Substance: Inside New Order

by Peter Hook (Contributor)

In this final installment of his internationally bestselling three-part memoir—including The Hacienda and Unknown Pleasures—British rocker Peter Hook focuses on the 1980s New Wave and Dance Punk scene and the rise of one of the most influential bands of the Second British Invasion: New Order.

1980. Resurrected from the ashes of Joy Division after the suicide of its lead singer, Ian Curtis, New Order would become one most critically acclaimed and important bands of the decade and beyond. With their hits "Bizarre Love Triangle", "Perfect Kiss", and "Blue Monday"—the biggest-selling 12-inch single of all time—Peter Hook and company quickly rose to the top of the alternative music scene. Widely regarded as the godfathers of electronic dance music, their sound would influence Moby, The Chemical Brothers, The Postal Service, The Killers, and other acts that followed in their wake.

Hook tells the complete, unvarnished story of New Order’s founding and evolution; the band’s experiences in the New York City club scene and rapid rise to international fame, its impact on house music, techno, and rave; and its eventual rancorous dissolution. Full of Hook’s "gleefully profane" (Entertainment Weekly) humor and vivid, witty storytelling, Substance is the most important and certainly the most controversial part of his story, emanating with drugs, booze, and sex.

Complete with timelines, discographies, gigographies and track-by-track analysis, and exclusive photographs and archival images from Hook’s personal collection, it is the definitive, comprehensive history of New Order and a compelling snapshot of the '80s cultural scene in all its neon-hued glory.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, Autobiography, Biography Memoir, Pop Culture

770 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2015

About the author

Peter Hook (née Woodhead) is an English singer, songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is best known as the bassist and co-founder of English rock bands Joy Division and New Order.

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knowing that Peter Hook is one of those rare people who actually reads the things that are written about him, and the sheer amount of work and detail that went into Substance, here’s an honest attempt to do justice to my thoughts, having finished it. Here goes…

The first thing to say is that this is clearly a five-star book. It’s very long (but then, the New Order story was a long one). The level of detail is exhaustive. There are self-confessed geeky sections on the electronic equipment that the band used – much of it pioneering – for readers who like that sort of thing (I did, while not really knowing what he was on about a lot of the time, sorry). But it’s also a genuine page-turner, a light read, and while it’s a cliché to write this there’s a level of honesty that’s gut-wrenching. Hooky really exposes himself here. Substance is like the rock autobiography you really want to read but rarely do, in the sense you get an absolute measure of the man. Hooky spares nothing, least of all himself, from complete exposure. And the message is clear enough - you might not like him very much, but he doesn’t care, and at least it’s a straight account.

Some thoughts on my relationship with New Order. Growing up in a forgotten corner of the north-east, they quickly became my favourite band. I didn’t know a lot about what the members got up to (pre-internet age and that), but I did have the music, and it was like nothing else out there. There was plenty of electronica on offer, and this was a time when synthesisers were introduced to pretty much every corner of the musical stratosphere, but only New Order released things that weren’t specifically designed to appeal to the listeners. You liked it or you didn’t. More often, you didn’t get to hear them very often because they didn’t get the exposure. Few of their releases made a massive impact on the charts, so you sort of had to seek them out, sometimes to ask the manager of your local independent store (Tony’s Records in Redcar, thank god for him) to source them on your behalf. Even when their stuff was available, you had to work a bit harder. New Order’s name rarely featured on their covers; instead what you got was some gorgeous yet impenetrably oblique cover art, designed by Peter Saville. Following them was like being part of an exclusive club. If you got it then great. Welcome to the world of the most genius, forward thinking musicians of the 1980s. If you didn’t? Well, there’s always some new production line tat from Stock, Aitken and Waterman on the shelves, all sounding the same whoever the artiste’s name happens to be and without any shred of personality, wit, or for that matter hard work.

While reading the book, I’ve dipped into my back catalogue of New Order and re-experienced it all. These are records I’ve loved, many times, and they sound great still. I’m reminded of the time I got my sweaty hands on the ‘Best Of’ compilation, Substance, and the number of times I played that bastard – The Perfect Kiss on endless repeat, the fact that absolutely nothing sounded like Everything’s Gone Green, of course Blue Monday, a little slice of sublimity like 1963 tossed onto the end of disc two and you discover it for the first time and go ‘What’s this, it’s fantastic!’ I’ve listened to the Monaco album (underrated, blistering singles, soundtracked a very happy period in my life originally) and I’ve not done that in years. I caught some Mrs Merton on YouTube because it was bloody funny. I remembered working in Manchester Metropolitan University with someone else who loved the scene, bantering about it all, going to the rehearsal to be a ‘Hacienda extra’ for the 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE shoot and not getting anywhere, following a blog called ‘Rob’s records’ that was dedicated to Rob Gretton, written by someone called ‘Mr Disco’ who always seemed to be somewhere else when a Gretton produced track made it onto a Manchester radio station (‘Buggin Becky by J-Walk came on Kiss, but I was on the toilet and missed it’, etc).

Squaring my memories of New Order with the account of the band’s existence by one of its core players isn’t easy. I suppose I liked thinking of them as boffin Kraftwerk types, eternally trapped in studios cluttered with equipment and a Gordian Knot of cables, troubling over fresh ways to produce something fresh and vital that would stretch the technology’s capabilities and release previously unheard sounds. In that sense I guess my affinity has always been more with Barney than Hooky – the perfectionist, always wanting control, chivvying and grumpy whenever anyone sees it differently. But then, I’d argue that New Order wouldn’t be even slightly as good without its bass player. The only time I’ve seen them live is a couple of years ago, after the split, and even without the reference it didn’t seem the same – where was the hairy bloke forever semi-crouched in a rock god pose, guitar propped on his bent knees, playing as desperately as if it was his last opportunity? Electronic – not as good. Bad Lieutenant – can hardly be bothered, mate. Up to Technique the New Order albums are incredible listens, and then after that it drops a bit with Republic, falls off further still with Get Ready (though I count 60 Miles an Hour as being up there with the best of them), and I lose interest at that point. So it wasn’t all Bernard’s doing that made the band what it was. No doubt the creative tension helped, but to us listeners it was worth all the blood, sweat, Es and bellyaches, and for the record I don’t think Hooky’s extracurricular ventures hit the same standard as they achieved together.

