Ceremony to Superheated - revisiting and reviewing every core song

60 mph is my least favourite on the first half of GR - really MOR and more Wings than Beatles. The remix is pointless filler à la London too.

Behind Closed Doors is an odd one. An unusual vocal style from Bernard and it doesn’t sound anything like the stuff in Get Ready. Quite like it in places but not something I listen to often.

Always found Bernard’s vocal for 60MPH one of the most energetic and enthusiastic ones he’s ever done and I like the lyrics especially the bit about inviting the devil round for tea. Great Hooky bass and instrumental break is superb.It was the first track title i learnt of in the months up to the release of Get Ready. I like the video, goofy and fun.

In fact that remix sounded like Rupert's Frog Chorus. The SLU take was decent but as always, mixes without the vocal were more DJ self-indulgence than NO. PS Ever wondered what Stephen Morris was doing in that long break? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_1mQ\_B3Q65c

Behind Closed Doors is definitely one of my favourite songs of the Get Ready sessions (except the "listen to the Corrs" bit), and a great B-side to a fabulous single.

60mph on the contrary is one of the Get Ready songs I like the least, although it’s not as bad as Slow Jam or Rock the Shack or Player in the League. The music may be good, but the to my ears cheesy lyrics always prevented me from paying much attention to it. Seriously, “we’re driving 60mph!”, sung by Barney as if it were some kind of performance… It’s just a very average speed, isn’t it?

Revisiting Let's Go, I was intrigued how it was included on the US Best Of, like Hellbent on Scrotal. I'd guess that in both cases the song was used not because it was indeed worthy, but simply cos it was the closest London could get to a newbie at the time. It's similar to Greatest Hits packages containing an unreleased track which by definition can't be a hit (at least not yet). Let's Go (Waiting For So Long) is a gem. 'Republic has great lyrics, shit music; Get Ready, the opposite.' Disgust.

Michael Monkhouse wrote: There was that Dalek shenanigans and the 'Crystal' line in the Electronic B-side 'Radiation'. What a hotbed of ideas they are... How LEGIT is this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/ELECTRONIC-The-12-inch-B-Sides-Collection-2-cd-29-Tracks-New-Order-Smiths-/253210667585 ? Slightly off-topic but the Lec's 'Second to None' and 'All that I Need' are better than a lot of LP tracks. No one listens to the Corrs. You just watch them. (People ask why I'm always criticising Trump and jerking off to the Spice Girls. Well I tried it the other way round and it wasn't the same... DISGUSTING! A grown man criticising the Spice Girls). There was a good premix of Someone Like You too https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5so\_8xLDkQY And Close Range https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rtreehmbi2U I never liked Close Range cos of the namby pamby lyrics but the DVD live version is better - backing vocals and a longer introduction.

I think Close Range is probably one of their best songs. All the versions are good (Dream On/ Live/ In Session), but the Get Ready one is actually my favorite.

The Hooky bass outro is pure class.

The real surprise for me listening to GR recently was Turn My Way. I don't like anything about it, from the Billy Corgan collaboration to the watery nu-metal guitar production. And the lyrics. Jesus :-) I used to skip it every time back in the day.

But reading all the blog entries from Dennis (thanks Dennis) made me have another listen and I found the non-Corgan demo online, inexplicably called Shipwreck of a Broken Man (more like a traditional New Order nothing to do with the song title and all the better for it).

I think it is brilliant. Stripped back to the bare Joy Division essentials and one of Barney's better vocals. I feel cheated not having tried this version before and missing out on this for the last 16 years! It's like finding a brand new track to me.

Why they felt the need to include Billy Corgan I don't know other than for commercial reasons. Which is not something I would never have accused New Order of previously.

After this success, I repeated the exercise by finding the non-Ana Matronic Jetstream. Unfortunately, that is still literally a plane crash :-)

Blue 5 wrote: Jetstream. Unfortunately, that is still literally a plane crash :-)

Literally? Close Range is like my dick during Spice Girls videos. It grows on me. My dad has a penis growing out of his head, but he keeps it under his hat. Get Ready is sooooo hit and miss... But has enough HITS to earn relistens, unlike Repubelick. Crystral, PN, TMW...

