ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK
24 Hour Party People (London)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

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Even though the Brits have been responsible for a great deal of oversensationalized rubbish in the name of pop music, there is no denying that there once was a time .... Chronicling the very fertile period of art punk spawned from the tiny Manchester label Factory, 24 Hour Party People is not only the soundtrack to the movie, but to some people's youth. Spawned from the thrilling, emotive punk of Joy Division, which evolved into the undeniable electro groove of New Order, Factory gave a new voice an outlet, a mysterious aura, and revolutionized album graphics in the process. I can't stress the importance of this latter fact - just look at mainstream album covers from the seventies. See? It was a music, style and attitude revolution, and it came out of a tiny place, run by a handful of people. Good story I should imagine. Needless to say the soundtrack is superb, ranging not only from the seminal tracks by bands already mentioned, but also the rotten punk shakers that knocked the door down (Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks, The Clash). Could do without some of the other tracks, though I suppose they have their historic importance - raving lunatics Happy Mondays, I've been told, were huge, simply huge.

© 2002 - John Sekerka