Peter Hook

[ndrly]

Last year, I discovered New Order. I read somewhere that the Killers (a band I like) parodied New Order's "Crystal" video when they did "Somebody Told Me". The video was shown on Video Hits one time, and I thought that it was a great song (with a good video to go along with it). I decided to have a look at some of their older work, namely "Blue Monday" (although my cousin told me they didn't really do anything worthy between Blue Monday and the Get Ready album). To a lesser extent, I also think Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is a great song.

Also, Peter Hook has become one of my influences. If it weren't for him, my style would probably be just plucking only the bottom two strings, without any effects pedals. I never would have thought of hitting high notes, using a chorus pedal (let alone Electro-Harmonix), or even using a semi-acoustic bass (I thought Gibson EB-2 style basses looked strange, until I saw some live clips of him).

Anyone else here have Hooky on their "influences" list? A lot of people I've talked to (in person) haven't really heard of him.

[jim primate]

joy division was quite the rock band when they wanted to be.

[RHFusillo]

Originally Posted by ndrly

To a lesser extent, I also think Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is a great song.

To a lesser extent??? Son, that was one of the greatest singles ever.

And, to answer your question, Peter Hook was a big influence on me in the 1980's. Not so much anymore, though.

P.S. There were two good articles about Joy Division in today's Sunday New York Times.

[Baryonyx]

Fassa Albrect will be here soon, no doubt. She quite likes Pete Hook.

[Wasim]

Originally Posted by ndrly

Last year, I discovered New Order. I read somewhere that the Killers (a band I like) parodied New Order's "Crystal" video when they did "Somebody Told Me". The video was shown on Video Hits one time, and I thought that it was a great song (with a good video to go along with it). I decided to have a look at some of their older work, namely "Blue Monday" (although my cousin told me they didn't really do anything worthy between Blue Monday and the Get Ready album). To a lesser extent, I also think Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is a great song.

Also, Peter Hook has become one of my influences. If it weren't for him, my style would probably be just plucking only the bottom two strings, without any effects pedals. I never would have thought of hitting high notes, using a chorus pedal (let alone Electro-Harmonix), or even using a semi-acoustic bass (I thought Gibson EB-2 style basses looked strange, until I saw some live clips of him).

Anyone else here have Hooky on their "influences" list? A lot of people I've talked to (in person) haven't really heard of him.

Firstly, your cousin is talking out his arse - New Order's back catalogue is crammed full of good albums and great singles. Admittedly they have been hit and miss since the 90s but their last two albums have some brilliant songs and the Get Ready singles had some really good b-sides.

If you look at Joy Division and New Order's work together, they have contributed so much to music and are still thought of as an indie band without the mainstream success lesser bands like U2 and Green Day have had.

Peter Hook isn't your usual bassist, they usually used a sequencer to play the root bass notes, whereas he would often work on the upper register melodies, playing with a pick and an Electro-Harmonix Clone Theory pedal. A lot of bass players probably don't like him for those exact reasons.

He's the reason I found out what a bass guitar was. I've moved on to other stuff but New Order & Joy Division will always remain my favourite bands.

Oh, and how many bands released a single accompanied by a 9-minute live performance for the video?

[ndrly]

Originally Posted by Wasim

Firstly, your cousin is talking out his arse - New Order's back catalogue is crammed full of good albums and great singles. Admittedly they have been hit and miss since the 90s but their last two albums have some brilliant songs and the Get Ready singles had some really good b-sides.

If you look at Joy Division and New Order's work together, they have contributed so much to music and are still thought of as an indie band without the mainstream success lesser bands like U2 and Green Day have had.

Peter Hook isn't your usual bassist, they usually used a sequencer to play the root bass notes, whereas he would often work on the upper register melodies, playing with a pick and an Electro-Harmonix Clone Theory pedal. A lot of bass players probably don't like him for those exact reasons.

He's the reason I found out what a bass guitar was. I've moved on to other stuff but New Order & Joy Division will always remain my favourite bands.

Oh, and how many bands released a single accompanied by a 9-minute live performance for the video?

I'm not saying I agree with my cousin. I mean, yeah, True Faith, Perfect Kiss, they're good too. As soon as I hear of a New Order marathon on Rage, I am so there.

[iamthebassman]

As someone who was involved in the punk scene of the late 70s/early 80s I was very much a fan of JD, but never really heard any NO till about 4 years ago. The band I was in at the time played a bunch of shows where I got to hang/talk with a bunch of European musicians and they all said I played just like Peter Hook, they said I HAD to be a big fan. I told them actually I haven't really heard any NO. I got a few NO CDs and became a fan, and I definetely heard what they were talking about.

[Barkless Dog]

Peter Hook advanced bass to where it had never been before, up front in the mix playing the melody and not the bass part in pop music. Yes, Stanley Clarke & Jaco also did, but not in the pop context like Hook did.

He's more of a musician than a bass player. He uses the bass to make music, but not your typical bass.

Also shows you dont have to be a shredder to contribute to bass as an instrument

[sensible68]

I think his best work was in Joy Division, but mainly because I didn't buy into the dance thing that became new order's bag.

