New Order's cover of Vietnam

You can hear streaming New Order's cover of Jimmy Cliff's Vietnam, included on the forthcoming benefit album Hope of the War Child series, and other tracks of the compilation on the site dedicated to the release: http://www.hope-cd.com/ .

Gabrielles Wish - Portal

A review written in April 2003, six months before doing the first fan site dedicated to GabriellesWish which will evolve into their new official site.

This band has been circulating for, like, ten years or something. The first time I became aware of them was at New Order's comeback concert at the Apollo in Manchester in 1998. The support bands were Doves (formerly known as alternative dance act Sub Sub), at their debut as an indie rock band with that name, and Gabrielle's Wish.
New Order's bassist Peter Hook told me before the concert they were bands from their manager Rob Gretton's label, Manchester Records (formerly known as Robsercords, home also of A Certain Ratio in the 90s). And it was Rob who made New Order speak to each other again after five years. One year later he died of a hear attack. We won't ever be grateful enough to his memory for what he did just before reaching Ian Curtis and Martin Hannett. It's not weird this album is dedicated to him on the back cover.
When Gabrielle's Wish opened the gig I was instantly blown away by their impact. They were amazing, an explosive mix of Joy Division, The Fall, Section 25 and Nine Inch Nails, attacking the audience with emotive, violent and powerful music. Music which was the very essence of Manchester to me, the perfect soundtrack to the Apollo Theatre's spooky surroundings, big empty buildings, shut down shops which still had their final sale banners on the window after years and years, a ghost suburb.
The day after I immediately run into the record shop to buy their EPs on Manchester Records, two releases of the year before which put together could as well be their first album, with eleven tracks (plus a hidden one). They wanted to satisfy the customers including many extra tracks and ended making a debut album almost without noticing it. And what an album... everything I expected from the gig and more...
Then I knew nothing about them, I just wondered what happened after Rob died (was he still alive, I think he'd have found the way to make people aware of this criminally underrated band) and found their website. The uncompromising kids had been releasing 10" vinyl only singles or something (some tracks had luckily been uploaded as MP3s to their site), alright, it seems they don't want Top Of The Pops, but I strongly believe this would have been a very important band at the height of Factory days... it just seems natural: Joy Division - New Order, Section 25, Crispy Ambulance, The Wake and Gabrielle's Wish. The fact they're just an obscure contemporary band doesn't make them less brilliantly essential. They're just that good, a timeless new wave band refreshed with quite some modern sound.
And so comes their first proper album, Portal. With the current new wave revival (Interpol, Radio 4 etc.) you'd expect the indie labels to fight for this band which doesn't just do revival, but instead is just the incarnation of Manchester new wave in the 21st century, a band that could conquer loads of fans of a certain target, because they do the real thing with their extreme intensity. Instead they release this self financed CD with admirable Do It Yourself punk ethic, and they'll stay music's best kept secret, the most precious hidden jewel for few lucky fans, and I'm proud to be one of them.
Portal is simply one of the best records ever released in the last ten years, an absolute masterpiece. Just look at The Vines, Datsuns and other useless simplistic stuff on the cover of NME. Then hear this and remember how music can be devastatingly powerful. The album is opened by what curiously sounds like a jam between early Echo And The Bunnymen and Campag Velocet (another of the few good bands making their debut in the recent years, although disappearing shortly thereafter). You can hear a sample of Blue Skies on the site of Piccadilly Records, the Manchester shop where I bought the album from. They do a great job and accept International Money Orders, so also people outside England can get this album without a credit card.
The following Scream is one of their best songs, with its deep bass and touching guitar. This track and the wildly angular Stag just show us Gabrielles Wish (now without the apostrophe) have an obvious new wave influence, but can do the thing in their own unique way. After the glorious madness of Vinegar Milk comes what's probably their best track of Portal, Midnight Itch, where they seriously come close to the intensity of Joy Division, Interpol just do lightweight pleasant efforts but this is the real thing and that's why this band should have been on Factory, the last band at this level was early Section 25 at their very best.
The violence of Dateless Wonder and Glash Ashtray (the song which definitely confirms the band's abilty to create a sound of their own) and the darkness of All Day Long and Orange Light (with the wonderfully melancholic guitar in the finishing part) complete this masterpiece with two instrumentals, a short interlude (Panphobia) and most of all a touching atmospheric ambient keyboard (Human Arms) which makes a peaceful final after such extreme emotions.
Do you want to stay out there with all the others ignoring such a great band or do you want to come inside and discover how music can still be so powerful and emotional? Welcome in the lucky few.

