Ceremony to Superheated - revisiting and reviewing every core song

Be A Rebel review posted.

Take care everyone.

Dennis Remmer wrote: Be A Rebel review posted.

Take care everyone.

you give them way too much credit for this song.

i'd rate it a 2/5 at the most, the remixes might push it to a 3, but thats about it.

repeated listens might force you to like it more, but when there's not much there to dig into in the first place, it just lessens what the song has (or doesn't have).

later -1

negative1 wrote: I'd rate it a 2/5 at the most, the remixes might push it to a 3, but thats about it.

Funny you should say that. My rating was 3.5 up to a 4 in anticipation of the remixes - how optimistic is that! Don't kill my enthusiasm 😂

I’m sorry but I’ve listened to be a Rebel about 40 times and it’s not sticking for me. It’s a nice throwaway pop song in the vein of Liar to me.

2.5/5

Not overstruck either but it's light years ahead of Liar. After the wait and the hype I didn't know whether to laugh or piss myself. Utter crud.

is it bro wrote: I’m sorry but I’ve listened to be a Rebel about 40 times and it’s not sticking for me. It’s a nice throwaway pop song in the vein of Liar to me.

2.5/5

Yeah, same for me. 2/5 here.

It has a nice, summery, 'Republic' feel to it, but to me it just sounds like a demo made with basic MIDI synthesisers or soundcards.

Granted, it's wonderful they are still releasing new material, and long may it continue, but my main problem with the song is that after playing it many times, it doesn't stick in my head - I couldn't sing it to you if you asked me how it goes.

Hoping for something more interested in the Barney/Steve remixes...

I agree with you totally on these excellent observations, which I quote:

Mr Discography wrote: ... nice, summery ...

Michael Monkhouse wrote: ... light years ahead ...

is it bro wrote: I’m sorry ... It’s ... nice

Everything else was bitter and grumpy which I've had enough of for 2020. More light pop music required.

I said Light years ahead... Of Liar. Kinda brings it down. I think a lot of people are just pleased about (a) something cool in this shit year, (b) anything at all instead of yet another retread and (c) anything other than Liar.

Just signed a publishing deal to turn the blog into a book, to be released in 2022. More details to come, and I might be in touch with some of you...

Dennis Remmer wrote: Just signed a publishing deal to turn the blog into a book, to be released in 2022. More details to come, and I might be in touch with some of you...

Congratulations - sounds exciting! Are you going to call it 'From. Ceremony to Be A Rebel' now?

That is, in the words of Sylvia Plath totally fucking awesome. About ten years ago I was in negotiations to translate this song-by-song JD book into English https://www.ibs.it/joy-division-broken-heart-romance-libro-marco-di-marco/e/9788862310017 - unfortunately there were too many copyright complications because Deborah owns a lot of the rights. Bah. I'm quite happy to let you quote 'It is total and utter fucking shit'.

Dennis Remmer wrote: Just signed a publishing deal to turn the blog into a book, to be released in 2022. More details to come, and I might be in touch with some of you...

Excellent! Exciting times! Many congratulations, Dennis. It was a great blog and is worthy of preservation.

Michael Monkhouse wrote:

About ten years ago I was in negotiations to translate this song-by-song JD book into English https://www.ibs.it/joy-division-broken-heart-romance-libro-marco-di-marco/e/9788862310017 - unfortunately there were too many copyright complications because Deborah owns a lot of the rights. Bah.

That's a real shame that didn't happen, Michael. I'd've bought a copy.

Michael Monkhouse wrote: I'm quite happy to let you quote 'It is total and utter fucking shit'.

Ace.

Mr Discography wrote: Congratulations - sounds exciting! Are you going to call it 'From. Ceremony to Be A Rebel' now?

Don't want to outdate it too early who knows what 2022 may bring...

perspexorange wrote: That's a real shame that didn't happen, Michael. I'd've bought a copy.

Well I spoke to the writer on the dog and boner AND in person at a presentation, but the problem was that his interpretation was heavily reliant on Ian's actual words, so we needed copyright clearance from Deborah. They were wary about approaching her and asking her to go through the tragedy yet again, especially in the name of an obscure Italian publishing company. My attitude has always been 'Fuck it', but they argued that even if she said yes, the costs would, alongside the effort and printing costs, make it financially shit. Good to know the PUNK attitude is still rampant, eh? The solution would've been to paraphrase but that would've made a frustrating and ultimately unreadable buke: You know, 'In this ditty, Ian says that that which the froggies call 'amour' is going to rip himself and an unspecified other / unspecified others into an unspecified number of pieces.' Ewww. I think the other problem was that I'm not authoritative enough. Apparently 'thinks New Order are overrated, says 'total and utter fucking shit' a lot and occasionally jerks off to Sporty' does not suffice. Snobs.

