Low-Life

Man, what a party. Definitely a pick me up after trying to listen to Dr. John.

It’s the blueprint for a generation of Pop-Dance-Electronica-Alternative hybrids.

It's a great balance between rock and synth/electronic. Though at times its about 20% too much 80's synth, it doesn't seem to stick there too long to feel really dated. The guitar work in Sunrise really drives it forward and songs like Love Vigilantes and The Perfect Kiss are really memorable. Enjoyed!

It was good, very new order-y and pleasant.

I have a strong sentimental attachment to this album and so can't be objective. I owned this cassette the year I got my driver's license. Back then cassettes were EXPENSIVE. So when you had one you listened to it; a lot. After 30 years I can sing most of these songs in my sleep. It sounds great to me after all of these years. But there's no way that this opinion is unsentimental. It's interesting to think of the band at this moment. With the incredible chaos of the Joy Division years fading into memory and set to take over the world with their next album.

Passabler Dance-Pop. Kurzweilig.

How 1980s! I recall some of these songs. I didn't appreciate them at the time, but 2 songs in, I like them a lot. There was something about the new wave rock songs that had a deep streak of romanticism. The singing is so typical of the time, the overall sound with each of the components somewhat separated, and all minor chords. Pretty nice! I listened to the whole thing.

British synth rock/post punk. Really good stuff! Not my favorite from the band so far, but their albums often takes me some rounds to really enjoy.

I think early New Order has one of the coolest guitar sounds ever. It gets increasingly buried under louder synths and drums, so this album is as far as I got in their discography. I don't like it as much as the first two. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)

Better than I expected, but Joy Division is still better. RIP Ian Curtis.

If more music from the 80s was as cool as this the world would be a better place.

Vibrante, en mi opinión es muy 90's para ser de los 80. Me encanta el disco.

Am quite liking this. Pretty sure Elegia is in Stranger things soundtrack.

I really like it. Very 80s. 4/5

Great mid 80s album!

i love new order yay

Straight up nostalgia.

Okay, this has renewed my faith that all "pop" from the 80s wasn't trash. I still enjoyed this.

Very good!

I didn't love every second of this, but I found it to be overall enjoyable and I think more listens would improve the experience. Sunrise was the best track for me, with that cool 'clashing' effect between the guitar part and the synth part.

Pretty dang good. Lots of recognizable singles. The album tracks sound great too.

This album is new wave incarnate, which works for and against it. Pretty solid over all with some catchy songs. Can get a tad repetitive but it’s not much of a problem with the shorter length.

I liked the melody of nearly all of the songs in this album, and bought one song Elegia. However, the tone of the lead singer's voice is not for me, has a vintage 1970s style of tone.

Other than the first songs, this has been a very enjoyable album. The drums, synth, guitar working together in harmony form a wonderful soundscape for most of the songs. There’s also some interesting range, with the ambience of Elegía to the synth heavy more dance pop sound most of the album has. This album feels distinctly 80s. Low 4

Begon matig maar werd wel heel vet vanaf het 3e nummer

Really good - especially elegia

pretty good!! new wave 80s shit. slay

Seems like a great album to listen to on a lazy Sunday morning

Quintessential 80's, especially the Elegia track!

Read some of the reviews for this record before listening and saw a lot of people mentioning the bad vocals. Actually didnt really notice at all until the very last song where it's reaaally obvious haha. Overall a nice introduction to the genre for me, only my 6th album since starting this thing so a lot of these things sound very different to what i'm used to. Added some bangers to the playlist - solid 7.5 (aka 4 stars)

I was thrown back to the mid 80's club/party scene. Beautiful memories.

This was fantastic I put my thoughts in the group chat. I love Peter hook on this album, very tasteful use of bass and synths.

Nothing compares to hearing Blue Monday five shots deep. Would’ve been six if I hadn’t spit tequila all over the bartender.

Mood, matched!

I had no idea New Order was an offshoot of Joy Division! Mind blown. Such a different direction they went in, especially on this album. I knew the opening track “Love Vigilantes,” but nothing else. I love this kind of new wave synth pop stuff, although at times it might sound too stereotypically 80s to hold the same weight it did back when it was new. A solid, if not perfect album.

Love Vigilantes- 6/10 The Perfect Kiss- 7/10 This Time of Night- 7/10 Sunrise- 8/10 Elegia- 10/10 Sooner than You Think- 8/10 Sub-culture- 7/10 Face Up- 7/10 60

The 80s synths are to die for

3.5/5 Best Track: Elegia

Zeer leuke plaat, perfecte mix synths en gitaren, lijzige stem en supersimpele lyrics, soort Stranger Things soundtrack, heel veel Cure invloeden ook of vice versa. Nice!

