Ceremony to Superheated - revisiting and reviewing every core song

No doubt Spooky is a good track, but I have one problem with it - I hate the name - seems so childish and irrelevant to the song, especially with the vocoded voice at the beginning. Hooky's bass may only be on the track for a short time, but it's very effective leading up into the chorus. The remix they released as a single sounds good and with a bit more bass going on - it's a different experience to the album version, like all good remixes.

Everyone Everywhere is one of my favourite New Order songs. It's the band at their melancholic best. Actually, this song could easily have fitted on Technique, except for I can't help thinking Bernard's brilliant lyrics are a sad tribute to the disbanding band - which makes it very Republic...

Deceiver wrote: No doubt Spooky is a good track, but I have one problem with it - I hate the name - seems so childish and irrelevant

I think the title is playful. The only problem I have with Spooky is that's it's not a very good tune. Much more important to me.

Deceiver wrote: especially with the vocoded voice at the beginning.

Taken from this (0.19)

I thought Mr Remmer might give it a mention. I suppose he still could if he wanted....

Listening to the first few seconds (0.07) of Bass Mechanic now has me thinking of... BM '88. A non-regular forumite came here around April/May last year asking what the (sped up sounding) female voice was on BM '88. He thought it might have been from an old 1950's TV show. I can't find the thread now. I wonder if the thread-starter subsequently deleted it? At the time I suggested it was either French, "on y va" (which got poo poo'd by a French forumite) or "Oliver, Oliver...".

Now listen again to the first few seconds of the above track. Is this the source of that BM '88 voice? Bass Mechanic came out in '86.

(If it is, that still leaves the bit that sounds like "get down ...and get down" as a mystery, I think)

Debaser wrote:

I thought Mr Remmer might give it a mention. I suppose he still could if he wanted....

Having others fill info-gaps in my reviews actually gives me warm fuzzies.

Thanks for this one...

Maybe it used to be called Techno 2...? https://www.mdmarchive.co.uk/artefact/16272/NEW\_ORDER\_PRESS\_ARTICLE\_1993 Mind you, a shit song's a shit song. Who cares about the name? Stephen Moggies once said Regret, Special and Everyone Everywhere werethe first they worked on - also the only ones played live apart from the singles. Maybe Republic started as a decent NO LP but degenerated as they didn't get on and poptastic Hague and Barney took over. Who knows? Who cares? It's shit.

Deceiver wrote:

Everyone Everywhere could easily have fitted on Technique.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. No. No.

Michael Monkhouse wrote: Maybe it used to be called Techno 2...? https://www.mdmarchive.co.uk/artefact/16272/NEW\_ORDER\_PRESS\_ARTICLE\_1993

Interesting clipping.

"Own 'Manchester' label" ???

"Mixed Regrets" ???

Yeah! It's a nostalgia thing cos I used to collect things like a little twot. Now I'm Big Twot. I had a theory Techno 2 was actually Spooky. That's how much fun I was having back then. There was a little talk about the label at http://forums.neworderonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=2666#post16444.

its working title was 'Spooky One'.

Hours of fun. http://www.new-order.net/no/facs/workingtitles.html http://imgur.com/zWAQY0J I'm convinced chatting about New Order is more interesting than listening to them.

Michael Monkhouse wrote: Maybe it used to be called Techno 2...? https://www.mdmarchive.co.uk/artefact/16272/NEW\_ORDER\_PRESS\_ARTICLE\_1993 Mind you, a shit song's a shit song. Who cares about the name? Stephen Moggies once said Regret, Special and Everyone Everywhere werethe first they worked on - also the only ones played live apart from the singles. Maybe Republic started as a decent NO LP but degenerated as they didn't get on and poptastic Hague and Barney took over. Who knows? Who cares? It's shit.

It was always my understanding that Regret and Young Offender were the first tracks as Pascal Gabriel is credited with the "pre-production" before they brought Hague in.

I think Young Offender is one of the better tracks and thought it was being considered for single release as there was a Young Offender t-shirt sold at US shows.

In mid-92 the Hookster said the new album, which was proving 'difficunt', would show a much harder side to the band, and he namechecked Ev Ev. This, plus what I wrote above re Steve and the gigs, gave me the impression Republic started as a classic NO LP but turned into pube-in-the-sink as (a) they weren't up for it and (b) Hague and Bernard took over. I can't offer any insights - just a theory I had. Liar is well fuckin' hard, innit?Sounds like Slipknot to me. I can't believe how many times I've talked about Republic when I don't even like it. I guess a guy needs a hobby.

Andy wrote:

I think Young Offender is one of the better tracks and thought it was being considered for single release as there was a Young Offender t-shirt sold at US shows.

There's something painfully lacking in Young Offender and like the G-spot, I just can't put my finger on it. It SHOULD be up there with Round and Round - synth stabs, emotive lyrics, crisp beats, even a lot of Hooky by Hague's standards - but it just, I dunno, isn't. It never really takes off the way it should do, and this time I can't blame Hague. Sum of the parts and all that.