Dennis Remmer wrote:

Mr Discography wrote: Congratulations - sounds exciting! Are you going to call it 'From. Ceremony to Be A Rebel' now?

Don't want to outdate it too early who knows what 2022 may bring...

You could call it 'From Ceremony to yet another rehash'.

Michael Monkhouse wrote: They were wary about approaching her and asking her to go through the tragedy yet again.

They should've sent you to mediate with her. Your sensitive approach would've won the day, I'm sure!

Joking aside, you're right; the approach that you would've had to have taken would've led to a fairly unsatisfactory reading experience.

Still, a pretty frustrating experience for you.

Dennis - please keep us all up to date with how the project is going. You can definitely put me down for a copy. I will say that your blog was a joy to read, and I eagerly looked forward to every new update. I will follow this thread with significant interest.

Yeah! I could've softened her up with my JD routine: What's smelly, full of shit and gives Mancs a boner? Tony Wilson... I saw a concert sign, New Order: Sold Out! I thought, Yes, in 1993, you cunts... I said, Doctor, I keep listening to one shit song that's been remixed to death. He said, How does it feel?... Seriously, it drives me mad when people say New Order are just a Joy division spin-off. I hate that - cos I've heard Joy Division. And they're even fucking worse... What's boring, jerks off to Hitler and pays three cunts' rent? Ian Curtis... What did John Lennon say to Ian Curtis? I know you're depressed - but nothing to get hung about. What did John Lennon say to Ian curtis the next day? Let me take you down... My dad was a failed epileptic. No great shakes. Could've been a mover and shaker. On Twitch... I loved it when Tony Wilson said. 'We didn't make records - We made HISTORY!' It's only half true. Like saying Joy Division were shit hot. History? Yeah, the Declaration of Independence - the Second World War - Crispy fucking Ambulance. For fuck's sake. And how could I forget the Stockholm Monsters? Easy. Cos they're total and utter fucking shit too.

perspexorange wrote:

Michael Monkhouse wrote:

Joking aside, you're right; the approach that you would've had to have taken would've led to a fairly unsatisfactory reading experience.

Slightly off topic, but one of the most famous cases was Ian Hamilton's attempt to write a Salinger autobiography. Hamilton's scoop was finding a bunch of private letters, but Salinger took him to court over breach of privacy. The solution was to paraphrase, but unfortunately the charm of the original letters lay precisely in the prose, or as they called it 'the expressive heart', so in the end Hamilton withdrew and fleshed out the book with an accunt of the court case. Sadly (actually I don't give a fuck either way), the resulting autobiography is more interesting for the legal hoohah than any light it shed on Salinger's actual life and unpyblished wanks.

Hi everyone - been a while, hope you're all well.

I'm finishing up final edits for my New Order book for SonicBond Publishing, which will be largely based on my NewOrderTracks reviews blog. It'll be published as part of their "On Track" series.

I could use some very specific facts that elude even my discographic brain.

1. I need to know both the studio and session dates (year+month or month-range) for the following recordings. Try as I might I haven't been able to pin them down.

Video-586 The Christmas Flexi tracks Temptation 98 Brutal Here to Stay Peter Saville Soundtrack Control soundtrack recordings

2. I also want to confirm the session time period for their last 3 albums: a) Get Ready, b) 'Sirens Call and c) Music Complete album sessions. Published details are sketchy.

Thanks Dennis

Dennis Remmer wrote:

2. I also want to confirm the session time period for ... c) Music Complete album sessions. Published details are sketchy.

No idea if this is of any help but I found a Gillian interview with Brooklyn Vegan from September 2015 where she talks about rehearsing for the upcoming BBC session and she says:

We're doing "Restless," "People on the Highline" and "Tutti Fruiti." And also "Singularity" and "Plastic" which are on the album but we were performing on our last tour. Still pretty new though

That reminded me of the live footage we saw of Singularity back in the days when we briefly thought it was called "Drop The Guitar". That footage was from Lollapalooza Brazil as per this this link. The video is now "private" but I remember watching it, and I remember the Tom Rowlands middle eight synthy bit could be heard (though we didn't know it was Rowlands' contribution at the time). So they had clearly already worked with him and put it in the can by March/April 2014.

Which prompted me to check setlist FM for both Singularity and Plastic. Singularity's live debut was shortly before Lollapalooza Brazil, it was apparently at Santiago, Chile on 30th March 2014.

Plastic's live debut was apparently at Aragon ballroom, Chicago on 1st of July 2014. I haven't seen footage of that so I don't how 'complete' it was. But I get the impression they didn't play MC tracks live unless they were fully finished.

As for the end date, I seem to remember Phil tweeting a pic of champagne glasses in front of a mixing desk in 2015 which someone (Andy?) posted here. But Phil subsequently deleted the tweet. There's probably still a reference to that tweet here on the forum from 2015 if you want to search back...