That Hooky suffered for his craft is in evidence here. A lot. Some might have it that the rock and roll lifestyle he embraced to excessive levels is the ultimate aspiration, and that’s fair enough, but he recognises that much of it was empty and rootless, leading close to oblivion, and that’s fair also. The impression I get is of a young lad who could hardly believe his luck a lot of the time, but who was working for the last word in artistic statement making, a label that prized merit over business. He was lucky that the band was indulged to make music exactly the way they wanted to, which has made it enduring and we can all enjoy it now as joyful brilliance. But he was also unlucky. New Order could and should have made millions, but they didn’t. The money pit that was the Hacienda saw to those aspirations. Factory would rather have released a 12” single that cost more to make than it was to buy, thanks to the holes punched in its sleeve. Sure enough, Blue Monday went on to be a massive seller in this form. I own a copy. It looks great, and it remains a fine anecdote amidst a sea of records that have been, gone, and are forgotten.

In the end, I hope things like that have compensated Hooky for a professional life that could have left him a lot wealthier. If nothing else then he can rightly claim to have lived, even during the difficult times like when he was married to Caroline Aherne (a street I used to live on, oddly enough; it’s a long road though) and recovering in rehab. For us fans the memories are good ones, the stories worth telling (who wouldn’t want to chuck bread rolls at Bono’s head then flick him the Vs when he turns around to see who did it?), and the music lasts. Give Substance a read, stick Power, Corruption and Lies on and soak up the perfect opening to Age of Consent, enjoy.

[Karl]

This book is an Uncorrected Proof copy

[Paul Gleason · Rating 5 out of 5]

752 pages never went by so quickly. Peter Hook’s Substance: Inside New Order (Dey St.) takes readers on a rollicking jaunt through the career of New Order, the Manchester band that the remaining members of Joy Division founded. Hooky, Joy Division’s and New Order’s bassist and co-songwriter, tells his tale of New Order from a firsthand perspective.

And this perspective, which should come as no surprise for readers of the masterful Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division, develops from Hooky’s hilarious, self-deprecating, and demystifying voice as a writer.

Whether describing the band’s laugh-out-loud adventures in a restaurant at “a beautiful, seaside resort” in China or the technical ins and outs of New Order’s albums, concerts, and equipment, Hooky satisfies even the most learned New Order fans.

But the book’s greatest achievement is that for all of its physical bulk, it’s a light-hearted, funny, page-turner of a story – one that’s sometimes X-rated. Substance conjures the antics and spirit of a Monty Python sketch. In other words, the book is chock-full of absurd scenes narrated with saucy wit. For example, coked-up band personnel cowering in the corner of Hooky’s flooded hotel room while plumbers rip down walls in search of the stopgap; New Order’s “battle” with Echo & The Bunnymen over who would take the stage first or second on a co-headlining tour; and New Order’s pre-recorded appearance with David Hasselhoff of Baywatch on an episode of Top of the Pops, in which the band performed “Regret” on a beach.

Substance isn’t all fun, however. An underlying tinge of sadness accompanies all the funny stories because the book chronicles the disintegration of New Order and how its two key members – Hooky and singer, guitarist, and keyboardist, Bernard Sumner (who takes a lot of good-humored shots throughout the book) – go from being the best friends who started Joy Division to arch enemies who are now fronting two separate bands: Peter Hook & The Light and “New Order.”

With Substance, Peter Hook continues to establish himself as one of rock’s best memoirists. His writing is so vivid, personal, and entertaining that one wonders how he had the time to learn his craft while writing and playing bass on some of the most iconic records ever made.

Review published in Stereo Embers Magazine

[Linn Ålund Thorgren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gillade verkligen denna bok. Trots volymen gick den snabbt att läsa då Peter Hook skriver varmt och inbjudande, med stor humor och glimten i ögat, om den både bästa och värsta tiden i hans karriär/liv: tiden i New Order. Vad jag gillar med PH är hans möjlighet till självinsikt. Han tar inte på sig offerrollen utan erkänner sina svagheter likväl som de övriga bandmedlemmarnas. Väldigt intressant och underhållande!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the back of my mind I had somehow thought New Order would be made up of cooler humans. Their music blows me away. It haunts, hooks and engages my curiosity. Hooky’ base Sumner’s mad electronics skills seems to come from something amazing. In truth, they were pretty awful to each other and loved ones. When they perform songs about longing, I don’t know who there are talking about! Seems they had every woman imaginable on tour. At my age, I can certainly separate the artist from their music and I still adore New Order’s music. Their rise from humble beginnings is incredibly impressive. I’ll geta round to his earlier memoirs to see if they even had musical training. (I was never an R. Kelly fan so that guy never caused me dissonance.)

Hooks story is debauched and often funny if you can get though the coarseness. I’ve never really understood how drug- and drink-addled musicians can recall such detail for their memoirs. I suppose a combo of personal journals, other less inebriated witnesses and just making stuff up that is plausible and entertaining? Glad that only one of Joy Division died prematurely and none from NO.

IT was cool how he included technical details and concert dates. I think he tours w his son now who didn’t see him much growing up. That’s nice.

[Rob Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Never trust a musician, even me.”

