Electronic: Twisted Tenderness

[MARV]

Just poring over some old articles and I saw that I have several on the then upcoming third effort by Electronic, Twisted Tenderness. When it came out, I could barely get through it. I felt that it was over-produced and had lots of fluff. Even the partially listenable tracks had fluff. The only track that had any appeal to me was the title track. I thought and still do think that it's brilliant.

It was a few years before I could really listen to the whole album through and begin to appreciate it in it's entirety. I discovered that it's a pretty under rated album particularly among Electronic fans (myself included) who were always seduced by the band's simple, infectious melodies of which Marr and Sumner are so known for. Signature New Order and Smiths elements [i]are[/i] in there. The singles that came off this album yielded some very decent b-sides that could easily have been album tracks on their own, something I always felt both the Smiths and New Order did pretty consistently. Anybody else have any thoughts?

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[bigwavedave]

Thanks marvymarv for the reviews. I also didn't get into this one at first, save a couple of songs with killer hooks ("When She's Gone" for example). However, when I threw it in with a pile of cd's I wanted to sell a few years later, it somehow redeemed itself enough that I pulled it back out and saved it.

The bottom review captures my thoughts on it exactly.

[Frau_Blucher]

Very cool reading. But I still can't get into this album. In fact, my favorite track is still their nifty cover of Blind Faith's "Can't Find My Way Home". Probably heps that the original's one of my all-time favs.

[MARV]

I definitely see your point guys. To be fair, I included that last review for opinions just like that. Even though TT did see Electronic doing different things, I guess I just enjoy digging for the original DNA that made their first and even second albums so great. Without question though, this album is quite different.

Hey Dave, lucky for me there was another person in the world who found no redemption for this album and managed to get this double disc Deluxe Edition of the album onto the secondary market and into my greedy hands [:p]

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[tenohtwo]

I still like the debut best, but I took to TT right away. I love the pop hooks in "When She's Gone", and I thought Vivid was a solid first single. I love the b-side, "Radiation", too bad they didn't record a version with vocals.

I prefer this album to Raise The Pressure, which, in my opinion, is a mediocre collection of what sounds like Republic outtakes (save one or two decent songs). I just couldn't get into the '90's club sound and female backing vocals.

Thanks for the articles, marv.

1002

[mojowkn]

FWIW, I agree completely with tenohtwo. I still can't listen to "raise the pressure" all the way through, but took to TT right away. That double set is a great one -- I picked one up as well and prefer that cover to the rasputin cover. Thanks for the reviews and scans, marv!

[bigwavedave]

I don't like the original rasputin cover either, but love the look of the deluxe edition - thanks marvymarv. What's on the bonus disc?

On a related note, I was bummed that The recent Best Of left off some of the best tunes from TT! No When She's Gone or Can't Find My Way Home? Glad to have a Best Of, but it could've been a lot better in my view...

[MARV]

Hi Dave. The second disc's track listing is as follows:

King For A Day
Warning Sign
Make It Happen (Remix)
Haze (Alternative Mix)
Prodigal Son (Star In Your Own Mind Mix)
Radiation
Prodigal Son (Touched By the Hand of Inch)
Prodigal Son (Two Lone Swordsmen)
Prodigal Son (Harvey's Greatly Deluded Mix)
Come Down (Cevin Fisher Mix)

Basically bonus and remix tracks. Ditto on the Best Of compilation. If you got the Limited Edition, this letdown was offset by the inclusion of a DVD with all their seven videos most of which I had never seen before:

Getting Away With It
Get the Message
Feel Every Beat
Disappointed
Forbidden City
For You
Vivid

[bigwavedave]

Cool. I think I will try and track 'em both down. Also thinking about seeing Johnny Marr live with Modest Mouse when they play the Sasquatch Festival up here in WA state in May...