I’ve always wondered if the Corgan collaboration came about when the band realised that Gillian would be unlikely to go on tour (presumably during the recording of the LP; apparently she was absent during much of the recording sessions).

When they approached him to cover for Gillian for a few gigs, maybe a collaboration was discussed. This might explain why there is a fairly complete version without Corgan present (Shipwreck Of A Broken Man); his contribution was, presumably, added very late on.

As to why they used Corgan - they probably selected him due to them knowing him well from the early days (he was a big NO fan before he started the Smashing Pumpkins and used to follow them around on tour). The fact that the Pumpkins has split up at the time, that he was a friend and, lastly, that he was a fan and probably knew how to play most songs, meant he was a natural choice to gig with the band. I think that was probably the impetus for touring with him, rather than specifically commercial reasons. I guess a collaboration seemed reasonable, considering they were spending time with him and would also have given him a little more to do on stage.

It’s funny, I saw him perform with the band at the Olympia in 2001. I remember him singing Turn My Way and playing guitar, but I have no recollection as to whether he sang backing vocals for any other tracks. I also can’t recall who played keyboards at the gig. I’m guessing Phil, but I have no memory of it. Too many pre-gig beers, I guess.

I hardly know Sabotage - it ain't on the LP or my 60 mph CD single. Better than the average B-side, not as good as the average LP track, but average. Boy, did Bernard have some shite lyrics in this period - Crock the shit, Pisser in the League, even Primitive Notion which is one of the time's strongest songs musically.

Michael Monkhouse wrote: I hardly know Sabotage - it ain't on the LP or my 60 mph CD single. Better than the average B-side, not as good as the average LP track, but average. Boy, did Bernard have some shite lyrics in this period - Crock the shit, Pisser in the League, even Primitive Notion which is one of the time's strongest songs musically.

Which 60MPH single have you got then? It’s on the UK CD1 . UK CD2 doesn’t have it though so maybe that’s what you’ve got. It’s also on the 60MPH DVD single . They released a few DVD singles around the time of Get Ready. Sabotage is alright , a decent b side. I rate it above Behind Closed Doors .

It's got 60 Miles An Hour (Radio Edit), 60 Miles An Hour (Supermen Lovers Remix), Someone Like You (Fuck De Void). Can't find it on line - maybe a Euro-only version...? ActuallY: https://www.discogs.com/New-Order-60-Miles-An-Hour/release/99615

Michael Monkhouse wrote: Can't find it on line - maybe a Euro-only version...?

Just found myself looking through the Discogs release page for 60MPH. Stumbled on the Hong Kong (!) release, then a uk promo CDr and then a 2x12" of Someone Like You. I realised I have somehow gone through life without hearing the Gabriel & Dresden mixes of SLY. I guess I've missed out on the Futureshock strip down mix too.

So one of G&D's mixes is on youtube (below), but the "Gabriel + Dresden Voco-tech Dub" is nowhere to be found. Is this the mix that would have changed my life?

Ah, heres the Futureshock strip down mix.

Debaser wrote: Is this the mix that would have changed my life?

It's more fun tracking down mixes than listening to them. Anyone remember the Advent's EGG? Fairly awesome.

Yeah i recall getting my hands on the CD of those Advent mixes of EGG took forever.Sent off for the CD somewhere and waited ages for it to drop through the letterbox.Lived at my mum's at the time and got home from work one day and a courier card was on the doormat saying they had tried to deliver something.I thought it had to be the Advent CD and drove 12 miles to the depot to pick it up only to find it was a parcel for my mum.