Peter Hook is an English singer, songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is best known as the bassist and co-founder of English rock bands Joy Division and New Order. Hook formed the band which was to become Joy Division with Bernard Sumner in 1976. Following the death of lead singer Ian Curtis in 1980, the band reformed as New Order, and Hook played bass with them until 2007, not long after his 50th birthday.

Hook has recorded one album with Revenge (One True Passion), two albums with Monaco (Music for Pleasure and Monaco) and one album with Freebass (It's a Beautiful Life), serving as bassist, keyboardist and lead vocalist. He is currently the lead singer and bassist for Peter Hook and the Light. He formed this group in May 2010 and it also features Hook's son Jack Bates (bass), as well as Andy Poole (keyboards) and Paul Kehoe (drums), who both played with Hook as part of Monaco, one of Hook's previous groups. From the first gigs in May 2010, Nat Wason (formerly of Haven) was the group's guitarist, however in July 2013 he was replaced by David Potts, another former member of Monaco.

The band is noted for performing the Joy Division and New Order albums live. Their setlists primarily feature the two Joy Division albums, Unknown Pleasures and Closer or the first two New Order albums, Movement and Power, Corruption & Lies, depending on the respective tour. And after reading the 752 page behemoth that is "Substance" [1] maybe this was the best possible outcome for New Order? But it’s also a great shame that the original New Order are unlikely to ever reunite. There was unquestionably magic whenever they got together, whatever their shortcomings.

Hooky has also published relatively slim volume on Joy Division, Unknown Pleasures, which I really enjoyed. He suggested that following the suicide of Joy Division's singer, Ian Curtis, the group just unthinkingly carried on playing together. Where Joy Division songs had been grand but sparse, New Order’s were more expansive, shaped by uplifting dance records they heard in New York nightclubs during their American tours. It took a few albums for New Order to slowly morph from the Joy Division sound, each album moved them closer to the frantic surging tracks which would propel them into the mainstream.

In "Substance" Hook describes on-the-road anecdotes of groupies, drink and drugs with huge delight. As you might expect in a book of this size, the level of detail is exhaustive. In some ways "Substance" is a cross between an auto-biography and the sociology of the music business. Hooky branches out into the larger ecosystem of the writing, recoding and promotion processes. He digresses into discussing the changes in technical recording and performing over the years; the promoters (Ruth Polsky); the clubs (Danceteria, etc) and the rival bands, fans and audiences along the way. Hooky mixes in these details with fun facts /vignettes that keep you turning the page. In parts, he covers a familiar story:

= The record label Factory (closed in 1992) and the Hacienda nightclub (closed in 1997),
= The dictatorial Gretton (died in 1999),
= Martin Hannett, the equally obsessive and brilliant producer of New Order’s first releases and of Joy Division (died in 1991),
= His abusive marriage to comedian Caroline Aherne (1994 to 1997); this section was a marked contrast to the bombast found elsewhere,
= The horrid financial practices of Factory Records, and
= The wives, girlfriends, business partners, who become collateral damage.

And some not so familiar aspects too:

= Top-ten lists,
= A running list of New Order gigs, with any memories of particular gigs,
= Explanations of equipment used and how it was set-up, and
= Geek alerts: explanations of what terms such as "fold backs” and "producers' points" mea, as an example.

Hooky acknowledges that as soon as they were able to New Order behaved like “pigs at a trough”. This note of reflective self-disgust runs through the whole book. He acknowledges that he often behaved abysmally, and treated people poorly.

He portrays his bandmates as inspired, if sometimes careless musicians. They come across as either passive or domineering. And he often writes as if it is “Peter Hook v. The Other Three.” Barely a page goes by without a dig at Bernard Sumner. Their relationship is the main theme of the book, and Hooky’s feelings are complex and contradictory. But he does try to provide some sense of balance. For example, Bernard Sumner is “a twat” on one page, but keenly appreciated on the next. He both admires Sumner but also feels a huge sense of betrayal. The creative tension came from Sumner who wanted to make them more polished and electronic; open enough to absorb modern sounds and production techniques. Hooky wanted more of a rock and analogue stance; a throwback to Joy Division’s intensity. He does credit other members for having some original ideas and propelling the band forward. However, Gilbert is a peripheral figure at best and he is typically dismissive of her contributions.

Hooky also manages to capture what it's like to be in a band treading water and in ambivalent, slow decline. By the mid-80s, New Order and their ever growing entourage had split into barely communicating factions. He drolly demystifies the job of being a rock star along with the physical toll of decades of bass-playing. This is made worse by his idiosyncratic, low-slung: “trapped nerves in neck … bent lower spine … one arm longer than the other”.



So, in summary, Hooky takes his gloves off for in an engaging and intelligently written tell-all book. It blends facts (as Hooky recalls them) with amusing and poignant recollections and anecdotes. And like a lot of rock autobiographies there are the endless drug taking sessions, groupies, alcohol, sex and general unpleasantness. God knows what it was like to be part of it, day in and day out. But because Hook adds much more than the usual autobiography on both a personal, social and technical level then there is much for both the fan and the casual reader to like. "Substance" is unabashed and unapologetic, a very detailed and truthful rock memoir.

Hooky mixes, "I can't believe I get to live the rock star life," and, "This is not the person I want to be." For sure, this all makes for an enthralling tale. But it’s clear that success brought devastation to people and relationships. Bands live and then die by the struggle for creative control. Ego's, pride and resentment/bitterness ruin this delicate relationship.

I never 752 pages as quickly.

[1] I’m guessing the title a homage to drugs and how definitive the book is?

