PROCESSION

Once again we foray deep into the darkest recesses of our collective new order brain and expose one song... is it genius or a load of old revenge? The answer awaits...This week's format: 1. Best Bit, 2. Worst Bit, 3. Why you like / loathe it, 4. Percentage Rating, 5. Hooky summed up in one word.THIS WEEK'S SONG IS... PROCESSION

Well major, you've picked my fave. Can't remember all the exact 1,2,3 4 things, but the best bit is where Barney sings ' I can see your face, but I don't recognize....'

No worst bits.

Love it coz it is the sound of NO, their first song which is unmistakebly NO and not JD, and it also got me into Substance....

so a full 100%

Originally posted by Seb Briggs Well major, you've picked my fave. Can't remember all the exact 1,2,3 4 things

They at the top of the page, mate! :)

You caught me with me pants down, Majorboy - I'm gonna have to come back to ye on this one.... :D

Originally posted by Major Tarantino > Originally posted by Seb Briggs> Well major, you've picked my fave. Can't remember all the exact 1,2,3 4 things> >

They at the top of the page, mate! :)

oh yeah - i've had a hard couple of days ;)

One of the best introductions to a song....EVER..... When the bass takes over from the synth...pure heaven,however I have seen them fuck it up live on various occasions

let's see...(relistening for about the 4th time straight)

1.) it starts out with such warm synths, and then the lovely rumbly bass...and then the guitar bits, and Bernard's voice...so i guess the beginning. ^^

2.) i wish it were a bit longer. ^^

3.) imagining how amazing this would be live, if done correctly. (those last three are the key words though, of course. :D )

4.) 85%

5.) DAMN!

1. The lyrics (fooking amazing, and very poignant if you think about them in regard to Ian)

2. The intro drags on a bit too long, but if that's all that's wrong with it, it doesn't need fixing

3. I think quite possibly the best version of this song is on Taras Shevchenko, where Hooky just goes nuts during the instrumental breaks. overall, I love this song, especially the lyrics (PS I read in Ideal for Living that Steve, not Barney, wrote the song. Is that true?). Anyway, I think the best lyric part is "your heart meets you late at night". Very profound....

4. 95 %

5.Funky

Sorry Majorboy, me pants still aren't pulled up yet.... ....bear with me..... ;)

this is actually one of my favorite NO songs. when the bass and drums kick in, it jars me out of the complacency of the intro, especially following in a lonely place on substance. the vocal melody is beautiful, the voice is beautiful, i liked when barney had sort of a deep voice compared to later. i love the clanging, abrasive guitars between verses (could never play and sing at once, poor bastard). i love how after the line "yr heart meets you late at night" is repeated four times, the song enters its most violent part, as demonstrated by the factured guitar runs, and hooky beating the shit out of his six string bass on the taras video.

i can't think of a worst bit, nor a percentage (what do i look like? a fooking mathematician?)

one word for peter: "BEARD." without his beard, he is defined by the absence of the beard, or by the mustache he shared with barney during the warsaw days.

this is actually one of my favorite NO songs. when the bass and drums kick in, it jars me out of the complacency of the intro, especially following in a lonely place on substance. the vocal melody is beautiful, the voice is beautiful, i liked when barney had sort of a deep voice compared to later. i love the clanging, abrasive guitars between verses (could never play and sing at once, poor bastard). i love how after the line "yr heart meets you late at night" is repeated four times, the song enters its most violent part, as demonstrated by the factured guitar runs, and hooky beating the shit out of his six string bass on the taras video.

i can't think of a worst bit, nor a percentage (what do i look like? a fooking mathematician?)

one word for peter: "BEARD." without his beard, he is defined by the absence of the beard, or by the mustache he shared with barney during the warsaw days.

1. Best Bit -

vocals & lyrics - when Barney tried to sing properly instead of pretending to be an American 'Rawk' singer - 'aaaaalllllriiiiyyyytttt, whoo !' I also heard that Procession was written by Steve but not sure if that meant the words or the music or both.

2. Worst Bit -

Blue Monday/Confusion/Shellshock/World In Motion, etc. destroying the perfection that was early New Order

3. Why you like / loathe it

It's a great post-punk song, it's rock music but with all the 'rawk' elements taken out. Listening to it always conjures up the image I love best of New Order, short hair, shirts & skinny ties, religious-like concerts, total concentration on playing their music - just watch Taras Shevchenko or the Granada Celebration video bootleg to see what I mean. It exemplifies why New Order were so special and also shows how the special bits were lost one by one as the years went on with the addition of singles on albums, 80's hair !, backing singers, crap singing, backing singers, 500 remixes on a single instead of a proper b-side, different set-lists every night, new songs played before they were finished, etc.

