"The Secret Of Association" by PAUL YOUNG – March 1985 Second Studio Album on CBS Records (UK) featuring Ian Kewley, John Turnbull, Steve Bolton, Matt Irving, Pino Palladino, Mark Pinder with guests Paul Nieman of Centipede, Nick Payn of Q-Tips, B.J. Cole of Cochise, Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze, Mark Feltham of Nine Below Zero and more (September 2007 UK Edsel Records 'Deluxe 2CD Edition' with Eight Bonus Tracks and Alchemy Studio Mastering) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

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"...Every Time You Go Away..."

 

Ex Q-Tips Vocalist Paul Young made the kind of impact Sade, Terence Trent D'Arby and Seal did in the Eighties and Nineties - signed to a prestigious label known for these kind of discoveries - these Rock-Soulful singers scored instantly with an adoring public and sold big too. 

 

"The Secret Of Association" was Paul Young's second album after his solo debut "No Parlez" in July 1983 - a UK No.1 with sales of almost one and half million copies. Prepped by three killer singles before LP, Cassette and CD release late March 1985 - "Secret..." repeated the No.1 slot. In October 1984 (six months before the album's release), CBS Records UK put out Young's cover version of "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" - a song made famous by Ann Peebles in the Seventies on Hi Records USA, London Records UK (reflecting his love of R&B and Soul Music). That was followed in November 1984 with his own "Everything Must Change" and then a month before the LP's release 25 March 1985, February 1985 saw CBS Records hit the buying public with a classic "Every Time You Go Away" - a gorgeous Daryl Hall song from the Hall & Oates LP "Voices" of August 1980 on RCA.

 

Like Rod Stewart or Paul Carrack - Paul Young once again showed a great knack for choice of someone else's songs - the obscure "Wherever I Lay My Hat..." B-side by Marvin Gaye that PY put on "No Parlez" (practically launched him), the "Swordfishtrombones" Tom Waits cover "Soldier's Things" he does on "The Secret Of Association" - the Billy Bragg bonus track "The Man In The Iron Mask" that turned up on only the Cassette and CD variants of original 1985 issues.

 

And that's where this 2007 'Deluxe 2CD Edition' from England's Edsel comes licensing in. Here are the details...

 

UK released September 2007 - "The Secret Of Association" by PAUL YOUNG on Edsel EDSD 2006 (Barcode 740155200633) is a 'Deluxe 2CD Edition' with the LP variant of 11-tracks remastered on CD1 and CD2 carrying 8 Bonuses - 12" Mixes and Single B-sides. They play out as follows...

 

CD1 The Secret Of Association (52:26 minutes):

1. Bit The Hand That Feeds [Side 1]

2. Every Time You Go Away 

3. I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down

4. Standing On The Edge

5. Soldier's Things 

6. Everything Must Change [Side 2]

7. Tomb Of Memories 

8. One Step Forward

9. Hot Fun 

10. This Means Anything

11. I Was In Chains 

Tracks 1 to 11 are the Vinyl LP Version of "The Secret Of Association" - released 25 March 1985 in the UK on CBS Records CBS 26234 and Columbia FC 39957 in the USA. Produced by LAURIE LATHAM - it peaked at No.1 in the UK and No.19 in the USA. 

 

NOTE: The UK cassette and CD variants both had a Bonus Track called "The Man In The Iron Mask" (a Billy Bragg cover) which has been moved over to CD2. The cassette version of the album in the UK had 12-tracks - Track 6 being the Bonus song "The Man In The Iron Mask". But the MC also substituted four LP cuts with Extended 12" Mixes - only two are on CD2 - "Every Time You Go Away" and "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" - the two missing are "Hot Fun (Extended Mix)" and "I Was In Chains (Extended Mix)".

 

"Bite The Hand That Feeds Me" written by Billy Livsey and Graham Lyle (of Gallagher & Lyle), "Every Time You Go Away" written by Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates, "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" by Earl Randle (covered by Ann Peebles), "Standing On The Edge" written by Andrew Barfield, "Soldier's Things" written by Tom Waits and "I Was In Chains" written by Gavin Sutherland of Sutherland Brothers & Quiver. All others by Paul Young and Ian Kewley.

 

CD2 The 12" Mixes and Single B-sides (43:20 minutes):

1. I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down (Special Extended Mix) - 9:20 minutes

2. Everything Must Change (12" Mix) - 8:27 minutes

3. Give Me My Freedom - 3:26 minutes 

4. Every Time You Go Away (7" Mix) - 4:17 minutes 

5. Tomb Of Memories (12" Mix) - 5:46 minutes

6. The Man In The Iron Mask - 3:13 minutes

7. Bite The Hand That Feeds [Live at The Hammersmith Odeon] - 4:14 minutes

8. No Parlez [Live at The Hammersmith Odeon] - 4:35 minutes  

 

The 12-page booklet sports new liner notes by ALAN ROBINSON done in July 2007 - the text spattered with 12" CBS Records labels, the inner artwork, merchandise sheet, picture sleeves and two pages of song credits. Good muscular mastering comes care of Alchemy, but it's kind of unforgivable for CD2 to have not included those two 12" Versions on the cassette original issue ("Hot Fun" and "I Was In Chains") when there was room. Other than that, the Val Jennings correlated project looks and sounds good. To the chunes...

