Factory Records: Communications 1978-92 [Box set, Import, Limited Edition]

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 20, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 4
• Format: Box set, Import, Limited Edition
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Rhino/Wea UK
• ASIN: B001E1GXP0
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #138,376 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Limited edition 2009 four CD collection, a tribute to the great Factory Records label as well as a dedication to the label's founder, the late Tony Wilson. The project celebrates 30 years of arguably the most important label in UK pop history, collating rare and obscure tracks from a diverse range of acts. Features 63 tracks including cuts from New Order, Joy Division, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, Electronic, A Certain Ratio, Section 25 and many others. Sleeve notes written by Paul Morley. Rhino UK.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Missed Opportunity, June 7, 2009

By 

Paul Ess. (Holywell, N.Wales,UK.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Factory Records: Communications 1978-92 (Audio CD)

The compilers of this often brilliant but ultimately frustrating collection have - considering the magnificent back-catalogue they've access to - made the fatal mistake of cowing to ill-conceived, well dodgy ideas of commercialism.
Ie: including 7 tracks by the awful Happy Mondays; the completely worthless (and insulting!) 'World in Motion'; another re-mix that we just don't need of the over-rated 'Confusion'...
This level of laziness/pandering is inexcusable.

I'm not getting lost in Factory myth, or in its designs of structural gothic and framework modernism; both subjects are either a/ slightly painful and b/ extensively discussed elsewhere.
For once your objectified scribe has his attention on the product...

Briefly: CD 1 is the finest series of music thus far committed to disc. CD 2; ditto but slightly less so. CD 3 sees an alarming drop in quality but still contains a few gems. CD 4 is a stinker.
Major good things: finally the superb 12" 'Temptation' on disc, 'Hymn From A Village', 'Ceremony', Section 25's 'Looking From A Hilltop', the Distractions 'Time Goes By So Slow'.
Major bad things: all of CD 4, too much Mondays (one representative track would've been more than adequate), nowhere near enough critical perspective (compiler Jon Savage is usually reliable - he's obviously been caught on a bad day), and the usual Paul Morley contributions, which are now unfortunately - in relation to Factory Records anyway - morosely repetitive and meandering.
Morley's own epic: 'North By Northwest' suffered identical faults to this set only was a worse offender; he had a much bigger pond over which to cast his net.
I like Morley a lot but enough already; his seemingly inevitable outpourings have become as predictable as the label instinctively and resolutely wasn't.

Baddest bad in the world: with all the Crispy Ambulance to choose from - they have to pick 'Deaf' - their worst song.
Bestest best in the world: 'Tell Me' by Life. The most beautiful, energetic recording ever on Factory Records; this, by all that's good in the world, is the crucial reason why '1978 - 1992' SHOULD exist.

'Communications' should be the greatest compilation of music ever released (the Zoo compilation: 'Uncaged' currently holds that noble distinction). The first two discs comfortably achieve this, but an overall lack of objectivity and lazy over-reliance on their most profitable but artistically suspect turns, designate it (hurtfully) a middle of the field also-ran.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a perfect imperfection..., January 28, 2009

By 

onsenkuma "onsenkuma" (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Factory Records: Communications 1978-92 (Audio CD)

It's been pointed out elsewhere, but this shares far too many tracks with 'Palatine' to earn a fifth star. Personally, I would have loved to have seen a few more Benelux or other oddities (e.g. ACR's 'Brazilia'). Still, it's pretty hard to knock this compilation based on what it DOES include. If you don't already own 'Palatine' then this will give you a taste of what the label was all about, from the beer & skunk sounds of Joy Division's 'An Ideal for Living' ep through to the beer & ecstasy days of New Order' 'Fine Time' through to the beer & crack funky gasps of the Happy Mondays. The Factory 'sound' spiked simple pop and dance-rock with liberal doses of chaos and shambolic post-punk amateurism. Perfectly imperfect. Tony Wilson was a visionary. When you're done listening to this go out and buy Section 25's 'Always Now', ACR's 'To Each', the Durutti Column's 'Another Setting', New Order's 'Movement', the Happy Mondays' 'Thrills Pills & Bellyaches' and (no brainer) Joy Division's 'Closer'. The LTM label (UK) is doing a nice job of re-releases from the Factory catalogue...

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sound Quality is Great. Don't like a few of the selections, March 16, 2009

By 

Jojopuppyfish (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Factory Records: Communications 1978-92 (Audio CD)

I have the Factory Story....the original box set.
I loved the song Moves Like You by Cath Carroll, but on this box set its a remix. Overall, I still think they left out some great songs that were on the 24 Hour Party People sound track.
The sound quality on this is EXCELLENT