 | | Zero: A Martin Hannett Story 1977-1991 |
Zero is a compilation of the finest tracks that he sat behind the desk for. Only to suggest that’s all Hannett ever did is doing him a vast disservice. There’s a scene in the film 24 Hour Party People where Tony Wilson goes to find Hannett and discovers the producer at the top of a hill recording silence. That was the maverick producer all over, hell-bent on discovering new ways of recording and producing sound, utilising anything and everything around him and, for the most part, driving the bands he worked with to their limits in order to get the best from them. What’s surprising about the 21 cuts included here though is just how many tunes Hannett was involved in. Alongside the expected Factory bands (Joy Division, Happy Mondays and Durutti Column), there’s songs by U2, Buzzcocks, OMD, John Cooper Clarke, The Only Ones and Magazine, not to mention The Psychedelic Furs’ ever impressive Pretty In Pink and Jilted John’s classic eponymous single. If Zero proves anything, it is that a producer can be as important as a band. Hannett’s ability to drag something new from performers and endless search for perfect sounds and moments led to some of the most experimental and enjoyable moments of his generation. 15 years on from his death, there’s still never been anyone like him.
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