[Barkless Dog]

I think his best work was in Joy Division, but mainly because I didn't buy into the dance thing that became new order's bag

But I think his work with New Order broke higher ground because of that fact. Lead melodic 'un-bass part' playing in dance pop music?

Doing it in an underground band like Joy Division is one thing but he took it to a new level in New Order in my opinion.

[sensible68]

Originally Posted by Barkless Dog

But I think his work with New Order broke higher ground because of that fact. Lead melodic 'un-bass part' playing in dance pop music?

should have just used a synth joke!!

Originally Posted by Barkless Dog

Doing it in an underground band like Joy Division is one thing but he took it to a new level in New Order in my opinion.

I don't know enough about NO to comment, point taken.

The strummy stuff with joy division influenced me hugely when I first started playing (with a pick). I don't think he was going up the neck quite so much with JD.

[barbarbass]

New Order is the bomb-diggity. Some of the best chord progressions ever written (outside of say, Vivaldi).

And you gotta love Hook's tone -- bright, hard, crystalline, a little crunchy, absolutely uncompromising. The only other player who even remotely sounds like that (and it's a different kind of playing altogether) was Chris Squire.

[Barkless Dog]

The strummy stuff with joy division influenced me hugely when I first started playing (with a pick). I don't think he was going up the neck quite so much with JD.

Very true, not really a bad hook era in my opinion, just slightly different.

I like Joy Division's music more than New Orders, but I feel Hooks playing blossomed in New Order and became the focus of the band's sound, were Joy Division, to me, came off as more off as more as a single band sound. In NO all I hear is Hook's bass when I listen, which is even more ironic as you would think a band with a solo bassist, it would be the opposite.

I think I'll start a pop band built around the bass player who does not play bass- Try selling that concept to a record company!

[Barkless Dog]

The only other player who even remotely sounds like that (and it's a different kind of playing altogether) was Chris Squire.

That's what makes Hooky one of the best, in my opinion. A modern bass hero who is not a shredder or prog bass player. A bass hero who plays pop music.
That makes him worth his weight in gold. It gives hope to players who are not Jeff Berlin's or Billy Sheehan's. It shows you can change or break through on your instrument without being a virtuoso.


You can do all your snooty tapping, playing behind your back & blistering solos, but does not make you original or unique in the bass world. Many players here can play circles around bass players like Hook or Sir Paul. But that's not the point sometimes on how one is judged.
Jeff Berlin be dammed!

[Wasim]

Originally Posted by Barkless Dog

That's what makes Hooky one of the best, in my opinion. A modern bass hero who is not a shredder or prog bass player. A bass hero who plays pop music.
That makes him worth his weight in gold. It gives hope to players who are not Jeff Berlin's or Billy Sheehan's. It shows you can change or break through on your instrument without being a virtuoso.


You can do all your snooty tapping, playing behind your back & blistering solos, but does not make you original or unique in the bass world. Many players here can play circles around bass players like Hook or Sir Paul. But that's not the point sometimes on how one is judged.
Jeff Berlin be dammed!

Too right. Given the choice of listening to New Order or some mega-slash-tapping or whatever, I'll go with the great songs with simple bass lines. I think the comparison with Sir Paul is a good one.

Have you heard Monaco's first album, Music for Pleasure? It was Hook's solo work with David Potts while New Order were out of service in the 90s, and it's got some great songs, including this minor hit, What Do You Want From Me

[Barkless Dog]

Have you heard Monaco's first album, Music for Pleasure? It was Hook's solo work with David Potts while New Order were out of service in the 90s, and it's got some great songs, including this minor hit, What Do You Want From Me

Thanks, great clip.

[lunarpollen]

I'm with Barkless Dog 100% on this one.

The day I part with my Clone Theory pedal will be the day I die.

[deathbyhappy]

Peter Hook is easily my biggest influance in getting me to play bass. I'll be honest and say i only like Joy Division and absolutely dont get New Order(must be too young).

He is a brilliant bassist and his joy division stuff is amazing!

Also...

Originally Posted by Barkless Dog

I think I'll start a pop band built around the bass player who does not play bass- Try selling that concept to a record company!

MAYBE.... only if you went to Tony Wilson(RIP) at Factory Records.

Never again though!

[TheButler]

Surprised Fassa hasn't jumped in on this yet ...

I am a rathoor big Joy Divison and New Order fan myself. Some tunes worth a listen for some cool bass:

Joy Division - Atmosphere
- A New Dawn Fades (one of my faves)
- Dead Souls
- Disorder
- Isolation
- Love will tear us apart (classic)
- No Love Lost
- ShadowPlay
- She's lost Control
- The Kill
- Transmission

As far as New Order go, the list goes on substantially and i can't be bothered ( off the top of my head) to single out good tracks.

and yes they did do the Blade Soundtrack

[lunarpollen]

My fave early stuff of theirs is the very first five-song demo they recorded as Warsaw, on 18 July 1977. The bass sounds absolutely massive on it, yet it's only an EB-0. I wonder what kind of amplification was used.