oh you've got green eyes, oh you've got blue eye

Hello,

After meeting at a Sex Pistol's gig in 1976 something very special was born. The band began as Joy Division and continue on today as New Order.

Joy Division were the first to sign to Factory Records in which co-owner actually signed them in his own blood. Factory records was one of a kind in it's day - and took chances on the artists that they believed in and allowed them the time to create and record.

Joy Division only ever released 2 albums including 'Unknown Pleasures' and 'Closer' but the power of songs in the 2 alone would be enouogh to give them the the right to stand-up with some of the most influential bands of all time.

Ian Curtis committed suicide in 1980 bringing the original formation to a hault. The band didn't skip a beat and continued rehearsing and soon found themselves to become the rebirth in the form of a band now called New Order.

I have to digress at this point to tell you that it was this band alone that got me interested and excited about persuing a career in music.

As a child I used to go to the elementary school that my mother worked at during the summertime to be looked after. I was too young to be on my own - so as my mom was the secretary at the school and in the summer time it was just her and a janator - I would go and hang. I would bring my skateboard and was allowed to skate the hallways and gym. Amazing summer for a 12 year old kid.

One day the janitor was sweeping and cleaning all the old lockers. On the ground was binders and crap left behind from the school year. I came across a gold cassette tape with lipstck on it that was clearly a mixed tape of some cool grade 8 student. I took that thing home and the first song to play knocked me on my ass as it was 'Bizarre Love Triangle'. There was something about it that was unlike anything else I had ever heard before. This was the era of Whitney Houston and Debbie Gibson - so to hear these riffs was amazing. Thank you whom ever left that tape behind.

New Order have release 8 studio albums and countless remixes, box sets and live recordings since Ian's untimely departure.

I had the pleasure of seeing New Order perform in 2004 at T in the Park Music Festival and it was truly amazing. The only downfall was Brandon Flowers of The Killers joined them on stage for a song ;)

The band are truly one of those that you can play today and it stands-up and doesn't sound dated. Here's a quick list of the New Order tracks I would recommend you add to a collection if you don't already have.

1. Shellshock
2. True Faith
3. Temptation
4. Crystal
5. Blue Monday
6. Bizarre Love Triangle
7. *Love Will Tear Us Apart

Alright - gotta make a playlist of the some New Order.

Thanks for reading.

Gregg