Hey folks,
Today’s guest is Kevin Alexander, the author of On Repeat by Kevin Alexander. He is an aviation operations specialist, begins his day at 3 am, and has traveled to 49 of the 50 states in the US. Which is the last state? He’s keeping it a secret!
His track choices are energetic and capture the rebellious free spirit of the American West Coast. But today, he’s crossed the pond over to the UK.
He’s been a long-time subscriber of What’s Curation? and an ardent supporter since its inception in March. Give On Repeat a shot and you’ll be sure to find a new favorite track in 2 weeks. Take it away, Kevin!
Good morning!
Thanks to Nikhil for having me take the wheel for today's post. And thank you for reading & supporting What's Curation? 🙂
Today we’re listening to “The Perfect Kiss ” by New Order.
You may not remember what you were doing on May 2nd, 1989, but I do; I was at a New Order concert having my mind rewired. To say that I've been a fan of the band for most of my life is an understatement. I've worn out countless copies of their work, spent money I didn't have on obscure import records of tracks I already owned and had a huge poster depicting the cover of the 1985 "Low Life" record hanging in my house far after when such things are usually taken down in favor of more grown-up décor.
In short, I'm quite a fanboy of the Manchester UK band.
And while I love just about everything they've ever produced, if forced to pick one track, The Perfect Kiss would be it. It's got all the ingredients required for, well, a perfect song. From Peter Hook's catchy bass riff to Bernard Sumner's pleading vocals, to his furious guitar work as the song crescendos.
And all of that is based on a rhythm foundation from Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert featuring the same tight sequencers legendary producer Quincy Jones once described as "nailed down with spikes."
Listening to it now as I type this, I'm struck by how it sounds as good today as it did all those years ago in the Civic Auditorium. The link below is to the full version. It clocks in at just over 10 minutes but is worth every second.
What do you think of this track? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Signing off,
Kevin—
Indeed, nice collab!! Kevin, which NO album would you recommend someone to start listening to the band? I always enjoyed their classic songs, but I don’t think I’ve ever listened to one whole album! 🫣
Yes! Great collab!