Michael Monkhouse wrote:

I can't believe how many times I've talked about Republic when I don't even like it. I guess a guy needs a hobby.

I was thinking Republic is really hated by fans on this forum - and then I realised it was just you saying its shit over and over again! I thought Mel C was your, er... hobby...

And they say the Germans have no sense of humour. https://boldomatic.com/view/post/l72Dew

Dug out one of the Spooky CDs i have.It has "Z New Order Release" on the front and indeed when you open up the case it opens out in a Z shape.Is that the idea/joke? Or the Z was noting the fact it was the last release of the Republic era, the last letter.Whatevs.

Hours of fun. Today is 17 - 8 - 17. If you take those elements and read them backwards, it still says 17 - 8 - 17. So why do it?

Fotzepolitic wrote: Dug out one of the Spooky CDs i have.It has "Z New Order Release" on the front and indeed when you open up the case it opens out in a Z shape.Is that the idea/joke? Or the Z was noting the fact it was the last release of the Republic era, the last letter.Whatevs.

I thought it might have simply been a typo that slipped through the net. Z being just below A on a QWERTY keyboard. Perhaps one of our super-knowledgable fellow forumites knows the truth (Mr James for instance)?

Michael Monkhouse wrote: Hours of fun. Today is 17 - 8 - 17. If you take those elements and read them backwards, it still says 17 - 8 17. So why do it?

When I read it backwards I get 71 - 8 - 71. Just sayin...

The Shadow wrote:

Rorschach wrote: Getting a bit ahead here but on a Republic theme...

If only Times Change had always been a stonking instrumental.

That's what I thought when I heard the nstrumental on Saturday

Wait, what? Where do I hear this?

Dennis Remmer wrote: We went off-piste a bit there didn't we...

Regret & World reviews now up...

Did anyone miss the Blade Runner v New Order thread on the French forum? I guess this could almost be in New Order spotting, except it's kinda the wrong way round...

blade runner off world

Debaser wrote:

I think the title is playful.

Hours more fun. These Mancs always crack me up. 0.27 - 0.30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVxsH8woZSQ

Debaser wrote: [

When I read it backwards I get 71 - 8 - 71. Just sayin...

Did you know that if you look at a black and white photo of Ian Curtis for 35 minutes and then turn ypur gaze directly to a blank surface opposite - you need a hobby. I always thought the Z was just an alternative to the usual A. I wouldn't read too much into it, but that's what New Order fans seem to like doing... It can't be a typo cos it was on a press ad as 'Limited Edition (I think) Z CD part 2'. The band had bugger all to do with it anyway - it was just London squeezing maximum return from their dodgy investment.

Late follow-up but I also had a RIAD 'Phased and Dazed' mix on https://www.discogs.com/it/New-Order-The-Remix/release/7706942 - boy, did it suck! At least the Bogle mixes added something new - this just whoosed the original in and out. To add incest to injury, this was pre Bubetube so I'd shelled out for the full length CD just for four trax: this piece of poo - an acceptable but innessential 'Paradise' mix - a 'Sister Ray' Oz's Live 'n' Dangerous (actually live so worthwhile though I don't know from which gig) - and a BM Disco Only Club Mix (sounded like Beach Buggy on speed). No wonder I gave up being a collector.

Debaser wrote:

The Shadow wrote:

Rorschach wrote: Getting a bit ahead here but on a Republic theme...

If only Times Change had always been a stonking instrumental.

That's what I thought when I heard the nstrumental on Saturday

Wait, what? Where do I hear this?

Snippet only here:

MIF17

Would pay realcashmoney for the full rendition!

Michael Monkhouse wrote: Late follow-up but I also had a RIAD 'Phased and Dazed' mix on https://www.discogs.com/it/New-Order-The-Remix/release/7706942 - boy, did it suck! At least the Bogle mixes added something new - this just whoosed the original in and out. To add incest to injury, this was pre Bubetube so I'd shelled out for the full length CD just for four trax: this piece of poo - an acceptable but innessential 'Paradise' mix - a 'Sister Ray' Oz's Live 'n' Dangerous (actually live so worthwhile though I don't know from which gig) - and a BM Disco Only Club Mix (sounded like Beach Buggy on speed). No wonder I gave up being a collector.

I bought this bootleg too.

The only thing really good about it was, in my opinion, the inclusion of the soundtrack versions of True Faith, Temptation and BLT, which were difficult to get at the time. All three are pretty good and the Hague version of BLT, included on the Married To The Mob soundtrack, is probably my favourite version of the song.

