Crystal [Single]

New Order | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 14, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Single
• Label: Reprise / Wea
• ASIN: B00005NKI2
• Also Available in: Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #262,460 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Crystal (Radio Edit)

2. Crystal (Digweed & Muir Bedrock Radio Edit)

3. Crystal (Digweed & Muir Bedrock Mix)

4. Crystal (Digweed & Muir Bedrock Dub)

5. Crystal (Lee Coombs Remix)

6. Crystal (Lee Coombs Dub)

7. Crystal (John Creamer & Stephane K Main Remix)

8. Crystal (Creamer K Main Mix)

9. Behind Closed Doors

Editorial Reviews

NEW ORDER Crystal (2001 deleted US 9-track maxi CD including Digweed & Muir Bedrock Radio Edit Digweed & Muir Bedrock Mix Digweed & Bedrock Dub Lee Coombs Remix John Creamer & Stephane K Main Remix Creamer K Main Mix & Behind Closed Doors trouser dressing picture sleeve)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every main mix is top notch, making this essential, September 18, 2001

By 

Richard Diaz - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crystal (Audio CD)

Skip over the original edit (fine if you like rock I suppose) and the Digweed and Muir Bedrock radio edit as well. The latter, abridged, version never develops the crescendo of the thirteen minute mix. Their full version delivers a widescreen epic as good as anything they've done except "Heaven Scent"; certainly a nice rebound from the underwhelming "Beautiful Strange." It's a complete rebuild with just the well-written vocal intact, a metallic throb that rides for seven minutes before a lengthy vocal climb throws it over the top. The following dub take strips the voice even more and works well back to back, as proven from his Homelands set this year. A shame, actually, that they aren't mixed together for the consumer - it's not like there are tons of CD DJ's out there.

The Lee Coombs version may be just as big a hit, smartly peeling the effects off Bernard Sumner's voice and restoring some rock expanse, with guitar and live bass to a mid-speed house beat. FYI, this tune can be heard in those Headline News promos. The dub turns the tempo one notch higher and adds some sine-wave stabs throughout. To their credit, both accomplish more in half the time of everything else here.

John Creamer and Stephane K trot out a piano on Ibiza ambient piece with heavy vocal distortion, way too short for justice at three minutes. Creamer K's main mix goes the minimal progressive house route. The subdued backing really needs less vocal with it, but oh well.

So let's see...every version is excellent, there are nine widely different tracks, and it totals 70 minutes for half the cost of an album. That'd make it essential, right?

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars You'll find the best version of 'Crystal' here......, November 20, 2001

By 

Winthrop Harrison "winharrison" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Crystal (Audio CD)

New Order's new album 'Get Ready' is sadly marginal. The frightening reality is it may be one of the best albums of the year. It all relies on the playing and instrumental tension. It must be that, because "Crystal" sounds wonderful. Lyrically the song just has nothing much to say. No tension, no ambivalence, just Eh.

Eh Eh Eh. Still and all, it sounds great, and the best version is here. The version you'll find on 'Get Ready' is too long, with a Pink Floydesque (David Gilmour Floyd) intro, and some drum/keyboard vamps that simply eat up time. The single version gets right there and makes its case quickly, for good or bad. It's concise and musically perfect. The thrill of the tune is so strong that McCartnyesque lines like - "Here comes love - it's like honey - you can't buy it with money" almost work. Almost, but no. New Order's tension is gone. So why are we still listening? Only the music, because it's so damn good.

The rest of this EP bashes out remixes of "Crystal", none of them interesting. (this is a ROCK tune, hard to mix that...) There IS a B-side ("Behind Closed Doors") which is lyrically good but musically so-so. Oh well, better luck next time.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Listen more than once, August 22, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Crystal (Audio CD)

I have to admit, I was let down when I first heard this track. But I didn't tire of it, even after listening to all the remixes. This CD-single didn't wear out its welcome, even after hearing what is essentially the same song (albeit in 8 quite different versions) over and over. And now I find myself humming the tune and wanting more. The "B-side" (track 9) is also quite good, perhaps better than the single itself. Can't wait for the whole album.

Bottom line - this song is every bit as good as previous New Order offerings, even if it doesn't grab you on the first listen.