Retro - what a disappointment !

When i heard about this long-awaited N.O box i thought we would get some old demos, out-takes and rarities. However all it seems to be is yet another "best of..."! The same old tracks, remixes and a load of uninspired live stuff. What a rip-off!!

You think they could have at least reissued old 12' mixes not available on CD and release all their Peel Sessions in this set. But no, we get crap.

Eric

...again and again...

What were you expecting - it IS a retrospective that brings together the vast majority of the bands output - Bernard simply will NOT have any demos on the album - As demos they do NOT represent the bands music to anyone other than a producer or management. Demos are never recorded with a view to release and as Bernard is a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to production those demos will stay firmly unreleased...On the subject of out-takes; there are NONE. Everything has seen the light of day as b-sides/extra tracks over the years. The "Peel Sessions" are BBC copyright recordings and as such would require extra clearances and indeed have all but been previously released by the BEEB anyway. I was asked if there was anything that I knew of that wasn't on there that SHOULD be and save from a couple of original versions, there is little or nothing I can come up with.

I just wish Slow Jam wasn't on there. It means i have to do some more precision scratching of the CD to make sure i never accidentally play it.

Originally posted by Major Tarantino I just wish Slow Jam wasn't on there. It means i have to do some more precision scratching of the CD to make sure i never accidentally play it.

Why not just burn a cdr of it with Slow Jam replaced by...er...We All Stand?

Originally posted by pete poorten > Originally posted by Major Tarantino I just wish Slow Jam wasn't on there. It means i have to do some more precision scratching of the CD to make sure i never accidentally play it.

Why not just burn a cdr of it with Slow Jam replaced by...er...We All Stand?

I know how you feel about it all. This was London Record's biggest mistake. If they took off "SLow Jam" and replaced it with "Liar", this box set woudl sell millions. Not to mention please every fan, as everyone here's biggest wish is a digitally remastered version of it.

i understand your sarcasm, but why the hell fill up remastered space with a song that is probably below average, very easy to find on CD and does not need remastered. if you were asked to pick a track list, would you round it out with personal choices, that do not benefit from remastering nor are rare in the slightest, to take the place and push out harder to find or unavailable on CD tracks.

and may i ask, was the Lee Combs remix of Crystal appreciated by many? or at least a few? cause it never really stuck me as exceptional.

Originally posted by pumped full of drugs i understand your sarcasm, but why the hell fill up remastered space with a song that is probably below average, very easy to find on CD and does not need remastered. if you were asked to pick a track list, would you round it out with personal choices, that do not benefit from remastering nor are rare in the slightest, to take the place and push out harder to find or unavailable on CD tracks. and may i ask, was the Lee Combs remix of Crystal appreciated by many? or at least a few? cause it never really stuck me as exceptional.

Yeah, I was making a joke. I actually came up with a pretty good track listing wish list back when it was going to be a "singles box set". But then they annouced that four other people other than New Order were producing it, and my hopes went downhill from there. Everyday since has been filled with disappointment, from the name change to "Retro", the more or less "best of" track listing, the horrid cover art, and so forth. I'm at least happy about the live disc. I knew Bobby Gillespie would pull through in the end to please us.

More importantly, and strictly on topic ... why, pray tell, have Nintendo neglected to release series gaming titles against continued bombardment from the Playing Unit and now the Sexual Box?

The main point is that "Retro" is simply little more than another pointless collection. Newbies are gonna be satisfied with the likes of "International", fans are gonna want more rarities and B sides, nobody ends up happy. At least the live disc is a step in the right direction, but wouldn't it have been really nice to have a few JD songs on it too?

Could someone please explain to me what this "Retro" disc is? I am a Newbie. Anyone have a link to it?

Has anyone noticed this

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=920459440

£77 for the exact same tracks as the normal Retro, but on cdr??? Seems nuts to me.

And I still don't understand the naming of those disks, 'the hits' 'early years' ???

But the pics on the above page do give the times for the tracks, can one work out from that which version of temptation/ceremony it is?

Originally posted by pete poorten Has anyone noticed thishttp://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=920459440£77 for the exact same tracks as the normal Retro, but on cdr??? Seems nuts to me.And I still don't understand the naming of those disks, 'the hits' 'early years' ???But the pics on the above page do give the times for the tracks, can one work out from that which version of temptation/ceremony it is?

DAMN! It's the rerecorded version of Ceremony, not the original. On the brighter side of things, that's the original 12" Temptation... but I already have that on CD and I was really hoping for the 7".

Firstly, there is NO SUCH THING as a CDR "acetate" - these are no more than London Record advance promos - I'll have a couple of these within the week and I'll give one away next week here.

The titles are/were working titles that have since been changed.

