New Order's "Crystal" video still ranks as the most prescient move of all time.

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Utter fucking genius.

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Saturday, 1 November 2003 05:09 (twenty-one years ago)

the video? i thought it was middling at best -- there are better new order videos!

― geeta (geeta), Saturday, 1 November 2003 05:13 (twenty-one years ago)

I meant as commentary.

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Saturday, 1 November 2003 05:17 (twenty-one years ago)

explain?

― geeta (geeta), Saturday, 1 November 2003 05:19 (twenty-one years ago)

But Christ man Barney has to lay off the lagers...he is a fookin' WHALE in 511.

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Saturday, 1 November 2003 05:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Never saw the vid. Describe, please.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 1 November 2003 05:19 (twenty-one years ago)

The video is mocking fashion-victim retro-but-we-weren't-alive-then "rock and roll" bands, which have since flooded the market, as it predicts.

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Saturday, 1 November 2003 05:21 (twenty-one years ago)

?!?!?!

― geeta (geeta), Saturday, 1 November 2003 05:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Geeta have you not seen the video? "The Killers"?

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Saturday, 1 November 2003 05:30 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, but new order never likes to appear in their own music videos! that's part of what makes 'em so ageless -- so getting a younger, better-looking band to play them was only natural, it fits in with the new order aesthetic

besides fashion-victim-retro bands have ALWAYS existed, so how did they predict them?

― geeta (geeta), Saturday, 1 November 2003 05:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Name me a time when fashion victim retro bands were in as much control of the landscape as they are now, there's no way man! And it's so image-heavy, hence the singer repeating his signature moves over and over in the video...dunno, I mean of course I could be wrong, but, it's always spoken to my cynicism. ;)

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Saturday, 1 November 2003 05:40 (twenty-one years ago)

I think if I came across a girl comparable to the one in the "Everyday is Like Sunday" video on the street I'd die on the spot.

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Saturday, 1 November 2003 05:46 (twenty-one years ago)

if I came across a girl comparable to the one in the "Everyday is Like Sunday" video

haha you mean moz? that's not a woman, that's a man, baby!

― geeta (geeta), Saturday, 1 November 2003 05:53 (twenty-one years ago)

i don't think fashion-victim retro bands are that much in control of the cultural landscape -- if you added up the album sales of the strokes + every electroclash band ever + all the post-punk revivalists, it'd pale in comparison to, say, the sales figures for 'the eminem show'. i don't think these people have really altered the landscape of our times that much, outside of the indie/fashionista/rockcrit one. a mere blip on the cultural radar screen.

also, 'crystal' didn't pre-date the current retro phase -- a lot of that electro stuff was already in full swing when the video came out! my guess is new order would be psyched for this; it revives interest in them = better back-catalog sales/'best of new order' sales/respekt

also chris if you live in NYC, you should attend an ilx fap!

― geeta (geeta), Saturday, 1 November 2003 06:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Put me on the mailing list and I'll go. I'm in Midtown.

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Saturday, 1 November 2003 07:38 (twenty-one years ago)

there's no mailing list -- just check out the fap threads on ILE once in a while!

― geeta (geeta), Saturday, 1 November 2003 08:23 (twenty-one years ago)

They make ya earn it, Chris.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 1 November 2003 08:28 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd say "Perfect Kiss" is New Order's best video... hell, i even like the Wegman one for "Blue Monday 88".

― donut bitch (donut), Saturday, 1 November 2003 11:00 (twenty-one years ago)

i liked the 'Crystal' video but I didn't read that much into the concept behind it. If it had been the actual band performing the song then that would have been a hugely disappointing clip, as most band performance videos are - even when directed by Mark Romanek (Linkin Park's 'Faint' and Audioslave's 'Cochise' for example), but enormous rows of flashing diodes is usually a plus.

― stevem (blueski), Saturday, 1 November 2003 12:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Holy shit! Friend used to go out with the girl in the Everyday Is Like Sunday video (who was recruited to be in it due to being a HUGE Smiths fan). He ran a Smiths zine in the mid-80s and was also asked to be in the vid where all the clones ride the bikes around, but wasn't up for that. And couldn't ride with Morrissey in the car when invited, due to motion sickness issues. Poor Smiths-fan friend.

― suzy (suzy), Saturday, 1 November 2003 13:25 (twenty-one years ago)

chris ott, yep, bang on.
see jet ? that's them that is.

and the idea was of course stolen wholesale from spike jonze/
r.e.m.'s 'crush with eyeliner'.

― piscesboy, Saturday, 1 November 2003 13:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Good video, not sure about prescience though.

I thought it was more about the pop idol phenmenon - same old music, new pretty faces. And everyone wants a piece of the fame pie....

― scottjames23 (worrysome-man), Saturday, 1 November 2003 14:15 (twenty-one years ago)

hey Chris, did you ever see Blues Traveler's "Runaround" video? It totally covers the same material several years earlier. AND it was a huge frikkin' hit.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 1 November 2003 18:05 (twenty-one years ago)

it ALSO incorporated a Wizard Of Oz metaphor!

