Not Revenge, Not Electronic, Not Monaco

Selfish-The Other Two And You

New Order (one of my favorite bands of the 80's, which is probably why I've stayed away from them, although at some point I will have to write about "Love Vigilantes") had a number of side projects. Maybe more than any other band. Perhaps the most famous (and successful) was Electronic, which was a supergroup (or duo) as it included Johnny Marr of The Smiths and sometimes vocalist Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys. Revenge and Monaco (which came a bit later) were not as well known.

Though, in my opinion, this is the most interesting of the side projects. And least recognizable...although a New Order fanatic could probably spot the resemblance. The Other Two And You had two records (I believe) and a couple of singles. The band was made up of Gillian Gilbert and Peter Hook and interestingly (and deceptively, this'd be the reason people probably couldn't stop that it was New Order) featured Gillian on vocals. Oh, and in the band, Gillian was the keyboardist, while Peter Hook was the percussionist.

It was a shame that Gillian didn't sing more. While she doesn't possess the greatest range, this is blue-eyed hug-yourself-while-you-dance beautiful. It'd be tough for me to pick a track that I love the most, but "Selfish" beats the others to the post. Its sweet and simple and yet the way she sings each phrase without much of a break just adds to its charm. And when she sings "No sense of reason, you think its true, why did you have to believe them" you'll swoon. Even the worlds greatest cynic would swoon...and if he doesn't, well then, he's selfish. If I hear this in a club (and sadly, its a rare occurence) it will lift my spirits instantly...its guaranteed to cheer the hardest of hearts.

Don't Let The Teardrops Rust Your Shining Heart-Everything But The Girl

I'm writing this out of a sense of condolence for a friend of mine, who is nursing a broken heart. Though a broken heart certainly cannot be fixed by a 3:18 song, well, maybe fixing isn't the point, as its just something that everyone goes through (and often, more than once in their life). Its the down side, I think, to all the upsides. But as much as that sorta thing hurts, well, if you avoided being hurt, you'd miss out on all the beauty and splendor out there.

Probably there are few songs that speak to that (and say it way way WAY better). This is one. It was never released as a single and isn't anywhere near one of their most famous songs. Its an older song...EBTG were not yet in dance/electronic mode. Yet, I remember buying the cassette at 17 and crying the first time I heard this song. Its truly beautiful and lush and poignant and honest and well, uplifting. Its a letter to a lover--its definitely got a dark side, as you can't tell whether they are together anymore. And its about an affair. But its a song about fleeting moments of joy and appreciating those, as they are fewer and farther between than we'd like. And yet, its somehow happy and heartbreaking at the same time, and frankly, well, you can't get a better reflection of life than that. And sung in Tracey Thorn's gorgeous, sadly underrated world weary voice...

So Los, my dear friend, feel better, take care of yourself and remember this...

Sorrow is a lonely road
Where the rain like your tears
Beats heavy on the roof above your head
Tomorrow is a lovers' town
That's been beaten down
And the hands of winter holds the life we've led
Instead of drowning in despair
For I find small comfort in a bottle
When we're apart
Don't let the teardrops rust your shining heart
I used to drive all night for you
While the children were asleep
And as the dawn broke on your room
Back into my house I'd creep
Where my husband slept alone
Of course he must have known
But we always hide the truth
For fear of losing what we own
So don't forget the words that we choose
And constantly misuse
They were written down every time we were apart
Don't let your teardrops rust your shining heart