Bad Lieutenant - Never Cry Another Tear
by Dan MacIntosh
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Bad Lieutenant, Bernard Sumner's post-New Order band, is a pleasant surprise. Never Cry Another Tear was created by three guitarists (also including Phil Cunningham and Jake Evans), and it shows. Unlike New Order, which was sometimes like disco's answer to Goth music, this un-key-ish release is filled with many different six-string colorings.
Although Sumner has never been one of rock's great poets, he sure has a way with notes (if not words). This group might not have Peter Hook in it, but these songs nevertheless have sharp and lasting melodic hooks. It's hard to understand how something like "Dynamo" was relegated to being the b-side to the jangling "Sink Or Swim" because it features chiming guitar lines that would make The Edge proud and power drumming toward track's end that might earn a wink of approval from The Who's late Keith Moon. Although not extremely profound, lyrics like, "Life is a precious thing," are at least not embarrassing.
"Sail On Silver Water" borrows the phrases, "I can't walk on water/Or still the raging sea" from a Biblical story, which is not a bad place to look when struggling with writer's block. Hey, if you can't be original, steal from the classics.
Most surprising of all is closer, "Head Into Tomorrow", which is an acoustic guitar-led track! If New Order ever used acoustic guitars, they were likely hidden way down in the mix.
New Order fans likely hate this CD, simply because they grew fond of New Order's smart keyboard-based sonic. But if you're able to listen without prejudice – to steal a George Michael album title – you may come away believing Bad Lieutenant is a good cop, not a bad one.
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