One record at a time: 275. Nine Inch Nails - Broken

I bought the CD of "Broken" by Nine Inch Nails the day it was released in 1992. When I got home and loaded the CD into my Sony MHC-1600 mini hi-fi, I assumed this album would be similar to the dark electronic music of debut "Pretty Hate Machine". Boy, was I in for a surprise.

As the music played I couldn't quite work out what was going on. Was this heavy metal or rock music of some kind? Was this an E.P. or an album? Why were there ninety tracks of silence? Even the fold out packaging seemed deliberately obtuse and contained barbed remarks aimed at record executives. 

The 2017 definitive edition I am playing here opens with the quietly sinister "Pinion" which soon cedes to the aggression and seemingly limitless anger of "Wish". Whilst the imaginative synth textures and samples of "Pretty Hate Machine" are still evident, guitars are much more prominent and the 'extra real' drums add another layer to the frenzied cacophony. This track is everything I don't like in music; and I love it.

The opening guitar riff on "Last" is an immaculate slice of noise that induces an immediate, almost visceral reaction. Everything on this record oozes anger and Trent seems to scream lyrics like, "Still stings these shattered nerves, pigs we get what pigs deserve" with a depth of feeling I haven't really heard anywhere else. As we move through the various sections of the song you begin to appreciate the intricacy and detail that is underpinning the wall of noise. For me "Last" is the highlight of this record and sits comfortably in the top ten of best Nine Inch Nails tracks.

"Help Me I an in Hell" is one of those short and menacing instrumentals that isn't too exciting when heard in isolation but definitely adds to the overall atmosphere of the record. The promotional single "Happiness in Slavery" comes next with its distorted vocals and frenetic guitars which are counterbalanced by some great synth elements. Any notion that Trent's anger may be receding is soon dismissed when the chorus of "Gave Up" drills into our cranium. Whilst I like this song, it isn't one of my favourites as there is less use of electronics in the mix. 

After the four songs and two interludes we've reached the end of side one and the mini album/EP. The original CD went on to play ninety tracks of silence before 'hidden' cover versions of Adam and the Ant's "Physical" and Pigface's "Suck" erupted. On this vinyl edition, the extra tracks are contained on a separate 7" single so there's no doubt the intention was to present these tracks as being distinct from the original content. Both additional tracks are well realised, but the chugging monotony of "Physical" has the edge for me. 4/5

One record at a time: 274. Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine

One day in November 1991, as I stood in the queue for the till at HMV, the guy in front of me said to his friend, "I really like that song at number 35 called "Sin'". It's really electronic". Upon hearing this I decided to leave the queue to investigate further. I'd never heard of Nine Inch Nails, but the sleek black digipak and gloss printed artwork of the single intrigued me. So, "Sin" came home with me and I've been a fan of Trent Reznor ever since.

Here I am going to be playing the 2010 remastered double vinyl of Trent's debut album which includes the b-side "Get Down Make Love". I also own the Halo I-IV box set from 2015 which includes a single disc version of the original master of the album. 

Having only heard one track when I bought the CD back in 1991, I wasn't sure what to expect from the rest of the album. However, opening track "Head Like a Hole" soon allayed any fears that "Sin" might have just been a flash in the pan. There's something about the lyrics on this song that have always fascinated me and the couplet "Bow down before the one you serve, You're going to get what you deserve" always appealed to my teenage angst. I can still remember finding the 10" and 12" singles of this in Our Price and being captivated by the artwork and different remixes they contained.

After the guitars and aggressive noise of the first track, we segue into the sparse metallic rhythms of "Terrible Lie". As the song progresses we hear various synth patches and samples that are cleverly woven around Trent's suitably angry vocal by producer Flood. The next song is actually a remix called "Down In It (Skin)" that builds on Trent's much sparser demo that was originally scheduled to be included on the album. Whilst "Sanctified" is probably the most dated track on this record it is such an atmospheric composition that it is able to transcend its slightly anachronistic execution. 

Things slow down for "Something I Can Never Have" which is a brooding piece driven by piano and Trent's amazing lyrics. My only slight gripe with this song is that there isn't quite enough going on to justify a six minute run time, but it is still an amazing piece of work. There's a slightly mischievous air to "Kinda I Want To" but it remains unclear what the protagonist wants to do or to whom. I read recently that Trent remains unsatisfied with this song and it is one of his least favourite creations. Next up is the excellent "Sin" but the version on the album is a better mix than the Adrian Sherwood version on the CD single.

