Search - New Order :: Crystal

You'll find the best version of 'Crystal' here......

Winthrop Harrison | Seattle, WA United States | 11/20/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"New Order's new album 'Get Ready' is sadly marginal. The frightening reality is it may be one of the best albums of the year. It all relies on the playing and instrumental tension. It must be that, because "Crystal" sounds wonderful. Lyrically the song just has nothing much to say. No tension, no ambivalence, just Eh.Eh Eh Eh. Still and all, it sounds great, and the best version is here. The version you'll find on 'Get Ready' is too long, with a Pink Floydesque (David Gilmour Floyd) intro, and some drum/keyboard vamps that simply eat up time. The single version gets right there and makes its case quickly, for good or bad. It's concise and musically perfect. The thrill of the tune is so strong that McCartnyesque lines like - "Here comes love - it's like honey - you can't buy it with money" almost work. Almost, but no. New Order's tension is gone. So why are we still listening? Only the music, because it's so damn good.The rest of this EP bashes out remixes of "Crystal", none of them interesting. (this is a ROCK tune, hard to mix that...) There IS a B-side ("Behind Closed Doors") which is lyrically good but musically so-so. Oh well, better luck next time."

Still got it

Magentosphere | 09/26/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I haven't enjoyed a New Order album in a long time (well, it's been like 10 years since their last one, anyway). But, after one listen to their new full-length "Get Ready", I gotta admit that there's some pretty good stuff on this. More live drumming and guitar playing, less programmed synth stuff = a very good thing! Of course, Peter Hook's distinctive bass lines stick out, and are as wonderful as ever (if you like this sorta thing). Sumner's chicken-scratchin' guitar lines are still very much in evidence, but the surprise is the return of Stephen Morris's rock-style drumming. One song even evokes JD's "Heart and Soul", albeit with funkier drumming... As a huge fan of Joy Division, I've viewed New Order's career as the epitome of the law of diminishing returns: I loved their early stuff, but each album seemed to get further and further away from what I originally enjoyed about their music. But this harks back to the "low-life" album from 1985 (their last good one, IMHO). It does at times revert to formula and predictability, but they manage to rock out a little harder than they have in quite a while. These folks still have it, I'm happy to say."

It's all about the b-side..

Magentosphere | NYC, NY | 09/27/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is really terrific. First off for only half the price of a regular CD you get an hour's worth of music. That's good. "Crystal" is a really good song...but what makes this CD is the b-side "Behind Closed Doors" it's worth the price alone. It's slow and has haunting vocals...the lyrics are great the piano meshes perfectly. Crystal is...well Crystal. Good guitar hook (the female vocals do sound out of place a bit) and the song bops along merrily at its own pace.The remixes tend to get tedious after awhile (especially the Digweed ones..too long and dull) but the overall quality makes up for it.Worthwhile pickup."