Republic defence

You guys are really getting a little thin on top, aren’t you? You need a new pair of ears or a little more of listening to republic again.

If you are a true NO fan, then how the fook can you say something they recorded is bad?

You don’t like republic because:

a) you are the rock shacker likes b) haven’t decided between pop and art c) don’t know that pure pop IS art indeed d) you are loaded jet streamers

Their first albums are truly wonderful but there is this obvious lack of coherence: a number of good songs don’t necessarily make a good album, mind you! An LP standard needs a sense of a “painting” or a “story” feeling to it.

According to the latest poll, the best 2 albums turned out to be the worst 2!

Republic is their best album, it is THAT “picture” that you can touch and see; no unnecessary metaphors: all of that is WHAT they were and HOW they were doing at that time - an unwillingly mirroring of themselves, a true representation of themselves. Bitter-sweet but pleasant, shocking but soft, uplifting but sad. In no way fluffy.

Movement, on the other hand, may seem naïve because of Bernard sounding a bit like Ian and Hannet doing his post-hippy-disco production (in the best possible way). Still, it IS a story, honest and beautiful, rough and sad.

Don’t get me wrong, Technique is also luminous. No defence needed here. Thank you.

Get ready for this then! My LEAST FAV is Get Ready. Credits to their comeback and everything that comes with it. A few marvellous songs along the line.

It was always special, Every little counts, Even Rock the Shack.

Jeez, I'm a)

It's an OK album, but most of the numbers (Young Offender,Chemical,Liar etc) could be anybody.

Actually, Republic is one of my favourite New Order albums ever .

NObabe wrote: Jeez, I'm a)

Underground has moved up. it seems soft but it only went more rough in meaning, not in manner.

"some of us will always stay behind" Bowie

Christopher Owens wrote: It's an OK album, but most of the numbers (Young Offender,Chemical,Liar etc) could be anybody.

young offender and chemical could never be anyone else in the world! are you on the payroll, by any chance? have you created art and are paid in peanuts? i'm sure you're not. have you lost hacienda?

elevate what's on your mind! don't waste time animating, mate.

leather_girl wrote: Actually, Republic is one of my favourite New Order albums ever .

oh, dear! at last! why do we have so many of them who got the TBTHOG video literally? it seems that that's the way it is.

thank you, leather girl.

once in a while we need a friend, innit?

geez you're coming on a bit strong there aren't you. there are legitiamte reasons for liking it or not liking it either way. its not particularly nice to insult anyone who might disagree with you proposition. one of the main reasons cited for not liking it is that mr Hook's bass bar one song is practicly totally absent from the album.

just for the record. i do like it, and it is a very important album to me as it helped me get through a very difficult time in my life.

Regardless of Hooky's coffee break I think the lp starts out well but starts to dip about 7 songs into it then makes a come back. I do like Liar.

I like Republic a lot. It's a fairly easy album for me to put on and just mill about, no matter the mood I'm in. Always been different strokes for different folks, though. Diversity is a strong suit, and keeps the eyes and ears on the edge. When people don't like something I like, it strengthens both sides by figuring out what exactly it is we disagree on. ;)

Baobab wrote:

young offender and chemical could never be anyone else in the world! are you on the payroll, by any chance? have you created art and are paid in peanuts? i'm sure you're not. have you lost hacienda?

elevate what's on your mind! don't waste time animating, mate.

Are you on something?

Christopher Owens wrote:

Baobab wrote:

young offender and chemical could never be anyone else in the world! are you on the payroll, by any chance? have you created art and are paid in peanuts? i'm sure you're not. have you lost hacienda?

elevate what's on your mind! don't waste time animating, mate.

Are you on something?

I am! If you guess on what, pints (or E) on me.

And you, what are you on?

Still on the payroll company?

Baobab wrote: You guys are really getting a little thin on top, aren’t you? You need a new pair of ears or a little more of listening to republic again.

If you are a true NO fan, then how the fook can you say something they recorded is bad?

You don’t like republic because:

a) you are the rock shacker likes b) haven’t decided between pop and art c) don’t know that pure pop IS art indeed d) you are loaded jet streamers

or maybe because some people believe it's their weakest album? after being a fan for years before republic came out i just didn't find most of the songs on republic particularly, well, good.

'true' (as you say) fans of a band are able to critique the band and don't have to like everything they put out. new order are human beings, they don't release perfection every time. they just hapen to be the best band despite their shortcomings (which every band has, by the way). to laud a band for its perfectionism is bordering on sycophantism, wouldn't you say?

once in a while we need a friend, innit?

"Spooky"!! I love that song, too.

I can't help but giggle a little whenever lyrics are used in posts as sentences. It's a flaw of mine.

Can't we all get along?

msh wrote: I can't help but giggle a little whenever lyrics are used in posts as sentences. It's a flaw of mine.

Can't we all get along?

i wish so too, mate!!! but, it's hypocricy, you see: as soon as Republic defenders open their mouth (and I can assure you they don't do it so often!) someone shows up out of the blue and says all sorts of nasty things on behalf of the album (and ppl who like the album). (Maybe they do it subconsciously, but i doubt). So, when you give them a healthy reminder that THERE ARE some people afterall who like that album, they underestimate you. I guess I woke up on a wrong foot! Oh, wait, I haven't even gone to sleep yet

I liked your comment about differences: and I guess, people quoting NO all the time shows that THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS!! all these different opinions, all of us liking their music in our unique manner....it counts!!