The transitions of "That's What I Get" don't work for me and the song sounds a bit of a mess until we hit the raucous, and repetitive coda. "The Only Time" is probably my least favourite track on the album but it does feature the immortal line: "the devil wants to f**k me in the back of his car" that used to cause so much amusement to my teenage friends. One of my favourite tracks is the closing song "Ringfinger". Things initially sound almost like a synth-pop anthem (all be it a rather sinister one) before the twisted chorus turns things on their head. After about four minutes there's an injection of pace that ensures the main album goes out on a high of rattling synths, distorted guitars and samples. The 2010 version then plays Trent's cover version of "Get Down Make Love" that was originally the b-side to "Sin". Personally I'm not totally enamoured with this track and regard it as superfluous to the main album. 4/5

One record at a time: 273. New Order - Republic

Here I am playing a 2015 repressing of New Order's sixth studio album "Republic". This record has great sound reproduction but is let down by the terrible graphic design and the frustrating nature of the music. Things start promisingly enough with the classic track "Regret" which somehow straddles the genres of rock and pop whilst delivering an infectious melody. "World (The Price of Love)" is much better than I remember it being, but the Korg T3 piano and breakbeats sound pretty old fashioned today.

Things go downhill with "Ruined in a Day" which is a bit lacklustre and uses a drum loop that sounds totally out of place on a New Order record. The Sly & Robbie dub mixes included on the single must surely win the prize for worst remixes of 1993 (which is quite an achievement when you consider the DJ Pierre remixes of Pet Shop Boys "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" were also released in that year). "Spooky" is a more upbeat track but it will never be amongst the band's best. "Everyone Everywhere" sounds more akin to old school New Order and its rhythmical complexity marks it out as superior to large chunks of the first side of this record.

"Young Offender" sounds like an early nineties dance anthem trying to burst out of a pop song - a phenomenon that is curiously enjoyable. "Liar" has a great rhythmical intro but it turns into a weird nineties pop song that I could easily hear a talentless boy band singing. There is another stab at dance music with "Chemical" but it sounds confused and antiquated. In fact, some of the songs on this album are so poorly executed it's easy to forget that they were produced by the illustrious Stephen Hague.

As another annoying breakbeat introduces "Times Change" you could be forgiven for thinking things can't get much worse. Yet, when Bernard starts rapping I find myself lifting the needle and skipping to the next track. Having endured a few decidedly iffy moments my tolerance is at an all time low and the final two tracks don't make much impression on me. In terms of vinyl, this is where New Order and I part ways. I dislike "Get Ready" and I don't enjoy "Waiting for the Siren's Call" or "Music Complete" enough to justify the cost. 2/5

One record at a time: 272. New Order - Technique

"Technique" was first released in 1989 and has gone on to become regarded as both a fan favourite and a classic of the decade. Here I am playing my copy which is a 180g repressing from 2009 that sounds nearly flawless to my ears.

"Fine Time" is an amazing dance track and was a brave choice for a single back in 1988 as it doesn't employ a traditional song structure and is largely instrumental. Put quite simply, this is a classic of the New Order canon and essential listening for anyone with a interest in electronic dance music.

"All the Way" is a more traditional rock number but has a strong melody and just enough synth for me to enjoy it. "Love Less" is another enjoyable guitar based track that reminds me of Cocteau Twins with its high chorused bass and floaty melody.

We move back to electronic music with the orchestra hits and Roland D-50 of "Round & Round". This track is another prime slice of late eighties electronic music where the dance floor was inspiring and rejuvenating pop. Whilst I am probably more accustomed to the tighter and punchier single version of this song, the mix on the album is still excellent. I've always liked the strange programming of the percussion and the agogô pattern almost sounds like it was lifted straight from Pet Shop Boys (it wasn't). The final song on this side is "Guilty Partner" which takes off a bit in the chorus but is otherwise a standard rock album track.

