THEY’RE OFF THE HOOK! New New Order have had a change in personnel, they’re playing Glasto, have passed on the keyboards gene to Tilly (Gillian and Stephen’s daughter) who’s in the awesome Hot Vestry, and their album Music Complete is a triumphant return to form. What better time to throwback and throwdown on this Thursday and pick a winner from their 10 studio albums.
Is it the one with Blue Monday? The synthy one with Ecstasy on it? Nope. We’re going for perhaps an unsung hero from the back cat – Get Ready, their seventh. A mind-boggling 15 years old. Yet another stylish sleeve – the cover art was art directed by Peter Saville (FAC designer extraordinaire) and shot by Jürgen Teller. It looks minimal and stylish, but the album is loud, weighty and visceral. There are surprise guests in the form of Smashing Pumpkin’s Billy Corgan on Turn My Way, and Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie on Rock the Shack.
Like Pink Floyd’s Great Gig in the Sky, New Order kicks off the album with a mournful (yet shexy) female voice (Dawn Zee) to set the tone before synthesized strings swell, the drums and jangly guitar crashes in. Crystal was the biggest tune off the album (remixed to great effect by Lee Coombs) and hints at all the elements to be found over the course of the album. Their love affair with electronics and dance music is evident on the crisp electronic drums throughout, or the bombastic, Chemical Brothers style beats and production on Primitive Notion.
As for the guests, it almost sounds like NO have taken a cue from them on the Pumpkins sounding Slow Jam, and closer, Run Wild sounding like a Screamadelica offcut (with real string arrangements). There’s loud/quiet, loud, quiet, but what’s really clear is that Bernard’s voice and vocal delivery has really been put to the test. The lyrics are even more well-crafted than usual, as if the production value is centred on him. However, it’s not just about Mr Sumner. Hook’s bass is a driving force in itself, never settling for background position.
Get Ready is worth a revisit, over and over again. It combines all the best bits of New Order and shakes things up to remind you that there’s no formula to them despite their longevity, just consistently brilliant results.
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