 

I love Paul Nieman's tiny Trombone contribution to "Soldier's Things" - the Tom Waits cover that ends Side 1 - all strings and funeral mooch - another great choice and a moody brute I return to way more than the bombastic "Bite The Hand That Feeds". You can hear the Pedal Steel guitar flourishes B.J. Cole of Seventies Country-Rock band Cochise makes to "Everything Must Change" - a Young/Kewley composition that rivals Daryl Hall's "Every Time You Go Away" (a tall order any day of the week).  

 

Deliberately aping the 60ts Northern Soul sound with its drums and chimes - the Soul Dancer vibe of "Tomb Of Memories" saw CBS Records make it the fourth and final single off the album. Although their contribution is more subtle than obvious, Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford of Squeeze add Backing Vocals whilst former band-mate Nicky Payne of the Q-Tips adds Saxophone. The twelve-inch variant of this track is a beast over on CD weighing in at 5:46 minutes. Young takes chances with "One Step Forward" - the bitterness a human heart can show - his pawn in the Government's game lyrics offset by a huge string arrangement that makes you sit up and take notice. 

 

"Hot Fun" is drowned in 80ts studio trickery - wailing guitars, slap-slide-bass notes, weedy drum machines and synth punches - but it's the track that has most dated. Far better is one of the album's hidden jewels - "This Means Anything" - a genuinely great Young/Kewley songwriter collaboration. "The Secret Of Association" ends with another clever cover version - "I Was In Chains". The song was originally penned by Gavin Sutherland of Seventies Soft-Rock British band Sutherland Brothers and Quiver - first appearing on their 1972 debut album on Island Records "The Sutherland Brothers Band". Giving it an Irish air, session-men Graham Preskett plays lovely Violin while Mark Feltham of Nine Below Zero distorts his Harmonica into an almost Australian didgeridoo sound - its 5:43 minute duration brought to a standstill by backwards taped guitars - modern meets old traditional. It's a fantastic way to end a really good album. 

 

For sure, some of it's very Eighties Production sheen has done for certain tracks - too much noise - and in hindsight - not enough soul (odd for a singer who exudes so much of it). But those other goodies in-between excesses, the Remaster muscle and a smattering of the Bonuses all add up to a very satisfying twofer indeed (even despite those missing mixes).

 

And until something better comes a lollygagging along for "The Secret Of Association" and its 2007 'Deluxe 2CD Edition' from England's Edsel - here in late March 2023 - I don’t mind being chained to this reissue at all...

"Unknown Pleasures" by JOY DIVISION – June 1979 UK Debut Album on Factory Records (October 1980 USA Debut LP on Factory) featuring Ian Curtis, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Stephen Morris - last three then became New Order (September 2007 UK London Records 2CD 'Collector's Edition' Reissue and Remaster - CD1 The Album - CD2 Live at The Factory, Manchester, 13 July 1979 - The Full Concert With Two New Previously Unreleased Tracks and Jon Davis Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Blood On My Fear..." 

 

Perception is an interesting thing. 

 

Original band member and future New Order leading light, Bernard Sumner remembers Manchester's Joy Division in the live arena as Hard and Heavy and Raucous (and indeed they were known to be a bit punishing as a listen). And that's what they wanted to capture on their first platter, new to a studio environs or not.

 

But their debut album "Unknown Pleasures" - UK issued June 1979 on Factory Records with only 5000 copies initially - ended up sounding like nothing of the sort. What emerged on vinyl was a Downbeat Post Punk new kid was on the sonic block that needed to get out more. It was all doom and dreamscape and ever so slightly druggy - like an updated British New Wave/Alternative Indie version of Pink Floyd's "Piper At The Gates Of Dawn" debut in 1967 - or maybe the physical manifestation of a hangover with incessant droning noises in your throbbing forehead that just won't quit and if you think about them too much, somehow call themselves songs (if you can believe that).

 

In fact, Bernard Sumner's recollections in the new 20-page booklet come on as if he's describing Joy Division's initial sound stage as being Hawkwind doing whatever the f they want. So what happened - why did we end up with this hypnotic relentlessly black and white Pulsar CP 1919 downer?

