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We'll call this the 'State Of The Nation Appreciation Society'.
Really, what do so many people find wrong with this song? I think it's brilliant. Alot of people compare it to Bizarre Love Triange (or so I remember in the original 'Retro' forum), but it's a totally different song. You can't compare them. It's like comparing apples to a girl you really want to sleep with. It doesn't work. Let's have some support from NewOrderOnliners! Who's with me? Who will defend this remarkable song with me?
Well as I first heard it on Substance which was the first NO album I bought I did consider it one of my favourite tracks at the time (along with most of the others on the album). Since then it has possibly slipped down my playlist order but I certainly do not detest it and still enjoy listening to it.
it´s a great song for me. very powerful. and i love hooky´s bassline all over the song and barney´s guitar solo at the end.
i´ll give a thumb up to it.
Nothing wrong with it at all. Maybe not one of their best but I can easily name half a dozen songs that are worse.
I like it too. My theory is that fellow NOOL'ers hate it because it reminds them of "Shame of the nation", it's evil twin!
Originally posted by Life's a Bush and then WE die I like it too.My theory is that fellow NOOL'ers hate it because it reminds them of "Shame of the nation", it's evil twin!
I used to hate it live, because it always seemed a wasted seven minutes of a gig to me. When they were only doing 10/11 numbers, getting SOTN (often first) meant that you were going to miss out on a good live track. No objection to it on record, though it would never be in a top 20 of mine.
Yes, finally, someone speaks out.
State of the Nation kicks backside. I love it. I bought it the day it was released and I've loved it since day 3. The 12" is fantastic, the song was NO at a peak. The vocals are outstanding, so punchy, with the bass lines ... and the drum programming. Good god its got the lot.
And then you play side B, and then you just pass out with pleasure overload x 10. At the time it was released I was more into synths, and side B is full of it ... so beautifully programmed. They were going to do Shame on side A, maybe they should have.
And then there's the performance on The Tube with Barney's yellow jumper. Excellent.
Just tell me which New Order song is as powerful within the first ten seconds against that mad Japanese synth line!?
You won't be able to ... because its ssoooo cccoooollll.
So hip it hurts.
I'll defend STON all over the world...good song. Obviously not the best on Brotherhood or Substance, but definitely
Well....
and i quote the shame of the nation we'll never be
;)
i dont mind it, weird video tho.
I loved it to bits when it first appeared but hated it by the time it made it to general release. The lyrics are trite and the remix was bloody awful. It's dated very badly.
Oh, and that Tube thing was so pained. Nothing like a decent New Order performance at that time, and accompanied by only a couple of dodgy head-nodding goth-punks. You could almost taste the embarrassment in the air. A waste of seven minutes air time, imho.
Originally posted by Huntsman So hip it hurts.
now Shellshock is the true dated classic - so hip it hurts indeed. i prefer the shellshock sleeve to the State of the Nation sleeve also (prefer BLT sleeve to SOTN).
Originally posted by Al Jarvis I loved it to bits when it first appeared but hated it by the time it made it to general release. The lyrics are trite and the remix was bloody awful. It's dated very badly.Oh, and that Tube thing was so pained. Nothing like a decent New Order performance at that time, and accompanied by only a couple of dodgy head-nodding goth-punks. You could almost taste the embarrassment in the air. A waste of seven minutes air time, imho.
I thought The Tube performance was cool (bit like The Smiths Sheila Take a Bow on the last ever Tube). Steve's Octopad was ace, and the drumming at the end of the bars also. The horrible silence at the end of the song(s) were, admittedly cringe-worthy, but that made it intense. And let's face it, NO live are pretty cringing. The more the better.
The video of the skinhead running down the street in grainy b&w added to the whole thing.
Can't believe you don't like it Al - this time I'm for the rock number.
Originally posted by Huntsman > Originally posted by Al Jarvis I thought The Tube performance was cool (bit like The Smiths Sheila Take a Bow on the last ever Tube).
From memory, didn't it 'go off' during the Smiths' appearance, thus creating atmosphere, making it look like a proper 'gig'.
I must confess, I bought a bright yellow sweater shortly after, and wore it to both Oxford and Brighton. Someone else told me recently they bought the same sweater - Timbo maybe, or Johnny G, not sure.
Where's Dave Molly when you need him? He trekked north for the tube appearance - he could tell us more.
... that's more like it Al. You almost dented one of my most treasured 80's memories there. I also bought a jumper, although I couldn't find a yellow one in Boro, I think I ended up with a massively long purple one, but the inent was there. I did shave my sideboards to a no. 1 though and I think I swore a bit more that week.
