New Order: Forceful Gritty Rock & Roll
By: Eastside Journal
December 28th 2001 11:27am
It's the last Friday of 2001, and there's nothing left to do but name THE ALBUM OF THE YEAR: New Order, `Get Ready.' Of all the bands that emerged from the ``post-punk'' music scene of the late 1970s, only U2 and New Order have retained their vitality while building upon the triumphs of their past. Although both acts have occasionally lost their way, they've recently rediscovered what motivates them. Last year, U2 captured the spirit of our times with its best-selling LP ``All That You Can't Leave Behind.'' This October, New Order rebounded with the invigorating ``Get Ready.'' The album kicks off with ``Crystal,'' an anthem displaying all of the N.O. trademarks: Peter Hook's idiosyncratic bass lines, Stephen Morris' impossibly precise drumming, and Barney Sumner's delicate, endearing voice. The group's gift for composing simple, keyboard-driven melodies (which have been imitated in countless advertising jingles) is also gloriously present. More than anything, ``Get Ready'' displays New Order's revived appreciation for the electric guitar. Although the band continues to incorporate elements of disco in its work, it has made a welcome shift toward gritty, forceful rock and roll. Vocalists Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins and Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream add luster to an already glimmering work. After years of feuding, during which they pursued various solo endeavors, the members of New Order have rekindled their friendship and their partnership. Personally, I couldn't be more grateful, or more proud of them. RUNNER UP: Garbage, `Beautiful Garbage.' Working from the same template as New Order, Garbage has hitched the roar of guitars to the seductive rhythms of dance music. Its self-titled debut album and sophomore disc, ``Version 2.0,'' were masterworks of high tech rock. The quartet's latest release is equally magical. That said, ``Beautiful Garbage'' is paced horribly. Incompatible songs butt against each other. The disc is a sonic jigsaw puzzle, a jumble of emotions and musical textures which need to be rearranged to be appreciated. It's the kind of record that programmable CD players were made for. The traumatic ``Silence Is Golden,'' written as the inner monologue of a sexually abused child, is too emotionally raw to sit between the album's lighter songs. Ideally, it should be heard first, followed by the bedazzling white noise of ``Parade,'' and the cautionary tale ``Breaking Up the Girl,'' which rails against the fragile loyalties of some pop music buffs. From that point on, it's easy to navigate the disc's ecstatic highs and brooding lows. The playful ``Androgyny'' offers a nice segue into the contemplative ``Cup of Coffee'' and ``So Like a Rose.'' ``Til the Day I Die'' picks up the pace, hiding its barbed lyrics behind a hip-hop arrangement. ``Shut Your Mouth'' builds upon this mood, its melody pushed forward by insistent, overlapping rhythms. There is greatness on ``Beautiful Garbage,'' it just needs to be uncovered. CONCERT OF THE YEAR: Poe at Graceland. With her second album, ``Haunted,'' Annie ``Poe'' Danielewski entered the sort of artistic and psychological frontier that Pink Floyd explored on its landmark movie, stage, and album project ``The Wall.'' Creating her own lyrical symbolism, in which childhood memories become icons of mythic power, she's turned her songs into a riveting, almost ceremonial act of contrition and forgiveness toward her late father. At the Seattle nightclub Graceland, Poe's energy and imagination sent a capacity crowd into ecstasy. She jumped into the audience, pulled fans onstage to dance, sang her heart out... Whatever it took to communicate with listeners, she did it. Such generosity of spirit is rare. She's as emotionally unguarded a performer as you're ever likely to see, and as winsome an individual as you're ever likely to meet. If she comes back to King County, don't miss her. E-mail Journal music critic Claude Flowers at claude@nwlink.com. Daily newspaper content from http://www.eastsidejournal.com
 © 2001 Horvitz Newspapers Inc.
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