Rating: 10/10

New Order - Retro

So, here's the box set. Retro, that's for Retrospective, certainly not for the music attitude, as New Order have always been the most forward looking of the bands. No truly rare tracks for the fans. Disappointing? Not at all! Well, I'd have liked if they included rarer tracks like Mesh, which is so good it gives the name to my personal site, but still there's plenty of good stuff here.
Four CDs, and a booklet which alone is worth the price, and another wonderful artwork (a disco mirrorball attacked by an eagle?). Since compiling the set would have made the band members argue for months, they gave the task to four fans who are also friends. The first CD was compiled by journalist Miranda Sawyer and she did a really good job. She compiled a sort of alternative International, the greatest hits compilation, but there are some priceless gems here, like two electro masterpieces: the original 12" version of Temptation from 1982, even better than the most popular 1987 version, which was previously available on CD only on the 1981-1982 compilation, which is hard to find in the most of the world, and most of all the wonderful original 12" version of Confusion, even better than the most popular 1987 version as well, previously never available on CD.
John McCready is another journo, and he compiled a CD with more obscure tracks, at least to those who have not all the albums... this box set is an excellent way to start with New Order, because there are four CDs which cover the most of their unique career, and quite enough to convert you into a devoted fan who buys everything else... There's Let's Go, which appeared only on the 1963 single before, and Cries And Whispers (except we all thought it was Mesh, but now we know, thank you Steve...), and other album tracks which will want you to get them all at once.

Mike Pickering is part of the history of New Order. He was A&R at Factory, member of Quando Quango and DJ at the Hacienda. He made a CD of remixes (except some classic 12" versions like Everything's Gone Green), where we find Koma & Bones from the new Confusion 2002 12", the rare Paradise 12" remix and other great remixes from singles like World In Motion and Crystal.
Then there's the live CD, compiled by Bobby Gillespie, which now is leader of Primal Scream and was part of Jesus And Mary Chain, but most of all was the bassist of Wake, a great Factory band very inspired by New Order. The band members thought his selection was too oriented to the early tracks and so managed to argue with such a devoted fan to change the tracks to a wider compilation, which features wild performances of Procession and In A Lonely Place (with Bernard's fierce screams) and brilliant live tracks of Everything's Gone Green, Age Of Consent, The Perfect Kiss, Fine Time (from the mad American 1989 tour) and Turn My Way with Billy Corgan from Smashing Pumpkins (fan and friend of the band since a teenager) in Liverpool, and I witnessed that bit in history.
There's also a limited edition including a fifth bonus CD with more rarities, like Temptation 1998, Transmission live, the video version of Perfect Kiss and the full 17 minutes version of Elegia.

And then there's the booklet, with some wonderful photographs never seen before, and some interesting, emotional and hilarious bits. I could have written some of the words of the guests in my own review... Here are some (don't read if you don't want to spoil them before having the booklet) which tell better than any others what New Order are:

Steve Morris: It was Rob's idea originally, God rest his soul. He wanted to do a box set and put every single version of every single and all the stuff tied in and then somebody realised it was going to be 20 CDs and we wouldn't make any money... There's something for everyone at Christmas. McCready's CD is for the snotty nephew who didn't get the trainset he wanted, but a sweater instead. The frustrated housewife would go for Mike Pickering: not been out clubbing in a while, get a groove while doing the dishes. Granny would go for Miranda's, she can hum along, cos she'll know them already. And Bobby's live one would be for the getting-slightly-tubby ex football hooligan.

