In news that will upset nearly no one, here’s another quick and dirty New Order post.
New Order
Blue Monday (Hardfloor Remix)
Blue Monday (Manuella mix)
Blue Monday (Andrea mix)
Blue Monday (Plutone mix)
The original 12″ version of “Blue Monday” is a perfect song and no attempts to remix, remake, rework, or re-imagine it will ever come close to even matching the original. I feel that this is not a bold statement. There are plenty of New Order tracks that have benefited from remixes or re-workings. “Temptation” comes to mind, as does “Fine Time” and even “Touched By The Hand of God.” Hell, the entirety of Music Complete was remixed with extended versions and I prefer all of those to the originals. And some of the mixes to “Tutti Frutti” were just rad as hell.
But you can’t fuck with “Blue Monday.” Shit’s perfect. Still, New Order sure has tried. There was the ’88 remix, which achieved some degree of success, and these ’95 remixes, which did not. Most of them aren’t bad mixes, save for the “Andrea Mix” which reworks the song in a reggae dub track (yikes). But as soon as I’m done listening to them, all I want to do is listen to the original version once more. It ain’t broke.
Still, there’s a lot of good to be had here. While none are my first choice, I do return to a few of them. I dig the “Hardfloor” mix quite a lot. It has a hint of an acid vibe to it. Not too much, just enough to give it that edge. And the “Plutone” mix is great too. It has this high, almost ringing, synth line through it that gives it an urgent feeling that I really get into. If my knees still let me jog, I would slam this sucker on a jogging mix right away.
Maybe more New Order next week? I don’t know. I got some weird shit I want to share, but like I’ve said multiple times over, the weird shit posts take time. And since so few people actually seem to like them, sometimes motivation is hard. But if I don’t upload obscure late-70s Japanese experimental electronic music, who will?!
Big fan of the weird Japanese and the New Order posts. Maybe a little less of the disco, but it’s a marginal zone, I know.
Big fan of the site.
weird shit! weird shit! weird shit!
please
Definitely agree. The original is perfection (and notably, the exact same as the album version as there’s no “remix” of the original). Speaking of New Order, they are touring the US in September with fucking PET SHOP BOYS! Both are doing full sets and alternating as headliners! Going to show in Chicago (if I can snag tickets on Thursday)!
Couldn’t agree more about Blue Monday. The Razormaid mix isn’t too shabby though
Hey! I had a listen to these mixes when you first posted them and downloaded the Andrea mix as a novelty really… a curiosity. Thought I might annoy people with it. But, being in the middle of a playlist of new (or newly found) music, it keeps coming on while I’m working… and… I dunno! I’m sold! I like it… for REAL!
I don’t like any other remixes of Blue Monday post about 1987. They just seem like something DJs who are playing some other type of music (aside from just, you know, ace pop songs) need so they can slip it into their set with janking up the BPMs. So, under THOSE circumstances, I suppose it wouldn’t be bad to hear it… like seeing an old friend in a crowd… albeit an old friend who’s all jelly-legged and saucer-eyed and you can’t get much out of in the way of conversation. But, still. You are happy you saw them.
But this Andrea mix. It’s just… something else entirely, isn’t it? Maybe there are times when I WOULD choose to listen to this version over, I don’t know, the version on Substance. Like… right now. In a sunny beam. In the kitchen. Just chilling while cooking up something hot n’ spicy. Yeah! I like it! Thanks for sharing!