CHEWING THE FAT: The New Order Reissues
Posted on November 17, 2008
Filed Under Reviews |
New Order with Tony Wilson and Rob Gretton.
By Aaron Richter
It used to be that Substance was the one essential entry point for anyone looking to learn about New Order. Now, such a necessary education is a bit pricier (and much more extensive) thanks to Rhino’s two-disc expanded reissues the five New Orders albums released on Factory Records. After the jump self-titled scrutinizes the new editions of Movement, Power, Corruption & Lies, Low-Life, Brotherhood and Technique.
Movement (1981)
LP In Brief: Leaderless men (and woman) swat at disco balls but can’t shake their brooding demons.
Best of the Bonus Disc: “Everything’s Gone Green”
The shape of things to come. Tony Wilson called it “the most important song in the modern world.”
Worst of the Bonus Disc: “Ceremony” (alt. version)
Sob to the original single rather than the flaccid, also-included take.
Verdict: Splurge and buy this second along with Low-Life.
Power, Corruption & Lies (1983)
LP In Brief: A definitively new statement—yet far from perfect. Sometimes the proper debut must come second.
Best of the Bonus Disc: “Thieves Like Us” (12-inch version)
Emotionally excitable, noticeably strained and awkward as hell—it’s Bernard Sumner’s most memorable vocal performance.
Worst of the Bonus Disc: “Murder” (12-inch version)
Someone heard Pornography and thought it was pretty cool, huh? Let the Cure do the Cure, boys.
Verdict: Buy this first.
Low-Life (1985)
LP In Brief: New Order’s first album to feature singles (notably “The Perfect Kiss”) and climb the US charts (though it only reached No. 94).
Best of the Bonus Disc: “Elegia” (unedited version)
Clocking 17 and a half minutes, this extended Gothic waltz is such a fascinating shift—like when Eno takes over Low’s fucked-up second half.
Worst of the Bonus Disc: “Let’s Go”
Nothing fits together. Too many disparate elements. And the guitars sound like ass.
Verdict: Buy this second along with Movement.
Brotherhood (1986)
LP In Brief: The group separates rock tracks from dance material, overloads on guitar, and Sumner sorta learns to sing (within his ability).
Best of the Bonus Disc: “True Faith (Shep Pettibone Remix)”
Get your Patrick Bateman on. (But only if there’s a good bathroom to do coke in.)
Worst of the Bonus Disc: “Blue Monday ‘88″
Pitched up with added vocal effects, Quincy Jones’s horrific remix is an exhausting, chaotic clusterfuck.
Verdict: Buy this last.
Technique (1989)
LP In Brief: The acid-house end product of a decade’s journey. Hello, Ibiza. Let’s party.
Best of the Bonus Disc: Um…
Worst of the Bonus Disc: Let’s just say, listen to the album proper.
Verdict: Buy this third (if only because you won’t appreciate it as much without hearing the other albums first).
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[...] New Order are recalling their recently-reissued ’80s albums. [...]