R. Zimmerman from Minnesota – Part 4

“You have to get past the keeping-up-with-the-times stuff. It’s not about keeping up with the times, being a poet for the eighties, rock ‘n’ roller for the nineties, you don’t want to get trapped…you have to learn about it all and call it up when you need it. The old trades are still the most useful, can get you out of a jam. 

 

Everything is crooked now and the signs all point you the wrong way- it’s like we’re living at the time of the Tower of Babel, all our tongues are confused. We’re building a tower to Venus. Where the hell is that? What are we going to find there? God? 

 

The Bible says ‘Even a fool when he keeps his mouth shut is wise,’ but it comes from the Bible, so it can be cast off as being too quote religious. Make something religious and people don’t have to deal with it, they can say it’s irrelevant. ‘Repent, the Kingdom of God is at hand.’ That scares the shit out of people. They’d like to avoid that. Tell that to someone and you become their enemy. 

There does come a time, though, when you have to face facts and the truth is true whether you wanna believe it or not, it does not need you to make it true…That lie about everybody having their own truth inside of them has done a lot of damage, made people crazy.

 

Did you ever hear that to conquer, you must repent first, fall down on your knees and beg for mercy? Does West Point teach that? I don’t know, I do know that God hates a proud look. It’s a messy situation. People are just parading around in disguises, wearing faces that don’t let you know what they think.”  

– Bob Dylan, Biograph

01. Bob Dylan – “Absolutely Sweet Marie” (1966)
02. Bob Dylan – “Caribbean Wind” (1981)
03. Bob Dylan – “Gotta Serve Somebody” (1979)
04. Bob Dylan – “Heart of Mine (Live)” (1981)
05. Bob Dylan – “Abandoned Love” (1975)
06. Bob Dylan – “Blind Willie McTell” (1983)
07. Bob Dylan and the Band – “All Along the Watchtower (Live)” (1974)
08. Bob Dylan – “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again” (1966)
09. Bob Dylan – “Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)” (1978)
10. Bob Dylan – “Desolation Row (Alternate)” (1965)

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R. Zimmerman from Minnesota – Part 3

“I’m always hearing people saying how ‘Dylan should do this and do that, make an album like he did in the sixties.’ How the hell do they know? I could make Blonde on Blonde tomorrow and the same people would probably say it’s outdated…that’s the way people are. As far as the sixties go, it wasn’t any big deal. Time marches on.

I mean if I had a choice I would rather have lived in the time of King David, when he was the high King of Israel. I’d love to have been riding with him or hiding in caves with him when he was a hunted outlaw. I wonder what he would have been saying and about who- or maybe at the time of Jesus and Mary Magdalene- that would have been interesting huh, really test your nerve…or maybe even later in the time of the Apostles when they were overturning the world…what happened in the ‘60’s? Wiretapping? What was so revolutionary about it?”

– Bob Dylan, Biograph

01. Bob Dylan – “Tombstone Blues” (1965)

02. Bob Dylan – “Love Minus Zero/No Limit” (1965)
03. Bob Dylan – “Maggie’s Farm” (1965)
04. Bob Dylan – “The Times They Are a-Changin’” (1964)
05. Bob Dylan – “My Back Pages” (1964)
06. Bob Dylan – “Subterranean Homesick Blues” (1965)
07. Bob Dylan – “Forever Young (Demo)” (1973)
08. Bob Dylan – “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again (Alternate)” (1966)
09. Bob Dylan – “Desolation Row” (1965)
10. Bob Dylan – “Baby, Let Me Follow You Down” (1962)

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No Direction Home – Intro

R. Zimmerman from Minnesota – Part 2

“I like to keep my values scripturally straight though- I like to stay a part of that stuff that don’t change. Actually, it’s not that difficult- people still love and they still hate, they still marry and have children, still slaves in their minds to their desires, still slap each other in the face, and say ‘honey can you turn off the light’ just like they did in ancient Greece. What’s changed? When did Abraham break his father's idols? I think it was last Tuesday.

God is still the judge and the devil still rules the world so what’s different? No matter how big you think you are history is gonna roll over you. Sound like a preacher don’t I? To the aspiring songwriter and singer I say disregard all the current stuff, forget it, you’re better off, read John Keats, Melville, listen to Robert Johnson and Woody Guthrie. Movies, too, I’ve seen hundred of them, how many of them stay with you? Shane, Red River, On the Waterfront, Freaks? Maybe a handful of others…I just saw one the other night, as soon as it was over I couldn’t remember a thing about it. Seemed real important at the time though.”