[Jon Chaisson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Distilled:
--"We were off our nut when..."
--Barney is a jerk, but at least he's consistent about it
--Barney's also a great guitarist and songwriter, so there's that
--How the Hacienda lasted as long as it did is a miracle
--BASS PLAYING RULES OK

Seriously, though...this was quite an interesting ride from the more vocal and unfiltered member of the band, and it was a lot of fun to read. Take it with a grain of salt (or a shot of booze, your pick) and enjoy the ride.

[Maggie A · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5. This is way too long of a book. Idk, I like New Order a lot but this felt like a chore to read at times and it was over 700 pages and I didn’t finish. All the tour stories started sounding the same and it could have been half the length and maybe better. Because I kept going so long (almost 3 months of reading) I’m counting it as read and you all on goodreads get the honest review of me not being into it because on IG I’ll post that I enjoyed it as it was a secret santa present from my partner’s friend. Cool? Cool.

[Matt Whittingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has everything I wanted as a die hard New Order and rock biography fan. Detailed studio notes behind each track, inside gossip from all of the tours, the back biting, rampant drug taking and of course, of Barney bating. Probably only dedicated fans will enjoy the minutia. I already knew that Hooky is no saint, but I came away from this still liking him

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh Hooky, you're a right bastard. But a likable one. Looking forward to seeing him perform in a few weeks. Also learned tons of British slang - at least I think I did.

[Nigeyb · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the relatively slim volume on Joy Division, 'Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division', which I really enjoyed, this 2017 follow up on New Order, a bloated 752 page behemoth, was quite a shock. Having quit the band, or been thrown out, depending on who you believe, the gloves were off for this tell-all book.

Bloated is a good word. Joy Division were inspired by punk rock and specifically the DIY, anti-stadium ethic. Fast forward to the mid 1980s and New Order were filling arenas in America and, as an unabashed Peter Hook makes clear, loved it there because of the drugs and the groupies. What goes around comes around eh readers? I like a rock n roll tome probably more than the next man but just reading about the endless round of drugs, pranks, sex and grubby unpleasantness got quite wearing. God knows what it was like to live through it.

Despite being a long time fan, I had no idea just how boorish and laddish the members of New Order actually were, well Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook and many members of their road crew. "The Other Two” aka long-term couple Stephen and Gillian were far more restrained. As soon as New Order's career progress allowed, and as Hooky explains, the band behaved like “pigs at a trough”. This note of self-disgust tempers the laddishness a little, as does an unusual attention to detail, but really the most obvious comparison to ‘Substance’ is the infamous Led Zeppelin tome ‘The Hammer of the Gods’. Who knew eh? Well, probably a few of their fans, but I was not one of them.

As New Order became more established, there was also an ongoing battle for the soul of the group between New Order singer Bernard Sumner, who wanted to make them more studio-based and electronic, along with more recognition for his contribution, and Hook, whose distinctive bass was more rocky and whose biggest kick was long gruelling tours and all that these entailed.

If, like me, you’ve already read other Hook’s books - 'The Haçienda: How Not to Run a Club' and 'Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division' - then you’d already know that Hook and Sumner had something of a love/hate relationship, with much more hate than love. In 'Substance: Inside New Order', barely a page goes by without a dig at Sumner. Their relationship is the main theme of the book, and Hook’s feelings are complex and contradictory: he both admires Sumner but also feels a huge sense of betrayal. Both, and to use one of Hook’s favourite words, behave like twats most of the time.

The older, and ever-so-slightly wiser Hooky, looks back on this catalogue of disfunction, misbehaviour and feuding with a mixture of pride and regret. If you like New Order then this this warts and all memoir is fascinating, if a little wearing. If you’re a casual fan then perhaps best to give it a wide berth unless you are happy to skip a detailed look at the group’s career (each year is analysed in some depth in addition to the regular chapters) and just focus on the mayhem, drugs and resultant bad behaviour and addictions, and even that might be too much for the casual reader. In addition to the ins and outs of the group you also learn all about Hook’s various relationships, of which there were many, including his infamous tumultuous marriage to comedian Caroline Aherne.

So, in short, this is an unabashed and unapologetic, and very detailed and truthful, rock memoir, concerned with what really went down: “to bring you the most complete and truthful record of life inside New Order as is humanly possible”. By that benchmark Hook could not have done a better job.

But, and for those without the time or the motivation to read 752 pages on New Order, and as Peter Hook observes after headlining the Reading Festival: “International rock star = bollocks”. That’s your condensed read right there.

By the by, New Order still continue without Peter Hook, and in 2016 released their 10th album, Music Complete, to generally good reviews. For the last decade or so, Hook has been DJing and leading his own group, Peter Hook and the Light, who play complete Joy Division and New Order albums, on what appears to be a virtually endless tour. Perhaps that’s the best outcome for this most dysfunctional of groups, but it’s also a great shame that the original New Order are unlikely to ever reunite as there was unquestionably magic whenever they got together, whatever their shortcomings as human beings.

4/5

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been listening to Substance, the 1987 singles collection, as I read along. Like the music, for me the most engaging part of the New Order saga comprised the first quarter of the output. I liked Peter Hook's Joy Division account, it having exceeded my expectations for its insight, depth, and compassion balanced by candor. In this sequel it could not have been easy for Hooky to stay fair to his bandmates, but to his credit, he generously praises Barney when merited. As for Gillian she's pretty much relegated to a minor supporting role, tapping out the keyboard lines penned by the guitarist. Steve gets a bit more space on the page, but not a lot. It's mainly the cocky, and quote the cocksman, bassist squaring away with his lifelong frenemy. You need to have become familiar with the Joy Division backstory, for Book's not one for repetitive summation.

