Section 25 - Reflection

In 1984, Blackpool's young punks turned into synth-rock contenders with a radically different approach and resultant album-release in "From The Hip". Generally derided in the press and frequently declared as 'dreary' or 'Joy Division clones' by most music-writers in the mainstream press, Section 25 were neither, just misunderstood. Sure, you weren't likely to hear this taught minimalist new-wave outfit sound-tracking the latest Michael J. Fox movie or covering anything from the annals of pop (except an occasional live and notoriously down-beat rendition of Kraftwerk's "The Model"), but at the same time, the Cassidy brothers and Messrs Wiggins and Shallcross weren't bothered about living up to anyone's expectations, nor following fashion. After a line-up change that resulted in the installation of Larry Cassidy's wife Jenny, sister Angela Flowers and Shallcross on a full-time basis (and the departure of Wiggins), Section 25 threw off the shackles of negative reviews and the 'same moody blokes in raincoats turning up to our gigs' and concentrated on injecting a dose of hard-edged electronics into their sound. Early seeds had already been sown in 1982/3 with the singles "The Beast" (with powerful club track "Sakura") and "Back To Wonder"/"Beating Heart", the latter track a portent of things to come and a template for much of this welcome vinyl re-release. Housed in a stunning Snowdonian snapshot with crags and colour-coded Peter Saville-designed 'marker-poles' that 'spelt' out the album's title (similar to the idea employed on New Order's own preceding switch to electronics, "Power Corruption & Lies"), "From The Hip" looked the bollocks when racked out in the local Virgin Megastore, although the band weren't really behind Saville's arty approach to their brief. But it remains an iconic image that is as deserving of being included in Royal Mail's recent album-sleeve stamps-series as New Order's. Frankly, with such a strong sleeve, the music had something to live up to - and it did. Does. Pressed on better-quality vinyl than the 1984 version, this 2012 edition, in collaboration between LTM and Darla, respectfully and accurately reproduces the outer (and inner) packaging to a tee and improves the sound-mastering considerably. Thankfully, the curators haven't duplicated Factory's old habit of mis-pressing and mis-labelling the original - every detail is spot-on here. Secretly billed by admirers as a 'concept-album of a journey from confusion to enlightenment', "From The Hip" was actually a very thorough exploration of new equipment and pin-sharp production courtesy of New Order and in particular, Bernard Sumner who himself was still a fledgling producer and remixer, replacing Martin Hannett as Factory's in-house go-to knob-twiddler. Some say he surpassed himself with this effort. Opening track "The Process" sets the tone with its ambient tones gradually fading in, building majestically and becoming a plateau on which Jenny's softly-spoken musings bathe gently in a sunbeam of swirling washes of synths and a drum-roll climax that spills over to the harsh electro-chatter of club-hit "Looking From a Hilltop". 28 years old and still a landmark piece of music, "...Hilltop" remains an essential listen and a must for any budding, serious DJ into playing out '80s dance-music without resorting to Depeche Mode's "Just Can't Get Enough" or Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" (fine though they are). "Reflection" continues the band's revolutionary new sound with more Jenny vocals, before Larry Cassidy retains some of Section 25's old trademarks on "Prepare to Live". Side two however, steps things up a little further by throwing the new ideals and rules out of the window and totally rewriting them. Punishing instrumental "Program For Light" might sound overly-programmed, but its jackhammer beats and post-industrial backdrop isn't unlike the sort of beast to be later unleashed by the likes of Orbital, Meat Beat Manifesto and Tyree ("Acid Over", anyone?). Then in a genius move, the whole track than explodes into the desolate chill-folk of "Desert", replete with strummed acoustic-guitar, doleful glacial piano and breathy vocals. Just when you've settled back to ingest this new-found catharsis, along comes "Beneath The Blade". Forming an intro of sorts for the final epic track, "Inspiration", this instrumental is perhaps S25's most Joy Division-y moment across their entire catalogue and perhaps their only one that justifies the lazy critical-comparable thrown at them during their earlier years. Pummeling funereal drums, ankle-deep bass-line and insistent motorik synth-hooks gradually build up to a conclusion, before the whole thing swings off-kilter with more pretty synths and that last track. "Inspiration" is perhaps "From The Hip"'s counterpoint, its most conclusive contribution and its own lasting legacy. Embellishing all the elements from the previous seven tracks on here, the final song is a stone-cold electro-pop classic that utilizes a weird off-beat rhythm and Larry at his most calm. Upon first hearing this track 28 years ago, it made the most perfect sense being the album's last track because it inspired me to turn the record over again and play the whole bloody thing again - I'm still doing it to this day, a nod to its timelessness. Even the bit where the drum-program shifts out of time is as radical as it is retro. The bonus 12" couples the original 1984 8-minute megamix version of "Looking From a Hilltop" and the 2010 remix by New Order's Steven Morris. This newer redux is a justified inclusion, not only for the related person sitting in the engineer's chair but for the fact it actually simplifies the original without spoiling it - the menace remains. Add in the Factory-branded download slip (it looks like a Savillized business card) and you have the ultimate package for even the most nerdiest of train-spotting vinyl-head. An absolute must.