electronic :: songs :: free will

(sumner and marr)

7" mix—2:43
12" mix—5:54

get the message
for you

it’s testament to the quality of the records electronic put out that one isn’t constantly hunched up and mumbling “it’s johnny marr and bernard sumner!” ad infinitum; it’s only a fraction of their appeal. definitely cool, of course, but when you’re faced with songs like this you just have to give it to them: they avoided mediocrity at every stage of their decade together and kept everything lean, tight and fantastically effective. free will (referred to as “free world” during a bernard sumner interview with melody maker in december 1990) was a worthy b-side to get the message, and lives up to its title thanks to several shifts in mood, the only constant being the tempo—the track even slips into some funky drumming à la the stone roses’ fools gold. a firm favourite with fans, and electronic’s best instrumental. the 7" edit isn’t half as good as the full version, mind.