Managed to grab the 2 x 12" (or 3 x 12" really as the release with the red cover has 2 x 12" )Someone Like You mixes in late 2001 when they were released.Have all but 2 of the (6) mixes digitally also.I don't appear to have the Gabriel & Dresden Voco-Tech Dub and the Futureshock Strip Down mix on anything other than the 12" .Can do a vinyl rip and Mediafire share of the G&B Voco-Tech Dub if yer interested, send PM.The Voco-Tech Dub is kind of slower than their 911 Vocal Mix.It's pretty good, won't change yer life but worth a listen.Nice chunky beat and a vocodered voice repeating "Someone-one-one-one-one..." etc over and over.

Sabotage + Turn My Way reviews posted.

Yes DR you’re right about GR polarising opinion I love turn my way! One of my favourites on GR. Billy Corgan is not required on the record though and would be even better with a Zbernatd only vocal. 4 stars for me.

GR is an album you love or hate. I like it. Turd my Way is a great song if you are an undergraduate virgin whose sole company is 317 Pernods, a second-hand Razzle Readers' Wives and an Australia-sized crush on a fellow '''''student''''' who wouldn't be seen comatose in the same hemisphere as you if her parents' lives were at stake, I mean HELLO? How the fuck could you ever even in your wildest dreams have imagined the tiniest, vaguest, minimalest possible blip of a chance woman like her would even consider thinking about ruminating over wasting a billisecond of her valuable time with a guy like you, you sad lonely ugly useless alcoholic unpopular fashion-unconscious penniless humourless friendless griping whining whingeing mess? The rest of the time it's pretty cringeworthy and more Phil Collins than Sid Vicious. Were the Pumpkins so influenced by New Order? I never really 'got' the idea of NO as this massively influential band everyone wanted to sound like (U2 being a perfect example). Some time ago there was a thread where Robert Smith said New Order owed The Cure more than the other way round and forum users were jolly upset. That one always creases me up. What do you expect Bobbie to say? 'Boy, do we SUCK! We really are total and utter fucking shit, not like New Order, who are just like totally awesome dude. My band is a puddle of pooh and piss and pus so do yourselves a favour and listen to New Order instead. We are shite!'

Michael Monkhouse wrote: Were the Pumpkins so influenced by New Order? I never really 'got' the idea of NO as this massively influential band everyone wanted to sound like (U2 being a perfect example).

I think JD rather than NO. I recall an interview where Corgan said one of the first bands he was in was basically a JD cover band. It was how he learned to to be in a band. When Corgan toured with NO in 2001 he talked about feeling the old JD energy from the three remaining members when they played a couple of JD songs on that tour.

Speaking of U2... and JD. That bit in Bad where Bono sings "Isolation" may have been inspired by...y'know. But perhaps I'm not saying anything new here.

It's always escaped me. Still... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew4wrtl01PA

Yeah the old "New Order so influential" thing..... hard now to pinpoint exactly when all that started.Probably started around the late 90s and gathered steam when the likes of NME and Q started giving them lifetime achievement acknowledgement awards .Certainly back in the 80s they would receive a negative and even mocking review as often as a positive one and were a long way off being revered and respected as they are now.

I never fully signed up for the opinion of "Joy Division would have been massive if Curtis hadn't topped himself" The music is great but it's too brutal for the masses.The masses don't buy brutal music.You could say U2 took the opportunity and took the idea of Joy Division and created a softer, more palatable version that they knew the masses would lap up.

Joy Division are regarded now as influential but that didn't gather pace until the late 90s/early 2000s onwards.People forget that by 1984 the only people that still gave a fuck about Joy Division were the long green raincoat brigade.

Fotzepolitic wrote: Yeah the old "New Order so influential" thing..... hard now to pinpoint exactly when all that started.

