Vote For Your Favourite Tracks

Debaser wrote:

perspexorange wrote: Slicing Up Eyeballs are running one of their votes. They’ve already done bands like Depeche Mode, The Cure and R.E.M. and have now turned their attention to New Order. Get voting: http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2017/11/07/vote-for-your-favorite-new-order-songs/

Interesting looking at the ones they've already done. I can't believe that the REM No.1 was Fall On Me. I mean yeah I know it, but honestly I barely even like it (could it be one of those tunes that everyone voted for but it's no one's favourite?). One of the joint No. 2s: Radio Free Europe is much better IMHO, and always makes me think "they were listening to Joy Division". They're just about to re-release Automatic For the People as a deluxe fancy thing. It must be what, 25 years old now??

I don't listen to the Smiths much these days, mostly because despite what my teenage self might say, Morrissey sounds a bit miserable. But looking through the list I'm reminded of the overall high quality of their stuff.

As for Depeche Mode, I have never described myself as a fan of the band, but looking back, I have owned at least four of their albums at some point in my life (Some Great Reward, Black Celebration, Music For the Masses, Violator) which is almost as many decent albums as NO have made. Looking through their tracks I must admit I'm quite fond of...well, all of the top 5 along with Stripped, Behind The Wheel, Personal Jesus. In fact pretty much all of the top 14. Loved the grainy B&W Anton Corbjin videos for tracks like Never Let Me Down again in 1987, nice moody vibes. The bluesy I Feel You, and Walking in My Shoes are probably the last things by them that I liked which leads me to think that Songs of Faith & Devotion may have been their last good LP. Can any Depeche Mode fans confirm?

As for NO, I kinda went through the albums chronologically, and then the stand-alone singles. I suspect there are a couple on my list that people may baulk at. Incidentally I think splitting Run and Run2 will split the vote on what should be a high ranking track. And it's a bad idea.

Age Of Consent YSF

Love Vig TPK 12" Sub Culture Elegia

BLT All Day Long

Run Vanishing Point Dream Attack All The Way

Regret

Crystal

WFTSC

Singularity Nothing But a Fool Academic

Ceremony EGG Temptation Blue Monday True Faith 1963 TBTHOG

Fall on Me is Johnny Marr's favourite R.E.M. track.

Academic , just take movement ,republic, and lost sirens, and voila 25 songs that make one forget depeches, cures, and rems. Normally ,it began for me with Transmission LWTUA Atmosphere Ceremony

Or begin with

Temptation EGG Procession Cries and Whispers Denial Turn the Heater On Age of Consent Your silent face Blue Monday Perfect Kiss This time of night Way of Life Paradise BLT All Day Long Every Little Counts Lonesome Tonight True Faith 1963 All the Way Run Round and round Love less Vanishing point Dream Attack

But all of Republic ,all of Get Ready ,and all 17 sirens, and all but hatred in mc have the right stuff for a top 25 appearance. But, more important, How could New Order be considered after cure, depeche or rem, or any band , and who could possibly find more than 3 great songs by those 3 bands for a list ? Maybe combined, i guess

I was too mean to the cure, so here are All cats are grey Caterpiller Charlotte Sometimes? I"'ll run away with you Plainsong Pictures of you

And Rem- radio free europe, and songs from the gargoyle first album

Depeche- just can't get enough, but honestly , Je Vais a la Peche , by the flying pops is better.

i dont post on here or visit as much as i have time for, but im defo doing this but i need to re visit some stuff first.

just out of interest, and this may be a hard to take question or thought, but has anyone ever done a Top 10 of their worst tracks?

id be interested to see what others would go for!!

Again id have to revisit stuff..

jc73 wrote: i dont post on here or visit as much as i have time for, but im defo doing this but i need to re visit some stuff first.

just out of interest, and this may be a hard to take question or thought, but has anyone ever done a Top 10 of their worst tracks?

id be interested to see what others would go for!!

Again id have to revisit stuff..

I think this is more difficult and made all the more so due to the occasional 'messing about' tracks (e.g. the Hacienda flexi) that the band did. I think some of these were just experimental and, probably in the case of the Xmas tracks, they're meant to be a bit terrible.

