I am ALWAYS here for a New Order geek-out by Kevin. Frankly, I think you should do more of them. I say this as an equally biased fan-girl of my own list of bands (and a lover of New Order.) My writing schedule would be so much easier if I just decided to only write about Prince or the Smiths every day. Why did we decide to take up more difficult projects?
This was the album that made me a New Order fan. I'd blown off all the previous ones because "Ewww, synthesizers"... but when I started working at a record store in the summer of '89, Technique was literally the only new release in the store's play bin that I could stand. I first started putting it on the shop stereo as an antidote to Milli Vanilli, Cher and Madonna, and then kept putting it on again because I genuinely dug it!
“You’ve got style.... and you’ve got class... but most of all... you’ve got love technique” (PAUSE)
Damn if I didn’t have a hell of a great time on the dance floor whenever tracks from this New Order pressing punched through the speakers and into the receptors inside my brain.
Thirty-five years ago it was the winter after graduating college. I felt lost. My world had blown apart. I had no reasonable aspirations. I took a job I hated. I experienced my first memorable psychotic episode.
New Order took me to a place of mindless exhilaration. A few shots and maybe a toke and I was far from pains of mere existence.
It was the only CD pressing I’ve ever had go bad. I have it downloaded, but still wish to replace the disc for my cd library. I still look to replacing it so I can blare it on my stereo... the same stereo in invested in 30 years ago.
One of the first albums I bought on vinyl, it sounds like I was probably around the same age as you when it came out. I repurchased the original album a few years back, when I started collecting vinyl again.
I’ve read the autobiographies from Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris, which go into some of the crazy shit they got up when recording this album. I have Hooky’s left to read, I’m saving that as I know he won’t pull any punches (from reading his other books)
I also wrote about how I discovered Joy Division via the New Order album Substance when I was a kid (leading me to buy Technique) Have a read if you get a second.
Also, not sure if you’re heard this series but it’s great. Transmission: The Definitive Story of Joy Division. I’m hoping they get round to finishing it at some point, but given it’s a few years old it doesn’t look like it.
Thank you for this! It's been way too long since I've listened to New Order!! Technique is one of my favorites! It came out the year after I graduated high school, and I was already a huge New Order fan! I was able to see them on this tour with The Sugarcubes and P.I.L. at Poplar Creek in Chicago. It was such a fantastic time! Summer - lawn seats were always so fun.
I had to go digging through my New Order stash a couple of years ago when one of my kids played a song that sounded so similar to a New Order song - the song was Temptation, and of course I've lost what song it was a kid was playing LOL.
Blue Monday was my introduction to the band, and they've been a favorite ever since!
I love pieces like this one because one can clearly see how much this band, this record and these memories mean to you. Character (and life) defining. Interesting point you make about that “leap of faith”, now with the added experience of being a parent yourself. What I love about all this is that it was clear that it was a band/tour/record/era that was “worth it”. It was worth asking for permission, it was worth negotiating that permission...and your mum could probably see it was worth the risk. It wasn’t just a whim, one more band in town, one more record you were spinning as a kid. And seeing as all these (short 😉) years later you are writing about it, and reminiscing about it, it’s clear it was well worth it.
I'm with you as a New Order fan and been collecting their stuff for years and although I do quite like their earlier albums, I have to agree that Technique was one of their most consistent and cohesive sounding albums. Great read and didn't know about the John Denver co-write.
I love this piece Kevin! Your love for this album really shines through. There’s really nothing that can match those early albums bought with your own money. Life-defining at that tender age.
As for me, I’ve never heard this album (until now, playing as I type this) but will let you know my thoughts!
New order rocks!
I am ALWAYS here for a New Order geek-out by Kevin. Frankly, I think you should do more of them. I say this as an equally biased fan-girl of my own list of bands (and a lover of New Order.) My writing schedule would be so much easier if I just decided to only write about Prince or the Smiths every day. Why did we decide to take up more difficult projects?
You got me. I'm listening now.
This was the album that made me a New Order fan. I'd blown off all the previous ones because "Ewww, synthesizers"... but when I started working at a record store in the summer of '89, Technique was literally the only new release in the store's play bin that I could stand. I first started putting it on the shop stereo as an antidote to Milli Vanilli, Cher and Madonna, and then kept putting it on again because I genuinely dug it!
One of the best albums of 1989 for sure...
“You’ve got style.... and you’ve got class... but most of all... you’ve got love technique” (PAUSE)
Damn if I didn’t have a hell of a great time on the dance floor whenever tracks from this New Order pressing punched through the speakers and into the receptors inside my brain.
Thirty-five years ago it was the winter after graduating college. I felt lost. My world had blown apart. I had no reasonable aspirations. I took a job I hated. I experienced my first memorable psychotic episode.
New Order took me to a place of mindless exhilaration. A few shots and maybe a toke and I was far from pains of mere existence.
It was the only CD pressing I’ve ever had go bad. I have it downloaded, but still wish to replace the disc for my cd library. I still look to replacing it so I can blare it on my stereo... the same stereo in invested in 30 years ago.
We match today 😁😉
One of the first albums I bought on vinyl, it sounds like I was probably around the same age as you when it came out. I repurchased the original album a few years back, when I started collecting vinyl again.
I’ve read the autobiographies from Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris, which go into some of the crazy shit they got up when recording this album. I have Hooky’s left to read, I’m saving that as I know he won’t pull any punches (from reading his other books)
I also wrote about how I discovered Joy Division via the New Order album Substance when I was a kid (leading me to buy Technique) Have a read if you get a second.
https://blanckslate.substack.com/p/music-words-joy-division
Also, not sure if you’re heard this series but it’s great. Transmission: The Definitive Story of Joy Division. I’m hoping they get round to finishing it at some point, but given it’s a few years old it doesn’t look like it.
https://open.spotify.com/show/0OCx9i6I5LluvTtqF6i6h1?si=3bWm7nThQ9CWeFKUlk3mzQ
Thank you for this! It's been way too long since I've listened to New Order!! Technique is one of my favorites! It came out the year after I graduated high school, and I was already a huge New Order fan! I was able to see them on this tour with The Sugarcubes and P.I.L. at Poplar Creek in Chicago. It was such a fantastic time! Summer - lawn seats were always so fun.
I had to go digging through my New Order stash a couple of years ago when one of my kids played a song that sounded so similar to a New Order song - the song was Temptation, and of course I've lost what song it was a kid was playing LOL.
Blue Monday was my introduction to the band, and they've been a favorite ever since!
I love pieces like this one because one can clearly see how much this band, this record and these memories mean to you. Character (and life) defining. Interesting point you make about that “leap of faith”, now with the added experience of being a parent yourself. What I love about all this is that it was clear that it was a band/tour/record/era that was “worth it”. It was worth asking for permission, it was worth negotiating that permission...and your mum could probably see it was worth the risk. It wasn’t just a whim, one more band in town, one more record you were spinning as a kid. And seeing as all these (short 😉) years later you are writing about it, and reminiscing about it, it’s clear it was well worth it.
That, sir, is a restack. Brilliant retrospective, brilliant album. :)
I'm with you as a New Order fan and been collecting their stuff for years and although I do quite like their earlier albums, I have to agree that Technique was one of their most consistent and cohesive sounding albums. Great read and didn't know about the John Denver co-write.
I love this piece Kevin! Your love for this album really shines through. There’s really nothing that can match those early albums bought with your own money. Life-defining at that tender age.
As for me, I’ve never heard this album (until now, playing as I type this) but will let you know my thoughts!
Love this record. Thank you for reminding me about it --