Customer Reviews

Zero: A Martin Hannett Story 1977-1991

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The above title is how Hannett vaguely characterized his visionary production technique. But as any Joy Division fan will tell you, it's actually both simpler and more complex. Unlike most rock producers who emphasize the vocal and guitar parts, Hannett placed his seminal, digitally-treated drum sound at the front of the mix, with a melodic yet inorganic bass guitar just behind it. This literally turns conventional record-production methods back to front, destabilizing and enhancing the listener's perspective. The air of mystery is further increased through the use of icy synthesizers, and whatever strange implements, weird echoic effects, and random noise-producing items Hannett could lay hands on. He never tried to replicate what he heard with his ears; his talent lay in reproducing the unheard music inside himself. In this sense, Hannett was really the heir to the idiosyncratic and adventurous Joe Meek, Britain's first and oddest independent record producer.

At just shy of eighty minutes, this collection is more comprehensive than its two out-of-print predecessors. But some omissions are lamentable. Nothing from A Certain Ratio's early catalogue, none of his ultra-rare recordings with The Stone Roses, not one song from Magazine's Correct Use of Soap, and neither the punk-funk EP he produced for ESG in New York City, nor the two original songs he recorded all by himself on the Factory label's test card (Fac 14c) are included here. Instead precious space is wasted on early punk numbers by Slaughter and The Dogs and Jilted John, which were recorded before Hannett had fully refined his craft.

Nonetheless, this long overdue album includes some happy surprises and firmly cements Hannett's legacy as the most distinctive, imaginative, and compelling record producer since Phil Spector.

Martin Hannett was very very important in thr first post-punk years. He indeed seems to have produced almost everybody of note. On this CD you will find the Buzzcocks, Joy Division, U2, The Happy Mondays, New Order and Nico! One big problem is that there is really quite a bit of overlap with the also excellent North by North West compilation. At least the Buzzcocks, the Slaughter and the Dogs and the John Cooper Clarke numbers are on both samplers. This is probably due to contractual release issues but it does diminish the impact of both these nice collections. A the other reviewer wrote this would have been a great opportunity to have some really rare stuff, plus also some of Magazine's best efforts.This compilation while very good should have been perfect due to the quality of the material he has produced.