The pace slackened for the band once they broke through, so 3/4 of the narrative follows the familiar sex, drugs, rock trajectory, complete with bottoming out and sobriety after decades of abuse. The amount of chemicals, alcohol, and partying may come as a surprise, but these post punk pioneers belied their often dour stage presence or publicity PR, rivalling peers far more living up to timeworn stereotypes on tour and in the studio. Hook manages to keep this hefty volume on course, and it's not his fault that in chronicling the years with New Order and outside of if, he's stuck telling it like it was. He's a talented raconteur, and while obviously a hard case, he adds technical aspects of recording on then-primitive machines as he and his mates struggled to invent their distinctive hybrid of dance and dreariness. As I'm an admirer of their earlier sound, much of the content didn't draw me in later on, but it's a testament to Hook's diligence that his commentary on set-lists and record tracks provides value-added that I wish many more musicians added for the gear heads like me. I as a fumbling bassist wanted even more: how about that Clone pedal that became his trademark? Where did his riffs originate! Or six-string bass he wielded when nearly nobody played one?

[Maria Felgueiras · Rating 4 out of 5]

There surely are lots of people upset about Peter Hook's Substance (Inside New Order). He not only tells about his most obscure moments but also everybody else's. He spares no one. On the one hand the tone sounds genuine and truthful; on the other hand you question yourself on the veracity of Hook's accounts. It's his perspective and most of it under the effects of alcohol and drugs.
I enjoyed it and was curious as to know how different his view was from Bernard Sumner's in his Chapter and Verse. Well, it's different and as far as I'm concerned the truth about the events involving Joy Division, New Order, The Haçienda, Factory Records is somehow in the middle of Hook's and Sumner's perspectives.

[Damon Garr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I'm a sucker for the "inside story." It takes me back to when I used to devour music magazines, trying to learn all of the details of the bands I love. Peter Hook tells the New Order story in a lively, subjective fashion, and a language thick with dialect. Hook may be full of himself, but he's easily likable and can tell a good story. Halfway through reading this, I went ahead and bought Unknown Pleasures, Hook's telling of the Joy Division story. Still, this is a big book and probably only worth reading if you were a New Order fan.

[Ric Montelongo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A definite "must read" for any New Order fan. As one who considers himself an avid fan of New Order, I found this book to be an interesting and insightful read. Hooky does a fantastic job adding additional treasures in the book such as gig dates, pictures, liner notes, and other things. I found this book to be quite challenging to finish mainly because some chapters seem irrelevant and unnecessary. The book still is worthy to read if you want to learn tidbits such as inspiration for songs and as albums. For example, "Brotherhood" is actually a country album??!! Great work Hooky! Looking forward to seeing you on tour again soon.

[Martin Hoogeboom · Rating 3 out of 5]

700 pages brutal honest (I hope) report by Peter Hook about his adventures with New Order. Drugs, alcohol, sex and more drugs and alcohol. In between: musical adventures, rehab, children, and a lot of swearing at his colleagues. Incredible story of how a person can linger for years in an unhealthy situation. Written very nicely, lots of humor and self-mockery (thankfully). Lesson: don't be jealous of famous artists.

[Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read. Get's very druggy in the last third which is a bit tedious at times but you can't really complain about it when it's real life as opposed to fiction.

[AJRXII · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stuff.

[Steve Harbula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Synopsis: Member of legendary new wave band drinks too much, does tons of drugs, has lots of sex, dislikes (but at least begrudgingly respects) lead singer, has utter disdain for other band members, and has practically no meaningful self-awareness whatsoever. Most interesting parts were tales of crossing paths with various contemporaries like Echo and the Bunnymen, Stone Roses, and Happy Mondays. There, I just saved you 750 pages.

[Rue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personally? Wouldn’t have left Barney act like that. Bizarre love triangle? What’s bizarre is you’re still standing mate. DECKED. fucking melt.

[Tony Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter Hook has written three books about his adventures in the music business: “Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division”, “The Hacienda: How Not to Run a Club”, and now “Substance: Inside New Order”. I’ve enjoyed them all to various degrees, but this felt overlong, despite covering the subject matter most important to me. While there are many interesting details related to the production of each album (and the intraband feuds that led to the group’s implosion), too much time is spent on the hijinks of a band on tour. Hook includes seemingly endless anecdotes about the drinking and drugging escapades of each tour, slipping out of control as the band gets more popular. Hook laments the hiring of additional staff to deal with the equipment, driving, and sound checks: all tasks that he used to handle himself. His newfound free time fills with partying, and anyone that’s seen a “Behind the Music” knows the rest of the story. The one difference here is that the stories seem mostly unsanitized - Hook and his entourage regularly slip into football hooligan levels of behavior. The misbehavior ranges from the innocuous (tossing dinner rolls at Bono during awards ceremonies) to ridiculously stupid (an explicit look at using aftershave to attempt to stave off an STD infection) to violent (brawling at a “Pretty in Pink” Hollywood movie premiere). Guitars are smashed and green rooms are wrecked. A friend tricks Bill Clinton into signing a paper that professes a love for Al Qaeda. The constant bad behavior is amusing at the beginning of the book when stakes are low and the mischief mostly amounts to pranks but starts to drag on as the story progresses. Hook readily admits to smoking crack in later years and is generally open about his struggles with alcohol. I was relieved when he checked himself into rehab, if only because the arc of the book would be altered.

More interesting are Hook’s track-by-track thoughts on albums and hearing how the recording process transformed from a band jamming in the studio into a solitary experience as the members recording all their work individually. His feud with lead singer Bernard Sumner is well known, and we get significantly more details about here than Sumner shared in his book. In general, Sumner offered very little color on the New Order experience; he covered entire albums in the space of a paragraph, while Hook has shockingly detailed descriptions about much of their work, especially given the number of substances he describes consuming. Maybe Barney’s memory didn’t fare as well as Hook’s. Either way, It’s clear there’s an “odd couple” dynamic between the two; Hook is loud, energetic, and open, while Sumner is reclusive and moody. These differences combined with both lacking communication skills likely doomed their relationship from the start.