So, pls, brothers (& sisters), let's unite in silence- 'no language, just sound, that's all we need to know"!

Agreed! *glasses clinking*

New Order could have taken the world over if they would have maintain the momentum Republic gave them.

Republic is kinda bland, uninspired, diluted, filtered ... "Regret" is beautiful thou

now if your definition of good is something that sounds less like New Order and more like a bland imitation of the Pet Shop Boys, more mainstream, more middle of the road... then Republic is the best New Order album by that definition. more of a bitter Bernard solo album than a New Order record

I know that is harsh, but it is absurd also to say that Republic is clearly the best that New order has to offer... even at the time it came out it was suprisingly bland, a retreat from the dance scene and a stab at 1980s mainstream pop in the year 1993 with only a weak token nod to the rave scene.

Republic is bland, uninspired, diluted, filtered... "Regret" is beautiful thou

now if your definition of good is something that sounds less like New Order and more like a bland imitation of the Pet Shop Boys, more mainstream, more middle of the road... then Republic is the best New Order album by that definition. more of a bitter Bernard solo album than a New Order record

I know that is harsh, but it is absurd to say that Republic is the best that New order has to offer... even at the time it came out it was suprisingly bland, a retreat from the dance scene and a stab at 1980s mainstream pop in the year 1993 with only a weak token nod to the rave scene.

pumped full of drugs wrote: Republic is kinda bland, uninspired, diluted, filtered ... "Regret" is beautiful thou

now if your definition of good is something that sounds less like New Order and more like a bland imitation of the Pet Shop Boys, more mainstream, more middle of the road... then Republic is the best New Order album by that definition. more of a bitter Bernard solo album than a New Order record

I know that is harsh, but it is absurd also to say that Republic is clearly the best that New order has to offer... even at the time it came out it was suprisingly bland, a retreat from the dance scene and a stab at 1980s mainstream pop in the year 1993 with only a weak token nod to the rave scene.

well now... first of all, "clearly the best" doesn't really apply to no one but me and that means: art is not a field where one could possibly use superlatives; it can be the most beautiful or the favourite, but certainly not the best. E.g.: Arthur Rimbaud is my favourite poet, so, to me, he IS the best. Don't feel hooked for no reason.

it's also unfair to say that Republic is an imitation of PSB cos only PSB knew the way how to sound catchy but remain ironic and ever arty enough = never mainstream. and NO are, as we know, older than PSB so imitation is out of question. shall i just remind you of barney's collaboration with the Boys? and if he felt bitter and consequently transferred that feeling onto his works, he was certainly not to blame. he, as all the real artists, couldn't really be an artist withuot the very feeling of bitterness. Or could he?

AgentWood wrote:

Baobab wrote: You guys are really getting a little thin on top, aren’t you? You need a new pair of ears or a little more of listening to republic again.

If you are a true NO fan, then how the fook can you say something they recorded is bad?

You don’t like republic because:

a) you are the rock shacker likes b) haven’t decided between pop and art c) don’t know that pure pop IS art indeed d) you are loaded jet streamers

or maybe because some people believe it's their weakest album? after being a fan for years before republic came out i just didn't find most of the songs on republic particularly, well, good.

'true' (as you say) fans of a band are able to critique the band and don't have to like everything they put out. new order are human beings, they don't release perfection every time. they just hapen to be the best band despite their shortcomings (which every band has, by the way). to laud a band for its perfectionism is bordering on sycophantism, wouldn't you say?

ah, well that's what i call a thorough analysis.

thanx very much.

republic has been a favorite of mine for a while now... tight all the way through. it's their poppiest, for sure...

listening to it now. hooky's there, he's just buried sometimes. i actually like the sound of this record. very dense production. and barney's vocal melodies are fantastic.

this really is one of their best albums back to front. perfect all the way through except for chemical and times change, which are still quite good. liar, spooky and regret are favorites.

when i first got the album, maybe in 1994 or early 95, i hated it. so i sold it and bought the best of. that satisfied me for a while, but then i got to be such a new order fan that i needed to have the latest album... plus i had moved beyond regret and started to like world...

it took a few listens, but then i really started enjoying the album. still to this day, i ENJOY republic more than i do any other new order album. i realize it's not their most revolutionary or important, but it's still really fantastic listening and brings up a lot of good memories for me... which is strange, because it wasn't all that great a time in my life... 9th grade, spotty, no girlfriends, pretty nerdy existence... kind of sad.

Baobab wrote:

Get ready for this then! My LEAST FAV is Get Ready. Credits to their comeback and everything that comes with it. A few marvellous songs along the line.

I agree. I fooking love Republic.

Well, I really like Republic but I dont want to get into an argument here - I dont think it is the best thing they ever did but its good.

Main point: Avalanche. Pure majestic beauty.

Great album - End of.

craig's digitalwaters wrote: Great album - End of.

Hmmmm

I'm with leather girl. I like Republic too. NO made a good transition to the 90's with that. Take my word for it .

No Republic, no Regret.

(or avalanche. jeez, that's a beautiful song)

That's right.