– Bob Dylan, Biograph

01. Bob Dylan – “Shooting Star (Live)” (1994)
02. Bob Dylan – “Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands” (1966)
03. Bob Dylan – “Visions of Johanna (Live)” (1966)
04. Bob Dylan – “Things Have Changed” (2000)
05. Bob Dylan – “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” (1963)
06. Bob Dylan – “Most of the Time” (1989)
07. Bob Dylan – “Percy’s Song” (1963)
08. Bob Dylan – “I’ll Keep It with Mine” (1965)
09. Bob Dylan – “Sara (Live)” (1975)
10. Bob Dylan – “Sweetheart Like You” (1985)

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Bob Dylan – Nobel Prize in Literature

R. Zimmerman from Minnesota – Part 1

For awhile in the ‘90s, the only Bob Dylan music in my collection was the 3-disc 1985 box set Biograph which serves as a good introduction to Dylan’s work up to that point and includes some killer liner notes. Dylan’s ‘60s output made him famous and a hero to many who came of age during the Vietnam War era- including my mom- but I’ve always been drawn more to Dylan’s later stuff especially his tumultuous ‘70s period when he was going through a divorce, getting bashed by critics, and becoming a born-again Christian (it all made for some interesting music and- I think- taught Dylan humility).

These days Bob Dylan is still recording and touring- I saw him play live about ten years ago in Virginia (pretty boring show)- and he seems quite content with his role as respected American poet and traveling minstrel (to me, his sense of humor only gets better with age). With a catalogue as deep as Dylan’s, it can be hard to pick favorites since some songs have meant different things to me at different times in my life and there are always new ones to discover. Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy!

01. Bob Dylan – “Every Grain of Sand” (1981)
02. Bob Dylan – “Like a Rolling Stone” (1965)
03. Bob Dylan – “Gates of Eden” (1965)
04. Bob Dylan – “Ring Them Bells” (1989)
05. Bob Dylan – “Boots of Spanish Leather (Live)” (1963)
06. Bob Dylan – “Up to Me” (1974)
07. Bob Dylan – “The Groom’s Still Waiting at the Altar” (1981)
08. Bob Dylan – “Workingman’s Blues # 2” (2006)
09. Bob Dylan – “Blowin’ in the Wind” (1963)
10. Bob Dylan – “Thunder on the Mountain” (2006)

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Bob Dylan – “Thunder on the Mountain”

No Direction Home

Pop Faves

Because it aims to provide immediate listening pleasure to the largest number of people possible, pop music may be the purest and most universal of all musical genres. Pop doesn’t want to challenge you or change your way of thinking. Pop is girls’ night, guilty pleasures, and torch songs; it’s milk and cookies for the soul- and candy for your ears.

ABBA

Although I grew up listening to and enjoying it, I’ve never had a lot of pop in my music collection (with the exception of Cher and ABBA) and as for contemporary pop I’m usually pretty much in the dark unless friends turn me onto the good stuff. As a songwriter, I think pop songs can be the most fun to write- all it takes is a catchy melody and an understanding of human nature. Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy!

01. ABBA – “Dancing Queen” (1976)

02. ABBA – “Super Trouper” (1980)

03. Leona Lewis – “Run” (2008)

04. Lissie – “Go Your Own Way” (2011)

05. ABBA – “The Winner Takes It All” (1980)

06. Cher – “Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves” (1971)

07. Sheryl Crow – “The First Cut Is the Deepest” (2003)

08. Neil Diamond – “Hello Again” (1980)

09. Echosmith – “Bizarre Love Triangle (Live)” (2015)

10. Cher – “Dark Lady” (1974)

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ABBA – “Dancing Queen”

ABBA – “The Winner Takes It All”

Robbie Williams – “She’s the One”

More Songs About Nothing

Hard to believe this album was released 40 years ago. I don’t think I’ve listened to the whole thing since the late ‘90s but decided to revisit it this week before concluding my recent new wave kick (and now I remember why 20 years ago this album slipped to the bottom of music collection). While I’m sure it sounded new and radical to college kids and music critics in 1978, to me (in 2018) More Songs About Buildings and Food just sounds dated, makes me feel icky, and doesn’t really have much to say (and if someone needs to explain to me why I should like this album then it is no longer music- it’s work).