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 1 November 2003 18:07 (twenty-one years ago)

The only way I'll a call a New Order video prescient is if scientists discover turtles understand sign language.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 1 November 2003 18:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Miccio OTM. I was about to say that. And John Popper lost all that weight WTF??!

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Saturday, 1 November 2003 18:13 (twenty-one years ago)

http://howardeber.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/rywpopper.jpg
http://www.radiozone.com/images/ADITZ/BLUESTRAVELER1.JPG

WTF?!?!

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Saturday, 1 November 2003 18:17 (twenty-one years ago)

I had no idea how big that was

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Saturday, 1 November 2003 18:17 (twenty-one years ago)

The picture I mean

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Saturday, 1 November 2003 18:17 (twenty-one years ago)

haha yeah the pic size difference makes the weight loss all the more impressive.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 1 November 2003 18:22 (twenty-one years ago)

He got his stomach stapled. Don't you watch Behind the Music??!?!

― Prude (Prude), Saturday, 1 November 2003 19:20 (twenty-one years ago)

haha they did a whole one about John Popper's formerly fat ass?

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 1 November 2003 19:56 (twenty-one years ago)

actually wait. I forgot their bass player died. unintentional bad taste.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 1 November 2003 19:56 (twenty-one years ago)

I always read the "Crystal" video as being a homage to Primal Scream circa "Rocks" (itself a homage too etc.). Generally, in regards to the *visual* effect, I'm not really sure how the garage rock revival is much more than an American spin on the retro rawk imagery that was already very popular in mid-nineties UK rock. It's not really that far a jump from the "Crystal" video to a lot of videos from Oasis, Supergrass etc.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Sunday, 2 November 2003 00:51 (twenty-one years ago)

agreed.

i've seen foo fighters videos more subversive than this one to be honest

― geeta (geeta), Sunday, 2 November 2003 00:58 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

I'd just like to say that, two years on, "Crystal" has emerged as being one of my absolute favorite New Order singles. There isn't a single thing in the song I would change.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 1 August 2005 17:09 (nineteen years ago)

It's a beaut. Has there ever been a lead single from an NO album that wasn't great?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 1 August 2005 17:16 (nineteen years ago)

I'm not sure that Crystal quite approaches the "here's everything you love about New Order in one song" that "Regret" has but it is awfully good.

― Edward Bax (EdBax), Monday, 1 August 2005 17:19 (nineteen years ago)

if we wait around here long enough, alba will come along and tell us that regret isn't very good. then we can all shout at him and post amusing links such as this and so on.

crystal is awesome, yes, but it's not as good as WFTSC (the song, not the album, natch).

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Monday, 1 August 2005 17:25 (nineteen years ago)

Hearing "Crystal" for the first time and Dylan's Love & Theft were my wtf moments of 2001.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 1 August 2005 17:29 (nineteen years ago)

Get Ready and Waiting For The Sirens' Call are two of the best albums I've purchased in the past 5 years.

"Crystal" really benefits from the gigantic ride cymbal explosion at the beginning of the chorus; that's the gigantic euphoria rush that screams "YOU ARE IN THE PRESENCE OF GREATNESS! ON YOUR MOTHERFUCKING FEET!"

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 1 August 2005 17:42 (nineteen years ago)

Okay I don't mind people losing their minds over the SONG Crystal, even if I think it's a pretty lackluster NO single, but I will have to put my foot down when people praise the fucking VIDEO. It is utter and complete crap, likely conceived and designed by major label marketing bastards. It looks like every other piece of crap on MTV these days, and they don't even put on a very good performance (the PRETEND band, that is, it's not even New Order doing it for fuck's sake) I've got a DVD single of it if anyone wants to buy it off me, I wasted $12. Email me if you want it.

― Olivia Orange Juice Newton John (Bimble...), Monday, 1 August 2005 18:11 (nineteen years ago)

even more prescient than we knew!! "THE KILLERS" ffs!!!!!

― teeny (teeny), Monday, 1 August 2005 19:26 (nineteen years ago)

It's a beaut. Has there ever been a lead single from an NO album that wasn't great?

two of 'em, yeah

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Monday, 1 August 2005 19:29 (nineteen years ago)

And they are?

"THE KILLERS" ffs!!!!!

Unfortunate but true.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 1 August 2005 19:31 (nineteen years ago)

xpost
Supposedly, The Killers took their name from the New Order video...

"Crystal" is ok. I've begun to enjoy it more since the new album because now I no longer think of it as a nail in New Order's coffin.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 1 August 2005 19:31 (nineteen years ago)

Really the only thing that could have made that video better would have been if The Killers had been the fake band.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 1 August 2005 20:45 (nineteen years ago)

And they are?

the last two.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Monday, 1 August 2005 20:46 (nineteen years ago)

I have to say, I kind of like that many New Order stalwarts hate their sudden ascent into consistent awesomeness. It feeds my ego.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 1 August 2005 20:56 (nineteen years ago)

(Much like everything else, ha)

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 1 August 2005 20:57 (nineteen years ago)

I think most stalwarts besides the good Dr. Bill like the new album a lot.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 1 August 2005 21:05 (nineteen years ago)

True, but I try not let facts get in the way of my self-aggrandizement (and dubious spelling).

