In Praise Of : New Order's 'Movement'

Dr C, good to hear from you. And Hi Bimble, I didn't know that either.
Have just spun the self-produced Temptation/Hurt, and it sounds heavy-handed by comparison.
Chosen Time has the womb-like warmth of Heart and Soul.

The 'slamming door' snare sound on Temptation is pretty irritating - yet it's still a fantastic track. The technology seems barely able to keep up with the bands ideas.

The production on Temptation is definitely half-assed, but not without charm. It's surprising how much better they got at it by PC&L and Blue Monday.

And I lurrrrve that 'slamming door' snare sound. The last 30 secs of Hurt are heaven.

Chosen Time could very nearly top it. Since nobody has ever re-edited it and doubled it in length I may have to give it a go myself.

― Home made ectoplasm (I am using your worlds), Thursday, December 4,

Please to make double-length, extended version of Chosen Time.

These threads are a joy. Not had a chance to catch up with all the clips and links, but the Hacienda gig is tremendous.

The technology seems barely able to keep up with the bands ideas

This has always, always been my point about New Order: that they were at their best when they were limited by the technology available, and had to work wonders/hit it with iron bars in order to make it work. And the hit-and-miss nature of the live performances just makes me love them -- the way they were -- even more. This, for instance:

is all over the fucking shop, yet it still brings a lump to my throat. There's an alchemy there; something so, so much greater than the sum of its parts -- despite, or maybe somehow because of, the fact that they were so obviously making up their entire career as they went along. And I guess what's so amazing isn't that they eventually lost it, but that they managed to maintain it for so long.

Mr. Christgau's review of Substance speaks to those points, grimly:

The secret of Bernard Albrecht's elementary vocals, Gillian Gilbert's two-finger exercises, Peter Hook's strummed bass, and the compressed physicality of Steve Morris's drums was never virtuosity--it was conception, timing, rapport, devotional concentration. Originally attracted to disco because it was trancelike, they broke through when they devised a system of kinetic percussion and hypnotic chants to keep themselves awake.

I don't think they've lost it, though; I like their newer albums a lot more than I like their mid-period albums (although favorite individual songs are largely from early-to-mid era).

Hahah: Dan, you are a man of almost impeccable taste, but you and I are never going to agree about those last two albums ;)

Irrespective of that, though: Hooky's increasingly petulant outbursts and the sense that the animosity between the two camps is permanent now does sadden me immensely.

HI DERE OTM. I know it's pretty unholy to say this around here but the last two albums would def be in my top 5 (alongside Movement, PCL and Technique)

If they churn out songs as good as "Morning, Night, and Day," "I Told You So," "Krafty," and "Someone Like You," I have no problem arguing that their recent albums are as uneven as the older ones.

I'd say I like them all consistently except Republic, which is half great (but I'll still take that).

(Is this where Alfred and I confess we're working on an EMP proposal about Mr. Sumner?)

I'd say I like them all consistently except Republic, which is half great (but I'll still take that)

Yeah I cant reall think of a bad NO album but for some reason Lowlife and Brotherhood (whih has a couple of my fave indiv NO songs) have never really clicked for me.

I adore Brotherhood -- but the first time I heard it, I thought it was such a heap of shit that I took it back to Blackpool music library without even bothering to make a copy of it :)

(Is this where Alfred and I confess we're working on an EMP proposal about Mr. Sumner?)

Shhh!

xpost - u mad etc.

That's why I keep hoping that one day I'll go back and listen to Get Ready and I'll love it. (As I've said elsewhere: there are individual songs on there that I adore. Sod it, I might dig it out this afternoon.)

Low-Life is most frustrating to me because some of the songs on it are easily among my favorite New Order songs ("Sunrise", "Elegia", "This Time Of Night") while I absolutely abhor others ("Face-Up") and really hate the versions of the singles on the album.

