When
New Order
's
Bernard Sumner
joined
the Smiths
'
Johnny Marr
to form
Electronic
in 1989, some called it a dream collaboration.
Marr
's gifted guitar work made him a star musician on top of making
one of the greatest bands to emerge from
post-punk
.
Sumner
and his coolly boyish vocals stepped up to fill the shoes of his old friend, the late
Ian Curtis
, upon the end of
Joy Division
in 1980.
and
were two bands that matched one another in appeal and importance. Both groups also defined what would be known as
alternative rock
, so
coming together just made sense.
Get the Message: The Best of Electronic
is a definitive look at how the super duo succeeded in making cohesive and appealing
dance
-
rock
and became one of the greatest
alt-rock
bands. All three albums -- 1991's self-titled masterpiece, 1996's
Raise the Pressue
, and their 1999 hidden treasure,
Twisted Tenderness
-- are represented throughout along with an assortment of outtakes and remixes. Their various collaborations, including their very memorable work done with
the Pet Shop Boys
Neil Tennant
, cannot be forgotten, either. Their U.K. Top 20 hit
"Getting Away with It,"
the fluid acoustic guitars of
"Get the Message,"
and the previously unavailable single mix of
"Disappointed,"
all of which feature
Tennant
on vocals, remain timeless standouts for
. Other highlights include the sexy synth beats of
"Imitation of Life"
(B-side to
"Forbidden City"
) and
"All That I Need"
(B-side to the
Karl Bartos
-penned hit from
Raise the Pressure
"For You"
). With
Rhino
's meticulous selection of tracks,
Get the Message
is definitely one of those collections tailored for both longtime fans who already own everything and for new fans seeking a great prelude. ~ MacKenzie Wilson