Overall, a must read for New Order fans that’s much more informative than Sumner’s book, but don’t feel bad about skimming through the lengthy “life on the road” sections.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book written by ex-Joy Division and New Order bassist Peter "Hooky" Hook, this is also his best. While over 700 pages long, this was a gripping read that was simultaneously both expansive and incredibly detailed.

Joy Division and New Order are bands surrounded by a lot of mystique and mythology, a great deal of it cultivated by the band themselves. They avoided the press and only grudgingly promoted their own albums. I hoped lead singer Bernard Sumner's Chapter and Verse: New Order, Joy Division and Me would shed some more light on the inner working of the band, but I was left disappointed. Much as he did with his previous Joy Division memoir, Hooky stepped up to deliver the nitty gritty details — the Substance, so to speak — that Sumner's book lacked.

Hooky covers the story of the band both on-stage and off-, and he refuses to shy away from painting himself and the others in an unflattering light with tales of their intoxicated revels, property destruction, womanizing, and other rock star antics. There's also a great deal of information provided about the music-making process, the evolution of the equipment used, and set lists for individual gigs.

The core of the book, however, is the deteriorating friendship between Sumner and Hooky. Both were childhood friends and the first members of Joy Division, but it's clear that life in the music industry changed both of them. Hooky has always come off as combative and competitive, and he paints a picture of Sumner as becoming gradually more controlling and diva-like in his interactions with the rest of the band. I suspect that both members are equally to blame for the falling out. Now sober for ten years, Hooky speaks frankly about his damaging addictions to cocaine and alcohol, and it appears that Sumner was equally prone to substance abuse, and perhaps still is. Hooky chalks up the cause of much of his own bad behavior to his struggle with drugs, but seems curiously unwilling to extend the benefit of the doubt to his former best friend.

Regardless of how the blame for Hook's departure from the band should be best assigned, rather than simple hate Hook seems more hurt and wounded by how things have turned out than anything else. New Order fans who read this book might end up learning too much about their favorite band, seeing how fractured the internal dynamics were and how petty the members could be, but even provided by a biased storyteller I found this deeper understanding adds an extra layer of appreciation when listening to New Order's iconic music.

[Luthfi · Rating 5 out of 5]

[REVIEW Peter Hook – Substance: Inside New Order]

"Jangan pernah percaya dengan musisi"

New Order adalah salah satu band yang gw temuin berkat sering disebut di Eureka Seven dan menjadi motor penggerak cerita Eureka Seven secara kultural dan referensi musiknya (bagaimana mereka menampilkan kultur acid house, Madchester, techno diantara perang robot dan romansa merupakan salah satu momen terbaik di anime) dan akhirnya gw mengikuti mereka di setiap album dan ternyata musik mereka benar-benar ikonik dan berbeda dari musisi 80’an pada umumnya dimana mereka dengan sangat berani memadukan unsur post-punk dan juga music electro dan hasilnya sangat luar biasa dan ikonik terutama dari permainan bass sang basis yaitu Peter Hook. Pokoknya di setiap lagu New Order yang tidak ada bass Peter Hook pasti lagunya jadi tidak lengkap dan hambar. Peter Hook memang menjadi salah satu kunci kesuksesan terbesar New Order menjadi band yang ikonik dan beda dari yang lainnya.

Selain Peter Hook jago membetot bass, ia juga ternyata jago dalam membuat buku (atau setidaknya luwes dalam membicarakan pengalamannya). Ia telah membuat tiga buku yang menjadi trilogi tentang pengalamannya membuka usaha klub bersama teman-temannya, Joy Division dan New Order. Substance adalah buku penutup trilogi ini (yang pertama Hacienda: How to Not Run the Club dan yang kedua Unknown Pleasures). Sepanjang 768 halaman, Peter Hook menceritakan semua kenangannya dia bersama New Order dari pertama kali terbentuk setelah Joy Division bubar akibat kematian Ian Curtis sampai alasan terbesar kenapa ia memilih mundur dari New Order (salah satu alasan terbesarnya adalah karena selisih paham besar bertahun-tahun antara sang vokalis Bernard Sumner yang sepanjang buku ini ternyata dibeberkan bahwa ia adalah seorang yang kalau egomaniaknya udah muncul sudah tidak bisa dikendalikan gampang baper ketika apa yang dia mau tidak bisa diwujudkan dan sering merusak mood orang di sekitarnya ibaratnya kalau gw bad mood lu juga harus kena getahnya).

Meskipun tebal halamannya luar biasa untuk ukuran autobiografi sebuah band bahkan untuk sebuah buku normal (dan menjadi buku terpanjang yang pernah gw baca). Buku ini merupakan sebuah bacaan menarik entah itu bagi penggemar New Order ataupun sebagai sebuah autobiografi musik pada umumnya. Hook dengan sangat detail menjelaskan sepak terjang New Order secara terperinci dan dibawakan dengan sangat menarik seperti menonton sebuah serial TV. Tidak hanya soal cerita tentang New Order saja tetapi ia juga membahas setiap lagu New Order seperti apa proses pengerjaannya bahkan menceritakan alat-alat musik yang membantu membentuk musik New Order sampai bisa ikonik dan revolusioner pada masanya (bahkan mereka mengatakan bahwa mereka seperti ilmuwan sains ketika membuat album karena alat yang mereka pakai kebanyakan belum pernah dicoba oleh musisi pada jaman itu). Hook bercerita bagaimana mereka menggunakan STMPE code untuk menyinkronkan musik di saat komputer dan sampler belum secanggih sekarang, bagaimana mereka rela beli keyboard dan synth baru yang sering error, bagaimana mereka susah payah memasang keyboard dan synth sebesar lemari di tengah panggung yang kecil dan sempit dan bagaimana ribetnya perkabelan mereka agar mereka tidak sekedar lipsync di acara yang mengharuskan mereka tampil lipsync.