4. Percentage Rating

100% - a perfect moment in time.

5. Hooky summed up in one word

Procession.

1. Intro and last 2 mins of superb music :)

2. I can't remember ever hearing it live :(

3. Just a fave of mine but can't quite place why

4. 95% (it lost 5 because there is no need for the whooping)

5. Botham?

nice one major!!! aint played this one in ages 1,best bit is where bassline kicks in 2,worst bit.. the end? 3,like or loath?.. love it 4,%%%%,,, gotta be 90% 5,mullet!!!!! wheres my FINSBURY PARK tickets? c,mon WAYAHEAD cough up you bastards!!

1. Best Bit. All of it. It's fookin' perfection, one of the best ever New Order songs, and I would give my right nad to have it played live again.

2. Worst Bit. haven't heard it live since the end of 1985. Bastards !

3. Why you like / loathe it. Brilliant inspirational opening, killer bassline, sets the standard. The second truly great New Order song, and the first one written without Curtis.

4. Percentage Rating. 98% Thid favourite ever.

5. Hooky summed up in one word. Hooky. :)

Sorry Major -just can't do it......The only good bit is when Gillian comes in on Backing Vocals, I'm afraid.... why didn't you choose the flip side instead?? Now THAT's what I call genius!

OK here goes

1. Best Bit - When the bass kicks in, the jangly guitar in the background, and the line "your heart meets you late at night.
2. Worst Bit - When Barneys vocals almost get drowned out by the music.
3. Why you - Love it! Was the first song on disk 2 of substance (the first NO Cd bought) that i really loved, and that i have just recently got it on vinyl with EGG on side 1
4. Rating - da da da da da na na (jangly guitar speak) 87%
5. One word for the Hook - Messiah

Originally posted by Hubert Mickle Sorry Major -just can't do it......The only good bit is when Gillian comes in on Backing Vocals, I'm afraid....why didn't you choose the flip side instead?? Now THAT's what I call genius!

We had done EGG in a previous song reveiw, you might be able to look back and find it

It was song review #2

Shit! Yeah you're right , we did do it didn't we?......fook me.....I must be getting senile........well I must be if it's another day now and my fooking trousers are STILL round my ankles.... :evil2:

1. The best bit: Love the bass, that little guitar riff,plus the intro.

2. Worst bit: vocals are a bit weak.

3. Love it cause its the quintessential early NO song.

4. Rating 90%

5. Word for Hooky? Thumper I suppose.

'and the first one written without Curtis'

Surely Dream Never End, Truth, Homage, Cries & Whispers & Mesh were all written and debuted before Procession ?

Originally posted by bill poster 'and the first one written without Curtis'Surely Dream Never End, Truth, Homage, Cries & Whispers & Mesh were all written and debuted before Procession ?

Read what I put again....."The second truly great New Order song, and the first one written without Curtis." Meaning.....the first truly great song written without Curtis. None of the ones you listed were anywhere near great !!

Ah, enlightenment dawns ! In that context, I'd probably agree with you then.

1. The guitar leading into the vocals
2. Hasn't got a worst bit
3. Its pure class... genius.
4. 100%
5. Vocalist

the whole bit

nothin bugs me about this one

procession 2002 version ???

90%

UNIQUE!!!!!

jangly guitars and bubbling beat!

the way he says alone sounds like hello

its dark yet strangely uplifting...

85%

99.9% my only problem with it is that its over way too quickly comes from the ultimate new order record 81/82 the only new order record i can listen to all the way through without skipping a track this period of NO is my fav without a doubt if only there was material form the peroid

anyone know of any recordings of this stuff live?

Dozens - most gigs 1981-83, and occasionally in 84, very rarely in 85 and none since.

Very good probably the best b-side.

1. beautiful phasing synth line....i love phasing!
2. nothing
3. breathtaking song....nicely rocking....easily in the top 5 NO songs for me.
4. 100%
5. bassist

Great toon ? ? ? Hooky

1. Opening synth, Gillian's backing vocals, HOOKY, Barney's lyrics and guitar work, Stephen's mad drumming
2. Absolutely none
3. New Order as close to perfection as possible. I also like the Glasto '81 version, where whatever drug/alcohol Barney was on kicked in full gear. "LATE AT NIGHT!"
4. 100%

Whats the score with this,was it a single? If so why was it on disc2 of substance.

