Pros: A Brilliant Soundtrack on the music of Manchester.
Cons: None.
The Bottom Line: With music from Joy Division/New Order, the Happy Mondays, and other Manchester greats, the "24 Hour Party People" soundtrack is a fun album that will make you move your body.
thevoid99's Full Review: 24 Hour Party People by Original Soundtrack
In 2002, British filmmaker Michael Winterbottom released the movie “24 Hour Party People” which chronicles the rise & fall of Factory Records that was the centerpiece of the music scene in Manchester. The film that is basically the life of Factory Records founder Tony Wilson and several of his bands like Joy Division/New Order and the Happy Mondays. One of the biggest parts of the movie was the music that went from the days of punk and post-punk in the late 1970s through the rave culture of the late 80s and early 90s. A lot of the music from the film not only captured Manchester in its peak but also in its culture where artists and bands ranging from the Smith, Simply Red, Charlatans UK, Joy Division/New Order, Chemical Brothers, the Happy Mondays, James, A Certain Ratio, Doves, Durutti Column, Oasis, the Stone Roses, the Buzzcocks, Inspiral Carpets, and many more made Manchester an important city in the history of rock n’ roll. With the film now becoming a cult hit with music fans, the film also carries one of the best soundtracks ever assembled.
The soundtrack to “24 Hour Party People” is a 78-minute journey from the days of punk in the late 70s through the days of rave culture of the early 90s. With tracks from such Factory Records artists like Joy Division, New Order, Happy Mondays, and the Durutti Column, through other Manchesterian acts like the Buzzcocks, Marshall Jefferson, and 808 State, and to acts that helped create the Manchester music scene like the Sex Pistols, the Clash, and A Guy Called Gerald plus guest contributions from the Chemical Brothers, Moby, Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ guitarist John Frusciante. Assembled by Factory Records founder Tony Wilson, who also provides liner notes on each of the tracks, created the soundtrack to give music fans a chance to hear Manchester in its peak when Factory Records was the best label around as well as providing the roots of where some of that music came from. Not since the soundtrack to “Trainspotting” has a soundtrack featured not only great moments but also reflects the times of the days known as Madchester.
Now if there’s a great way to start a soundtrack about the Manchester music scene, who better to start things off with the band that re-energized the British music scene by none other than the Sex Pistols and their 1976 classic “Anarchy In The U.K.”. Opened up with the thunderous rhythms of bassist Glen Matlock and drummer Paul Cook, accompanied by the snarling guitar riffs of Steve Jones that is followed by the angry vocals of Johnny Rotten as he sings, “I am an antichrist/I am an anarchist/Don’t know what I want, but know how to get it/I wanna destroy, passerby” that leads to the chorus of “I, I wanna be, an anarchist”.
The song’s stripped-down and uncompromising sound with Rotten’s angst-filled lyrics was definitely the anti-mainstream rock sound at a time when bands like the Who and the Rolling Stones were ruling the charts while prog-rock bands were taking rock into more indulgent and pretentious corners. The reason the Pistols are put in this soundtrack is because the band played Manchester in one of three gigs they played during the “Anarchy in the U.K.” tour that had a lot of days but the band only played three and forty-two people showed up to see the Pistols play Manchester and history was made. “Anarchy In The U.K.” represents the anger and disillusionment of young British people who were fed up of escapist pop and rock music and the Sex Pistols helped channel their anger through probably one of the most pure and angst-ridden anthems of all-time, there has never been a song this angry in years and it’s something that is needed here in post-9/11.
The next track is the title track to the film and soundtrack of “24 Hour Party People” by the Manchester dance-rock band the Happy Mondays. With its rhythmic dance beats and Paul Ryder’s funky bass hooks, “24 Hour Party People” is a bass-thumping blend of disco and psychedelic textures with its funky guitars and house-drenched rhythms as it is remixed by Jon Carter for the movie that gives it more layers of acid-house textures as Shaun Ryder, in his deep and Mancurian accent, sings lyrics of partying and excess that is a total representation of the Happy Mondays and the late 80s/early 90s rave culture that was held in the Hacienda, the centerpiece of the Manchester dance scene. “Transmission” by Joy Division represents the early days of Factory Records, as Joy Division was the label’s premier band. “Transmission” opens up with Peter Hooks’ low-melodic bass riffs and Stephen Morris’ stark beat rhythms as its accompanied by dissonant guitar riffs from Bernard Sumner as the late Ian Curtis sings his bleak lyrics in his deep and hollow vocals that is both eerie and emotional as he screams “Dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio” in his emotional wail.
