To me, this was New Order as professional, mature artists. I thought this, having only started listening to NO with Substance, and reflecting back on the material they had already released. I thought it was very well written, tame and un-risky. Little did I know. Now, looking back, I still see this album as an artistic example of professionalism and maturity, but I also see this album setting a gold standard for bands before and after to be measured by. Every track is a classic Post Punk song.
Surprisingly, this is not my favorite NO album, though. I still see Technique as their BEST album. But, this one comes in... I think third? Not bad, considering.
I did what was right and had to be done by squeezing Confusion, Thieves Like Us and Lonesome Tonight on here, as it's almost a requirement. This is where those songs belong. Maybe, one day, I'll make a remix disc for this one.
One reason why I am not a huge fan of this album centers on Blue Monday. YES, I respect the fact that most Techno, House and Electronica are influenced by it. Yes, it was the #1 selling 12-single for many years. Yes, it is a great song. BUT, it is by far the most overplayed and worn out New Order song in existance (followed closely by Bizarre Love Triangle.) I have heard Blue Monday played SO MANY times, I would choke someone if I hear it again.
I absolutely love New Order, but I have to say that Blue Monday is my least favorite song by them. Sometimes its just that way.
ReplyDeleteBlue Monday was not on the original release of the album, it was a stand alone 12" that was later added. I think as a whole artistic concept, that was a spot on idea, with Blue Monday needing/deserving it's own slice of vinyl to be played and digested on it's own.
ReplyDeleteOriginal Track Listing:
Age Of Consent
We All Stand
The Village
5 8 6
Your Silent Face
Ultraviolence
Ecstasy
Leave Me Alone
B.Monday is *still* the best selling 12-inch of all time, and I rather suspect that it's exclusion from the album proper made it such.
ReplyDeleteEven if - as is famously reported - they lost money on every copy of the initial pressings due to the high costs of creating the sleeve.
This is actually my favorite New Order album -- in the original form, WITHOUT the inclusion of "Blue Monday." While I still really enjoy that song, I think it's sad that a lot of their other, BETTER, songs have been overlooked for that one. It's a good song, but I don't think it's representative of the band.
ReplyDeleteMy personal favorite of their songs would be "True Faith" -- which a lot of people think is overplayed, as well. But there's just something about it that sucks me in and gets my foot tapping and my head nodding every time I hear it.
Huge New Order fan since I was a teen in the late '80's. And, though PC&L is a great album, I would have to say their best album is unquestionably Substance (1987). Though I know this isn't a traditional album since it's an essentially an early "Best Of", I didn't know that back in the '80's & it's definitely the one album of theirs I play the most. I like the fact that it includes the extended (and superior) version of "Temptation", one of my favorite songs of theirs. I became re-interested in this song when the song was featured in "Trainspotting" (1996), one of my all-time favorite films. And, my favorite song of theirs is "Bizarre Love Triangle", which is also on Substance - I prefer this version than other versions of the song.
ReplyDeleteNew Order Fan since the '80's
Greetings from Brazil!Thanks for the post!
ReplyDelete