Electronic's Twisted Tenderness

For some reason the other day I dug this album from near the bottom of my pile of lonely under played CDs cos I seemed to remember a few good tracks from it. Was blown away, especially by "Breakdown", "Vivid" and TT... How have I managed to let this one go for so long? It's a beauty... Certainly miles better that Get Ready

When Shes Gone, Late at Night, Flicker and Like No Other are great too. In fact I think this album is possibly the strongest of ELectronics trio (although I will always prefer the debut). The only track I dont like is "Cant Find My Way Home".

I was surprised, as this album had the more traditional live band sound, that it wasnt toured. Would that have been Barneys call or was it mutual consent?

NO Regret- I agree about Can't find my way home. I've been playing it to death in an attempt to get it to "stick" but I just can't seem to like it. It seems to have been sequenced in an odd place between "Breakdown" and TT. I just have to skip it every time... This CD has been my most popular play over the last few days. Glad I dug it out :)

I personally liked the songs 'Twisted Tenderness', 'Make it Happen(Album Remix), 'Flicker', 'Prodigal Son', and the original version of 'Make it Happen'.

I had the same experience with TT. Forgot about it for a long time, then played it for a week straight. I don't know if I'd call it the best Electronic album, but it's certainly the most consistent. I'd love to see a fourth album someday.

For the longest time I thought I had a lost gem in that album. I was stationed in Japan and saw it in the record store. Since I was being restationed the next day I decided not to purchase it, as cds are insanely priced over there. Came to the US and couldn't find it, or any record store that Knew what I was talking about. So I had my wife (then fiance) buy it bring it to me when she arrived in town. Never saw one ever agian in any store.

Wasn't until year laterr my bubble was burst when I found out it was released earlier in Japan than in the US...:\ohwell:

but still think the self titled album stands head and shoulders above TT.

Chris Nash wrote: I always thought TT was the best thing they ever did. Far better than the Pet Shop Boys Pastiche stuff of before - especially good was 'Vivid'. Before people have a go at me, I like guitars and it's 5am okay?

A man after my own heart... I had "one of those nights on saturday" and was playing Electronic albums until about 4am... Pretty much went through them end to end. "Vivid" is a great song and then followed by "Breakdown". Class... Raise the pressure is a wee bit patchy, though IHMO...You can almost hear the Kraftwerk synth presets on some of the tunes :\ohwell:

The second Monaco disc didn't get as much of a push because the record label went under. It deserved better. Still does.

ally wrote:

NO Regret wrote: I was surprised, as this album had the more traditional live band sound, that it wasnt toured. Would that have been Barneys call or was it mutual consent?

Barney hinted in at least one interview since that he found it difficult to get Marr out of the studio to tour Electronic (both RTP and TT) so I would say it was the ex-Smith who put his foot down.

Barney - wanting touring more than Johnny?....

Love TT, in fact me ringtone is late at night!

Surely there's room for another,no?

Vivid was my fave off that album. Love the harmonicas.

Excellent album, only 1 or 2 iffy tracks.

Sounds like Barney's vocals have been "adjusted" in places though and that 'bzzzzz-tink!' noise in TT drives me crackers every time i hear the song

I concur with many of your thoughts. TT is the most consistent album they did, although the eponymous first outing stands out for the sheer excitement of its release at the time. Less we not also forget it was critically acclaimed at the time. Five stars in Q magazine if I remember rightly. I remember the thought going round that Electronic could be the new NO without the commercial fuckwit tendencies. Still they weren't thank fook. Could you imagine if they'd been as big as U-fook-off-2? Barney preaching about world pverty? What a fooking escape we had.

Getting back to TT, it died a death with a lack of promotion and that old chestnut of releashing the wrong album track as the first single (Vivid) and then the aborted release of Late at Night. Here in Manc I remember Key 1-0-shite FM playing it and the DJ saying it was due for imminent release.

I remember reading a quote from Bernaard who stated they wanted to release Make it Happen as the first single because it sounded like nothing they had done before. This was vetoed by the label.

Personally I like Can't Find My Way Home.

As for Monaco, their second album was a solid affair. Top track was It's A Boy. But it would because my 'ex was expecting my son at the time.

I think TT is a great album and the band should have a) released this worldwide at the same time instead of delaying in various regions, and b) should have toured it since it was more rock than electronic.

Who knows, maybe we'll get Electronic IV....

was moved to play this in the car the last couple of days,,,, just cant get into it im afraid, barneys vocals on the tracks ive played(skipped some) sound rotten , the singles have aged,, 1, 2 tracks seem aimless give it another try on the way home tonight.

is not important.

Dug TT out the other day on the off chance and really enjoyed out. its got better with age IMO. Make It Happen and Flicker are the standouts for me whilst When She's Gone is the low point. I think it will be in the cd player for a while to come.

The second Monaco album is another lost gem.

Never liked The Other Two though.

Twisted Tenderness and When She's Gone are my favorite tunes off of this album. I thnik it is pretty good, but stil my least favorite Electronic album.

Listen to TT infrequently, but when I do it sounds phenomenal. Think I prefer the promo version, which has a different mix of Make It Happen and the top B-side King for a Day. Might just be the novelty value, though.

Good album but i like the first 2 better, Raise the Pressure is fantastic

How come Barney can't pronounce his R's properly on this album?

"Weeeeeeee could always be fWie-e-e-e-nds" being the most notable example

Major Tarantino wrote: How come Barney can't pronounce his R's properly on this album?

"Weeeeeeee could always be fWie-e-e-e-nds" being the most notable example

It is really bad isnt it. I reckon it must be a side effect of all the pharmaceuticals he had consumed over the decades.

I first noticed it on raise The Pressure. Like in "For You" when he sings "sometimes I hope and sometimes I pwey".

Also does it on "Like No Other" - "just call me when you need a fwiend".

Its like the line in Under The Bridge by RHCP "sometimes i feel like i dont have a partner' sometimes I feel like my only fwiend"

It is irritating and must grate on everyone in the studio when they are producing the tracks. But I guess its just a flaw in Barneys voice and cant be rectified.