electronic :: albums :: electronic

uk lp (fact 290), cd (facd 290) and cassette (fact 290c) released by factory on 28 may 1991. us cd (9 26387-2) and cassette (9 26387-4) released by warner bros. german lp (211 528) and cd (261 528) released by virgin. mexican lp (lpnb-7079), colombian lp, brazilian lp (670 9374), japanese cd with white inlay, lyric sheet and obi strip (wpcp-4348), canadian cd (cd-26387) and cassette (92 63874) and australian cd (7599 26387-2) and cassette (7599 26387-4) released by warner bros. getting away with it appeared on every release except the factory editions, and replaced gangster on the south american lps.

idiot country
reality
tighten up
the patience of a saint
gangster
soviet
get the message
try all you want
some distant memory
feel every beat

uk cd and cassette.

produced by bernard sumner and johnny marr
engineered by owen morris
recorded at clear, manchester

vocals, keyboards and programming by bernard sumner
guitars, keyboards and programming by johnny marr

vocals on the patience of a saint and getting away with it by neil tennant
keyboards on the patience of a saint by chris lowe
additional drums and percussion on tighten up and feel every beat by donald johnson
additional drums on feel every beat and getting away with it by david palmer
vocals on get the message by denise johnson
oboe on some distant memory played by helen powell
additional programming by andrew robinson

thanks to
ignition, neil tennant & chris lowe, donald johnson, kesta martinez,
andrew robinson, phil powell, danny frew, ian marr, stuart james, pete schwier,
bruce davies, mal & binns, ms b., paula mottershead and angie & sarah

all songs written by sumner and marr
except the patience of a saint written by sumner, marr, tennant and lowe
and getting away with it written by sumner, marr and tennant

picture by todd
artwork by johnson panas

japanese cd.

melody maker, 25 may 1991
nme, 25 may 1991
spin, june 1991
entertainment weekly, 21 june 1991
q, july 1991
vox, july 1991

uk #2
billboard #109
heatseekers #1
sweden #19

us poster and uk advertisement.

bold, bright and upbeat, electronic’s spotless debut represents marr and sumner at the peak of their powers. every song has its own identity and strength: from the compelling anthems idiot country and feel every beat to the transcendent beauty of some distant memory, it’s the sound of a band acknowledging the expectations of a nation and then exceeding them with confidence, panache and originality.

get the message and tighten up perfectly fused marr’s peerless guitar playing with sumner’s synthesiser expertise, not only fulfilling their intention to merge the best aspects of the smiths and new order, but creating a sound that was completely unique to them in the process. electronic hit the ground running with this album; it was not merely satisfactory but positively revelatory, an instant career best that sold 240,000 copies in america and a million worldwide.

to say these two musicians were on form would be an understatement. everything bernard sumner touched in 1990 turned to gold: world in motion topped the uk singles chart and his remixes of songs by the beat club and technotronic elevated them to classic status. revelling in his newfound creative freedom, johnny marr contributed the most subtle and textured playing on a post-smiths work to date, maintaining an unparalleled lightness of touch.

it’s an lp that sees the two essential songwriters of the previous decade laying down the gauntlet and proving that their union could not only match eighteen months of anticipation from critics and listeners alike, but surpass it with every nuanced, deadly note. electronic belongs to the league of mancunian albums that the stone roses, morning glory and the queen is dead reside in: there are only a handful of records that equal its sustained melodic brilliance. a masterpiece.