The soundtrack work is also problematic. I mean, who really wants to listen to 'Get Out'? There's nothing wrong with it, per se, but if you were listing tracks by New Order that you'd skip through on a 'complete playlist', this one would probably be on the list. If you include all the soundtrack stuff in your list, you'd get to 10 before you'd get around to including some of the proper songs you disliked.

That being said, I'll give it a go. Here is my list of 'proper' New Order tracks that I think are the worst (in no particular order):

1. Chemical (just plain terrible)
2. Rock The Shack (probably not as hated by me as it is by others, but still fairly awful)
3. Liar (too cheesy)
4. Slow Jam (boring; terrible lyrics - "the sea was very rough; it made me feel sick. But I like that kind of stuff; it beats arithmetic")
5. Superheated (far too nice; sugary-sweet)
6. Run Wild (bleuurrgh! Sappy lyrics "when Jesus comes to take your hand, I won't let go")
7. Vietnam (can we consider this, seeing as if it's a cover?)
8. Krafty (never sure why this was a single; 'Guilt' would've been a far better choice)
9. Working Overtime (...I'm struggling to get to 10 at this point)
10. I Told You So (bit boring, but not terrible)

Just for information, here are the ones I excluded from my listings before I even started to try to pull this together:

1. Ode To Joy
2. Rocking Carol
3. Are you ready, are you ready, are you ready for this?
4. Theme (Hommage à MGM)
5. Get Out
6. Exit
7. Hypnosis
8. Sputnik
9. Skullcrusher
10. Salvation Theme
11. Video 586 (which would never make my list of worst tracks; it's awesome)
12. The Happy One (again, see above; great tune)
13. Peter Saville Soundtrack

There's probably at least 5 or 6 of these that, if included, would supplant some of the tracks in my main list. It just didn't feel right / fair including these 'throwaway' / 'soundtrack' type pieces.

Hmm. You know, if I expanded my top 10 to include a few other tracks (say 5 or so), I'd have probably included Face Up, Every Little Counts and Avalanche.

This would highlight the fact that, in my opinion, New Order struggle to end LPs on a positive note. Movement (Denial), PC&L (Leave Me Alone) and Technique (Dream Attack) would be the only LPs that end on good tunes (i.e. ones that didn't make my 'worst' list).

Col72 wrote: [ I agree......

I don't believe it.

Years ago there was a 'worst song' thread but it seems to have disappeared. My votes: Video 586: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Hurt: Sounds like Simon le Bon strangling a cat. Steve says it was good live cos they'd impro but I still hate it. Liar: Makes Elton John sound like John Lydon. Chemical. No explanation necessary. Player in the League for the lyrics. Face Up. What a mess. Wanking Overtime. Punk AND laid back? Impossible. Cock the Shit: ditto. The FACt it has some Primal Scream is just taking the piss. Sugarcane. Control tracks which I actually like but 2 years and talk of an OST for 2.85 seconds is taking the piss too. Apparently there are full length versions in the vaults but I'm a proof of the pussy person.

I think Chemical, Liar and Rock The Shack would be on most people's 'worst' list.

As regards 'Face Up', I've always thought that it's a bit of a mess. I've grown to accept it over the years but, back in the day, I felt it really let down 'Low Life' and was the only weak track on there (yeah I like Sooner Than You Think which, I know, isn't to everybody's taste).

I was quite surprised when Steve said in a recent interview that he 'thought it was a fantastic, fantastic song'. I think it works better performed live than on the record.

Wow amazed anyone can think face up is a mess, if it is a mess it is a glorious one, made my top 25!

Also love Hurt, understand the Duran Duran comment but still an excellent full of energy track. The light playing it live was wonderful. Never heard new order play it but I have live versions of the track.

4 worst not counting flexi

Working overtime RTS Liar Chemical

Can’t say I hate any others to the extent of the word hate anyway. Not keen on morning night and day, Jetstream, shake it up, sugarcane

perspexorange wrote: Steve said in a recent interview that he 'thought it was a fantastic, fantastic song'.

