On this day in 2007.....

Today, August 10th marks the six year anniversary of the death of Tony Wilson, The legendary founder and manager of The Hacienda nightclub and the co-founder of Factory Records. Both extremely legendary themselves. So culturally significant in fact that he would be dubbed Mr Manchester. Besides, any label that can say they have Joy Division, New Order and Happy Mondays all on their roster is a fine one. Even then, that's just the tip of the iceberg regarding Factory Records acts. I'd have to say Tony Wilson's life has made an indelible impact on my music taste. I investigating Factory Records two years ago and you could say I've become rather enamored, to say the least. I've become a huge fan of Factory Records and then consequently Manchester music in general. Not only that but I've got this very big dream that one day I'll hopefully have an impact on Northern Ireland even a tenth of the size that he had on Manchester. Such a goal will almost certainly never happen, but hey I can dream. And what also won't happen is my love for Factory Records music dying off either. RIP.

Free Will (12")

From what I gather, Free Will is a firm favorite amongst fans of Electronic, it's not hard to see why either. It was originally released as a B-side to Get The Message in 1991. I must admit, whilst I do love Get The Message I do prefer Free Will. Two versions of the track exist: a 7" and a 12" edit. As you could imagine, 7" singles featured the 7" edit whilst CD singles and 12" records hosted the 12" mix. I have to say that the longer mix is easily the more superior version for me at least. It's just because it's such a good song for me, that more is indeed better in this particular case! To tell you the truth, I could count on one hand the amount of times I've listened to the shorter edit. Free Will is an instrumental (one of a number of instrumentals in their discography). It is a very high energy dance song that covers a lot of ground in its near six minute total running time. Really, the title Free Will is an accurate description of the track as it has meanders off in various musical directions during the course of the track. It definitely makes for a track that is always interesting to listen to, such is it's ever-evolving nature. To be honest, I think it would have fitted in well on Electronic. The music doesn't sound too far removed from that found on the album and it would have been a good centerpiece I think. The track is only available in its original forms on the various Get The Message single packages. A 2013 edit was released on the recent Electronic special edition but it's vastly inferior to the original. Quite frankly, I don't see the point in doing a new edit of it whatsoever, and it wasn't the only track on the bonus disc to get such treatment either. In any case, the 12" of Free Will is a great, underrated track that is quite a hidden gem. I can only hope that one day the original will surface on an original release!

New purchases.

A post I was in the midst of writing last night. Alias - I had a bit of a headache so I decided to turn the laptop off early. I did another Amazon order and they've all arrived now! I've actually done a second seperate order too, they should arrive sometime next week. Anyhow, back to this one. From left to right I got Electronic - Electronic (2013 remastered edition); The 101ers - Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited and David Bowie - Outside. I've got a few new albums that I need to get, but a special edition of Electronic's self titled debut (one of my favourite ever albums) was the most essential for me. I had really wanted Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited for a while because I do love the 101ers songs that I have heard. As for Outside, it's actually one of my favorite David Bowie albums that I've heard so far. Not least because it boasts one of my favourite Bowie songs: A Small Plot of Land.`Looking forward to finally listening to a physical copy of these!

Pictures of interest: Electronic & Pet Shop Boys

L-R: Chris Lowe, Bernard Sumner, Johnny Marr, Neil Tennant.

As you could probably guess, I really love this picture. It's a picture of Electronic (a duo comprising of Bernard Sumner from Joy Division/New Order and Johnny Marr of The Smiths). They're in the middle, the two men standing either side of them are Pet Shop Boys. As you could probably guess - one of my absolutely favorite groups. I love this picture not least because I'm a big fan of these four muscians and all the various musical projects they've been part of (which is a huge body of work). It's also one of the few pictures of Electronic with Chris Lowe. Last night I also finally discovered the origin of this picture, thanks to the excellent new Uncut special magazine on The Smiths which I thoroughly recommend. It was taken backstage at the Cities In The Park festival of August 1991 in Heaton Park which was in memory of Martin Hannet. Electronic played at the second day of the festival and they were joined onstage by Pet Shop Boys for a number of tracks. There was another backstage picture that the magazine had used though - but it was obviously from the same night. I had never seen that picture before so I think it was a rare shot. Anyhow I just really love this picture!