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 1 August 2005 21:07 (nineteen years ago)

I think most stalwarts besides the good Dr. Bill like the new album a lot.

until i heard "get ready", i considered myself a stalwart. after a year or two i got over the pain and hurt of what new order had done to me by releasing that album. so when WFTSC came out i didn't expect it to be particularly great ... and therefore i wasn't disappointed at all :)

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Monday, 1 August 2005 21:14 (nineteen years ago)

yeah WFTSC exceeded my expectations exactly.

And much to my dismay, Spencer is very right--the great majority of NO stalwarts share positive opinions on "Crystal," "Krafty" and their occampanying albums.

(god, it took me about a half-minute to even come up with the name of "Krafty")

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Tuesday, 2 August 2005 00:55 (nineteen years ago)

rather, met my expectations exactly

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Tuesday, 2 August 2005 00:56 (nineteen years ago)

No no, you meant exceeded.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 2 August 2005 01:03 (nineteen years ago)

Spencer is very right--the great majority of NO stalwarts share positive opinions on "Crystal," "Krafty" and their occampanying albums.

I was never a fan of Get Ready and really thought it was the end of New Order (until the new record which is probably my favorite album of this year).

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 2 August 2005 01:18 (nineteen years ago)

if I did, Ned, I certainly didn't mean it in the direction that you do. (x-post).

And Spencer, that might just be the biggest mindfuck of an opinion I have yet to hear.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Tuesday, 2 August 2005 01:20 (nineteen years ago)

I was listening to Get Ready today and, while I can totally see why you'd either like or dislike both albums, I don't get liking one and disliking other and I REALLY don't get liking WFTSC and disliking GR because GR is the better album.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 2 August 2005 01:21 (nineteen years ago)

I honestly think most NO fans would agree with me!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 2 August 2005 01:23 (nineteen years ago)

a new one on me, certainly.

It's like saying "man, this lukewarm tapwater just isn't doing it for me, but this room temperature stuff is the shit!"

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Tuesday, 2 August 2005 01:25 (nineteen years ago)

Do we have to do the whole WFTSC thread over again???

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 2 August 2005 01:27 (nineteen years ago)

Apparently.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 2 August 2005 01:37 (nineteen years ago)

"Let's Go."

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 2 August 2005 01:43 (nineteen years ago)

The new album is also my favorite album of the year. Hands down, no contest.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 2 August 2005 01:52 (nineteen years ago)

I really need to see so many New Order videos

― Tokyo Ghost Stories (Tokyo Ghost Stories), Tuesday, 2 August 2005 03:59 (nineteen years ago)

I was listening to Get Ready today and, while I can totally see why you'd either like or dislike both albums, I don't get liking one and disliking other and I REALLY don't get liking WFTSC and disliking GR because GR is the better album.

OTM and I especially can't understand hating "Get Ready" but thinking that WFTSC is one of the year's best albums.

The last time I listened to "Get Ready" (a couple of months ago), I confirmed to myself that it is still the better album of the two.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 2 August 2005 04:10 (nineteen years ago)

who is the blonde ?

― sernard bummer, Tuesday, 2 August 2005 04:13 (nineteen years ago)

oh no, i've woken up once again in that parallel universe where people think "get ready" is good.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Tuesday, 2 August 2005 07:40 (nineteen years ago)

I don't know what to say
You don't care anyway

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 2 August 2005 10:16 (nineteen years ago)

I've not seen Crystal, but I saw the video for Krafty again over the weekend, and I'm still mystified by how it is both a handbook of twee sex and completely awesome.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 2 August 2005 10:47 (nineteen years ago)

"Krafty" is awesome, too; it's really all about the explosion into the chorus on both of these songs (something that also makes the 12: version of "The Perfect Kiss" awesome).

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 2 August 2005 11:44 (nineteen years ago)

eight months pass...

I was reading through this watching the Crystal video - ahh wireless - and was thinking to myself "I really prefer Krafty, or even Here to stay because of it's neat tie-in with 24hr Party People". But people beat me to it, years ago ... hmm back to searching for more useless facts.

― The C, Tuesday, 11 April 2006 06:49 (nineteen years ago)

Ah the glorious nü-order/NO flame-wars. Count me in the nü camp: along with Technique, the last two lps are their best.

― Le Baaderonixx de Benedict Canyon (baaderonixx), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 07:26 (nineteen years ago)

i like the "Touched By the Hand of God" video best.

― literalisp (literalisp), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 23:14 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, what is actually more prescient is the difficult to see "I believe in a thing called darkness" tattoo on Hooky's back in that one!

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 23:16 (nineteen years ago)

Sorry, shoulder (not back)

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 23:16 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipbobacFiUY&search=new%20order%20crystal

― a.b. (alanbanana), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 23:23 (nineteen years ago)

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