Probably just stuttering. Sorry to repeat myself but LowLife goes WAY downhill after the midway mark. I seem to remember a RaiseThePressure Marr being asked what his least favourite NO track was and his responding STYT. PS I was right https://imgur.com/TmAiqjz

The Shadow wrote: The light playing it live was wonderful.

Yes but to rework Bob Monkhouse, a Light gig is like sex. Even when it's shit, it's great. As I said in my earlier post, NO have never exactly knocked 'em out like a teen the minute Ma and Pa fuck off. Even in their so-called heyday, they famously considered 2 12"s a decent year's ouput. Strip away the hype, those OTHER BANDS (JD to BL) and the one-offs (Martha Ladly, Sub Sub, Hybrid etc) and there really aren't that many actual tracks to draw on. You'da thunk that 37 years on it'd be child's play to rustle up 25 faves, but I was genuinely strugglin' after my top ten. I know far, far less about The Beatles but I reckon I could pinpoint 25 Beatle classics from 66 to 70 alone. PS After due consideration, I was right again. But I won't go off topic.

The Shadow wrote: Wow amazed anyone can think face up is a mess, if it is a mess it is a glorious one, made my top 25!

Also love Hurt, understand the Duran Duran comment but still an excellent full of energy track. The light playing it live was wonderful. Never heard new order play it but I have live versions of the track.

4 worst not counting flexi

Working overtime RTS Liar Chemical

Can’t say I hate any others to the extent of the word hate anyway. Not keen on morning night and day, Jetstream, shake it up, sugarcane

Yeah - 'hate' is all relative. I don't 'hate' any New Order like I 'hate' say, Simply Red / The Lighthouse Family etc.

I love 'Hurt'. Adore it even. Magnificent, bonkers stuff.

Face Up I find a little bothersome but, again, I think that's relative; the rest of Low Life is wonderful, IMHO, so it kind of sticks out like a sore thumb. Still, it's infinitely better than Chemical.

'Hate' is a strong word and should only be used for child abusers, fascist dictators and Matt Cardle because he has kissed Mel C. LowLife starts out fabulously but the second side is 1 boring - 2 mediocre - 3 about wanking - 4 Face Up. Anal with a gorilla is better than Chemical. But Liar is even worse.

Michael Monkhouse wrote:

Sorry to repeat myself but LowLife goes WAY downhill after the midway mark.

But, but, but... Elegia and Sub-Culture. That bass coming in at 3 minutes 20 seconds in the latter is EASILY one of the greatest bits of music ever consigned to vinyl. FACT!

perspexorange wrote:

EASILY one of the greatest bits of music ever consigned to vinyl

4.20 . 4.23 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_m1CeUHpyX4 Elegia is so boring even that dick who made the Breakfast Club (aka 4 stereotypes constitute The Catcher in The Rye) couldn't include more than one minute of it. Subculture is a grown man talking about wanking. I've been doing that for years.

Michael Monkhouse wrote: Sorry to repeat myself but LowLife goes WAY downhill after the midway mark.

I beg to differ.

Michael Monkhouse wrote: I seem to remember a RaiseThePressure Marr being asked what his least favourite NO track was and his responding STYT. PS I was right https://imgur.com/TmAiqjz

He also says he doesn't particularly like This Charming Man! FFS. Having said that I agree on Sooner Than You Think. My other least fave Low Life track is Sunrise (although the intro is cool) , so that's one from each side.

Michael Monkhouse wrote: LowLife starts out fabulously but the second side is 1 boring - Disagree. It's brooding and beautiful. 2 mediocre - Agree. 3 about wanking - Yes but but that doesn't mean it isn't enjoyable. The music that is. 4 Face Up. - I actually like this. The vocals on the chorus sound out of tune and let it down, and they should have left the vocals off the fade-out, but there's a good song in there.

perspexorange wrote: But, but, but... Elegia and Sub-Culture. That bass coming in at 3 minutes 20 seconds in the latter is EASILY one of the greatest bits of music ever consigned to vinyl. FACT!

Exactly.

