On the Shelf 155: New Order
Nov. 16th, 2015 04:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bedsitter23Well, I figure I should at least say something about the new New Order album.
Uncut compared Sumner and Hook to Gilmour and Waters, and it is probably fairly accurate. New Order is my Floyd, and Sumner and Hook kept fighting and breaking up and getting back together until they didn't.
A New Order sans Hook seems well, just not right, though when I (like many fans) heard Gillian Gilbert was coming back into the fold, found myself okay with the idea. Tom Chapman from Sumner's side project Bad Lieutenant steps into those heavy shoes and Phil Cunningham (who coincidentally was also in Bad Lieutenant), Gillian's "Replacement" sticks around too.
Like Floyd, the album sales remain, but the band has such a long history now that they likely will never surprise us again. Their sixth album Republic took them away from a dance direction they were going and gave them their biggest hit "Regret" (Biggest in chart terms. Many New Order songs are 80s standards now, but none had the mainstream effect at the time of release like "Regret") which indeed surprised everyone, but also set them up for years of recording their Division Bells.
Which is by no means a slight. I actually really like Get Ready a lot. It's not terribly memorable in terms of singles, but quite simply, I like it a lot.
My least favorite New Order incidentally is the dance-y New Order, which peaked at Technique. This was the New Order I was born into. I am actually not as fond of it as their other records, though it tends to get better reviews than most their discs. It also should be said I am a total New Order apologist, and pretty much have loved anything with Sumner on vocals, so it's not like I am saying it's a bad album.
It is probably not that surprising that the re-addition of Gilbert means the band is back to the sound of Technique from the guitar driven sounds of their 21st Century discs. Reviews are positive, and the album does stand up to that lineage, though certainly there's nothing as single friendly as "Round and Round" here in my opinion.
I am happy with it and playing it alot, though, like I said I have my own preferences. At it's best on songs like "Restless"and "Singularity", it is driven by guitar and is as good as their 21st Century work. "Singularity" with its driving bass nods to Joy Division. At other times, like "Tutti Frutti" it mimics Sumner's Electronic. Again, not necessarily a bad thing. That song and another feature Elly Jackson from LeRoux, who seamlessly fits in with the band.
Iggy Pop shows up for a spoken word track, which probably isn't necessary. Brandon Flowers shows up to harmonize on the closing track. It is a consistent listen, which proves the praise it is receiving is indeed deserved. New Order's many contemporaries who are still on the scene, can usually put it together for a song or two but struggle to fill an album.
Uncut compared Sumner and Hook to Gilmour and Waters, and it is probably fairly accurate. New Order is my Floyd, and Sumner and Hook kept fighting and breaking up and getting back together until they didn't.
A New Order sans Hook seems well, just not right, though when I (like many fans) heard Gillian Gilbert was coming back into the fold, found myself okay with the idea. Tom Chapman from Sumner's side project Bad Lieutenant steps into those heavy shoes and Phil Cunningham (who coincidentally was also in Bad Lieutenant), Gillian's "Replacement" sticks around too.
Like Floyd, the album sales remain, but the band has such a long history now that they likely will never surprise us again. Their sixth album Republic took them away from a dance direction they were going and gave them their biggest hit "Regret" (Biggest in chart terms. Many New Order songs are 80s standards now, but none had the mainstream effect at the time of release like "Regret") which indeed surprised everyone, but also set them up for years of recording their Division Bells.
Which is by no means a slight. I actually really like Get Ready a lot. It's not terribly memorable in terms of singles, but quite simply, I like it a lot.
My least favorite New Order incidentally is the dance-y New Order, which peaked at Technique. This was the New Order I was born into. I am actually not as fond of it as their other records, though it tends to get better reviews than most their discs. It also should be said I am a total New Order apologist, and pretty much have loved anything with Sumner on vocals, so it's not like I am saying it's a bad album.
It is probably not that surprising that the re-addition of Gilbert means the band is back to the sound of Technique from the guitar driven sounds of their 21st Century discs. Reviews are positive, and the album does stand up to that lineage, though certainly there's nothing as single friendly as "Round and Round" here in my opinion.
I am happy with it and playing it alot, though, like I said I have my own preferences. At it's best on songs like "Restless"and "Singularity", it is driven by guitar and is as good as their 21st Century work. "Singularity" with its driving bass nods to Joy Division. At other times, like "Tutti Frutti" it mimics Sumner's Electronic. Again, not necessarily a bad thing. That song and another feature Elly Jackson from LeRoux, who seamlessly fits in with the band.
Iggy Pop shows up for a spoken word track, which probably isn't necessary. Brandon Flowers shows up to harmonize on the closing track. It is a consistent listen, which proves the praise it is receiving is indeed deserved. New Order's many contemporaries who are still on the scene, can usually put it together for a song or two but struggle to fill an album.