Re: the start date. Not sure. Bernard/Stephen/Gillian had a Mojo front cover/interview for the "February 2012" issue (actually came out on 31st December 2011) which had this PCL covered CD stuck to it. Did they discuss new music at that point? I think I still have the magazine knocking around somewhere. Maybe...

Re: songwriting, we know that Unlearn This Hatred was given to Digitalism around 2007. I don't know when Bernard clawed it back for MC though.

*EDIT*. I found the Mojo magazine. They're asked about new music. On page 86 Stephen suggests no: "They all turn into a big bloody slog...If we did do one it would have to be fantastic...anyway I've got an Other Two record to finish off" (Did he? Or did that become part of MC?). On page 88 as part of the Troxy (2011) gig review, Bernard says :"we have no plans...to make any new music together. One day at a time sweet Jesus. Me and Stuart [Price] are making a record though. A solo record. It's a 20 year project - a concept album, about darts players. Actually it's not, its just taking us bloody ages to do it" Hmmm... Still coming, or nah?

Crikey, can't help you there much, Dennis. Sorry.Only thing i remember is what Debaser says about the Phil tweet with photo of champagne glasses in front of mixing desk, kind of " That's a wrap!" Well he didn't actually say that's a wrap but that was the vibe from the tweet.Pretty sure that tweet was May 2015.

Actually regards Get Ready i do remember an NME news article from i'm fairly sure was October 2000 and which featured Hooky saying they'd started in the studio on the next ( as yet untitled at that time of course) album.I reckon they started Get Ready in September/October 2000. They were still working on it in February 2001 as i remember Bernard for some reason i can't recall was on as a guest on Simon Mayo's show down the phone and he stated the band were working on a new album. I think that was on Radio 1 ( was Simon Mayo still on Radio 1 at that time? I reckon it was Simon Mayo's last ever show on Radio 1 in February 2001 and various famous musicians etc had recorded short best wishes messages which Mayo played and during Bernard's he said the bit about the band working at Real World. In fact im also sure i saw an NME news article in May 2001 saying the band had finished the album. So i think i could say with a fair bit of confidence the recording of Get Ready was September/ October 2000 to May 2001.

I reckon Waiting For The Sirens' Call was recorded July 2004 to November 2004. Sure i saw mentioned in NME or something in July 2004 that the band had started recording. I'd take a confident guess they finished it in November 2004 as the March 2005 release date was announced in December 2004.

I guess you already knew that Temptation '98 was done for the Commonwealth Games handover ceremony on 21/09/98? It seems likely, therefore, that they only recorded that version a month or two before airing it at that gig.

The Haç flexi tracks were probably Nov-Dec '82, but I think we could all guess at that.

As for the others, have you tried tweeting Steve? He does sometimes answer and he's bound to know some of them, even if it's something as generic as 'June 1982' etc.

Looking forward to your book, Dennis!

perspexorange wrote: I guess you already knew that Temptation '98 was done for the Commonwealth Games handover ceremony on 21/09/98? It seems likely, therefore, that they only recorded that version a month or two before airing it at that gig.

The Haç flexi tracks were probably Nov-Dec '82, but I think we could all guess at that.

As for the others, have you tried tweeting Steve? He does sometimes answer and he's bound to know some of them, even if it's something as generic as 'June 1982' etc.

Looking forward to your book, Dennis!

My understanding is that the Flexi tracks were recorded the previous year.

Ah, i found a scan on the interwebs of the May 2001 NME edition with news article about Get Ready. It's not quite as i remembered. It states a release date for Get Ready but doesn't actually say when they'd finished the album.So i'd not entirely remembered it correctly.Bugger, that may mean i've misrembered all those other dates wrongly too 😕

I do remember the pic in the article though.Looks like at the mixing desk during work on Get Ready. The edition of NME was 26th May 2001

link to Tumblr scan of article

Ah that link above didn't work and edit a says spam. Try this link instead

New Order 'Get Ready' NME news article May 2001

Fotz wrote: Ah that link above didn't work and edit a says spam. Try this link instead

New Order 'Get Ready' NME news article May 2001

Oh that article mentions Here To Stay which may help to narrow down when it was recorded (with the rest of Get Ready). Though I wonder when the Chems got involved. During the Get Ready sessions or later on after it got held back?

Just a follow up, I've narrowed down with some facts from the inner circle, but your input will greatly help with educated guesses otherwise

Just on the Flexi. What I understand is that the 2 tunes were commissioned by Tony for use on a Granada Reports Xmas show transmitted - I believe - 23 December 1982. But it could also be 1981. Can anyone remember

And I can only assume that they were recorded at their rehearsal studios in Cheetham Hill since BM was first written there as well and all the early electronic gear would have been set up.

D