The opening track is okay but I find the paranoid, herky-jerky sounds that follow mostly unlistenable. Things get better on the last four songs which are kind of funky in a robotic sort of way. The Al Green cover, “Take Me to the River”- which sounds almost human- is still the highlight of an otherwise inhuman album which- if it is meant to be some kind of artistic experiment (dance music that no human being can possibly dance to)- then perhaps it is successful, but as music I just don't dig it. Why do I get the feeling that if Talking Heads read this album review then they would agree with everything I’ve just written? Am I missing something? Were they out to destroy music with this album? Grade: C-

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Rock Grab Bag

Just as the Roman Empire persecuted early Christianity, so the adult establishment waged war on early rock music and declared it dangerous, wild, and forbidden. But rock grew, came of age during the ‘60s, and not only changed the trajectory of popular culture but is now the official music of the establishment. Despite its many transmutations over the years, rock music is still recognizable and continues to leave its mystic trail of coolness, fun, and rebellion for new generations of fans to follow and make their own.

Santana

In the second half of the 20th century, rock music became synonymous with personal freedom and rock played a huge role in inspiring the protests which led to the fall of communist dictatorships in Europe. The message and appeal of rock music- its rhythm, primitiveness, and excitement (they say Bob Dylan added poetry to it)- is universal. Rock can be a force for good in the world- I’ve seen it- and I believe each person should have the right to rock out in his or her own way. Come join me, the Jean, as we explore the many sides of rock including some of my 20th century favorites from classic rock, jam rock, singer-songwriter, art & progressive rock, lite rock, folk-rock, and hard rock. That's a lot of rock. So come on and take a chance with the rock grab bag. Enjoy!

Bob Dylan and Carlos Santana

01. The Doors – “The End” (1967)

02. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – “All Along the Watchtower” (1968)

03. The Lovin’ Spoonful – “Do You Believe in Magic” (1965)

04. Hawkwind – “Hurry on Sundown” (1970)

05. Elton John – “The Bitch Is Back” (1974)

06. Frank Zappa – “Montana” (1973)

07. Bob Dylan – “Dignity (Live)” (1994) 

08. Boston – “More Than a Feeling” (1976)

09. The Rolling Stones – “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)” (1978)

10. Leonard Cohen – “Suzanne” (1967)

11. Grateful Dead – “Uncle John’s Band” (1970)

12. Queen & David Bowie – “Under Pressure” (1981)

13. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers– “Two Gunslingers” (1991)

14. Captain & Tennille – “Do That to Me One More Time” (1979)

15. Bread – “It Don’t Matter to Me” (1970)

16. Blues Traveler – “Run-Around” (1994)

17. Bob Dylan – “Not Dark Yet” (1997)

18. Bob Dylan – “Trying to Get to Heaven” (1997)

19. Santana – “Soul Sacrifice (Live)” (1969)

20. Alice Cooper – “I'm Eighteen” (1971)

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Rush – “Nobody’s Hero”

New Wave Trash

I have an early childhood memory of hearing Blondie’s smash hit “The Tide Is High” on the radio- everywhere- and so I was surprised when years later as a teenager (during the course of my punk research) I discovered many writers referring to Blondie as one of the first punk bands (along with their New York contemporaries Ramones and Talking Heads). I guess back then people didn’t really have a name for what '70s bands like Ramones and Talking Heads were doing and so music critics labeled these influential CBGB groups- including Blondie- punk or new wave (now called punk pioneers).

Over the years, Blondie songs began creeping into my music collection- usually one song at a time. They always had catchy singles but I never really dug any of Blondie’s studio albums. If I were going to recommend one Blondie album then it would be The Best of Blondie. Blondie's music is known for being fun, trashy, and eclectic with one foot in ‘60s garage rock and the other in ‘70s disco. For me, it is Blondie's carefree attitude, sense of humor, New Yawk accents, and refusal to be labeled that make them unpredictable and kind of punk. (Oh, and having a former Playboy bunny as their lead singer probably didn't hurt Blondie’s record sales.) Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy!