Hague's BLT (OST and pretty much '94) would be my favourite take but he stoopidly loses part of the second instrumental break. In the words of Annie Lennox, WWWWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY? So I gotta stick with the Brotherhood version. Shit Poooperboned fucked it up too, especially on the Hookless poptastic 12". His TF take is also sadly dated. In the 80s he was a bit of a prostitute (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shep\_Pettibone#Selected\_remixing\_credits) - in fact, the opposite of a prostitute: he'd do anything EXCEPT sex. There was rumoured to be a Pet Shop Boys TF remix but links tended to go straight to Old Shep's. The confusion probably arose cos of Shep's Pets link or cos the Pets sometimes DJed and were / are big NO fans. Given the high profile of both acts, I'm sure if such a track did exist it'd be all over the Net by now.

I still really like Shep's New Order mixes. I find it really difficult to criticise any of the NO mixes from the 80s, due to some of the terrible remixes we've had since that decade (RIAD CD2, I'm looking at you). The 80s, for me, was the golden age of remixing. New Order, PSBs, DM all had some great mixes.

I used to be a big fan of ConOmFusArsIOn but paradoxically it's dated worse than the original. With Factory the mixes usually had a lot in common with the original and even if they didn't, the band might launch into them live (I'm thinking Feel Every Beat or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0V0f7rdHHI), implying they were at least part of them. The endless rehashes really started with TF 94 (or even Spooky), just cos London were desperate to recoup their investment. I was a superfan in the mid-90s but even I found it hard to get excited about stuff that was (a) so obviously about money first and quality second, and (b) so totally lacking in the original sound. I think it was Lionrock's three Nearly-totally-and-utterly-unlike 1963 mixes that finally convinced me to stop bothering... http://forums.neworderonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=20275. It's strange... MC is my favourite album from this camp since Electronic but I couldn't be arsed with tracking down all the remixes this time around. It's a combination of money, lack of interest / storage space, the digital free-for-all and also - I'm nearly 45. I'm far too old to get a boner every time a rarity hits the stores. It would be disrespectful to Melanie C. PS Cerys Smith is a wanker.

Young Offender + Liar reviews now posted.

I went through YO before. In 1993 the O-Zone said NO had brought credibility to the footie record (a lot of competetion there) so would they ever consider doing a song for Eurovision? Bernard said No - but they did and it's Liar. Boy, it sucks like a toothless whore. There was a negative review of Rep in Select and it criticised 'the cloying POLITENESS of it all - Hague gives a little bit of room for the bass parts and then Bernard can sing etc.' Actually, reviews were quite positive, probably cos they were coming from an overall pop perspective rather than a we-want-Technique-2-with-Hooky fan perspective. Even Select said, 'It isn't a bad album, just an inert one.' In fact, the build-up was super-positive - Radio 1 saying 'Technique was good but that was for the 80s: this is the same for the 90s,' a 2-part NME article ('Republic is great') and - after release - that Paul Lester NME shite: 'Republic shows they are currently making the finest music of their lives.' Bollocks cos it wasn't current either. After Dennis' Avalanche piece, I will banish Republic from my life forever. I've spent far too much time on a bland, mediocre puddle of pooh that makes One Direction sound like the Sex Pistols.

Random Question: Is there any way for the reader to minimize the banner accross the top of the blog screen? *EDIT* Also did the blog change at some point from every *key* NO track to just every track?

Young Offender adopts not just the pianos but other electronic sounds of early 90's house/dance. But by '93 it sounded like NO were playing catch-up with this stuff rather than setting the template. Also, instead of capturing the excitement of house/rave at the time, YO manages to bland things out - so you get a commercial pop-house thing that East 17 would have been proud of instead of a bangin tune. Same could be said for Spooky - it goes for a BIG start with the drums and the "Bass Mechanic" blast and then melts into an almost ambient tune. Zzz.

As for Liar, yes even blander. In fact both of these tunes sound a bit too "Electronic" for my tastes. I always end up yawning when I listen to Electronic. I think Bernard needs some feistiness, stimulation or conflct to stop him slipping into 'easy' mode (see Bad Loo). Perhaps these tracks were so 'Bernard' that the absent other members of NO weren't keeping him on his toes.

Michael Monkhouse wrote: bland, mediocre puddle of pooh that makes One Direction sound like the Sex Pistols.

I don't always agree with your NO "scathe" MM, but...yes.

Yep, pretty much what Dennis said.Young Offender has all the great production tricks and some flashy keyboards and synths and beats and Liar has some club friendly sounds but they, much like a lot of Republic, fall short and don't astonish or leave you speechless like earlier NO stuff on P,C& L or Low Life.The Pet Shep Boys' Young Offender is the best song with that song title.What else can i say about Liar.... um..... i first heard it on Jakki Brambles Radio 1 show on that station's New Order day in April 93.Erm, or maybe it was on frickin Steve Wright's show.Whatever.

Dee Lewis is the backing singer on Liar? Hang on, didn't she do backing vocs for Style Council ? If not who am i getting mixed up with?