1. The bass when it starts and the drums when it ends.
2. Nothing really.
3. It brings up a nice athmosphere.
4. 80%
5. Clown!

Bass Nothing Dreamy 99% :)

• Gillian's synth at the start
• None
• One of their best early songs
• 99%
• Bass Playing God

Originally posted by SPtwo Whats the score with this,was it a single? If so why was it on disc2 of substance.

Thats a good point.Wasnt it actually a single?.Guess the reason it wasnt on Disc 1 of Substance is because that was a collection of all their 12"s.If Substance had just been a collection of all their singles (7" or 12") to date at that time Procession would have been on Disc 1.Was originally a double A side with Everything`s Gone Green 7" edit October 1981.

it needs to be longer lol

Originally posted by Spike it needs to be longer lol

Yes it does, but then you can hit the << button and listen to it all over again.

Ripped it from substance for my mp3 player, fogotten what a great track it is.

Vocals a bit muted in the mix? I'll have to dig out the vinyl version and dust off the turntable to see if its the mp3 codec I used.

Major Tarantino wrote: Once again we foray deep into the darkest recesses of our collective new order brain and expose one song... is it genius or a load of old revenge? The answer awaits...This week's format: 1. Best Bit, 2. Worst Bit, 3. Why you like / loathe it, 4. Percentage Rating, 5. Hooky summed up in one word.THIS WEEK'S SONG IS... PROCESSION

1. "Alone, Alone.. Alone, Alone"
2. Wha?
3. Hooky's treble bass fill between the verses, Gillian's vocals, the overblown early 80s synths, Barney trying to sound like Andy Gill on guitar, Steve's quirked-up staccato drum breaks at the very end, utterly postpunk.
4. 97%
5. Wookie.

is it really "Alone alone" and not "Hello hello" ?

As usual with NO lyrics are sometimes unknown and often change. I always thought it was "alone" but have heard "hello" in it. The biggest controversy is the with the last verse. "A mass of harmless attitudes..." or is it "Its an attitude..." Personally I miss the early version "emotion, destruction, it's all the same to me. No matter where you are, it's all the same to me."

This song beats my heart with loneliness and serenity. It's one of my favorites because the intro reminds me of an instrumental mourning for a missing friend. I tend to like depressing songs, or those with a melancholy bit. This one tops the list of the others:

-vicious streak -someone like you -sooner than you think -dream attack -some distant memory

Lonely song for a lonely person - with a title quite fitting.

Best bit - the first 4 and a half minutes

Worst - big fat nothing.

Love/hate - Procession IS New Order, it sums up everything magical and magnificent about them. I think it was the very first song I ever heard by them and I've never been able to unravel what's so brilliant about it. There's some sort of unspoken mystery about the track. Like a previous poster said, for me, the iconic image of New Order is from early 80's concerts, playing something like Procession - the tight hair, the thin ties, the motionless stances in smoke-filled half light, Hookey playing with his back to the audience, Barney's stare latching on to something at the back of the venue and not leaving it for minutes on end, the way they appeared beyond reach, the cryptic album sleeves, the element of mystery as to who they actually were, the dark cloud of tragedy that hung over them, the way they both belong to and defined a time and place. It's a different New Order nowadays, equally as good in different ways, but always lacking that early, icy arrogance.

% - 1000%

Hookey in one word - perpendicular

1. The guitars in the background fading in and out :)
2. It's pretty short :(
3. Those synths!
4. 90%
5. GOD

Best thing about it: EVERYTHING. Loved it from the get-go.

Worst thing about it: Meh, when it freckin' ends. Otherwise, nothing that I know of.

Why the love/hate: For one, the lyrics [if Steve wrote this, he's a poet too, and I love poets!]. Two, the vocals [good job, Bernard, NOW SING LOUDER YOU SOFT-SPOKEN TW*T!!!]. Three, the bass [proving that once again, Hooky's the god of bass]. Four, the infectious beat that invites me ever-so-desperately to dance [*sigh* Steeeve!].

Rating for it: 99.997%.

Hooky?: HE'S MY DJ HERO!

old thread...all is said

1. It's a pretty sweet song, the start of New Order's electronic life.
2. Although it's not my favourite song, there's nothing really bad about it.
3. Love it because of the synth-brass keyboard bit, and the guitar
4. 80%
5. Awesome