Selain fakta teknis yang sangat menarik dan membuat musik mereka terus bertahan di segala jaman tanpa terdengar usang. Hook juga menceritakan tentang etos kerja New Order yang ajaib bahwa mereka harus terkesan misterius dan tidak menerima wawancara yang banyak pada waktu itu demi menjaga reputasi musik New Order secara murni dan tidak terganggu oleh gosip yang tidak penting dari media. Prinsip mereka “yang penting berkarya dulu daripada mikirin duit” benar-benar sangat menarik untuk disimak (meskipun hal ini yang membuat mereka sempat hampir bangkrut dan ribut berkepanjangan sampai diselesaikan di tahun 2017 kemarin). Di sini penulis seolah menyisipkan pesan bahwa kalau ingin berkarya bener-bener harus nyaman dengan karyanya dulu serta banyak-banyak sabar ketika menemui teman baikmu di dalam band ternyata menjadi brengsek setelah masuk di dalam sebuah band.

Meskipun kepribadiannya yang keras dan blingsatan, lewat buku ini kita bisa melihat bahwa Hook adalah orang yang menjaga dinamika antar band dan mampu menjaga agar band tetap normal dengan caranya ia sendiri mulai dari berusaha mengalah sampai berbaur dengan krunya agar bisa menjaga stabilitas di dalam tim.

Seperti kehidupan rock n roll pada umumnya, tidak lengkap jika tidak ada cerita tentang dia yang merupakan dulu seorang pecandu narkoba, seks, dan alkohol tingkat akut akibat tekanan dari bandnya, usaha klubnya yang kasnya minus terus, sampai depresi akibat kisah perkawinannya berantakan terutama cerita istri keduanya yang sangat abusif dan menyiksa Hook dari segi fisik dan mental. Buku ini ditutup dengan ending yang manis dimana ia bisa keluar dari kehidupan pecandunya dan terlahir kembali dengan meninggalkan semua hal-hal yang bikin dia kecanduan sampai penyebab depresi terbesarnya yaitu jalan bersama New Order. Maka dari itu membaca buku ini sepanjang 768 halaman menjadi tidak membosankan karena ada dinamika kehidupan baru di setiap album New Order dan juga dari kehidupan Peter Hook sendiri.

Dalam buku ini juga ada beberapa selipan cerita tentang Factory Records dan orang-orang dibaliknya, kultur kota Manchester, dan juga beberapa info trivia yang menarik untuk dibaca (mulai dari 10 alasan wajib sebelum membuat band, penyakit yang sering diderita oleh basis, sepuluh lagu New Order terbaik versi Hook).

Sebenarnya membaca buku ini membuat pemikiran gw akan New Order langsung berubah total. Karena musik mereka yang terlalu maju di eranya serta jarang memberikan wawancara kepada publik soal musiknya membuat terkadang gw berpikir bahwa mereka adalah orang-orang nyeni yang berpikiran berat dan idealis ternyata mereka jauh lebih liar daripada band rock pada umumnya karena etos “punk” yang dijaga oleh Hook habis-habisan membuat kehidupan di luar panggung mereka sangatlah liar dan berbeda terbalik dari citra nyeni dan bersih mereka di atas panggung.

“Substance” merupakan sebuah autobiografi musik yang sangat epik, detail, jujur, gila, liar, dan apa adanya dari sebuah band yang berani untuk berpikir beda, tidak mengikuti arus dan menjunjung tinggi apa yang mereka percayai sehingga membuat nama mereka terus abadi dan berpengaruh untuk dunia musik selamanya. Sebuah buku autobiografi yang wajib dibaca bukan hanya yang demen musik dan New Order tapi juga untuk orang yang ingin tahu kenapa sebuah karya bisa menjadi legenda dan diputar seumur hidup tanpa harus terlihat “menjual” dan “try hard”

“Suatu hal yang ajaib bahwa gw berada di dalam sebuah band yang berpengaruh sepanjang masa. Bukan hanya satu tetapi dua kali” – Peter Hook

Terima kasih Eureka Seven yang telah membuat gw jatuh cinta kepada New Order

Buku ini masuk ke dalam #LuthfiEssentialReading. Sebuah tag dimana buku ini direkomendasikan dan wajib dibaca karena kontennya yang bagus, bisa bermanfaat buat pembaca, atau memberikan pemikiran yang unik dan mengagumkan

10/10

[Chris Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always said that if I was in a band, I would probably sound like New Order. They're not my favourite band ever but that fusion of synth and rock is right up my street. And Peter Hook is a huge part of that sound. This is not one of those hoary old puff-pieces where the author settles a score that's been coming for a decade, but it is warts and all, so not for the faint-hearted.

One thing that will become apparent is how raw the wound is between him and the rest of the band. It's difficult to tell if they will ever get over the impasse, and after reading Substance you would assume not - Hook pulls no punches whatsoever with his low opinions of his former colleagues. He is self aware enough to detail his own failings, but god, nobody seems to come out of this tale with much credibility. It would be interesting to read Bernard Sumner's own take on these events because Hook is relentless, much like his musicianship.

I didn't realise at the time that there had been much controversy over Hook's time with Caroline Aherne. It's really rather shocking to read it but kudos to the bloke for telling his version of it. Whether it's true is up to your view on Hook, but there is nothing to suggest he is in it to sell books. He lays it out, bare, and again there is no attempt to make him seem like the big man - the media attention on him after he kicked Aherne in the stomach, for example, is particularly uncomfortable reading as Hook and his mates drink and snort their way through the days afterwards, laughing at the paparazzi.