The next two tracks represents the era of punk rock where in the movie, Tony Wilson does a weekly TV special showcasing the new punk bands to the local kids in Manchester. The first track is from the Manchester punk-pop icons the Buzzcocks and their classic single “Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t Have)” with is catchy pop rhythms and melodic hooks led by the dual guitar thrash of Howard Devoto and Peter Shelley as he sings this lovely punk-pop classic that is both lovely and angst-ridden as some consider the duo of Shelley and Devoto, the Lennon/McCartney of punk rock. One of the best punk-pop singles ever recorded, “Ever Fallen In Love” is an excellent example of punk’s innocence that was often overlooked through its raging guitars and teen angst. The next track is “Janie Jones” from the Only Band That Matters, the Clash. Probably the most important punk rock band, aside from the Ramones and the Sex Pistols, the Clash ruled punk rock with their political and social commentary that made them one of the greatest bands of all-time. Their song “Janie Jones” is one of their undisputed classics with its vibrating rhythms, pulsating bass hooks, and dual guitar assault of Mick Jones and singer Joe Strummer, who Tony Wilson calls “the voice of ‘77”, as the song continues with Strummer’s angry vocals and its thumping but frenetic punk intensity that has made the Clash one of the best punk bands… ever.
The next two compositions are both from Joy Division that are both performed by the surviving members of the post-punk band that would go on as the dance-rock combo New Order. The first song is a live version of “New Dawn Fades” performed by New Order with Red Hot Chili Peppers’ John Frusciante and Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan on guitars with techno artist Moby performing a louder and more rollicking version of the Joy Division classic that is performed in Moby’s Area One festival that featured New Order on West Coast dates. “New Dawn Fades” opens up with Stephen Morris’ loud drumbeats and Peter Hook’s dissonant bass hooks along with a powerful guitar assault from Sumner, Frusciante, and Corgan as Moby sings Ian Curtis’ bleak lyrics that are filled with eerie lines like “Directionless so plain to see/A loaded gun won’t set you free/So you say” and “We’ll share a drink and step outside/Angry voice and one who cried/We’ll give you everything and more/The strain’s too much, can’t take any more” with his emotionally-driven vocals where he almost calls Curtis’ pain except in vocals styles and it’s one of the rare tracks in recent years where Moby doesn’t suck.
The next Joy Division song is the brooding classic “Atmosphere” from the band themselves with its eerie synthesizer accompaniment and hollow rhythms followed by Peter Hook’s melodic bass that picks up the intensity as Stephen Morris’ drums start to pick up as Ian Curtis sings, “Walk in silence/Don’t walk away, in silence/See the danger, always danger/Endless talking, life rebuilding/Don’t walk away” in his deep, somber vocals as the song represents the death of Joy Division as Ian Curtis hung himself on May 18, 1980.
The next two tracks are two house-based tracks that served as the early roots of house music that became the music of the Hacienda nightclub in Manchester. First is “Otis” by another band from the Factory roster, The Durutti Column. With its textured layers of rhythmic synthesizers and melodic guitar rings, “Otis” is by far one of the best and early house tracks to have ever been assembled. Written by Vini Reilly, the track’s blend of electronic rhythms and melodic guitar riffs is one of the most unique pieces especially with its background vocal harmony from a female vocalist as she says “Another sleepless night” as the days of Madchester finally goes underway. The next track is “Voodoo Ray” by A Guy Called Gerald that is written by Gerald Simpson who adds psychedelic textures and hypnotic dance rhythms with a variety of beats from rhythmic synthesizers to smooth, pulsating drum machines and evocative female vocals in the background as it stands as one of the best and assembled house tracks that would influence the rave culture of the late 80s and early 90s where Manchester was the capital of rave culture.
“Temptation” by New Order is another dance classic with its upbeat drum tracks and ringing guitar riffs from Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook’s melodic bass hooks. Driven by Gillian Gilbert’s pulsating synthesizer accompaniment, “Temptation” is a one of the greatest dance tracks from the synth-pop icons that stands at six-minutes as it features innocent lyrics from Sumner who sings, “Oh, you green eyes/Oh, you got blue eyes/Oh you gray eyes/Well I’ve never seen anyone, quite like you before/No I’ve never met anyone, quite like you before” that is possibly one of the best lyrics he had written although not up to par like the bleak and powerful lyrics of his deceased band mate, Ian Curtis of Joy Division. “Loose Fit” is a smooth, dance track from the Happy Mondays with wall-to-wall production from Steve Osborne and Paul Oakenfold. With its exotic guitar riffs and smooth, pulsating rhythms, “Loose Fit” is a masterpiece from the Happy Mondays led by the brash and gritty vocals of Shaun Ryder as he is accompanied by funky bass riffs of brother Paul Ryder and its rocking chorus of “Do what you’re doing/Spend what you’re owing/Think what you’re thinking/Sounds good to me” as he is accompanied by the soulful vocals of Rowetta that is set in its evocative, psychedelic tone.