One of my favourite songs on here is "Run". This is surprising as it isn't a electronic song but driven by an acoustic guitar and prominent bass work from Peter Hook. The backing vocals and guitar work are excellent and when the Melloton like strings come in towards then end, things take off again in the most brilliant way. "Mr Disco" prophesies the sound of Bernard's  "Electronic" project and is the equal of anything he would go on to produce with Mr Marr. The excellent "Vanishing Point" rumbles into life with a mix of heavy synth bass, TR-909 snares and Roland D-50 Fantasia. This is another one of the high points of the album for me and I used to love hearing this song when it was used on the TV show "Making Out". The album ends with "Dream Attack" which is rescued by its synth bass but is otherwise unremarkable. A great album but would need less guitar and rock tracks to achieve a higher score from me. 4/5

West End Mystery

What do these six images of the Collector's Edition of "West End Girls" by Pet Shop Boys have in common? If you can't spot the problem, don't worry as it probably takes quite specialist and nerdy knowledge to discern what is going on.

The answer is that for all of these records, the 'wrap around' sleeve has been applied incorrectly. This single wasn't issued like this, but the owners haven't been able to work out how to put them back in the sleeve properly. If you search for images of "Pet Shop Boys West End Girls 10 inch" almost every picture looks like this. I'm not sure why it is so difficult to fold the sleeve correctly, but almost everyone seems to get it wrong. Apart from causing me some mild annoyance, this isn't an issue as how people chose to store their records is no concern of mine.

However, if you advertise your record for sale as "mint", "still sealed" or "never opened" using images like these - I know you're lying. This is quite a collectible record for Pet Shop Boys enthusiasts and people will pay anywhere between £25 and £75 for a copy in good condition. So if you're looking to buy this record and the sleeve doesn't look like image to the right, then it is not "mint" and has definitely been opened.

I bought my copy of this 10" twenty tears ago from a well known online retailer (I still have the receipt and cringe at the £85 price tag - but hey, the postage was only £1.85). Even though mine was sold as mint and shows no signs of wear whatsoever, it was nineteen years old when it came into my possession and I have no way of knowing what truly happened during those years. In fact, when I look closely at the photo I just took, I can see the catalogue number is upside-down, which suggests the sticker has been re-applied the wrong way round. So my copy might not be mint either, but at least I don't have a strip of the inner photo showing through the front - which is more than 99% of people selling them can say.

 

One record at a time: 271. New Order - Substance

I think I own a version of this compilation on CD somewhere, but this new vinyl edition only came into my possession in 2023. Like many albums that have been repressed recently, it was released to capitalise on consumer demand that was driving second-hand prices of the original record ever upward. Whilst fairly costly, this double LP is an essential purchase as it brings together all of the band's 12" singles released between 1981 and 1987; many of which were not included on albums. In typical New Order fashion, the true nature of this release was confused by including re-recordings of two songs, edits of a handful of others and mixing up the names of two of the b-sides included on the cassette and CD editions.

This vinyl only contains the twelve a-sides and, as it moves in chronological order, the re-recording of "Ceremony" starts us off. I think it is fairly well known that this song began life as a Joy Division composition and it is sounds predictably atmospheric and moody; pop music this is not. The New Order back catalogue is not easy to navigate and the inclusion of "Everything's Gone Green" could be based on any number of factors. Yet it is important this song is included as, not only is it very good, but it is clearly a moment in which New Order emerged from the shadow of Joy Division. "Temptation" has a very distinctive vocal that seems to be perfectly complimented by the rattling guitars and the synth sequences - I like this track very much and it fully justifies its seven minute length. Next up is the classic "Blue Monday" that I don't have to describe here - suffice to say this track was a seismic shift in electronic music and we wouldn't be where we are today without it. 

"Confusion" on the other hand is not a track I enjoy. The vocals are terrible, the melody is naive and the production a cliche. Everyone is trying too hard on this song and it ends up sounding manufactured and artificial. Normal service is resumed with the majestic duo of "Thieves Like Us" and "The Perfect Kiss" which would surely be on any 'Best of" mix tape you might feel compelled to make. "Subculture" and "Shellshock" are disappointing and sound a little insipid for me. "State of the Nation" is OK but the real highlights are the last two tracks "Bizarre Love Triangle" and "True Faith". 