 

The difference is and has always been the Production Values of the hip and happening wunderkind Martin Hannett. The album was done at Strawberry Studios in Stockport in April 1979 where Sumner maintains egotist Hannett did 'his own thing' regardless - turned down the guitars when they wanted them up - smoothed out the 'raw' upfront for a backdrop of eaten crisps and broken bottles in the background - whilst emphasizing the real-world-hurt-drenched vocals of Ian Curtis and the whack-chops of Drummer Stephen Morris (someone Hannett rated). But you have to argue, that despite the hate some band members have expressed on the finished product at the time and maintained down through the decades (they apparently didn't attend the original mixing sessions) – what Hannett did – worked – like say Trevor Horn did for Frankie Goes To Hollywood in 1984.

 

At this point in April 2022, it seems the common consensus that Hannett kind of accidentally invented the Joy Division Sound for which they became famous - an emotional extremity you either loved or loathed - the public going for the first. Well, if I crank "Interzone" where huge riffage now comes kicking out my speakers or settle on the funereal grunge of "Day Of The Lords" - I'm thinking this sympathetic 2007 Remaster is giving us both. To the New Dawn...

 

UK released 12 September 2007 - "Unknown Pleasures" by JOY DIVISION on London Records 2564 69778 9 (Barcode 825646977895) is a 2-Disc Collector's Edition Reissue and Remaster that plays out as follows:

 

CD1 (39:28 minutes):

Outside

1. Disorder [Side 1]

2. Day Of The Lords 

3. Candidate 

4. Insight 

5. New Dawn Fades 

Inside 

6. She's Lost Control [Side 2]

7. Shadowplay 

8. Wilderness

9. Interzone

10. I Remember Nothing 

Tracks 1 to 10 are their Debut Album "Unknown Pleasures" - released June 1979 in the UK on Factory Records FACT 10, October 1980 USA on Factory Records FACTUS 1. Produced by MARTIN HANNETT, it eventually charted (after re-pressings) August 1980 and peaked at No. 71.  

 

CD2 The Factory, Manchester, Live 13 July 1979 (44:39 minutes):

1. Dread Souls 

2. The Only Mistake 

3. Insight 

4. Candidate 

5. Wilderness 

6. She's Lost Control 

7. Shadowplay 

8. Disorder

9. Interzone

10. Atrocity Exhibition 

11. Novelty 

12. Transmission

 

I have to admit that the gatefold foldout card digipak is pretty in some ways, but it's also bloody boring. I don't really get a sense of celebration from this 2-Disc Reissue. You have to say that sympathizer and singles-genre CD compiler JON SAVAGE does a bang-up job in his new 20-page liner notes of keeping it truthful – interviews with surviving band members Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Stephen Morris all allowed to breath – uncensored opinions. There are four black and white photos - The Factory building and Joy Division on a center spread, but bizarrely none of the actual LP sleeve or 45s surrounding it – no catalogue numbers, no discography, no charts etc.

 

Over on the Bonus Disc, ten of twelve tracks from the live gig of 13 July 1979 at The Factory were issued on the December 1997 "Heart And Soul" 4CD Box Set (also on London Records) – here it has been decided to include the other two to complete the concert – "Shadowplay" and "Transmission". Taped only weeks after the debut LP had arrived in local shops, that show captures them in the moment - better than bootleg sounding rip-roaring versions of "Novelty" and crowd pleasers like "Insight" and "Disorder". But yes, you would have to say that two new live versions and the whiff of laziness in the packaging is hardly the stuff of reissue legend (hence the four stars). To the dirty laundry in squalid launderettes...

 

"I've been waiting for a guide to come and take me by the hand...cut these sensations...make me feel the pleasures of a normal man...take the shock away..." - Curtis sang on the opening "Disorder" where you can so hear the grooves of Can and Neu - what a racket. "I'm not afraid anymore!" Curtis then sings on the Space Invaders infected drone that is "Insight" - that distorted guitar clearer now than I remember on previous versions. The huge Bass of Peter Hook dominates the opening palette of "New Dawn Fades" before Ian gets intense singing of different shades in a monochrome landscape - thoughts spinning - hoping for something more. It's a magnificent slice of Joy Division - weight-of-the-world heavy for sure, but up there as the cymbals and drums fade out. 

 

Even now, nearly 45-years after it first hammered my ears with its undeniably power - "She's Lost Control" is extraordinary-sounding DIY British New Wave - a disturbing yet moving song about epilepsy and its debilitating effects. The drone and sheer lowlife sleaze that emanates from the six-minutes of "I Remember Nothing" (Side 2's finisher) is another incredible moment and you have to say that the Remaster of this nasty little brute has made it huge - possibly one of the most impressive moments on an album full of them.

Curtis and his crew left behind an extraordinary legacy and this cleanly presented 2007 Two-Disc Collector's Edition of "Unknown Pleasures" at least does the Audio business by it - I just wish I could get back that excitement of old when I take it down off the shelf...