Fretplay.com New Order CD reviews New Order guitar tabs New Order CD reviews New Order tabs Crystal


New Order - Crystal Audio CD

A fair review of the New Order "Crystal" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all New Order reviews here, or go back to the New Order tabs.

New Order Band: New Order
Title: Crystal
Rating:
Release Date: 2001-08-14
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Crystal (Radio Edit) 2: Crystal (Digweed & Muir Bedrock Radio Edit) 3: Crystal (Digweed & Muir Bedrock Mix) 4: Crystal (Digweed & Muir Bedrock Dub) 5: Crystal (Lee Coombs Remix) 6: Crystal (Lee Coombs Dub) 7: Crystal (John Creamer & Stephane K Main Remix) 8: Crystal (Creamer K Main Mix) 9: Behind Closed Doors

New Order w/ all star DJ's on the remix
Peter Hook and friends have released another track "Behind Closed Doors" on this single as well. New Order finally have returned with some fresh material, and the good news is, they got some of the top DJ's and remixer's to touch up their latest single Crystal. The remixes of Crystal are very impressive and surprisingly, very dark. The original version of the track is patented New Order sound with synth stabs through out, blended with the band's unmistaken vocals that move the track along very well. The Digweed & Muir (aka Bedrock) mix keeps the vocals as the center of attention, and brings it to a level many progressive house DJ's will like. The Lee Coombs mix, and dub move a little quicker, but like the Digweed/Muir mix, is also very dark. The strongest mix however comes from John Creamer & Stephane K, who lay down the most developed of the remixes. The best elements of the original are brought out in the Creamer/Stephane K. mix and I think this is the mix most DJ's will put in their sets. Overall, a very good single, and it shows New Order's music is still on a great level in the new millennium.


Crystal Broken into Unsalvagable Granules
Remixes should build upon an original song to maintain the original integrity, yet provide enhancements and variations in new moods. While "Crystal" is one of New Order's best singles to date, the remixes included on this CD deconstruct all the great qualities of the song. These remixes are barren, not beautiful, and lack energy.


You'll find the best version of 'Crystal' here......
The frightening reality is it may be one of the best albums of the year. New Order's new album 'Get Ready' is sadly marginal. It all relies on the playing and instrumental tension. It must be that, because "Crystal" sounds wonderful. Lyrically the song just has nothing much to say. No tension, no ambivalence, just Eh.

Eh Eh Eh. Still and all, it sounds great, and the best version is here. The version you'll find on 'Get Ready' is too long, with a Pink Floydesque (David Gilmour Floyd) intro, and some drum/keyboard vamps that simply eat up time. The single version gets right there and makes its case quickly, for good or bad. It's concise and musically perfect. The thrill of the tune is so strong that McCartnyesque lines like - "Here comes love - it's like honey - you can't buy it with money" almost work. Almost, but no. New Order's tension is gone. So why are we still listening? Only the music, because it's so damn good.

The rest of this EP bashes out remixes of "Crystal", none of them interesting. (this is a ROCK tune, hard to mix that. . . ) There IS a B-side ("Behind Closed Doors") which is lyrically good but musically so-so. Oh well, better luck next time.


It's all about the b-side..
First off for only half the price of a regular CD you get an hour's worth of music. This CD is really terrific. That's good. "Crystal" is a really good song. . . but what makes this CD is the b-side "Behind Closed Doors" it's worth the price alone. It's slow and has haunting vocals. . . the lyrics are great the piano meshes perfectly. Crystal is. . . well Crystal. Good guitar hook (the female vocals do sound out of place a bit) and the song bops along merrily at its own pace.

The remixes tend to get tedious after awhile (especially the Digweed ones. . too long and dull) but the overall quality makes up for it.

Worthwhile pickup.


still got it
But, after one listen to their new full-length "Get Ready", I gotta admit that there's some pretty good stuff on this. I haven't enjoyed a New Order album in a long time (well, it's been like 10 years since their last one, anyway). More live drumming and guitar playing, less programmed synth stuff = a very good thing! Of course, Peter Hook's distinctive bass lines stick out, and are as wonderful as ever (if you like this sorta thing). Sumner's chicken-scratchin' guitar lines are still very much in evidence, but the surprise is the return of Stephen Morris's rock-style drumming. One song even evokes JD's "Heart and Soul", albeit with funkier drumming. . . As a huge fan of Joy Division, I've viewed New Order's career as the epitome of the law of diminishing returns: I loved their early stuff, but each album seemed to get further and further away from what I originally enjoyed about their music. But this harks back to the "low-life" album from 1985 (their last good one, IMHO). It does at times revert to formula and predictability, but they manage to rock out a little harder than they have in quite a while. These folks still have it, I'm happy to say.


You can see a complete list of all New Order discography, or go back to the New Order tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

Search guitar tabs

#ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
[ Search tabs | Guitar tabs | Bass tabs |
Easy guitar tabs | Guitar solo tabs |
Acoustic guitar tabs | Guitar chords |
How to read guitar tabs ]
Forum topics
Music forums
- Bands and artists - Songwriting and lyrics - Tablature talk - Promote your band
Instrument forums
- Guitar basics - Gear & accessories - Bass guitar
Community
- The pit - Site Feedback - Reviews
[ User survey | About us | Privacy statement ]