I don't think you necessarily need to be a New Order fan to get something from this, but it's for them and there are several sections for the geek and/or completist sprinkled throughout the text, along with annotated timelines of the band's career. In all, it's a towering achievement by a scarred old rocker, a self confessed twat from Salford, and it's everything you ever wanted to know about a band who grow to hate each other, like almost every band. Very impressive.

[Peter McCarthy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars because this book really is for fans only. If you don't already know the music and the stories of Joy Division and New Order, you will think you are reading the writing of a raving lunatic. Or if you become fascinated by the cultural acclaim that Joy Division and New Order have earned over the years, this will give you an inside-out look at it.

This book should completely eradicate any thoughts in your head that popular music can change the world for the better. Or any ideas that your alternative rock star heroes deserve any of your worship. Popular music is a business and the creative people who make it are usually not very good at business and are taken advantage of by the people who manage their business for them. In 752 pages, Mr. Hook tells that story. Which is sad really- of the hundreds of millions that Mr. Hook helped generate, only a pittance flowed through to him. And then he flowed that pittance through to drug dealers and God knows whatever else. The underground economy flourished whenever Peter Hook and his entourage of compadres was around I am sure.

But all in all, you get the feeling that Peter Hook ultimately is a good guy, raised on the tough unforgiving streets of Manchester. The funny thing is that many, many people do not think of him as a good guy, or regard him as an absolute fool. I suppose he gets the last laugh on us all because ultimately this book is worth the read for the fans because he tells a good story. Kudos also to the editor or editors who had to shape this in to something resembling a narrative. I am sure they worked hard to get him to focus on weaving the stories together to present the grand thematic notion that Bernard Sumner is a selfish spoiled miserable man.

[Zoe Estrin-Grele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, look, this book took me almost an entire year to get through but that doesn't mean I didn't like it.

I've read both of Hooky's other books and sped through them in about a week each - while working almost around the clock, I should note. What makes Substance so different from either of those? Well, it's not Hooky's writing, which is still both hilarious and poignant, and one of my favorite examples of narrative voice ever. In the last chapter, he talks specifically about how this book was harder to write than the others as well, and my theory is that it's because there isn't the same narrative arc to New Order's existence as a band than there was to Joy Division or the life of the Hacienda. Those were stories with beginnings, middles, and very clear ends. This is seven hundred pages of crazy band hijinks and the creeping sensation that something isn't quite right, which only goes really badly in the last fifty pages.

All that said, I love Hooky's writing. There were times when I felt like I'd never finish or that reading this was a hassle, but at the same time, whenever I picked it up, I spent a lot of time quoting passages to everyone around me, taking pictures to send to friends of hilarious anecdotes, and laughing until I cried at things like album mixing and air travel. Hooky is a fabulous story teller and that helps a lot.

Also this is a book by someone with a lot of respect for sound engineers, and as a sound engineer, I really appreciated being acknowledged.

[Devin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been a huge New Order fan my whole life but never really knew much about them behind the music. Honestly, reading this book has disappointed me somewhat.
New Order turn out to be your classic self-centered, arrogant, misogynistic rockstars. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, given the time period, but that is basically what this book is about. Peter Hook sounds mostly like an asshole in my opinion, and so do most of the other members and roadies. So many little sections bragging about sex and stupid stories involving fights and cocaine. It gets old pretty quickly, and really just makes me look at the band differently. I am amazed they made such beautiful and often sensitive music, because behind the scenes they are just classic macho dickheads.
I have gotten halfway through the book and am just skimming at this point. Really don't know if I could finish it.
Obviously some people would really enjoy this but most of the book seems childish to me. It's like a bunch of teenage-level stories strung together for 700 plus pages. At least he is very honest!

[Sebastián · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originalmente empecé a leerlo en el tren pero terminaba mirando por la ventana y no avanzaba hasta que me puse como reto terminarlo antes de fin de año. Se logró.

El libro: Hooky es uno de los músicos más influyentes para mi como persona: a principios de 2002 conseguí el Brotherhood de New Order en cd, primera “edición”. New Order tenía temazos más grandes que los singles en sus primeros álbumes y las joyas de ese clásico me hicieron querer tocar bajo. Leyendo las memorias decidí volver a tocar bajo. A ese nivel.

Y también es un narrador magistral. Las anécdotas de “sexo drogas rock and roll” logran hacerse tristes, patéticas e hilarantes. Esa mezcla de orgullo, nostalgia,
rabia y regret en las páginas. Ver el proceso creativo y el proceso destructivo. Agarrarle un poco de tirria a Bernard Sumner y sentirse medio sucio de haber visto a la banda en vivo sin Hooky. En fin.

Una lectura agradable, graciosa en general, reveladora y para lo poco que me costó no puedo darle menos de 5.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A no holds barred look back at the life of Peter Hook during his New Order (on and off) period. As I already knew, Hooky is no angel but he very much wears his heart on his sleeve. Alcoholism, drug addiction, depression, control freaks, but plenty good times as well. Will be getting a hold of Hooky's book about Joy Division and already have Bernard Sumner's Chapter and Verse (still to be read). Couldn't believe people applauding at the end of Control on it's first showing. I cried my eyes out.

Timeline: 9 June 1987.

The one and only time I saw New Order live, at Glasgow Barrowlands. They were on top form that evening. The support band were worse than awful, Happy Mondays.

Ray Smillie

[Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Hook (Hooky) has written one of the best music biographies, it is witty, fun and heartfelt. i love this book and loved his writing style which is conversational and very funny. He can be very harsh at times but always entertaining!