|
Released in the UK on 9 December and featuring a typically
innovative and contentious tracklisting of Pop, Fan,
Remix and Live selections by journalists Miranda
Sawyer and John McReady, former Hacienda
DJ Mike Pickering and Primal Scream's Bobby
Gillespie, New Order's 'Retro' looks set to keep
those pub arguments fresh and alive if nothing else.Everyone
has their favourite and everyone always appears to align
themselves with one particular order: the 'singles'
New Order, the '12 "' New Order, 'Early' New Order,
'Late' New Order, 'Live' New Order - the list goes
on. Whether it's a testament to the band's ability to
flout convention by appealing to complex, disparate
peoples or whether it's simply a sign of their age,
it's fitting that this collection divides it's discs
as much as its fanbase: it's cubic, it's angular and
it comes with a bloody marvellous 72 page booklet. With
a witty commentary by the band on only the tracks they
could be bothered talking about and an article by each
of the CD compilers the booklet itself is worth half
the money. Full of outstanding, rare and unseen photos
it is also a fitting testimony to their lasting contribution
to the visual and much as the musical in 80's and 90's
music culture.
Likened to a clue from 'Catchphrase' the release's enigmatic
sleeve was designed by the legendary Peter Saville.
An Eagle? A Glitterball? What the fuck is all that about?
Luckily though, the format pretty well matches the brilliant
and comprehensive Joy Division box-set, Heart and Soul
and this is arguably the clearest explanation of the
design.
Dedicated to New Order's manager, the late Rob Gretton
who originally initiated this project, the record in
the very least culls together the odds and sods rarities
of the band's career: "Run 2", "MTO", "Video 586", the
Western Works demos, the Hacienda Christmas flexi, various
previously unreleased live BBC radio and TV sessions
and the classic, definitive "blue ribbon cover" version
of "Ceremony".
Originally to have been called 'ReCycle'. Rob
Gretton's original idea was to have every recorded version
of every New Order track PLUS unreleased material placed
together, side-by-side in one whopping 20-disc collection.
Steven Morris also explains that another idea was have
a 'Pick and Mix' of 5 of the 20 so you wouldn't know
which ones you were getting.
As it is you get four discs that pretty much cover every
eventuality of taste. You get The 'Hits', the classic
LP tracks/B-sides, the remixes and the live tracks.
And if you are lucky enough, you may just get a fifth
disc of rarities including an 18 minute version of Elegia
and other rarities.
Retro informs the uninitiated, and replenishes those
in the know.
NEW ORDER - ‘RETRO’ - TRACKLISTING
Disk One – Entitled ‘Pop’, chosen by Miranda Sawyer
1. 'Fine Time'
2. 'Temptation'
3. 'True Faith'
4. 'The Perfect Kiss'
5. ‘Ceremony’
6. ‘Regret'
7. ‘Crystal’
8. 'Bizarre Love Triangle'
9. ‘Confusion'
10. 'Round and Round'
11. 'Blue Monday’
12. 'Brutal'
13. 'Slow Jam'
14. 'Everyone Everywhere'
Disk Two –Entitled ‘Fan’, chosen by John McCready
1. ‘Elegia’
2. ‘In a Lonely Place’
3. ‘Procession’
4. ‘Your Silent Face’
5. ‘Sunrise’
6. ‘Let’s Go’
7. ‘Broken Promise’
8. ‘Dreams Never End’
9. ‘Cries and Whispers’
10. ‘All Day Long’
11. ‘Sooner Than You Think’
12. ‘Leave Me Alone’
13. ‘Lonesome Tonight’
14. ‘Every Little Counts’
15. ‘Run Wild’
Disk Three –Entitled ‘Club’, chosen by Mike Pickering
1. ‘Confusion’ Koma & Bones Mix with Bernard’s new vocal
2. ‘Paradise’ Robert Racic Mix
3. ‘Regret’ Sabres Slow ‘N’ Low Mix
4. ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’ Shep Pettibone Mix
5. ‘Shell Shock’ John Robie Mix
6. ‘Fine Time’ Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley Mix
7. ‘1963’ Arthur Baker Mix
8. ‘Touched by the Hand of God’ Original Version
9. ‘Everything’s Gone Green’ Original Version
10. ‘Blue Monday’ Jam & Spoon Manuela Mix
11. ‘World in Motion’ Subbuteo Mix
12. ‘Here to Stay’ Extended Instrumental
13. ‘Crystal’ Lee Coombs Remix
Disk Four –Entitled ‘Live’, chosen by New Order and
Bobby Gillespie
1. Ceremony’ Studio 54, Barcelona on 7 July 1984
2. ‘Procession’ Sunderland 15 August 1984
3. ‘Everything’s Gone Green’ Tolworth Rec. Centre, Kingston,
London 6 December 1985
4. ‘In a Lonely Place’ Glastonbury Festival 20th June
1981
5. ‘Age of Consent’ Spectrum Arena, Warrington 1 March
1986
6. ‘Elegia’ Glastonbury Festival 19th June 1987
7. ‘The Perfect Kiss’ Fulcrum Centre, Slough 7 Dec 1985
8. ‘Fine Time’ Hoffman Estates, Chicago 30 June 1989
9. ‘World’ Starplex Amphitheatre, Dallas 21 July 1983
10. ‘Regret’ Reading Festival 31 August 1993
11. ‘As It Is When It Was’ Reading Festival 31 August
1993
12. Intermission by Alan Wise Olympia, Paris 12 November
2001
13. ‘Crystal’ Big Day Out, Gold Coast 20 January 2002
14. ‘Turn My Way’ Olympia, Liverpool 18 July 2001
15. ‘Temptation’ Academy, Brixton 10 October 2001
Relevant sites:
New
Order - Official Reprise site
|