"Bizarre Love Triangle" is one of my favorite songs of all time, as it happens. And although it certainly lives up to its title in terms of being bizarre, I can't tell that it has anything whatsoever to do with a love triangle. Indeed, like many New Order songs, it's a toss-up whether or not the lyrics are deep and full of some kind of artistic meaning, or merely inane and silly. (Frankly, I'm leaning towards the latter.) The track failed to chart very high when released as a single in both the UK and the US, but gradually climbed for literally years afterward, and even hit Billboard again in 1995; nearly ten years after it was first released.
Over time, it's become pretty emblematic of New Order; almost like their signature song, as it were. It's also been covered by a number of artists who were influenced by New Order, including Stabbing Westward, Apoptygma Berzerk and Frente! (I've included those three versions as well as the 1987 Substance remix) and is even part of The Killers live set in an acoustic piano version that's not unlike the APB cover below.
Showing posts with label New Order. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Order. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
1963 by New Order
As a B-side to 1987's "True Faith" one would think that New Order's "1963" would be a rather ignominous and poorly known song, but it got a release on disc 2 of the Substance compilation and a new version and even a single release in conjunction with 1994's Best of New Order. As original producer Stephen Hague once said of the song, it's the most danceable song about domestic violence ever produced. Lead singer, guitar player, and lyricist for New Order, Bernard Sumner, inadvertently ruined some of the poignant mystique of the song by claiming that it's about the JFK assassination, introducing a theory that JFK's death was a botched assassination attempt on Jackie instead, commissioned by none other than the President himself. As a devout Catholic, he didn't believe in divorce, and wanted an excuse to spend more time with his lover Marilyn Monroe. On hearing the news that JFK had died instead of Jackie, Marilyn Monroe committed suicide.
Presumably this theory wasn't meant to be taken seriously, as it conveniently ignores the fact that Monroe actually died a year earlier than JFK. All in all, that story is best ignored, as it actually detracts from the song rather than adding to it, and it's a lesson to all artists out there that talking too much about the creative process isn't necessarily a good thing.
Presumably this theory wasn't meant to be taken seriously, as it conveniently ignores the fact that Monroe actually died a year earlier than JFK. All in all, that story is best ignored, as it actually detracts from the song rather than adding to it, and it's a lesson to all artists out there that talking too much about the creative process isn't necessarily a good thing.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Blue Monday by New Order
With the inclusion of New Order's "Blue Monday" I've got all but one of the "big" bands that'll appear many times on this blog on the scoreboard. At least, that I can think of right now. "Blue Monday" claims to be the best selling 12" single in the UK, and although that claim's not been verified (that I know of) it seems plausible to me. This was a huge, sleeper hit, that resurged in popularity not once but twice after its original release in 1983. By the time I heard it regularly in 1987 or 1988 (along with the greatest hits compilation Substance) it was a dance club anthem that nearly defined what dance clubs were supposed to sound like. Quite literally in at least one case; it featured prominantly on a local radio commercial for a dance club when I was a teenager in '88.
I didn't put up the actual music video, which is quite strange, actually (although not as strange as the video for "Bizarre Love Triangle" where there's a mid-video aside where a woman stops the music and defiantly proclaims that she doesn't believe in reincarnation because she refuses to come back as a bug or as a rabbit.) Rather, I think the long fade-in intro to this extended version is part of the iconic nature of this song.
New Order's iconic and dramatic career is an interesting story in it's own right (although I won't get into it today), but for me this song has a very personal connection. See, I actually met my wife for the first time when I asked her to dance to "Blue Monday." Or possibly it was "True Faith" I met two girls with blue dresses that night, and I never saw the other one again. I would be embarrassed that I can't remember for sure which of the two songs it was that I danced with Julie (I know for sure that it wasn't "Bizarre Love Triangle" which also played that night, because I danced that with someone else) but as it turns out, it's still much better than my wife can do, who doesn't even remember meeting me at all until nearly six months later. I also remember exactly what she wore on our first real date. And yet despite this, to this day, she still claims that she has a much better memory than I do. Whachoo talkin' 'bout, Willis?
I didn't put up the actual music video, which is quite strange, actually (although not as strange as the video for "Bizarre Love Triangle" where there's a mid-video aside where a woman stops the music and defiantly proclaims that she doesn't believe in reincarnation because she refuses to come back as a bug or as a rabbit.) Rather, I think the long fade-in intro to this extended version is part of the iconic nature of this song.
New Order's iconic and dramatic career is an interesting story in it's own right (although I won't get into it today), but for me this song has a very personal connection. See, I actually met my wife for the first time when I asked her to dance to "Blue Monday." Or possibly it was "True Faith" I met two girls with blue dresses that night, and I never saw the other one again. I would be embarrassed that I can't remember for sure which of the two songs it was that I danced with Julie (I know for sure that it wasn't "Bizarre Love Triangle" which also played that night, because I danced that with someone else) but as it turns out, it's still much better than my wife can do, who doesn't even remember meeting me at all until nearly six months later. I also remember exactly what she wore on our first real date. And yet despite this, to this day, she still claims that she has a much better memory than I do. Whachoo talkin' 'bout, Willis?
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