To anyone who doesn't have Cries and Whispers yet, well, don't get your hopes up. The time listed on those cds say it's 3:25, but the song is actually 3:00... 3:25 is the total time of the track Mesh.

Now, this is funny. On the 1981-1982 EP, they mislabled Cries and Whispers as Mesh, on now they are mislabling Mesh as Cries and Whispers for the box set.

Originally posted by Spotnick > Originally posted by pete poorten> Has anyone noticed this> > http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=920459440> > £77 for the exact same tracks as the normal Retro, but on cdr??? Seems nuts to me.> > And I still don't understand the naming of those disks, 'the hits' 'early years' ???> > But the pics on the above page do give the times for the tracks, can one work out from that which version of temptation/ceremony it is?

It's the titles of each discs... nothing to understand :D

Well yes, I might be missing something here, but I was merely referring to the lack of consistency between the contents and titles of the disks (or did I miss Slow Jam being released as a top 10 single?). As the other guy said though, I guess those were merely working titles.

Well most of you seem to agree with my point but for those who say there arent any "odds and sods" out there what about those early (albeit crap) songs like "Haystack" and "Homage"? There's also the 98 Peel Sessions. There must also be some rare tracks that could be dug up ("Evil Dust" springs to mind). Despite being a huge N.O fan for several years, I will not be forking out for Retro...if they had put something different on there i would have. Oh well i have probably saved myself about 30 notes!! Oh and finally....i rather like Slow Jam!!

Well, after seeing the tracklistings, we've got to concede that Retro was pretty much what we've come to expect.....

.....Short of releasing a complete CD of Cure cover versions that is.

Oh goodie, another thread dedicated to crying about Retro. Why don't you gather all the Retro whiners and start a New Order 12 step group, maybe together you can get through this travesty.

Originally posted by Marco Pleil ...again and again...

i second that. you guys should move on. i was disgusted as much as you guys, BUT MOVE ON!

Originally posted by Spotnick Funny thing is.. Slow Jam has a different time that any version existing.Maybe they are planning to release it as a single for Retro? Probably not, it must be an error...

Fingers crossed that the track listing keeps with the New Order (though sadly I suspect it may have been Factory incompetence) tradition of mislabelling a track on many recordings. Wouldn't it be great if we sat back, expecting to hear Slow Jam next on Retro, only to be surprised by a completely different song ! Maybe even Love Vigilantes ;)

Originally posted by Warm Hands, Cold Heart I can't !!!!Do you realise how many people intend to buy the boxset almost only to get the live disc? That means that these people have HUGE interest in hearing this CD which contains (almost) material never available before anywhere.That means that there are soundboard recordings of concerts made in the U.S. in 1993 and 1989, and others from 1983 and 1985, etc.... AND WE WOULD ALL LOVE TO HEAR FULL CONCERTS FROM THESE PERIODS OF TIME!!!!And I think it is legitimate for all the old and loyal fans to expect the stuff they've been wishing for so long, like:- The full 17 minutes version of Elegia;- The original recording of Let's Go with vocals;- All the B-Sides on CD;- The Salvation tracks on CD (I know it exists, but...);- Theme;- Homage;- The lost & infamous Young Offender remixes that were hidden in the offices of PolyGram Canada back in 1993;- The lost & infamous Vanishing Point single mix & remixes that were supposed to be released in 1989/1990;- The Razormaid remix(es) of Subculture;- Etc.There was so much to be done and there is so little given out. Very disappointing!!!

well, i'm not really sure that all of the live-recordings are from a soundbard. i remember reading an interview with Hooky, where he said, that the early stuff was edited from old tapes. Maybe they will run them through various filters and equalizers, but we shouldn't expect too much in sound quality. The Joy Division-recordings on "Heart & Soul" weren't too good either.

Originally posted by Benny's Cobweb Eyes > Originally posted by Spotnick> Funny thing is.. Slow Jam has a different time that any version existing.> > Maybe they are planning to release it as a single for Retro? > > Probably not, it must be an error...

Fingers crossed that the track listing keeps with the New Order (though sadly I suspect it may have been Factory incompetence) tradition of mislabelling a track on many recordings. Wouldn't it be great if we sat back, expecting to hear Slow Jam next on Retro, only to be surprised by a completely different song ! Maybe even Love Vigilantes ;)

No no no. I'm SURE Love Vigilantes is not part of the boxset. :D

Originally posted by Marco Pleil > Originally posted by Warm Hands, Cold Heart> >

well, i'm not really sure that all of the live-recordings are from a soundbard. i remember reading an interview with Hooky, where he said, that the early stuff was edited from old tapes. Maybe they will run them through various filters and equalizers, but we shouldn't expect too much in sound quality. The Joy Division-recordings on "Heart & Soul" weren't too good either.

Definitely not all soundboard recordings. Most of them come from ATR's bootlegs !