New Order: Singles

I've been buying New Order for more than 20 years, which is more than a little unsettling to me, but ultimately not the point. Here's the point. Can yet another hits collection from New Order be worth buying? I procrastinated picking this up, and tried not to, but ultimately did.

And I recommend that you pick it up if you're even a casual New Order fan. Why? Because it's excellent New Order, and it's got all of the great tracks in their original single versions. I'm a big fan of the extended remix in general, and a big fan of New Order's Substance set, which I also recommend even if it's overdue for a remaster. While Substance focuses on the great 12" remixes of New Order's 80's singles, Singles focuses on the concise versions that in some cases never appeared on the albums.

Truth: It's worth owning. You'll find yourself singing along (if you know the words), and realizing again how great New Order's tunes are ... and saving the extended enjoyment for another time. And the remastering sounds fantastic.

You can order it from Amazon here.

Zero 7: Just Buy it All

So, I'm in Las Vegas for a business trip a while back, in the better-than-anything-else-in-Vegas Zia Records, and I'm perusing the electronica section, when a couple of guys stand right next to me, trying to figure out who sings that great song called "Wasting Time." The one guy -- who works there, I figure out, is pretty sure it's Zero 7. So I can't refrain, and have to butt in and let them know that it's "In The Waiting Line" on the first album, Simple Things.

So the other guy, the shopper, turns to talk to me and asks me for my recommendations on Zero 7.

Here's what I told him, and it's what I'll tell you. Zero 7 is fantastic. Simple Things is an amazing album -- if you're like me, and like the "downtempo" sound, you won't be disappointed. But Zero 7 has great songs as well, not just "chilled grooves," not that there's anything wrong with that. If you're going to buy a Zero 7 CD, buy that one. "Destiny" is one of the best songs of the last decade.

If you can't get enough of those songs, you can pick up the remix collection, Simple Things Remixes. But that's really the last priority for Zero 7 shopping. The mixes are generally good ... but you're better off buying the second album next ...

When It Falls is nearly as good as Simple Things ... with some clear highlights, including "Home," featuring Tina Dico (more about her another time). If you can buy a second Zero 7, buy this. Honestly, both CDs are great. "Warm Sound," featuring Mozez (see earlier post) is also a great track, and the "Somersault" single is great as well.

That's where I stopped with the poor shopper buy at Zia. But there's a new Zero 7 en route in June -- The Garden. I've picked up the pre-single, and heard a pre-release version of the CD. It's good, but it's quite different from the first two. The first real single, "Throw It All Away," is much in the Zero 7 mold, but the rest of the CD will probably grow on me. You can also hear previews, get news, etc. at the official band website.

Here's what I realized. Zero 7 is not a "band" in the traditional sense. It's a collection of musicians assembled and produced by Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker. In fact, I realized that to a great degree, they're the Alan Parsons Project for a new millennium, and I mean that in a good way. Great vocalists, stupendous production, gorgeous tracks. Of course, they have some similarities to Air, Tosca, and so on, but they're the most consistent and most accomplished songsmiths of this breed.

Truth: Go pick up some Zero 7 if you don't own any. You'll enjoy it.

Morrissey's latest

Morrissey's latest, Ringleader of the Tormentors (standard release), isn't as much of a step forward as I had hoped after the great You Are the Quarry (Platinum Edition)*. If you like Morrissey, the new CD is as good, if not better, than his early solo work. But the CD as a whole doesn't hold together for me as well as You Are the Quarry.

Don't get me wrong: Morrissey is, generally speaking, clearly in command of his skills and is harnessing a new, harder edge to his benefit.** But while the production is nice, the songs themselves fall flat. I like "You Have Killed Me," and find some entertaining, including the flawed "At Last I Am Born." But the duds outweigh the strong tracks on this disc, making it a much weaker album than YATQ (where I simply skip over the hamfisted "America is Not The World." Yes, Morrissey, I know, thanks for the observation, hearing it once is enough).

Truth: if you're a Morrissey fan, go ahead and pick this up. But if you're only a casual fan, or looking for something as good as YATQ, don't: get the "You Have Killed Me" single via your physical or legal download medium of choice and call it good. Sadly, for me, it's only a 5/10.


* (If you haven't bought YATQ yet, the Platinum Edition tacks on nine b-sides, saving you the effort of buying singles, as well as a DVD with a video and live videos, etc. It's a better deal all the way around.)

** To that end, I'd also have to recommend his complementary live releases, both of which I enjoyed, Live at Earls Court, which you can pick up for about ten bucks on Amazon, and the DVD, Who Put The 'M' in Manchester?, which shows him at the top of his game.

Tags: morrissey, you are the quarry, ringleader of the tormentors