- Man hört auch 5 Jahre nach Gründung der Band immer noch stark, dass sich New Order sich nicht gänzlich von Joy Division lösen konnte/wollte, auch wenn New Order doch sehr viel weniger „Indi“ klingt, als ihre Vorgängerband - Der legendäre Bassound von Peter Hook, der eher einer Gitarre ähnelt, als einem Bass, die Dark-Synthies, die der Musik Fläche geben und dennoch vieles tanzbar und poppig bleibt. - Das alles gehört dazu, genau so wie Bernard Sumner, der die Töne nicht trifft. Das mag einige heutige Hörgewohnheiten irritieren, die durch Autotune in nahezu jeder Produktion geprägt sind aber fuck it, Joy Division hat ihre Ursprünge im Punk gehabt und außerdem war ja auch eigentlich Ian Curtis der wahre Sänger... - Ich finde das macht New Order unter anderem auch aus, die Gebrechlichkeit. Sowohl musikalische als auch die textliche. - Sunrise ist ein geiler Track, besonders dieser fette Morricone-auf-Synthbett-artige Instrumentalaufbau, der sich immer wieder durch den Song zieht - Das Album kommt dennoch nicht an Power Corruption and Lies und erst recht nicht an Substance heran Rating: 3,75/5

80’s New Wave is such a cheat code.

The story of Joy Division is a tragedy too many bands face. But the story of New Order is an inspiring one about conquering that tragedy. And conquer they did. They are hailed as one of the great bands of the 80’s, and played a large part in the growing success of the synth pop genre, which at this point in the decade, was only getting bigger. This is a good time. You can dance to these songs. This is very much New Order, and not Joy Division. But it also has an underlying layer of beauty with massive synth layers stacked on top of each other, and amazing chorus-soaked guitars. This feels right. This feels like the way all new wave and synth pop albums should be written. Sunrise is actually a masterpiece. One of my favorite songs I’ve heard from the 80’s ever. The only issue I have is the vocals. I don’t know what it is, but vocals never really seemed like New Order’s strongest characteristic. Rating: 8/10

Fun album, like the vibe

One of their better albums, before they got too synth cheesy .

Noice!

really good

first listen this is the first new wave album i've liked, the synths are so raw

Did not expect to enjoy this one so much, worth a listen if you’re a fan of synth-pop

Better than the previous New Order album I got. I like how they kept some of their rock roots and mixed it with the typical electronica New Order is famous for. The weakest part is the lead vocals.

*refined* new wave. The most refined

Like most 80s music, New Order was a blind spot for me and I really didn't know what to expect. I actually enjoyed a lot of it.

Very good indeed. This feels like the midway point between New Order being 'the Joy Division band' and being 'the Blue Monday band'. It's got synths throughout, but also one or two moments of real post-punk, especially in the first song. Elegia is apparently about Curtis, and feels like a very literal and metaphorical goodbye to the great man all at the same time. It's a tremendous song.

slight bias as someone who is already New Order fan, but I do really like this album. Lovely lyrics and vibes and just some funky sounds. Always been a bit iffy on the vocals, though. favorite track : 'Face Up'

Четко, как раз для того, чтобы танцевать в сельском клубе или заниматься аэробикой 8/10

Every song sounds like a classic you should know, but probably don’t

This is mid 80's pop, so it is synth heavy. I felt like I was watching a John Hughes movie. Being an '80s child, it is very nostalgic; therefore, good.

I'm a fan but hadn't listened to full albums before. This was great, they have that slightly sinister electro sound that's unlike anyone else.

I love new order. Great.

Oh yeah, I like this. Manages to be both moody and danceable. I’m sure I’ll listen again.

Never heard of this band before, but this album was awesome. I listened to it twice today and will probably listen again tomorrow.

High school revisited

Love Vigilantes 4.

It's a vibe

I loved the vibe. Catchy and dancy and fun. I could definitely listen to that Sunrise song on repeat. 3.5

I thought I was going to have a hard time listening to this album critically because I generally like New Order a lot. I've heard most of this album as individual songs. But I have never heard the full album, and \"Face Up\" was new to me with good reason ... such poor vocals. Kind of ruined an album I was enjoying a lot up to that track. \"Sunrise\" is probably my favorite song from this album. But I also must admit I've always thought it was a Cure track. One general nitpick: the rhymey-rhymey lyrics all over the album were grating on me a little since I was paying attention ... but I can't argue with the vibes so it gets a 4.