Bernard Sumner: We were using electronics live in the early days, when nobody else was using electronics, they were using tapes. We insisted on using the sequencers that we used in the studio.

Barney: If we got back together after all that we'd been through, we know we're not going to split up again.

Miranda Sawyer: Those of us who grew up in Manchester in the 80s and 90s have much to thank New Order for: they gave us our good times, by creating the places to go, and then by keeping them open with their own hard-come-easy-go cash... they gave us the cool passion of their music... and they did it all without turning into twats. Which is nigh-on impossible in pop music, and uttelry heroic when you think of the trauma new Order endured. The deaths, the debts, the playing, the partying, the long tours, the slow grind of love and friendship. And all for this. The music, and the feeling it creates. Lucky for us.

Barney: We never used to do encores. We used to play for forty minutes and go offstage. It wasn't arrogance. It was just that when we went to concerts we got bored after forty minutes. So we thought, it's possible that the machines could play a song, so we could just come in and press a button and we wouldn't have todo an encore, but the audience would get one and that'll confuse them and they'll all fuck off.
Steve: It didn't always work.
Barney: Blue Monday developed out of that. Except it couldn't be just machines because Hooky likes playnig his bass... and we needed a vocal...

John McCready: This music still stands. The era that spawned it, the era it spawned, is six feet underground inn our cultural consciousness. Yet these songs can still nag you with a thousand suggestions...

Barney: When we were struggling to start again after Ian died everyone had a go at singing. To be honest, I think Steve had the best voice... I didn't know how to sing, I didn't want to be a singer, I never ever thought I would be a singer, but I had to be really, if we were to carry on.

Mike Pickering: In '88 I met Derrick May and Kevin Sanderson, the creators of the Detroit sound I was playing at the Hacienda, it was evident a great part of their sound was taken from New Order, who they idolised.

Bobbie Gillespie: You know the way it is now, bands release an album every two or three years and take a single off the album, but with New Order, between Movement and Power Corruption And Lies, they released Everything's Gone Green, Procession, Temptation and Blue Monday. Everything was an art statement. They were always going forward musically, and they were never scared to do something new, they were really brave.

Peter Hook: That Tolworth gig in 1981 the T shirt tout guy tried to give us some money, because we didn't have any, and he felt guilty cos he was selling so many bootleg T shirts. But we thre him out, because we were very anti-merchandise, being poncey and anti exploiting your image and all that crap. And then Bernard ran down the road after him, going, 'Come back, come back! I'll have it!'.

Hooky: After Reading 1993 I was nearly in tears... you just knew it was the last one. I never thought that we would get back together again.

Barney: We were all there (for the concert at the Olympia in Liverpool in 2001) because we wanted to be there. Obviously we have fond memories of that. It's been a pleasure to play with New Order. Even when I didn't enjoy it I always put everything I had into it.