Electronic 2CD edition thoughts

I’m really pleased that a 2CD special edition of Electronic’s self titled debut is finally getting a release as its a sorely overlooked album, but the tracklisting for the second disc is a little strange. Why is there a mix from a song from their third album on here? Especially when they haven’t put the full version of Free Will (a B-side) and instead used the inferior shorter edit. I wish the Miami Edit of Lucky Bag and the Vocal and Nude mixes of Getting Away With it was on it too because I love those mixes. Still can’t wait to have a copy of Lean To The Inside finally on CD though!

Electronic - Patience of a Saint

This is the more hidden of the three Electronic tracks that feature Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys. Its the only one that has always been an album track on Electronic's self titled debut, with previous single Getting Away With It only being added on the album on re-releases and Disappointed following some time after the album release. Despite some incorrect attributions, its the only song in the Electronic catalogue that is a full collaboration with Electronic and Pet Shop Boys, as its the only Electronic track that features Chris Lowe. Pet Shop Boys receive co-writing/co-performance credits on this track. The song is definitely a more darker and atmospheric track for Electronic I think. It has a very icy bass line that definitely makes the song have a foreboding atmosphere which is a perfect back-drop for the lyrics. Lyrically, the song is about someone who is an utter hell to live with, quite literally someone who tries "the patience of a saint". However, it might be about two people that are incredibly difficult to live with as opposed to just one. Both Neil Tennant and Bernard Sumner take co-lead on the track and thus it makes Patience of A Saint a duet. Perhaps most tellingly, out of the three Electronic songs that feature Neil, its the only one were they both share co-lead. Maybe that's coincidental but maybe it isn't. It's entirely plausible that the song only features one lyrical persona, so essentially Neil and Bernard are singing different sets of lyrics but the narrator is the same. Having said that, if they are indeed voicing two separate characters then the song is almost certainly about a gay relationship. Its not very obvious which of the two it is; I mean the song doesn't have lyrics that feel conversational between two different narrators. To be honest, both Bernard and Neil have very similar lyrics in terms of tone. If indeed it is two separate characters that Bernard and Neil are portraying then you get the idea that they are just perfect for each other. I mean both lyrical persona are self confessed as being hell to live with. In that cause although they drive the patience of a saint, they make themselves saints for having to put up with each other. It becomes quite moving then in that case I think, and its also a very clever and implicit way of showing how two people are made for each other. The song has one of my favourite sets of lyrics of all time for their ambiguity in this regard. If I'm honest, this was one of the songs on the debut album that I wasn't so fussed about. I just felt that it was lacking something compared to the other tracks on the album. Now though my opinion has completely changed with regards for the track. Not only is it one of the highlights of Electronic's discography (and their high point in terms of lyrics), I'd also say it has a certain quality that I'd find in the very best of Pet Shop Boys own discography. Believe me, I rate their best work highly! An overlooked track with lyrics to think about in my opinion!

Feel Every Beat 7"

I got this from Big Bang, on the same day I got my Pet Shop Boys Introspective vinyl. This is a 7" of Electronic's overlooked track Feel Every Beat, which was from their self titled debut album. This was a little bit dearer than the Disappointed 12" vinyl that I own, but it still came to cost a really reasonable £3. As a bonus, it came already in a protective plastic case so its in better condition than my Disappointed vinyl slightly. I have to admit, I'm suprised I even managed to find this because I wouldn't have thought that Electronic were going to be easy to shop for in terms of rarities but so far they have been easy enough! This also is another little bit of history: this is my first (of many hopefully) vinyls that were issued on Factory Records!

Electronic - Disappointed 12"

Well as I'm sure you're all aware, I love Electronic, and particularly Disappointed, their gorgeous collaboration with Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys. On 18th of May 2012, me and my Dad went into town, and into a small little memorabilia shop that sells VHS tapes, vinyl, comics, books and an assortment of different things. Sitting dead center in the vinyl rack was this little gem which took me by surprise, Electronic aren't an artist I would find in town at all in record stores! The record itself only cost £1, and is in really good condition, there is a mark under the title that you can probably see, but honestly in real life it doesn't actually look as bad as that. Even though its not much, its one of my favourite songs in the world ever and I am so happy I found the vinyl of it!