I have The Smiths performance on tape, it did get a bit rowdy - seems all Smiths gigs had intensity bordering on fighting talk. What a way for The Tube to end though, with The Smiths.
Hooky playing bum notes before As it Is on The Tube was particularly great. Come to think of it, is there anything Hooky's done on stage that wasn't particularly great?
Originally posted by Huntsman ... Hooky playing bum notes before As it Is on The Tube was particularly great. Come to think of it, is there anything Hooky's done on stage that wasn't particularly great?
His leather ties were an absolute disgrace.
Personal choice and freedom of speech are invaluable, so well done Razed in starting this thread.
Don't think I like SOTN enough to join your club, but good luck all the same.
Originally posted by Al Jarvis > Originally posted by Huntsman> ... > Hooky playing bum notes before As it Is on The Tube was particularly great. Come to think of it, is there anything Hooky's done on stage that wasn't particularly great?>
His leather ties were an absolute disgrace.
I can't top that.
I like State of the Nation. It was one of the first NO songs that I've ever heard, so it has this nostalgic quality that cannot be equaled even by much better songs.
Originally posted by Al Jarvis > Originally posted by Huntsman> > > > Originally posted by Al Jarvis> I thought The Tube performance was cool (bit like The Smiths Sheila Take a Bow on the last ever Tube).
From memory, didn't it 'go off' during the Smiths' appearance, thus creating atmosphere, making it look like a proper 'gig'.
I must confess, I bought a bright yellow sweater shortly after, and wore it to both Oxford and Brighton. Someone else told me recently they bought the same sweater - Timbo maybe, or Johnny G, not sure.
Where's Dave Molly when you need him? He trekked north for the tube appearance - he could tell us more.
Cheek of it ! It Wasn't me buying that ghastly jumper ! Best bit of that broadcast was the big bum note by Hooky in Broken Promise. That take on SOTN wasn't bad, but I was gutted they'd played that instead of another new song.
I have mixed feelings, I also loved it at first, but, maybe due to overplay - it killed it a wee bit for me. I recorded a BEST of NO Volumes 1&2 a few years back, and State was involved on the second tape.
I always have the record player in the bathroom when I get a bath, and last week I had Substance on, and the first song I started singing to was SOTN
As much as it gets slagged (sometimes by masel) I still like it.......and I'm also in the elite group that likes SHAME as well
Talking of The Tube appearance and Barney's Yellow jumper, I'm certain my Uncly John had one of them as well.
Sorry to spoil the party, but I think the song is rubbish, and the remix is dreadful. Lyrics are bad, and it is deserving of the worst new order song ever.
Shellshock is better because its more catchy, but its more cheesy.
Anyway good luck with finding members for this club.
Cheers ALEX
Yeah the music is ok...lyrics are HORRIBLE and even for Barney's stream of consciousness its bad bad bad...
the shame of the nation is that this song ever got released with these lyrics....they shoulda given barney some pernod or E and sent him back to rewrite
When I first heard "State of The Nation," I thought it was a decent song, and the video wasn't bad, either. Although the lyrics aren't the best, they're certainly better than several other NO songs, such as "Run Wild" (which I first disliked when I heard it on an online radio station), "Run," "World in motion," and "Fine Time". However, the remix does it no justice, even more than what "The Beach" does to the original "Blue Monday." The beginning, partcularly, is good. Then again, I also like "Shellshock." A lot, in fact. So much that I have this song DLed onto my comp at home so I can listen to it, without having to put my Substance tape in my CD player, which is making strange squeeking noises whenever I play tapes, particularly Please by PSB, which annoys me to no end. Of course, the fact that I play both of these albums less because of this problem (I've had my CD player, which is actually a boombox, since 1994), satisfies my roommate, since he's into Phish and other spacey hippy music. Perhaps I should start a "Shellshock" appreciation group, but few people would join, I think.
I would join the shellshock support team, I think it's a great song. One of my favorites from that era, in fact. I also enjoy State... very much. However, I must say I don't understand why everyone doesn't hate Theives like us. What a dreadful song. It's the ONLY new order song I actively dislike.
I've always liked State Of The Nation. Like some of the others who've posted on this subject, I first heard it on Substance, and was into it straight away.
Don't have a major problem with Shame Of The Nation. Quite like it, actually. This thread will now probably result in Substance in the stereo continuously for at least 2 weeks.
Nice one!! :D
By the way, I also think that Shellshock is class.