I first heard "True Faith" when the video was played on a TV programme I was watching. This track sounded perfect to my ears and my sole reason for borrowing the cassettes of "Substance" in 1987 was to hear this song. But when I played the album I didn't have the patience to wade through tracks with guitar and out of tune vocals to get to the big prize; so I gave up. When I did finally go back to New Order in the early nineties, I realised that some of these tracks are cornerstones of electronic music and this is an essential album. 4/5

One record at a time: 270. New Order - Brotherhood

"Brotherhood" has somehow come to be regarded as an illustration of the two sides of New Order: the rock and the electronic. This is a recent common or garden repressing that has a cheap flimsy inner bag and average sound quality, but it is still sold at a premium price.

Opening track "Paradise" is reminiscent of the band's early singles where their post-punk sound incorporates enough synths and melody to be really exciting. Unfortunately the second track "Weirdo" leans more towards a traditional rock sound and is a bit dull as a result. I can almost see Hooky grinning in the studio as I listen to this. "Broken Promise" has a pulse but no real melody and "As It Is When It Was" has neither. The more effervescent "Way of Life" finishes off a competent if slightly dull side one.

As the familiar synth bass of "Bizarre Love Triangle" kicks in, I instantly feel more comfortable in a world of glossy synth-pop driven by sequencers and drum machines. The infectious melody and disjointed (but strangely inspiring) lyrics combine to create a classic in the New Order back catalogue. The next song, "All Day Long" can only be described as epic. One of the elements that sets this album above its predecessors is Bernard's improved vocals because not only are they increasingly in tune, but as this song demonstrates, they are also better timed to compliment the strict rhythm of the TR-808 beat. 

After two appealing and largely commercial songs, New Order seem compelled to indulge the intrusive voices that tell them to create noisy, meaningless rock (far be it from me to pick sides and imply there was one particular member of the band that drove this) with "Angel Dust". The final track, "Every Little Counts" is a seemingly light weight ditty where Bernard begins laughing towards the end of the song. When I first heard this album in my youth the laughter felt a bit like the band where mocking their own material and it didn't sit well with me. Thankfully I am a little more accepting now and overall, this album is better than I remember it being. If "Angel Dust" and "Paradise" could swap places this would allow me a clear run at one side of the record and an option to pick up the 'rock' side in the unlikely event I wanted to hear it. Like many New Order albums this record swings between mediocre compositions and electronic finery, you just have to take the rough with the smooth. 3/5

One record at a time: 269. New Order - Low-Life

The original pressing of this record came with a semi-transparent "onion skin" sleeve that allowed the owner to swap the image showing on the front. Alas, a great many of these original sleeves are now torn and a good second hand copy is hard to come by. As a consequence of this sleeve fragility, I am playing a recent repressing with a standard cardboard sleeve and a flimsy inner bag that I was given as a Christmas present.

"Love Vigilantes" is a bizarre opening track that sounds like a pub band playing John Denver. The lyrics could be considered naive at best and the delivery is almost laughable. And yet, you can't help continuing to listen with the same morbid fascination that drives people to watch a car crash - we're intrigued to see just how bad things turn out. We instantly jump from the ridiculous to the sublime with the introduction of lead single "The Perfect Kiss". This track is fantastic eighties synth-pop and is head and shoulders above everything else on this record. The lyrics are nonsensical and I know purists bemoan the fact that the album version is heavily edited from the original; but for the more casual fan like myself, this still hits the spot. "This Time Of Night" is fairly standard indie/dance fare which is nice enough without really setting the world on fire. There's some overly long post punk rock in the form of "Sunrise", but it's not one I enjoy.

On the flip side we have instrumental "Elegia" which is a sombre tribute to former band mate Ian Curtis. As the track plods along in a fairly skeletal fashion, it is easy to tell it was intended to accompany visuals where it would have benefited from some added stimulus. "Sooner Than You Think" recycles the sonic palette used on "The Perfect Kiss" and sounds pretty good despite Bernard's best efforts to scupper it with inept vocals. The version of "Sub-Culture" presented here is far superior to the slightly kitsch disco versions John Robbie created for the single release. I think a good part of the reason I don't like this song is because I have always been more familiar with the single remixes where everything sounds forced and disjointed. The the album version is better as its raw energy sounds honest and less contrived. Things finish off with "Face Up" which seems to have set out to be a hi-energy stomper, but as Hooky and Bernard are playing and singing in completely different keys, things turn out as a real mess. 2/5

One record at a time: 268. New Order - Power, corription and Lies

My first experience of New Order was listening to a borrowed cassette of "Substance" in 1987. At first I was struck by the 'indie' nature of the music and disappointed it wasn't the slick synth-pop of their latest hit single. In fact, I struggled to find the new single on either cassette as there were no track names that sounded even vaguely like: "I used to think that the day would never come, I'd see delight in the shade of the morning sun". 