01. Blondie – “Maria” (1999)

02. Blondie – “Hanging on the Telephone” (1978)

03. Blondie – “Suzy & Jeffrey” (1980)

04. Blondie – “Dreaming” (1979)

05. Blondie – “Sunday Girl (Remix)” (1981)

06. Blondie – “In the Flesh (Remix)” (1981)

07. Blondie – “Call Me” (1980)

08. Blondie – “(I’m Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear” (1978)

09. Blondie – “Union City Blue” (1979)

10. Blondie – “Rip Her to Shreds” (1977) 

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Alternative Grab Bag

Come join me, the Jean, as we experience thrills and chills from the offbeat world of alternative music including some of my favorites from punk, new wave, power pop, garage rock, post-punk, experimental, and indie/alternative. A few of the songs are old favorites of mine but most are only recent discoveries. Isn’t it nice when music can still offer you surprises? Enjoy!

They Might Be Giants

01. Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers – “Roadrunner (Once)” (1976)

02. The Stooges – “1969” (1969)
03. The Soft Boys – “I Wanna Destroy You” (1980)
04. World Party – “Put the Message in the Box” (1990)
05. They Might Be Giants – “Don’t Let’s Start” (1986)
06. MC5 – “Kick Out the Jams (Live)” (1969)
07. The White Stripes – “Hotel Yorba” (2001)
08. Tom Verlaine – “Kingdom Come” (1979)
09. The Real Kids – “All Kindsa Girls” (1977)
10. Cracker – “Euro-Trash Girl” (1992)
11. Cake – “Frank Sinatra” (1996)
12. Stephen Malkmus – “Jenny & the Ess Dog” (2001)
13. David Bowie – “Sound and Vision” (1977)
14. Guided By Voices – “I Am a Scientist” (1994)
15. The Magnetic Fields – “A Chicken with Its Head Cut Off”(1999)
16. Hoodoo Gurus – “I Want You Back” (1984)
17. Beat Happening – “Indian Summer” (1988)
18. Material Issue – “Valerie Loves Me” (1991)
19. John Cale – “Hallelujah (Live)” (1992)
20. Talking Heads – “(Nothing But) Flowers” (1988)

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Here Comes the New Wave II

I promised myself to listen to more albums this year but I think when it comes to new wave songs they usually sound best as singles or as part of compilations. Back when I was a kid- and new wave music was at its zenith- singles were still a popular listening format and you could walk down to the local record store or department store and buy a 7” single of a song you just heard on the radio for 99 cents. To me, the best new wave songs were designed to be singles- cheap, catchy, and disposable.

The Cars

As for new wave albums, I've owned some Elvis Costello studio albums over the years but still prefer The Very Best of Elvis Costello and The Attractions. The Pretenders’ Singles is a flawless new wave collection I’ve always enjoyed (though their albums just don't do it for me) and in addition to single artist compilations (the Cars, the Police) there are lots of various artists compilations which are probably better than most new wave studio albums (Rhino Records usually has good new wave compilations).

Pretenders

Still, if I had to pick one new wave studio album to recommend then I guess it would be Talking Heads’ More Songs About Buildings and Food. I heard it playing in a Mexican restaurant in Virginia some years ago and even though it was released in 1978 the songs still sounded startlingly new and original- I didn’t even recognize it was Talking Heads. I guess I'll have to give that album another listen. In the meantime, here are some more of my favorite new wave songs. Enjoy!

Elvis Costello and the Attractions

01. The Cars – “You Might Think” (1984)

02. The Cars – “Since You’re Gone” (1981)

03. Pretenders – “Back on the Chain Gang” (1982)

04. Bow Wow Wow – “I Want Candy” (1982)

05. Elvis Costello and the Attractions – “I Can’t Stand Up for Falling Down” (1980)

06. The The – “This Is the Day” (1983)

07. Elvis Costello – “(What's So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding” (1978)

08. A Flock of Seagulls – “Space Age Love Song” (1982)

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Easy Does It

When it comes to vocal/easy listening music there is really only one artist in my collection: Frank Sinatra. About fifteen years ago I went through a painful break up and started listening exclusively to sad country songs and Frank Sinatra albums (especially In the Wee Small Hours and Only the Lonely- I think Sinatra referred to these as his “suicide albums” although they were quite popular with his fans). 