Electronic - Disappointed

It may be unfair to call this a mere guest appearance, as Neil has lead vocals here. In terms of composition, the song has a piano riff which was based on Electronic member Johnny Marr's brother Ian,  prior to the release of New Order's 6th album Republic. It was then delevoped into a full backing track by Marr and fellow Electronic member Bernard Sumner (Of New Order and Joy Division fame) Following this, Neil was invited to complete the song, and wrote the vocal melody as well as the lyrics. As you can see, a lot of the song is down to Neil you could say, and you can tell. It does definitely sound like a Pet Shop Boys song apart from the music. Some of the lyrics take inspiration from Mylene Farmer's 1991 single Desenchante. I personally adore the song, and I love how the chords give it a somewhat ethereal quality and the guitar work by Johnny Marr is just the icing on the cake. I feel it gets overlooked despite it being their highest charting single (#6) in my home country of the United Kingdom, although that's probably in part owed to the fact it didn't appear on Electronics self titled debut, as it was originally included on the movie Cool World's soundtrack. It is such a shame that the song seems largely forgotten about (in comparision to Getting Away With It), which I think is mainly down to the reason that the song for many years was only available on the Now 22 compilation or the Cool World soundtrack. It was never on an Electronic release for many years. Its not hard to see why, as Bernard doesn't sing any of the vocals on the track it probably wouldn't fit on a proper Electronic album. It is included on the greatest hits album Get The Message however released in 2006. A great track that is worth checking out!

Electronic - Get The Message

Released in 1991 as Electronic's second single, this is one of my favourite songs of theirs. Its become one of their most well known songs along with Dissappointed and Getting Away With It. It reached 8 in the UK Charts, placing it just behind Dissapointed as their highest charting single. It is worth noting though, that out of this trio of songs that they are best remembered for however, Get The Message is the only one that doesn't feature Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys on guest or lead vocals. I think for that reason it definitely sounds a lot more like a proper Electronic song, as Dissapointed didn't sound too far away sounding from a Pet Shop Boys track. The music was written by Johnny Marr (lyrics were by Bernard Sumner) which I think you can definitely tell, it's more guitar driven than synthesizer driven. What I especially love about the music is how laidback it is. Its got this lovely summery feel to it which just suits Bernard's vocal I think. The song has been repeatedly stated as highlight of their self titled debut album and I would definitely have to agree with those comments. Johnny has also said himself on repeated occasions its probably the best track he's ever written, which considering the calibre of his work with The Smiths and the rest of Electronic, amongst other things is high praise indeed!

Electronic - Getting Away With It (Updated 31st October 2012)

Electronic were a duo comprising of Johnny Marr of The Smiths and Bernard Sumner of New Order/Joy Division. They're easily my favourite of the many New Order side bands too! Here though we've got an extra guess: Neil Tennant from Pet Shop Boys makes an appearance on backing vocals. He also had a hand in producing the track, but its uncredited. Anyhow, this is Electronic's debut and biggest selling single worldwide (Although Disappointed actually charted higher in the UK). It was released on Factory Records (with it's catalogue number being FAC257) Lyrically, its actually a satire of Johnny Marr's bandmate Morrissey, mocking his masochistic public persona by means of being written from his perspective (Pet Shop Boys would later write a further song influenced by Morrissey; Their B-side  to Was It Worth It, called Miserablism). Musically speaking, Bernard Sumner wrote the verse and Johnny Marr wrote the chorus with both Bernard and Neil co-writing the lyrics. I do really love this song, and in particular the guitar solo, it's got this summery, relaxing quality to it that I really like. Another thing I love about it is the outro. Having said though, the 7" doesn't do it justice. It has a beautiful string solo at the very end which the 7" completely misses because it fades out before it kicks you. You can hear the string solo on the Extended Mix and also on the album version though. The chorus is also ridiculously infectious and Bernard and Neil's voices go together so well I think.Despite being released 18 months before their self titled debut album I think it fits into that album brilliantly, as I think Getting Away With It sounded rather ahead of its time. On that note though, the album didn't contain Getting Away With It on it's original release, it was added on subsequent re-releases. Even though I do prefer Disappointed, its worth noting that this song is more of a proper collaboration as Neil sings all the vocals to Disappointed. Never the less, Getting Away With It is still a great song that is also rather overlooked!