Oh, how I cannot bear the thought of you.

haha even reading those words makes me want to grind my teeth

Is nobody commenting on the live tracks posted by captain groovy? Highlights: a beastly version of "The Village" that's so great it's ridiculous, and an equally amazing version of "Truth". Thanks for posting them!

hi dere mostly otm again (tho I like Face Up). I do abhor the much revered Love Vigilantes though.

I like the idea of "Love Vigilantes" but I almost never want to listen to it.

You were me and I was you, this world of ours it felt brand new.

Is nobody commenting on the live tracks posted by captain groovy? Highlights: a beastly version of "The Village" that's so great it's ridiculous, and an equally amazing version of "Truth". Thanks for posting them!

Not had a chance to listen yet. They're sitting on my desktop, ready and waiting ...

I don't know it seems Bernie sometimes comes up with these very sing-songy vocal melodies which I systematically find annoying ("Every Second Counts" being the worst offender)

an equally amazing version of "Truth".

Listening to Get Ready. And, er ... it sounds a fuck of a sight better than I remember. Shit! Even 60MPH. Wow.

hahaha FINALLY

I'm amazing myself here. Up to Vicious Streak, and it's fucking great. (I always had a soft spot for Turn My Way, even though I think I'm alone with that.)

HOWEVER. I still fear Rock The Shack :)

No way, "Turn My Way" is great!

"Rock The Shack" isn't particularly special or anything but I find it to be fun. It's not a song I'd defend to the death, though.

Good times around the corner, good times 'round the corner, I swear it's gettin' warmer.

OK, Rock The Shack came on and sort of took me by surprise, and I found myself grooving away for a couple of seconds before becoming consciously aware of the fact I'm not meant to like it.

Fuck it, no, this really is OK. It's not great, but ... shit, did it always sound this good?

It did to me!

when I first heard the chorus of "Crystal," followed by Hooky's bass run, it was like the entire history of my adoration of New Order compressed into 45 seconds.

the premix version of Crystal has an additional bass riff that isn't included in the single or album version. FACT!

Grimly likes "Rock The Shack" now?!?!?!?!

Basically: yes. Honestly, this whole album sounds totally different today. It's full of melodies I've never picked out before; I've always heard it as being grey and sludgy and amorphous, but this is almost revelatory.

Obviously, I'll have to follow up with WFTSC, which I always thought was better but still bollocks in parts. I'm actually not quite as convinced I'll change my opinion about that one, basically because I've listened to it a lot more, and without nearly as much prejudice.

hey people we are in the movement thread here. as great as get ready and waiting for the sirens call are, and they are, movement is playing in a different league. in the joy division league. maybe not at the top. but not at the bottom neither.

^ Yes, absolutely.

movement is playing in a different league. in the joy division league

Are you implying that Joy Division is superior to New Order?

yes, i am. if i had to choose between joy division and new order i would go for joy division. and you?

Are you insane? Joy Division, as good as they were, were pretty much a one-trick pony. It's like... would you rather have BLACK AND WHITE or SPARKLING RAINBOW TECHNICOLOUR SPANGLES OF IRRIDESCENCE?

I'd quite contentedly go the rest of my life without ever hearing a Joy Division album. But life without New Order would not be worth living.

So will this ensuing discussion be more Kirk/Picard or Joel/Mike?

add Ceremony and Procession to the 81/82 FACTUS8 EP and you're left with a collection that rivals or surpasses any collection of Joy Division tunes.

Who the hell are Joel and Mike?

'In the not-too-distant future...'

I mean, we're talking about THE BERNARD.

Who pretty much pwns everything in the history of ever.

I mean, remember when I couldn't decide between the Velvet Underground and Hawkwind? If New Order had been in that contest, I wouldn't have even hesitated. (That was not a suggestion, Kerr.)

It had to be done, I guess...

Joy Division vs. New Order

Christ. It's like being in Dodgy Malcolm's second-hand shop in Layton, circa 1990, all over again :)

TO THE POLL!