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Synth Pop Super Summit

Tim Brough | Springfield, PA United States | 08/08/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr were getting frustrated. Summer had ideas he couldn't use in New Order, and Marr, recently over The Smiths and working as a gun-for-hire, was feeling the same. After a few collaborations, they decided to go all the way and make an album. Neil Tennant of The Pet Shop Boys expressed and interest, and before you could say "supergroup," Electronic was born. The single "Getting Away With It" became a world-wide smash and the album was a near perfect mix of styles. Tennent sang on two other songs for Marr and Sumner, "Disappointed" and (while not included here) "Patience Of A Saint."



While the duo never matched the giddy height of "Electronic ," this best of distills the debut and the two follow-up albums to a decent single CD. You also get a song from the Cool World soundtrack and two unreleased singles. Some of these, like "For You" (from "Raise the Pressure"), make you wonder why there wasn't a greater push to make them chart hits. Some of these songs better the works of Marr and Sumner's home groups.



To that extent, while I find it hard to recommend either "Raise The Pressure" or "Twisted Tenderness" (despite the cool Rasputin cover), I an happy to recommend "Feel Every Beat." Each album gets a fair shake, and some of the radio edits improve their originals ("Late at Night" in particular). If you're disappointed that only three songs from the debut are included, go back for it. You won't be let down."

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Javier Fernandez | Reno, NV USA | 05/05/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This along with New Order is the kind of music that our kids will regard as ".. aw damn that's what Mom and Dad listens ALL the time..."... timeless pieces for our future aging hearts."