The style of the music on "Substance" was inconsistent and everything sounded vaguely out of tune to my young ears. At the time I felt New Order were just too enigmatic and they clearly weren't a band for me.

Over the next few years I had various brushes with New Order but I didn't purchase any of their music until 1994 when "The Best Of " was released. By this time I was earning a meagre wage and felt I could afford to take a punt and finally work out what this band were all about. Thirty years later I still don't think I fully understand New Order, but I have a much greater appreciation for their music and have gone on to purchase a good chunk of their back catalogue.

"Power, Corruption and Lies" is the second album released by the band in 1983 and I purchased this modern repress in 2021. I may have mentioned previously that one of my pet peeves is record labels that don't clearly state which side of the record you are looking at. This particular record is guilty of this offence and, as I lay it on the platter, I make a mental note to deduct half a point for the infraction.

Compared to their first album (which was recorded in a very particular set of circumstances) the music on this record is slightly less morose. Whilst "Age of Consent" and "We All Stand" still rely on Hooky's distinctive bass and Stephen's manic drumming, everything feels buoyant and spirited. 

The first substantial use of electronic instruments comes on "The Village" which has a brilliant Moog Source bassline bubbling under Bernard's vocal, along with loads of other synth arpeggios and textures. "5 8 6" starts as a weird experimental piece before suddenly bursting into life with a very familiar sound.

The best track on the album is "Your Silent Face" which features the immortal line "You've caught me at a bad time. So, why don't you piss off?". The synth lines on this track are almost perfect and it matches contemporaneous masterpieces like "Temptation" in quality. "Ultraviolence" mixes snippets of DNA from "Blue Monday" with the maudlin sensibilities of Joy Division to good effect. "Ecstasy" is a largely instrumental piece that uses an electronic bassline and some nifty vocoder to encapsulate the change of direction this album represents. Final track "Leave Me Alone" sounds more like one of the traditional band recordings we heard at the start of the album. It's not a bad song, but as the album has gradually progressed into an electronic sound, it feels a retrograde step to end up exactly where we started.

When discussing this album, the elephant in the room is the omission of "Blue Monday". Not including one of your biggest hits and a seminal moment in electronic music on the album is the kind of illogical thing many artists did in the eighties. Yet, it is probably for the best that it isn't on here as "5 8 6" and "Ultraviolence" have strong similarities and would have paled in comparison. Even the best songs on this record like "The Village" and "Your Silent Face" might not shine as brightly if the 'biggest selling 12" of all time' was included; so lets accept the album as it is. 3/5

One record at atime: 266. Naked Eyes - Burning Bridges

This isn't the first time I've messed up the order of my reviews and I am sure it won't be the last. For some reason this record was filed incorrectly and I only discovered it at the back of the shelf today. I wonder how many more I might have missed over the last couple of years...

As I pore over the sleeve of this slightly yellowed original LP, I notice it is produced by Tony Mansfield. I immediately associate Tony with two things: a-ha and the Fairlight CMI. Whilst the credits tell us Fairlight was used on here, it isn't that obvious and the final sound is lush and varied.

The more you look at them, the more imposing the credits for this album get. As well as Fairlight it uses a NED Synclavier 2, PPG Wave, an OBXa, Prophet 5 and an Emulator. If these instruments weren't impressive enough, I then notice it was recorded at Abbey Road and mixed at Pete Townsend's Eel Pie Studios. EMI clearly threw a lot of money at this project back in 1982 - I can't imagine how much it cost to put together. Personally, I think the money was well spent and every penny can be heard in the finished product.