Michael Monkhouse wrote:

perspexorange wrote:

EASILY one of the greatest bits of music ever consigned to vinyl

4.20 . 4.23 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_m1CeUHpyX4

"This video contains content from BBC Worldwide, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds." UK that is.

Michael Monkhouse wrote: Elegia is so boring even that dick who made the Breakfast Club... couldn't include more than one minute of it.

Nice try! Directors use music any way they want in a film. Most songs don't get played in full in any film. I remember being thrilled to hear Elegia and TLU in Pretty In Pink as I only expected Shellshock in there. The way Elegia was used to convey tumoil/upset was excellent. Hughes wasn't dismissing NO, he was embracing them.

Michael Monkhouse wrote: Subculture is a grown man talking about wanking. I've been doing that for years.

Referring back to that 'Lec interview, I would suggest that's better than the sacharine lyrics of say, Celine Dion. And regardless of the subject matter it's a great tune.

Also new Order normally end well on their albums

Denial - per Deck,s book from heaven to heaven this should have been a monstrous ending track as per the track played live, it wasn’t, but still ok

Leave me alone - one of the greatest tracks ever by any band. After all the futurism of pc& l they throw this curve ball, a wonderful wonderful track.

Face up - as stated previously I love this track, full of energy

Every second counts - great ending of the album type track.

Dream attack - another one of new orders finest, great ending to a sublime album

Avalanche - decent instrumental and a nice way to end the album

Run wild - one of my favourites on the album, lovely melodica, works well as a last track on this album.

Working overtime - terrible

I told you - how the track should have sounded in the first place

Superheated - another track some fans seem to dislike but I think it’s a lovely slice of pop genius. I know I’ll get some stick for these comments, but the Truth Hurts.

Only one ending track that doesn’t cut it. Only opinions-but.....

LowLife's a strange one for me. It's considered a classic, not only by the fans, but by journos (so it must be true). In those 'Best LPs ever' - if they include NO at all, it's always Technique. And if they include a second NO one, it's always LowLife. But for me, it only boasts 4 awesome tracks (including a PK edit that makes Razormaid sound like Trevor Horny). Give me the joy, experimentation and sense of renewal of PCL any day.

Lowlife is third for me, in terms of ranking NO LPs. But it’s a good third.

I’m always undecided which is number 1 and 2 though; PC&L or Technique.

Technique is probably my favourite, with it also probably being my favourite album by any band. I think it’s quite possibly the ‘perfect’ album. Every track is magnificent, IMHO. However, PC&L is monumental. A milestone in music. A brilliant fusion of guitars and electronics. It’s impact on music is still being felt today.

So, I guess, I’m torn. Heart says Technique. Head says PC&L.

Also, two out of the three greatest album sleeves of all time, in my opinion. Alongside Unknown Pleasures, of course. 😀

Debaser wrote:

I remember being thrilled to hear Elegia and TLU in Pretty In Pink as I only expected Shellshock in there. The way Elegia was used to convey tumoil/upset was excellent. Hughes wasn't dismissing NO, he was embracing them.

It interested me too - no idea why, just a couple of songs. I'm not sure 1986's Hooky would've liked being embraced. Crap film though - makes Roger Hargreaves read like Sylvia Plath (sorry, that was disrespectful to Roger Hargreaves). Turmoil yes - 'do I REALLY wanna bonk him?' Teens have it hard, in both senses. Had a wanking competition. I won hands down.

Went for:

1963 Age of Consent Bizarre Love Triangle Blue Monday Brutal Ceremony Cries and Whispers Crystal Fine Time Hurt In A Lonely Place Leave Me Alone Lonesome Tonight Love Vigilantes Mesh Mr. Disco Plastic Regret Round & Round Run 2 Shellshock Temptation Thieves Like Us Touched By The Hand Of God Vanishing Point World In Motion Your Silent Face

As mentioned elsewhere, I'm sick of True Faith, so no love for it today (I'm still blaming George Michael)

Brutal and no True Faith? 1.36 - 1.43 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG8bb3hsIZQ

perspexorange wrote:

Also, two out of the three greatest album sleeves of all time, in my opinion. Alongside Unknown Pleasures, of course. 😀

Listening to NO without the sleeve / vinyl experience etc, I was quite disappointed. Peter Savile is part of the cult (I've been called that). There was a great review of Mel B's solo '''''LP''''': There are two fabulous things on this album. Sadly, they're both on the cover. (It is a jocular reference to tits, which are popular with many males.) A lot of NO LPs end on a mellow note - Brotherhood, Technique, even One True Cash-in.

