New Order
Profile
New Order are an English indie rock band that formed in the early 1980s from Joy Division after the suicide of Ian Curtis, the lead singer.
New Order initially started on a similar route as their previous incarnation, performing melodic, yet dark songs. Soon however, they found their own sound and became a well known icon in new wave and alternative circuits, exhibiting a good deal of longevity. They even were cited with influencing techno, although they freely admitted that they had been influenced by the likes of Donna Summer.
New Order were originally managed by Factory Records and also partnered with them in the financing of the Manchester club The Hacienda. Each member of this band was involved in other bands — Bernard Sumner (guitar/vocals) partnered with former member of The Smiths, Johnny Marr in Electronic, Peter Hook (bass) formed the bands Revenge and Monaco and a short-lived marriage to comedy actress Caroline Aherne. Stephen Morris (drums) and Gillian Gilbert (keyboards) formed the ironically named The Other Two.
Their music tended to be very heavily synth based like other new wave bands, and among their better known hits were "True Faith" (1987), and "Bizarre Love Triangle" (1986). The 12"-only release "Blue Monday" is unique in being the best selling 12" single of all time. New Order acquired mainstream success whilst maintaining their cult status when they recorded the official song for English football team's 1990 World Cup bid, "World in Motion". The song, co-written with comedian Keith Allen, was a number one hit. --wikipedia, Feb 2004
Back To Mine (2002)
Among the flood of formulaic chill-out compilations, the Back to Mine series continues to surf stylishly, head and shoulders above the competition. Eleven albums in and it's the turn of veteran dance luminaries New Order to demolish any semblance of the genre's remaining restraints. Throwing continuity to the wind, they wantonly reflect the broad gamut of taste you might expect from one of the most influential acts of the past two decades. Kicking off with the psyche-blues of Captain Beefheart's raucous "Big Eyed Beans", before skipping from Can to Cat Stevens and Missy Elliot to Mantronix, it's an absurdly eclectic and joyously eccentric free-form sonic rumble. Alongside contemporary tracks, such as the Doves "M62 Song", come moments of spine-tingling genius, such as Joey Beltram's mesmerising techno classic "Energy Flash" and Roxy Music's mock-sinister ode to an inflatable lady "In Every Dream Home a Heartache". There's even something for collectors with Patrick Cowley's extremely rare mix of the Donna Summer classic "I Feel Love". Chill-out and Peter Hook were never going to comfortably coexist, so kick off the slippers and get ready for an evening of emotive and enduring music. --Christopher Barrett
01.
Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band 'Big Eyed Beans From Venus'
A sci-fi blues freak out from the variable genius Van Vliet with spine tingling slide additions from Zoot Horn Rollo. Quite obviously the inspiration behind 'Confusion'
02.
Primal Scream 'Higher Than the Sun'
A bit from the Orb's compressed pop mix and the stratospheric end bit from Weatherall's dub symphony with the metronomic Jah Wobble providing an unwavering backbone. Who could miss the similarities between this and Bizarre Love Triangle?
03. Missy Elliot 'The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)'
Timbaland's twitchy rhythms versus the cranky observations of the lady in the inflatable space suit. This was massive on the Joy Division tour bus.
04. The
Velvet Underground 'Venus in Furs'
The sleazy cool reflected in the distance between Peter Hook's
feet when he used to wear those leather trousers is perfectly encapsulated in Lou Reed's pervily sublime steal of a famous mucky book and the sound of John Cale sawing a cello in half. Which somehow perfectly leads us beneath a motorway bridge near NorthendenŠ.
05. Doves 'M62 Song'
You can hear the trucks and cars on this dark lullaby recorded in the dead of night. And the mic is passed to a feller in a sparkly jacket and greasy hairŠ.
06. Roxy Music 'In Every Dream Home a Heartache'
Simultaneously sinister and hilarious this love song for an inflatable lady friend was the kind of thing that the responsible young citizens that went on to make up New Order would twist their impressionable minds with.
07. Cat
Stevens 'Was Dog a Doughnut?'
A peak time classic at Jellybean's Funhouse when New Order first alighted in electro land NY. Chick Corea is playing keyboards on this. On paper it might seem ridiculous, in reality it is perfect.
08. Mantronix 'Bassline'
Before narrow-mindedness set up a fence between house and hip-hop, this was the kind of record that filled the floor with ease at the Hacienda. Lyrically it's all but irrelevant, but its frantic edits and undeniable energy still make it special.
09. The
Groundhogs 'Cherry Red'
A psychotic energy flash from a much misunderstood abstract blues band who, while their contemporaries sang of pixies and hobbits, traversed the same idiosyncratic route as Joy Division did almost ten years later. Peter Hook would probably tell you that Tony McPhee says more about his life than JG Ballard.
10. Joey
Beltram 'Energy Flash'
Downright demonic, during the creation of this mix, shards of this devilish techno masterpiece appeared to replay in other rooms in the building for no good reason. Also features the word 'Ecstasy' which, though now ridiculous, at the time had a certain frisson.
11. Donna Summer 'I Feel Love (Patrick Cowley mix)'
Edited down from its original 15-minute glory in order to keep it burning here, this record still sounds incredible in any form. What could they have been thinking/drinking in Munich back then?
12. Can 'Mushroom'
Krautrock underpinned by the inspirational drumming of Jaki Liebezeit who appears to have studied under James Brown while the rest of the band kept busy sellotaping bits of dark Velvet to Stockhausen's arty pants. And Explosions as a bonus- what more could you need in any piece of music?
13. Rhythim is Rhythim 'The Dance'
Almost 15 years old and still peerless in all it's skeletal glory. Let's leave some intellectuals to draw a line between this and something off Power Corruption and Lies.
14. Giorgio Vs Talla 2XLC 'E=MC2'
Acknowledged on more than one occasion by Bernard Sumner as a transitional influence on the fledgling New Order, this celebration of machine music is the only place to end.
New Order CDs
2002, Oct 16; 13;16:
1. Big Eyed Beans From Venus - Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band 2. Higher Than the Sun - Primal Scream 3. he Rain - Missy Elliot (Supa Dupa Fly) 4. Venus in Furs - The Velvet Underground 5. M62 Song - Doves 6. In Every Dream Home a Heartache - Roxy Music 7. Was Dog a Doughnut? - Cat Stevens 8. Bassline - Mantronix 9. Cherry Red - The Groundhogs 10. Energy Flash - Joey Beltram 11. I Feel Love - Donna Summer (Patrick Cowley mix) 12. Mushroom - Can 13. The Dance - Rhythim is Rhythim 14. E=MC2 - Giorgio Vs Talla 2XLC