The opening track "Voices in my Head" sets the stall out early with its unashamed synth-pop styling that is infused with rhythm and infectious hooks. I love the organ solo in the middle of this song and the various synth textures that rattle around augment Pete's vocals nicely. The opening of "I Could Show You How" features a great synth melody and there are analogue percussive elements running throughout the song that make me think Rob Fisher and Tony Mansfield must have been some sort of synth programming geniuses. 

"A Very Hard Act to Follow" has a very sparse introduction using the detuned clap from a Linn LM-1 and a sample that sounds like it is from the Fairlight. This is another great composition that is full of hooks and melodic elements that prove to be very catchy. There's a cover version of the Burt Bacharach standard "Always Something There To Remind Me" which makes liberal use of Simmons SD1 toms and is a pleasing addition. Once again there is some stunning synth work on "Fortune and Fame" and "Could Be" provides a nice change of pace. In fact the later song is so good it can even withstand a mercifully short saxophone solo (it was the eighties after all). 

The flip side opens with the title track which sounds good but doesn't feature quite as many flourishes as some of the stronger material on the album. Speaking of strong tracks, "Emotion in Motion" is one of my favourites. The synth work on the introduction of this song is sublime and recedes perfectly to allow Pete's cracking vocals room to breathe. As "Low Life" fires up I thought the bassline could almost be the ubiquitous DX7 preset E.BASS 1 but as there is no DX7 on this record, it is probably from the Synclavier. There's another slower track with "The Time is Now" which is good without setting the world on fire.

"When the Lights Go Out" has a fairly standard verse but the chorus blooms with a great melody and analogue synth rhythms that remind me of  "Ice Machine" by Depeche Mode. We go out on a high with the single "Promises Promises" which has fabulous rhythm guitars (courtesy of producer Tony Mansfield) and an infectious melody that makes me want to go back and play the record again. Having played the record again I realise this is only the second time I have done this in listening to over 250 LPs.

In terms of sound reproduction this has to be one of the nicest records I own. Whilst it may not have deep bass and sparkling top end, it is very sympathetic to the material. Despite being forty years old, my copy is in near perfect condition and doesn't make a pop or crackle anywhere. This record seems to have been issued in a polythene lined inner and its sound is testament to a time when vinyl was pressed well.

This record and Naked Eyes are most definitely underrated here in the UK and its a real shame they are not revered more highly. I only became aware of them when "Voices in my Head" was recommended to me on last.fm in May 2011. The band's relative obscurity is probably due to the fact that they didn't tour or play live much; but have no doubt, this album is a synth-pop classic waiting for the world to wake up to its genius. 5/5

One record at a time: 267. New Order - Movement

I saw a television programme recently in which Peter Hook described "Movement" as, "A Joy Division album sung by New Order". There's no doubt that New Order's debut is a transitional piece that ploughs the same furrow as Joy Division rather than offering us something new. 

Here I will be playing a copy of the 2016 repressing which is visually unremarkable, but seems to win universal praise for how it sounds.

The opening track "Dreams Never End" is a relatively primitive band recording involving bass, acoustic drums and guitar. The vocals are provided by Peter Hook as the band hadn't decided who was to be the new singer when it was recorded. The song is relatively upbeat and has some nice melodic elements, but I can't say I enjoy the strange double tracked vocal.

"Truth" is a maudlin drawl that features some primitive synth sounds and a drum machine alongside the usual guitar and bass. There's a four on the floor kick drum to open "Senses" and a rumbling synth that suggests this is going to be something more lively. Stephen's trademark roto-toms come rattling through before we hear Hooky's distinctive high basslines. For me this is one of the first songs that points to the sound the band would later develop. "Chosen Time" is surprisingly rapid in tempo but somehow manages to sound brooding and sullen at the same time. 

"ICB" and "The Him" are reflective pieces but the latter sounds naive in its realisation and I am growing very tired of Stephen's insistent toms by this point. Hooky returns on vocals for the disappointing "Doubts Even Here" and the slightly more upbeat "Denial" finishes things off. The trouble with this album is that it gives me the feeling of what it is like to be a goldfish: thirty seconds after a track has finished I can't remember anything about it. Everything sounds fairly similar with rattling toms, choppy guitars and largely indistinguishable vocals buried in the mix. The real New Order were yet to emerge from the shadows of Joy Division. 2/5