Frank Sinatra

It was Sinatra (and Ella Fitzgerald) who introduced me to Cole Porter's music and any interest I have in vocal/easy listening is thanks to Ol’ Blue Eyes. Classy, smooth, and sometimes the only music that will do the trick- here are some of my favorite vocal/easy listening songs. Enjoy! 

Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr.

01. Bobby Short – “I Happen to Like New York (Live)” (1973)

02. Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass – “This Guy’s in Love with You” (1968)

03. Sammy Davis Jr. – “If My Friends Could See Me Now” (1968)

04. Lorne Greene – “Ringo” (1964)

05. Sammy Davis Jr. – “Mr. Bojangles” (1972)

06. Burt Bacharach – “South American Getaway” (1969)

07. Margo Guryan – “Think of Rain” (1968)

08. The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, Nic Raine – “You Only Live Twice (Main Theme)” (1994)

09. Frank Sinatra – “I Love Paris” (1958)

10. Frank Sinatra – “I Get a Kick Out of You” (1954)

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Jean’s Jazz: Smells Good

I began my jazz education in the early ’90s when I brought home some Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller CDs from the public library. Those CDs served as a solid foundation for me and I started making monthly visits to the library to check out different jazz albums and record them onto cassette tapes and soon I had myself a little jazz collection. A few years later, a college friend told me- rather condescendingly- the jazz music I liked was “dinner jazz” though I kind of took it as compliment since I’ve never pretended to understand jazz- but I know what I like.

John Coltrane

On one of his live ‘70s albums, you can hear Frank Zappa tell the audience “Jazz is not dead- it just smells funny.” I think if jazz smells funny then it is probably best to get rid of it. I don’t have a lot of jazz in my music collection these days but most of the jazz I like is melodious, soothing, and pleasurable and if it does not contain at least one of those three elements then for me it stinks and I’m not interested.

Like wine, I wish I had the time, money, and knowledge to find and enjoy the good stuff but for now I guess I’ll just continue as I’ve always done and pick up whatever jazz sounds good along the way and add it to my collection. I assume jazz albums can work really well for dinner and cocktail parties but of course the trick is finding the right album and committing to it and hopefully the guests won’t start to smell anything too funny. Here are some of my favorite jazz songs. Enjoy!

Oscar Peterson

01. Oscar Peterson Trio – “You Look Good to Me” (1964)

02. Paul Mauriat – “Love is Blue” (1968)
03. Herbie Mann – “Muscle Shoals Nitty Gritty”  (1970)
04. Jimmy Smith – “Back at the Chicken Shack” (1960)
05. Charles Mingus – “Far Wells, Mill Valley” (1959)
06. Herbie Mann – “St. Louis Blues” (1957)
07. Nat King Cole – “It’s Only a Paper Moon” (1957)
08. John Coltrane – “Greensleeves” (1963)
09. Chet Baker – “But Not for Me” (1954)

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True Power of Jazz

Underground Music

I was already a Lou Reed fan when in high school- probably senior year- I picked up a cassette tape copy of The Best of the Velvet Underground: Words and Music of Lou Reed. For me, this compilation served as a great introduction to the Velvet Underground (a ‘60s New York band originally managed by Andy Warhol) and it may be the only VU collection any curious listener will ever need (though it contains only songs written exclusively by Reed). Much has been said about the greatness of the band's debut album- The Velvet Underground & Nico- and rightly so. For the uninitiated, I would start with either Words and Music or Nico to hear for yourself what all the fuss is about.

I like the Velvet Underground but their later albums don’t really hold my attention (though each contains some good really songs). Perhaps without the wild, experimental spirit of John Cale (Reed pushed him out of the band in ‘68) the post-Cale Velvet Underground to me feels like only half a band and there doesn't seem to be much vision. I guess what I liked best about the VU’s first album- besides its gritty, realistic street songs about scoring drugs, doing drugs, depression, loneliness, sex, and death- was its vision. Lou Reed, John Cale, and the rest of the band- inspired by Warhol- had an artistic vision and they executed it and while that may sound simple it’s pretty hard to do.

I think whether you like an artist’s work or not you can always judge the work by asking: 1) what was the artist’s vision? and 2) did the artist successfully execute that vision? In the case of the VU’s first album, I would say yes, mission accomplished. Reed, an English major while at Syracuse University, thought it might sound fun and interesting to combine his love of dark poetry with contemporary rock & roll and though no one paid much attention to The Velvet Underground & Nico at the time it is now considered to be one of popular music’s greatest albums and the Velvet Underground are often called the world's first punk band as well as the founders of alternative music. Not bad.