Michael Monkhouse wrote: There was a great review of Mel B's solo '''''LP''''': There are two fabulous things on this album. Sadly, they're both on the cover. (It is a jocular reference to tits, which are popular with many males.)

These ones? She had 'em done innit.

Mel Tits

Mel Tits 2

What are you doing to this forum Monkhouse?

I shall not rise to that. It would be disrespectful to the Other Mel. New Order's records are like the Spice Girls'. The covers are so awesome you don't mind if the music's crap.

Oh jesus what a pointless load of bollocks. The worse part of it is that once we've all seen whether number one goes to True Faith or Blue Monday (two songs even the band are so bored of they have to play rearranged versions just to keep themselves from nodding off) is that it'll probably inspire another Greatest Hits album. Probably entitled 'You Voted For It So We Gave It To You Now Give Us The Money Then Fuck Right Off Again'.

Coops wrote: Oh jesus what a pointless load of bollocks.

Well it's just a bit of fun for music fans. Feel free to ignore.

Coops wrote: it'll probably inspire another Greatest Hits album. Probably entitled 'You Voted For It So We Gave It To You Now Give Us The Money Then Fuck Right Off Again'.

So cynical! They won't do that because they're too busy working on deluxe box sets of the Factory albums with lots of pointless booklets and re-created gig flyers which they're gona flog at £60-£80 a pop. Innit!

Voting has closed now, so I guess we see the resuts soon. Unless the No 1 is something unexpected, i think the interesting thing will be to see if there are any surprises in the top 20. I quite liked looking at the other lists, perhaps because I'm more of a casual fan of the others. Being on this forum means we are probably more familiar with NO's stuff than most people.

It appears they list the number of votes for each track, which is good. It means it'll be easy to agrregate the votes for tracks listed as different releases (which I wouldn't have done). In other words, I will be tempted to add up the votes for each of these tracks and treat them as one track:

Blue Monday The Beach Beach buggy bm '88 bm '95

bizarre love triangle bizarre dub triangle

confusion confused beats confused instrumental

sub culture dub vulture

fine time fine line MTO

Perfect Kiss kiss of death perfect pit

run run2

state of the nation shame of the nation

shellshock shellcock

temptation temptation 98

Touched by the hand of god Touched by the hand of dub

true faith true faith 94 true dub

586 video 586 (hmm, this one might be debatable)

world price of dub

Debaser wrote:

Coops wrote: Oh jesus what a pointless load of bollocks.

Well it's just a bit of fun for music fans. Feel free to ignore.

Coops wrote: it'll probably inspire another Greatest Hits album. Probably entitled 'You Voted For It So We Gave It To You Now Give Us The Money Then Fuck Right Off Again'.

So cynical! They won't do that because they're too busy working on deluxe box sets of the Factory albums with lots of pointless booklets and re-created gig flyers which they're gona flog at £60-£80 a pop. Innit!

I really hope so. I’d gladly pay that sort of price range if the product is good. Demos, outtakes, rarities and video material. Especially if the Movement boxset has that Hurrah’s video footage. Who knows - maybe The Beach Club audio exists. We can but dream.

I think I’d split Video 586 and 586. I’ve always considered them separate. Video 586 is the sprawling soundscape that gave rise to 586 and Blue Monday, IMO. MTO I’d separate too.

Good idea listing these though. Kind of hope that, when the vote’s cast, the website do something similar.

Michael Monkhouse wrote: Brutal and no True Faith? 1.36 - 1.43 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG8bb3hsIZQ

I don't think I've listened to Brutal since that boxset came out ooh, a good 14 or 15 years ago, but thankfully it hasn't been murdered by a Capital FM Legend so I was feeling a bit of affection for it.