"Transmissions" Podcast

Having read more than my share of JD/NO books/articles/interviews over the years, including all three of Peter Hook's very candid autobiographies, I was skeptical about this being the "definitive" account that it claims to be.  I can't say it isn't fun to hear these interviews and stories in an easily digestible audio format, but for hardcore fans there weren't many surprises in Season 1, which covers the JD story and the NO story up to and including "Blue Monday".  The lack of new bombshell revelations isn't a negative -- of course most listeners will be casual or lapsed fans who will find plenty to digest, and even longtime devotees of the bands seem to enjoy it based on the responses I've seen.  It features interviews with nearly all the principals plus a healthy number of celeb cameos and commentaries, the episodes are short (30-40 minutes each) and incredibly well paced, and the story arc is wholly unique.  What's not to like?  

Things pick up in Season 2.  The JD story has been told in a myriad of ways and frankly there's not that much to tell, considering how short their career was.  Getting to the bottom of the NO story has always been a more elusive endeavour, considering their aversion to liaising with the press (interviews, photo sessions, videos) throughout most of the 80's.  Hook's biography is still the gold standard, but it's only one side of the story.  "Transmissions" features many other key figures who have never, to the best of my knowledge, talked this openly about the band before.  Chief among them is Tom Attencio, the Qwest label exec who served as their US manager, and Peter Saville, who designed just about everything of note for Factory.  Now that the lawsuits have been definitively settled, with both the Hook-led side and Bernard Sumner-led side enjoying healthy careers, everyone seems to have mellowed out.  Even the tense, bitter moments in New Order's career are recalled with considerable detachment, as if everyone involved has since seen the error of their ways.  Mostly, they are all keen to focus on the good times and the process behind crafting such groundbreaking music.