand, and everyone thinks PCL is not ruined by its presence. Of course they're not what they once were, but they still manage to put out stuff that I enjoy hearing.

although live and on the peel sessions, We All Stand was not that bad....

Originally posted by Biznotic Love Trapazoid ed, i'll take your advice....I love neworder but the mystique has worn off....post Technique NewOrder lacks the same integrity as the neworder that changed set lists and didn't put singles on albums....combined with the rapidly depreciating quality of Bernards lyrics, the multiple releases for each single with meaningless remixes and the continuous stream of reissues with little thought to the true fans....Slow Jam is one prime example of the failure of NewOrder post Technique.....the worst lyrics i've ever heard over one of the dullest oasis b-sides......counter that with the extreme pleasure of Primitive Notion, Vicious Streak, Crystal, Close Range, Sabotage, Here To Stay and I am still very much a fan....just not deaf and blind. accept the good with the bad to see the whole picture....

I think the demise of Factory (and the subsequent move to London) was the start of a slippery slope, if your record company can't give a shit about the band why should they

Barney is one of the most innovative songwriters of his generation. So what if he can't dance ?

And why should he be tarred with the epithet "looney" merely because he has a pet halibut ?

Originally posted by Benny's Cobweb Eyes Barney is one of the most innovative songwriters of his generation. So what if he can't dance ?And why should he be tarred with the epithet "looney" merely because he has a pet halibut ?

i think its a turbot actually

Originally posted by Patrick Slow Jam is not worse than We All Stand, and everyone thinks PCL is not ruined by its presence.Of course they're not what they once were, but they still manage to put out stuff that I enjoy hearing.

Nothing could ruin PCL