Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tonight we're gonna party like its 1989..., 28 Mar 2006
As soon as it starts you know this is a cut above your average 'Rave Anthems' compilation. It begins with the nasal Mancunian drawl of the late great Rob Gretton; New Order's manager and the man who decided that "The Haçienda Must be Built"...as the sound of the infamous bassbins, thumping in the distance down Whitworth Street grows louder and louder...Rather than ask a superstar DJ, the tracks are selected by New Order's bass-Viking Peter Hook. His approach is to include the cuts he enjoyed as a punter in his own club, so pretty much avoids the more esoteric stuff in favour of 3 discs of solid dancefloor favourites of the late 80s/early 90s. So expect loads of Italio piano breaks, handclaps, 303 Basslines and that reverbed, thumping bass kick. (Note that although the tracks are mixed or segued together they are pretty much played in their entirety) You'll find a lot of these cuts naggingly familiar and its surprising how many Haç tunes became crossover chart hits too (music snobs beware...this includes Black Box 'Ride On Time'!), indeed had Factory cashed in at the time with a series of compilations like this the Haç might not have been the financial black hole that producer Martin Hannett eludes to at the start of disc 3. To be fair some of these tracks haven't aged so well, but the likes of Gerald's 'Voodoo Ray' or Inner City's 'Good Life' still send shivers down the spine and tracks like Sterling Void's 'Its Alright' make me think that in years to come the original 12"s will be changing hands for megabucks like Northern Soul tunes do today. You don't have to be a former 24 Hour Party Person on a nostalgia kick to enjoy this. If you're just interested in the history of the Haçienda, Factory Records or the Manchester music scene, or you just love the original Acid House sound this is essential listening. You'd be hard pressed to find a better overview of the music scene of the day than this.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply classic!!!, 28 Mar 2006
What more can be said about The Hacienda (and Factory Records) that hasn't already been written? Well, pretty much nothing, so why not leave it up to the music to do the talking for once...and then some. This album sums up everything that was great about dance music back in the day and ebues the euphoric feelings created by this music and some other extra-curricular activities that made "Newsweek" magazine vote The Hacienda "Most Important Cultural Space 1990". The legends are many, the myths just as plentiful, but when it all came down to it, it was the magic of Messrs Park, Pickering, Haslam et al that really gave The Hacienda it's fame. The first club to really cotton on to the new and exciting sounds coming out of Chicago and Detroit back in 1986, The Hacienda was at the forefront of the house revolutuion. Funky beats, accompanied by equally funky piano breaks, this was truly groundbreaking. I only experienced FAC 51 in it's death throes in 1997 but studied it at length for my History dissertation at University interviewing over 200 people. My ex-girlfriend and many of her friends were there in it's hey-day and all of them to a man talk about The Hac with a passion and fondness that's rare in this day and age. I own many DJ mixes live from The Hac and so this was just an addition to my Manchester collection. However, I implore you to check this out whether a newcomer to the dawn of house music or whether you're a seasoned collector...hey it's worth it for the case and sleeve notes alone! If you are new (which surely, can't be many of you) then you will find a treat in store. All I can do is quote from a well known film about Manchester "This is where it starts. You notice, they're not applauding a band, but the medium. The DJ and music. This is the beatification of the beat. This is where even the white man starts dancing. Welcome to Manchester!!!"
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
ok, but not quite the same., 27 May 2006
I looked and laughed at this when I saw it. If you've been there, you'd know, the thing was, any track on any night could have been a classic. There's a few on here that were played every night, but a lot of these tracks are just club classics. But I saw it was mixed by hooky, so bought it. It's brought back a few memories, not all from the hac, also from quadrant park, shelleys etc. But there's a couple on here that take me back to swaying under the balcony on a friday night. not quite eclectic enough for a true representation of the hac. Mixing isn't great, but it never was, I've heard Pickering mix tracks and it sounded like he was falling down the stairs at the back of the booth, but when the music was that good, it never mattered.
If you've been there, you'll enjoy it, if you never experienced it, you may love it.
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by Peter Hook
~ Various Artists
~ Various Artists
~ Various Artists
~ Various Artists
See all 16 tracks on this disc
