Always Now

Recording

"We recorded and mixed in ten days," recalled singer and bassist Larry Cassidy. "We went in with about six or seven finished numbers, while others were more improvised. C.P. was made up on the spot. I was playing a cheap bass in an expensive studio." The group were then a trio composed of Larry, younger sibling Vin Cassidy on drums, and guitarist Paul Wiggin. Musically the album combined austere post-punk rhythms with abstract and/or abrasive guitar textures, together with elements of Can, krautrock and psychedelia.

Packaging

The album was packaged in a lavish sleeve devised by Factory design director Peter Saville (credited as Grafica Industria). "I did get a fascinating brief from Larry," Saville told author James Nice in Factory history Shadowplayers. "I seem to remember he wanted something quite European, but psychedelic – and with some Oriental influences. After that, I was on my own."

The exterior sleeve featured black Berthold type on a yellow background, printed on heavy card die-cut to form a pochette envelope, and sealed with a small red I Ching sticker. The psychedelic element was concealed within, the lining and separate inner sleeve featuring a rich marbled pattern in dark blue, yellow and red supplied by specialist French paper company Keller-Dorian. Some copies of FACT 45 also included a home-made poster, printed cheaply by the group and featuring lyrics and photos.

Reception

On release in September 1981 the album was reviewed in scathing terms by NME, who drew comparisons with Factory labelmates Joy Division. Dutch magazine Vinyl also expressed reservations, observing that early Section 25 "always had something paper-thin about it - a sound, or rather an absence of sound, giving the impression that the slightest breeze would blow it away." However, in 2006 Q described Always Now as "one of the best albums Britain's second city has unleashed", while avant garde magazine The Wire also praised "the wind-dried skeins of their blasted guitar harmonics and skimped electronics."

In February 2016, album track "Hit" was sampled by Kanye West on a new song, "FML", featured on his seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo.

Track listing

LTM reissue extra tracks

LTMCD-2308, 1991

• "Haunted" (3:17)
• "Charnel Ground" (3:55)
• "Knew Noise" (4:30)
• "Up to You" (4:00)
• "Girls Don't Count" (4:16)
• "Oyo Achel Ada" (4:21)
• "After Image" (2:50)
• "Red Voice" (1:49)

Factory Benelux 2015 reissue

Disc one :same tracks as LTM reissue

Disc two

1. "One True Path" (Peel Session)
2. "Babies in the Bardo" (Peel Session)
3. "Hit" (Peel Session)
4. "Je Veux Ton Amour" (7")
5. "Loose Talk (Costs Lives)" (live)
6. "Human Puppets" (live)
7. "Knew Noise" (live)
8. "Friendly Fires" (live)
9. "Girls Don't Count" (live)
10. "New Horizon" (live)
11. "Haunted" (live)
12. "You're On Your Own" (live)
13. "Floating" (demo)
14. "Friendly Fires" (outtake)
15. "One True Path" (outtake)

Personnel

• Martin Hannett – production
• John Caffery – engineering

References

References

1. [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/section-25-the-brit-post-punkers-on-being-sampled-by-kanye-west-101545 Section 25: The Brit Post-Punkers on Being Sampled by Kanye West - Rolling Stone]
2. Kellman, Andy. "''Always Now'' – Section 25 : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". [[Allmusic.
3. Jones, Chris. "BBC – Music – Section 25". [[BBC Online.
4. Sunie. (September 26, 1981). "Albums: Section 25 – ''Always Now'' (Factory Fact 45)". Spotlight Publications Inc..
5. [http://www.discogs.com/Section-25-Always-Now/release/804673 Section 25 - Always Now (CD, Album) at Discogs]