The next track is “Pacific State” by the Manchester club combo 808 State that serves as a pure example of rave music in the Hacienda nightclub (aside from New Order’s 1989 album “Technique” and the Happy Mondays’ “Pills, Thrills, & Bellyaches”). With its ambient-like synthesizers and jazz-flavored calls, “Pacific State” is one of the all-time greatest tracks played at the Hacienda with its bird-call samples, evocative saxophone riffs, pulsating and dense synthesizer layers, and rhythmic drum machine tracks that goes from electronic-based to more tribal and primitive layers. Next is the 80s dance-pop masterpiece “Blue Monday” from New Order with its pulsating drum machines, vibrant synthesizer melodies, and Peter Hooks’ melodic bass lines that stands as one of the greatest dance classics of all-time led by Bernard Sumner’s cold vocals as he sings, “How does it feel/To treat me like you do/With your hands lay upon me/And told me, who you are/I thought I was mistaken/I thought I heard your words/Tell me how do you feel/How do you feel” that to this day, remains the best-selling 12-inch single of all-time even though the band never made money because they foolishly invested all the proceeds to Hacienda and Factory Records.
Next is another dance track from Marshall Jefferson for the song “Move Your Body” with its melodic piano accompaniment and throbbing dance beats that is a lovely house track with its fun vocals and catchy lyric of “Give me that house music, to set me free” that stands as one of the most fun numbers in the soundtrack as Jefferson says “Move your body/Shake your body/Rock your body” as its throbbing beats tells your body to move and get shaking. We now go back to post-punk with the dense and brooding “She’s Lost Control” from Joy Division. With its stark and hollow beats from Stephen Morris that is followed by Peter Hook’s dense and melodic bass lines, “She’s Lost Control” is an eerie look back to the days of Factory in its early years as Ian Curtis sings his bleak lyrics in his icy and deep vocals that is followed by Bernard Sumner’s distorted guitar riffs that is set in the late Martin Hannett’s dense and masterfully crafted production that is followed by a soft and eerie synthesizer in the end.
The next track is another dance number from the Happy Mondays for a club remix of the song “Hallelujah” by Paul Oakenfold and Andy Weatherall. Opening with a woman saying “Hallelujah”, the song features thumping beats and ominous female chants as it is accompanied by Paul Ryder’s funky bass lines and Oakenfold’s layers of rhythmic instruments ranging from piano and atmospheric synthesizer as Shaun Ryder sings the word “Hallelujah, we’re ready for you” in his smooth and gritty vocals as he is accompanied by funky guitars and its evocative acid-dance textures as the days of the Hacienda begins to close in the wake of grunge rock. The newest track on the soundtrack is a new song “Here To Stay” by Manchester’s reigning survivors, New Order with additional production from fellow Manchesterians, the Chemical Brothers. With its atmospheric opening and echoing beats that is followed by pulsating synthesizers and the Chemical Brothers’ electronic-dance production, “Here To Stay” is another masterpiece from New Order as it features Stephen Morris’ powerful drum tracks, Peter Hook’s melodic bass lines, and Bernard Sumner’s smooth vocals and ringing guitars that is accompanied by smooth synthesizers and fast-paced dance beats.
The final song on the album is the Joy Division masterpiece “Love Will Tear Us Apart” with its opening guitar riffs and thunderous beats, the post-punk love song is one of the most emotional and well-crafted pop songs ever written. Led by Ian Curtis’ deep and evocative vocals, he sings his bleak and moving lyrics of “When routine bites hard, and ambitions are low/And resentment rides high, but emotions won’t grow/And we’re changing our ways, taking different roads/The love, love will tear us apart, again/Love, love will tear us apart, again” as he is accompanied by its soothing synthesizer that is just painfully moving and Tony Wilson in the liner notes mentioned that Rolling Stone voted it as the best song of 1980 and it deservedly so, there will be no song as moving or as powerful as “Love Will Tear Us Apart”.
The soundtrack to “24 Hour Party People” is a brilliant soundtrack showcasing the years of Factory Records from its rise and fall. With many songs from New Order/Joy Division and the Happy Mondays, there is a lot for people to enjoy. Whether its raging punk rock or fun dance tunes, it’s a soundtrack that can’t be denied. Many of the songs would be a good party mix if you are in the mood for a rave party. If you’re into post-punk, this is a good introduction. In the end, “24 Hour Party People” soundtrack is a lovely mix of dance and rock all spiced up with some ecstasy and beaming lights.
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