Diaframma - I Giorni Dell'Ira

Il 2002 è stato un anno davvero intenso per i Diaframma. Durante l'anno era già uscita la raccolta Sassolini Sul Fondo Del Fiume, che raccoglieva preziosi inediti registrati col secondo cantante della storia del gruppo, Miro Sassolini (persino la bozza di un album che avrebbe dovuto sancire una reunion a fine anni 90).
Poco prima della fine dell'anno è uscito un numero del Mucchio Selvaggio Extra con allegato l'ultimo strepitoso concerto con Sassolini alla voce, Live Al Big Club 1988 (imperdibili le esecuzioni di Boxe, Marta, Spazi Immensi, Tre Volte Lacrime, Siberia, Un Temporale In Campagna, Elena, Amsterdam, Memoria, Delorenzo, Caldo, praticamente tutte!), appena prima che Federico Fiumani decidesse di rifondare i Diaframma come cantante (salva la reunion estemporanea in occasione del ventesimo anniversario dell'apertura del Tenax di Firenze, sempre nel 2002!).
Intanto è uscito anche il nuovo album, I Giorni Dell'Ira... ovviamente il titolo non ha nulla a che vedere con l'IRA, l'etichetta che pubblicò i primi album epocali dei Diaframma a metà anni 80, come no... chissà, magari si riferisce alla guerriglia cattolica nordirlandese...
Si è parlato spesso di un tentativo di Fiumani di recuperare le sonorità new wave degli anni 80, dopo la svolta a metà tra cantautorato e pub rock degli anni 90. In effetti un paio d'anni fa aveva anche realizzato un tour particolarmente dedicato alle canzoni di quegli anni, e si può individuare questo sforzo nel precedente album, Il Futuro Sorride A Quelli Come Noi, a partire dalla copertina... ma in realtà questo tentativo è stato condotto con saggezza, evitando di abbandonarsi ad una sterile nostalgia e continuando il proprio percorso originale.
In questo senso il nuovo album sembra confermare questa tendenza: ormai la canzone di Fiumani si è stabilizzata su un rock d'autore, a volte vigoroso, altre delicato, che si pone al di là della contemporaneità, ma anche del revival.
Fiumani è semplicemente sé stesso, come sempre, nel bene e nel male, senza cercare ulteriori mutazioni, che del resto non avrebbero senso dopo 20 anni di carriera come patriarca del rock alternativo italiano.
Dopo avere gettato al vento, negli anni 90, due occasioni per il grande successo, la prima perchè non voleva sanremizzarsi, la seconda (più grave) perchè non voleva aspettare Maroccolo che stava per far decollare il Consorzio, continua per la sua strada, esempio di vera indipendenza in senso artistico ed organizzativo.
A parte stampa e distribuzione, fortunatamente curate dalla Self, Fiumani si produce da solo, si fa le copertine da solo e si procura anche gran parte delle date dal vivo, forte del fatto che può contare su un eroico zoccolo duro di fans, disposti anche a viaggi lungo l'intera penisola per seguirlo, e persino ad aiutarlo nella stessa fase organizzativa. Fiumani è stato il primo ad incarnare il punk (quello vero, mica quello da fighetti dei Punkreas e delle centinaia di cloni del finto punk californiano) in Italia, rimane anche l'ultimo ad impersonarlo nel modo più autentico.
Quest'album parte bene, Il Disprezzo, robusto ed ironico punk tra wave e garage, è anche il brano migliore. Ma anche la travolgente title track è davvero ottima. Seguono buone canzoni più in linea con la tradizione anni 90 come Sua Maestà e Il Disco Dei Replacements, ed è quasi superfluo ribadire i testi splendidi, tra umorismo e poesia, e un episodio davvero divertente come Nella Firenze Degli Anni 80, anche Signore Che Pulisci Il Mare è convincente. Sei buone canzoni, a cui ne seguono altre sei che lasciano un po'più perplessi, molto più approssimative, soprattutto dal punto di vista melodico.
Certo, unendo i brani migliori di ciascuno degli ultimi album otteniamo un capolavoro. Invece Fiumani pubblica spesso i suoi album e così ci ritroviamo con un album che è diviso in due con una precisione sorprendente. Del resto molti grandi artisti pubblicano album che hanno solo tre o quattro canzoni davvero eccellenti, solo che magari le distribuiscono meglio all'interno dell'album per cui quelle mediocri passano in secondo piano e l'album viene maggiormente apprezzato nel suo insieme. I brani migliori salvano abbondantemente I Giorni Dell'Ira, senza considerare che, nell'attuale decadente panorama italiano (tenendo conto che l'unico altro album degno di nota uscito nel 2002 in Italia è Amorematico dei Subsonica... che nostalgia per i fermenti di metà anni 90...), svetta come una delle uscite migliori.

