I first started to get into New Order around 1986 when they released the single "Shellshock", which I bought, and then the 1987 compilation album "Substance". I then subsequently worked backwards until I got to their 1981 release "Movement", which was first album in their new guise after the demise of Joy Division.
Three singles, "Ceremony", "Procession" and "Everything's Gone Green" had been previously been released and been minor hits, and I was familiar with "Ceremony" and "Everything's Gone Green" from the Substance album, but none of these were included on this album. Indeed, none of New Order's first eight singles were include on any of their albums at the time of their release.
The sticker on the cover shows I paid £6.49 in Our Price records, but looking at the track listing I don't remember a single song ! I can't even recall what I thought of the album at the time I bought it.........
Side one begins with "Dreams Never End", which is sung by bass player Peter Hook, with the vocal low in the mix and sounding a lot like Ian Curtis. The music though is the style New order would move to later in the 1980s. The intro has a twangy lead bass melody and is then joined by the guitar, before launching into the driving main part of the song at just under the one minute mark. A Post punk sound, it could have been a single. It's a really good song, and I am disappointed with myself in that I had no recollection of it !
"Truth" is sinister, with yet another fantastic bass line and haunting oriental style synths, and an occasional burst of guitar. It sound like a Joy Division song.
"Senses" can perhaps be described as post punk funk but this time it's Bernard Sumner who sings like Ian Curtis.
The fairly danceable "Chosen Time" closes side one although I can't say I really liked what appear to be video game sound effects in the overlong outro.
"ICB" opens side two, with the initials widely believed to stand for Ian Curtis Burial. There's another bass intro, with the drums generating a marching a beat but overall it's a bit of a dirge. There are also some more fairly pointless sound effects, clearly someone had been given a new toy to play with !
"The Him" starts with slow tribal drums and the bass line. The pace increases in the middle before returning to the slow bass line and the drum patterns and the mournful vocal. Just when you think the song has finished it continues with some pacy thrashy guitar with the drums and bass.
"Doubts Even Here" is the second track sung by Peter Hook., sounding again like Ian Curtis. Gillian Gilbert has some spoken lines towards the end of the song but it is difficult to hear what she is saying. It's another gloomy song that again wouldn't have been out of place on Joy Division's "Closer" as a filler.
"Denial" has a rattling drum intro, then the guitar riff before the joining the bass increases the tempo. However, its a pretty dull track although the synth lines towards the end are quite nice.
"Movement" is clearly the work of a band unsure of what direction to be heading in, and in many parts sounds like the next Joy Division album rather than the first New Order LP. With the tragic loss of their vocalist, they didn't have a ready made front man and for the want of not knowing anything better or yet having their own style, the vocals either attempt to sound like the late Ian Curtis, or are very low down in the mix.
In playing the album I did not remember any of the songs, and I am sorry to say only the vaguely commercial "Dreams Never End" and "Truth" are probably the only ones I would want to listen to again. The rest aren't bad but there is nothing as remotely interesting as say "Atrocity Exhibition", "A Means To An End" or "The Eternal" on "Closer".
Track Listing :
Side One :
1. Dreams Never End
2. Truth
3. Senses
4. Chosen Time
Side One :
2. The Him
3. Doubts Even Here
4. Denial
Released 1981
UK Chart Position : 30
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