"Ceremony - A New Order Tribute" 2xCD compilation

Featuring a host of artists who, for the most part, I'm unfamiliar with, this extended-length double-album is a tribute to one of the most influential electronic/pop acts ever, and is dedicated to famous Factory Records founder/New Order manager Tony Wilson. A portion of the proceeds from sales go to the Salford Foundation Trust's Tony Wilson Awards, which benefit the education and nurturing of school-age artists. So you get a good cause, and a good set of tunes! That aside, the moody dance-pop of New Order's classics emerge fresh and re-imagined here, with a selection that balances comfortably between indie rock and club techno (both of which New Order pioneered back in the early 80's). Standouts include Yes But No (consisting of 10-and-13-year old sisters Brianna and Skylar Ward) and their splendid and faithful version of  the resonant "Ceremony", The Dark Romantics' U2-like "Crystal", Christian Webb & Adam Knowles' lovely "Run" (what an amazing song), The Sheaks' dusky Western-shoegaze take on "Ceremony" (Can you tell this is one of my favorite New Order songs?). Other notables include Light Yourself On Fire, who shockingly convert  "Chosen Time" into a growly metal monster, Xoxo's solemn "Every Little Counts", and Win Win Winter's plaintive piano-driven "Regret". And that's not to mention a spoken intro from Peter Hook (of New Order) himself. So, you have some radical reinterpretations, plenty of (true?) faithful covers, and plenty of reverential and respectful tributes. A superb set for any New Order fan, and plenty of solid material for novices just as well. (24 Hour Service Station)


24HourServicespace

New Order tribute page

various artists - "Godhead - Non-Stop Ride" CD

On this 2004 release, Jason Miller of nth-generation industrial rockers Godhead mixes together (and that's putting it loosely) a selection of mostly re-hashed cuts from the catalog of recycling masters Cleocraptra Records. It's not so much a showcase of the artists' top songs, but more-or-less a commercial/promo for Cleo's waning back catalogue of covers albums and licensees. A solid (if unremarkable) track by Funker Vogt ('Narayan') opens things with aplomb, but what follows shortly thereafter is a subpar effort by the normally talented Haujobb ('Smack My Bitch Up' - yes, that one), who did this track for quick cash, I'm convinced, as it seems to be a throwaway that displays none of the complexity and texture that Mr. Meier (cheers, Daniel!) is capable of. Beyond that, there's a lot of very average songs by X Marks The Pedwalk ('I See You'), VNV Nation's technofied Front 242 cover ('DMSO'), a brief snippet of the mighty Pig's 'Rope', a short edit of Ogre and Mark Walk's cover of Madonna's 'Borderline', 80's one-hit wonders Sigue Sigue Sputnik doing KMFDM's 'Virus', some Razed In Black, Pigface, Die Krupps, etc. You get the picture. The whole glorious mess ends with Godhead themselves covering 3 classic 80's goth-rock staples, with some pretty horrendous results. 'Bela Lugosi's Dead', 'Fascination Street', and 'This Corrosion' are rendered pale shadows (appropriate, I suppose) of their former glory. Wow. I am really seriously disappointed. (Cleopatra)

Godhead site