Voto: 7/10

A Certain Ratio - Early

We must be extremely thankful to Soul Jazz Records, which is resurrecting some unfairly forgotten punk-funk material. Music that is as futuristic as untrendy in these times of safe bets even in the supposedly alternative field...
There's In The Beginning There Was Rhythm, a compilation with 23 Skidoo, The Slits, Gang Of Four, Pop Group... how many teenagers know these bands? And still they were making music for today twenty years ago, but they didn't know that music in the 21st century would have sounded like their parents' music... There was still the illusion of looking forward, of mixing strong stuff, tunes and rhythms, and of Doing It Yourself, whatever your knowledge and means were...
The best band in that compilation is A Certain Ratio, who also have this very compilation of their own, a bunch of clueless teenagers which have been as lucky as unlucky...
They were lucky because they wanted to sound like Earth, Wind And Fire, they wanted to play real funky, not new wave... but they didn't know at all how to do it, and were corrupted by Tony Wilson and the Factory gang into mixing punk and funk... they didn't plan it, it came out of lack of knowledge and circumstances... Simon Topping wanted to sound like that hot rare groove stuff from America, and yet he had that voice that sounded so much like Ian Curtis... the perverted genius of Martin Hannett did the rest, not teaching the guys how to play the funk, but filtering their poor instruments through a load of new wave effects.
So you get this unique bass which is like New Order's Peter Hook playing jazz at an underground New York party, and the fact that it came all out from pure luck makes it even more funny. Unconscious funk genius corrupted by punk bastards, you'll never have a band like this on the scene anymore. Were ACR able to play as they wanted, they wouldn't have sounded so good... had they found a honest producer or manager, and we wouldn't have had such a great band... A similar story to New Order, creating their best electro stuff trying gear they didn't know how to play, especially Gillian Gilbert... they wanted dance, but made something slightly different...
ACR were unlucky because as soon as they learnt how to play the funk the most of the people lost interest in them... they did some excellent soul and funk music, but didn't sound unique anymore and Factory didn't treat them at the level of the other Madchester bands... they tried a major label deal, and of course it was a disaster, also because they couldn't completely get rid of the indie attitude, it was soul, but alternative soul... they went back home at Rob Gretton's label... small label, small success, and they were already untrendy by then... Creation rereleased the albums in the 90s, but was too busy with Britpop to give any proper attention, so ACR's music, after four good labels, may still be rare to find... The funny thing is nobody knows it, but ACR still exist and play gigs in small clubs.
But let's go back to their most glorious days, 1978-85, when they did this austere and exciting mix of punk and funk and played Banbarra's funk anthem Shack Up dressed as boy scouts and promoted their gigs with posters of Nazi parades (that was Saville, one of the perverted bastards). Of course the press accused them of fascism, deciding to ignore they were lefties with a black drummer, but that was all part of the fun. Every song here is a casual masterwork, from the funeral party of Flight to the spiky funk of The Fox... and the latin acid fo Blown Away and Skipscada... percussions were excellent, after all Donald Johnson was the onlty one who could actually play his instrument... but still you have the fabulous bass of tracks like Knife Slits Water... by Sounds Like Something Dirty they had eventually learnt how to play, and play damn well too, but they also bacame fond of the new wave attitude and actually won't ever get past it, fortunately enough...
This is not a plain compilation, you get also a booklet with a very interesting retropsective interview and a second CD full of rarities: the pearl is the video of Tribeca, ACR live in New York, 1980, black and white, they all play percussion locked into a room... they play the wonderful Forced Laugh which isn't included in the audio tracks... and what about the original 7" of All Night Party, when they hadn't yet a drummer, and Tony Wilson didn't even think to get one for the record... or the Peel Sessions, the fabulous Felch, the truly rare Tumba Rhumba and Abracadubra, a 12" which was released by the mysterious Sir Horatio... yes, it was ACR trying to sound more funk and dub, but everyone could still recognize the Mancunian indie element, however they tried to hide it... glorious punk-funk by accident.

Rating: 10/10