Twisted Tenderness [Extra tracks]

Electronic | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 12, 2000)
• Original Release Date: September 12, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks
• Label: Koch Records
• ASIN: B00004U019
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,731 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #1 in Music > Indie Music > Alternative Rock > Alternative Pop
  • #77 in Music > Alternative Rock > British Alternative > Britpop

Track Listings

1. Make It Happen

2. Haze

3. Vivid

4. Breakdown

5. Can't Find My Way Home

6. Twisted Tenderness

7. Like No Other

8. Late at Night

9. Prodigal Son

10. When She's Gone

11. Flicker

12. King for a Day [*]

13. Warning Sign [*]

14. Make It Happen [Album Remix][*]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely pure electro-rock-pop brilliance, May 15, 2003

By 

alexliamw (New Haven, CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Twisted Tenderness (Audio CD)

Electronic's debut was a good record with some excellent songs, but sounded a bit too similar to New Order to establish Sumner's side-project as anything really new. On their third album they hit their real stride. Johnny Marr swaggers to the fore to make it considerably rockier than before, Arthur Baker lends his incredible production skills, Sumner brings his trademark melodies, and Jimi Goodwin, who surfaced as frotman with Doves a year later, is on bass. Its one big party really, an incredible sound with really complexity in its production and layering yet a strong, catchy core melody.

There's the brilliant 1-2-3 opening of the epic 'Make It Happen', the catchy, jump-up-and-down chorus of 'Haze' and the simply brilliantly constructed and angsty single 'Vivid', which is a fantastic lyrical turn from Sumner. 'Can't Find My Way Home' sees the return of Marr's trademark jangling simultaneous lead-and-rhythm guitar style that he popularised with the Smiths and 'Twisted Tenderness' ploughs a great, poppy, New Order-like furrow, with its stabbing keyboards and aching melody. 'Like No Other' starts funky and rocky, but its chorus could have been written for a boyband - which sounds awful, but they pull it off by keeping the musicianship accomplished. Finally 'Flicker' is a simply incredible yearning pop song again with touching lyrics.

This ranks as highly as almost anything done by either Sumner or Marr and proves that Electronic can add up to sum of its parts, as supergroups so often can't. Its one of the most vastly under-rated records ever made, and is highly reccomended to either fans of The Smiths or New Order, particularly those who liked their last record Get Ready, which seems to have been highly influenced by this album. Its in turn life-affirming, beautiful, cools, complex and catchy. 5 stars.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The non-electronic record by Electronic, September 12, 2000

By 

Ward Sanderson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Twisted Tenderness (Audio CD)

Despite the words of woe via the Amazon reviewer, this disc stands out from among any recent Britpop releases, much less the over-amped WWF pap that America is churning out.

Barney Sumner sings on this record as opposed to delivering an icy monologue over a sea of synths, as was his New Order trademark. He's also given more spotlight time to Johnny Marr, whose upfront (but not egomaniacal) guitar work makes this record a real collaboration. The two previous Electronic albums seemed to me much more about New Order's legacy. This one is equally about the Smiths.

The rave kids could face disappointment, though. Electronic isn't really electronic this time. There's much more rock here, and gives the CD a rougher, contemporary texture. The songs aren't that unlike something Blur or someone could have written, but the guitar and vox are definitely those of our two Manchester heroes. Can the dinosaur jokes. These guys are younger than David Bowie and frankly, I like this CD more than his latest. (His is still quite good.)

I admit, though, Twisted Tenderness was not what I expected. I expected pulse-perfect drum machines and woozy keyboards. You get a little sprightly piano-techno on the title track, but that's about it. Try the "Out of Control" single by Barney and the Chemical Brothers if binary is your poison.

This record, rather, is hooky and energetic guitar pop. It's not perfect in the sense that electronica is: timing right on, never the sound of finger sliding across fret. Twisted Tenderness lets its threads show. That seems the idea.

My only gripe (or rather, it should be yours) is that I've owned this CD for over a year and it's just now being released in the United States.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Keep Going Strong, October 25, 2000

By 

Steven Alexander (Tracy, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Twisted Tenderness (Audio CD)

Electronic is one of the greatest bands for their variety and creativity, if for nothing else. Although they started off merely as a side-project of two of the 80's most important bands they've turned into one of the most musically powerful supergroups I've ever heard. Each of their albums has its own sound and sound very original to me in their own right. I haven't heard any other pop, rock, or dance albums like them. They're certainly much better than most of the junk that's heard on the waves today. As stated before, Twisted Tenderness is definitely a departure from the band's first two albums. This is anything but a criticism. Marr and Sumner deliver some real hard-edge rock in this album which only slightly engages the techno/dance feel that Electronic was known for on their first two releases. The title track, "Twisted Tenderness", is the exception to this, though still being one of the best songs on the album. "Vivid" is a strong piece with catchy lyrics and a driving harmonica riff that will possibly make it the first highlight. "Like No Other" and "Late At Night" are both powerful rock anthems and not to be missed. The three added tracks are excellent as well and, to me, made the U.S. release worth waiting for. Electronic fans and rock fans who just want to hear something different should purchase this as soon as possible! Recommended.