Technique was released 20 years ago today. The essence of New Order has always had a bitter sweet taste. Their finest work was also the thing that destroyed them. Legendary debauched sessions in Ibiza the Summer of 88 produced more wrecked cars and bonafide drug habits than it did usable tracks. Steve Morris and Gillian Gilbert had some parts sketched but Peter Hook and Bernard Sumner failed to produce much of anything during their summer of love. The album was completed back in England yet managed to capture the euphoria of acid house (Fine Time) and the loved-up come down (Dream Attack) perfectly. The tour that followed permanently damaged the relationship between Hook and Sumner and put Sumner off performing live almost entirely. New Order were always able to create something beautiful out of dissolving relationships and unexpected tragedy and Technique is the pinnacle of their output.

Of course, at the time of release, I knew nothing about the band dynamics but I immediately knew I loved the album. The first time I heard it still haunts my friend who entrusted me with his hard earned cash to buy it at the local shop. Since he was grounded and I was broke, he gave me the money to buy the cassette and gave me one rule: Don't open it! I went to the shop, bought the cassette, put the key in the ignition and opened the wrapper. If you also heard Technique for the first time that winter, you know how incredible the opening to Fine Time sounded. I rushed home so happy and energized by the sound of the new album that I assumed my friend would just be happy to know it sounded great. To this day he says he doesn't recall anything about that day other than being disappointed I opened the tape. His tape. Sorry Shane. I really couldn't resist.

Here's a blog that has links to a soundboard recording of the Irvine Meadows show in 1989 featuring lots of Technique tracks.

And here's my favorite track from my favorite album