I grew up in the Long Island suburbs with the idea that New York City was a dangerous cesspool and so when I first heard the VU's music I remember thinking "Ah, this is the voice of the gutter" but this was no reefer joke band. Not only did I dig their music but the artistry and ideas of the Velvet Underground- especially on their first album- inspired me to always stay true to my artistic vision (even if no one digs it) and for that I will always be grateful to them.

Lou Reed was born Jewish but based on his lyrics and personal demons I always felt he could have found peace and inspiration in Catholicism. Reed's patron, Andy Warhol, was a practicing Catholic and one wonders how much influence Warhol's faith may have had on the young Reed (I think Reed studied Buddhism late in life). Here are some of my favorite VU songs (all written by Lou Reed). Enjoy!

01. The Velvet Underground – “I’m Waiting for My Man” (1967)

02. The Velvet Underground – “Sweet Jane” (1970)

03. The Velvet Underground – “White Light/White Heat” (1968)

04. The Velvet Underground – “Femme Fatale” (1967)

05. The Velvet Underground – “Rock & Roll” (1970)

06. The Velvet Underground – “I’ll Be Your Mirror” (1967)

07. The Velvet Underground – “Head Held High” (1970)

08. The Velvet Underground – “Stephanie Says” (1968)

09. The Velvet Underground – “Heroin” (1967)

10. The Velvet Underground – “Pale Blue Eyes” (1969)

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Punk: Attitude

Portrait of an ‘80s Artist

Basquiat is a great little movie about ‘80s New York City artist Jean-Michel Basquiat who died young and left behind a body of work that inspired (for better or worse) thousands of ‘90s art school students and art dealers. The movie- the first directed by real life painter Julian Schnabel- takes an unflinching look at the absurdity, self-importance, and exploitive nature of the art world as well as the damage, emptiness, and addiction that so often accompany overnight fame.

Schnabel eschews the typical Hollywood rags to riches biopic formula and succeeds in creating something less linear and formal and more original, personal, and realistic. It really looks and feels like ‘80s New York City where people are just living their lives, waiting for something to happen- and the soundtrack is great. The supporting characters float in and out of the movie- just like in life- and we’re never quite sure if what we’re seeing is really happening or if it’s just Basquiat’s imagination.

Characters- including Basquiat- are neither good or bad- they are just people making choices- and like with any good tragedy we watch- helplessly- as Jean-Paul continues making poor choices which not only squander his potential as an artist but ultimately lead to his untimely demise. It is a career making performance for Jeffrey Wright and there are good performances all around including David Bowie as Andy Warhol. A must-see cautionary tale for all art school students. Grade: A

‘80s Spirit

Back when dance songs were released in various mixes and on different vinyl sizes (the more inches, the more time for dancing), New Order (from Manchester, England) got ‘80s dance floors moving all around the globe. I think I was 12 or 13 years old when I watched the video for “True Faith” on MTV and since then I’ve been a closet New Order fan (synth pop is much more respected in Europe, by the way). For me, New Order's music is hit or miss- and very ‘80s- but when one of their songs hits- and the hooks catch- it’s pretty cool (including their earlier and more experimental post-punk stuff).

Like Shakespeare, I get the feeling New Order are closet Catholics. I like the way they pack drama into their melodies and- as one writer observed- somehow get people dancing to a song about domestic violence. I think most people know the story behind the band. After their lead singer killed himself in 1980, the remaining members of Joy Division changed their name to New Order and continued making music (with guitarist Bernard Sumner assuming vocal duties). I’ve been in a sort of ‘80s music mood lately and have tried rounding up my favorite New Order songs (which isn’t easy- their output is all over the place with lots of edits, remixes, and re-recordings). Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy!

01. New Order – “Love Vigilantes” (1985)

02. New Order – “1963” (1987)

03. New Order – “True Faith (7” Edit)” (1987)

04. New Order – “Bizarre Love Triangle” (1986)

05. New Order – “Ceremony” (1981)

06. New Order – “Leave Me Alone” (1981)

07. New Order – “Bizarre Love Triangle (Shep Pettibone 12” Remix)” (1986)

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New Order – “True Faith”