"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