There's an unwritten rule that the further New Order get from their like, totally, y'know rad attitude and shit, the more they're praised for it. In 1993 they were being hailed as 'the most important band since the Beatles or the Stones' (remember this was before Spice) and NME was weak at the knees over the fact they were 'the only band who still acts with any idiosyncrasy - like when they played Shellshock they did the dub and people in the audience were laughing.' Strange cos in 1993 they were acting just like any other band - countless interviews for every major publication, three docs, slick TOTP appearances... I almost laughed when Radio Times commented on the O-Zone RIAD interview: 'Cult band New Order emerge from obscurity and give a rare interview.'
I think their influence was more a matter of stance: telling interviewers to fuck off, playing live, the JD / Factory / Hassie cult, Wilson's charisma, Dry Bar, the one-off collaborations with new bands, even the enigmatic artwork and song titles... Most of which they haven't actually exhibited since 87ish. Musically I've bever been convinced. Think how many 60s bands imitated the Beatles or how many punk outfits the Pistols kickstarted almost overnight. Did every 80s band really want to sound like New Order?

Michael Monkhouse wrote: an Australia-sized crush

So that's a thing?

Anyway normal service has been resumed. Been on an Australia-sized holiday.

Technical term. Vicious Streak and Primitive Notion are real highlights of the album and in fact the period. They show what a strong, tight unit the band can be when they can be arsed, instead of dicking about collecting royalties checks or extending one idea over 56787898546 hours. The other day I was playing GR and my girlfriend said Crock of Shack was a great track: 'good to hear them rocking out instead of the usual half-interested stuff.' She is still my girlfriend. To be fair, her English isn't fluent so she was just going on the sound. Maybe with a stronger lyric...

NO have two great songs about dwellings- RTS and Dracula's Castle - drac and shack. I would be proud to have both played at my funeral. Here is a well planned 2 1/2 - 3 hour funeral service Wagner Rheingold Atmosphere Vicious streak Guilt is a ... The Lord's Prayer Transmission California Grass Hellbent 6 from technique 12 more sirens Lord's Prayer repeat , 6 from republic, All day long True Faith 8 from get ready, silent night.

Other than that

What if Gillian was a spice girl, and what would her name be ? Also, what if New Order gets some mellotrons and practice vocal harmonies and write some cool moody blues type songs ?

And lastly , will the next 3 albums have 9,10, or 11 songs each , and will the lost republics ever be found? Can 6 Ken dolls ( ian , hooky, bernard ,steven phil and tom) and a Barbie doll as gilliian successfully recreate wonderfully various episodes of joy division / new order / new new order life? ? Yes, yes, and yes. They have an aspect of looking clever, a bit bored, but creative, too.And laughing in the face of fear or destiny. And being nice to action figures of bands like motorhead or ac/dc or soft cell, but inside wondering whether they , at 14", , should kick the little 6" punks off the shelf. And there are thousands of wigs and clothing ensembles so as to make them extra cool. All is well with New Order, assuming they release on CD all songs played live the last few years, the live Manchester festival from July stuff, and then maybe they should start preparing for the next albums ,and remember to write 7 extra and great songs (like lost sirens) and remember to play about 40-50 more old songs live and record them

Old Spice. Someone is gonna take you up on this one day.

Vicious Streak + Primitive Notion reviews posted.

Stats for 2017 = 60,000 views of the blog. 2016 = 40,000. You're all welcome for beers, 7pm sharp.

Congrats, Dennis. That's some serious stats there.

It's heartening to see that the band are still rightfully popular.

Mel C's FB page has 12654 'likes'. That's more than mine. I know I've said this before, but PN would be up there with 24 Hours and Sunrise if the lyrics weren't so poor.

Yep, like many others have said , Primitive Notion just fails to achieve greatness because of a few dodgy lyrics in the verses which was disappointing as Barney's lyrics for the chorus are great.Can't fault the music.

Vicious Streak has some truly lovely moments, one of the strongest songs on an album that, bar a few good songs, after i first listened to left me thinking meh, what's for tea?

Who hasn't taken their significant other , after a bit of debauchery, embarrassment ,and shame, to the local zoo and had that forlorn look of despair when the zoo staff says 'no way jose'. ?Bernard is always brilliant , as are they all. Get Ready 2 will blow our minds Get Ready ,Again Is already off the charts , and then The Final Sirens goes pentagalactic