Idk how I have never heard anything by this band before. I thought it was fun! A little repetitive maybe, but I enjoyed it. I liked how it was kind of a cross between dance and rock. The frogs in "The Perfect Kiss" >>>. No particular song stood out. I can't choose between 3 and 4 stars.

Love Vigilantes: slaps This Time of Night: cardinal sin of "witchoo" Sunrise: slaps Elegia: fine but feels like watching The Cure jam instrumentally at their show as I wait desperately for something I can recognize

I like the music better than I like the singer tbh

Really liked it. Knew no songs but knew of a couple of New Order songs already. Would listen to again

Gutes New Order Album! Eines der besseren!

Liked this, some of the synth work was awesome.

Pretty good!

Great even though Bernie can barely sing.

Terrible lyrics, terrible voice, great music. Good album flow. Forgot how good Elegia was. Also, songs I hate to love: Subculture and Perfect Kiss.

Man, this is tough to rate. The vocals were very rough at most points, but the longer it went on the more I started to enjoy it. Solid music but held back by the vocals

We didn't know what would rise from the ashes of Joy Division. And we got New Order. They're catchy, synthy, and a beautiful representation of the new wave and pop electronic of the 80s.

Good blend of electro/rock. Sunrise is an instant keeper.

This shit slaps

Very solid 3+ or 4- I'm digging all the synths. Love vigilantes, sunrise, sub culture, face up being standouts

Synthy dancy post-punk. Absolutely not where I’d have expected Joy Division to wind up :)

Not my favorite new order album but still really good, perfect kiss is one of my favs by them

Am I biased because Peter Hook is one of my favorite bass players ever, yes. Is this album still straight fucking gas from front to back, also yes.

Solid album. I had forgotten that the animated short "More" used the track "Elegia" from this album, so that was a fun surprise.

Classic

New Order is classic

Quality New order

This is the album that helped me appreciate New Order as a band in their own right rather than just being a slightly disappointing continuation of Joy Division.

Hadn't heard this album before, got off to a bit of a slow start, then I really got into it a few tracks in. Good stuff. 3.5/4.

I think I am going to enjoy this album :) I did.

I very much enjoyed this album

great vibes yeah. dance rock good vibes

Something funny happened in the (many) months spent procrastinating on writing this review. I think I've pulled up this album at least four or five times, hoping that this would be the day I had something to say about it. Over those nearly six months, something must have clicked, because when I hear these songs I'm just like "this is really sick." I was kind of ready to write this album off as another synth-pop 80's band, of which we've had plenty. That sonic signature starts playing, and I get a little queasy from all our other misadventures into this world. But this one just feels really, really fun and kind of unserious and pretty damn catchy. I realized that these songs have been floating around in my head for 6 months, because they all sounded like old friends. Isn't that funny? Took a long time to come around to it! Now I just really dig this and want to hear more from the band. They're in it for the right reasons, they just want to have fun, and even if it's dressed up in this certain way, it's a bit silly and just playful, too. Glad I gave this a half dozen listens cause I'm kind of converted! 4/5

This is MUCH more my speed, the synths, the beats, I'm in love. I wanna listen to this album tomorrow and the next day. And the remaster isn't 12 hours long, which is a plus. Best Tracks: Love Vigilantes The Perfect Kiss Sub-Culture

Every song is great besides Elgin which should have been the opening song or just removed. It’s a weird flow being in the middle of the album.

Good new album order. A bunch of songs that sound like they were almost hits.

I have always listened to New Order, but I have never listened to a New Order album. I knew a few songs on this album, but as someone who knows their later material better than earlier, I am surprised at how post-punk this sounds. I probably should not be. Not a bad song on this album and I would venture a guess that it is not my favorite album by them (I will revisit each one now), but it's incredibly entertaining and fun.

This album bounces and feels like life.

Right up my street and a really solid album that I listened to more than once. Nice mix of styles and you can hear the band evolving. Never listened before but this is well worth a listen and I'll listen to it again for sure.

80’s favorites.

I own the vinyl, bought the record when it came out. Honestly, I can't argue too much with this inclusion in the sense that their huge singles were not on the previous album "Power, Corruption & Lies" -- if "Blue Monday" and "Confusion" and "Thieves Like Us" were included on that record, it would have been a clear winner over this one. That said, we rate the albums as released, not the albums we wished were released LOL and this is a very solid outing with some good tunes.

The vocals were a bit rough from time to time, especially in that last song, but it was still good. I quite liked the music and the feel of it. I could see myself liking it more over time, but it'd probably stay a four. Cool listen though. My favourite songs were Sooner Than You Think, The Perfect Kiss, and Sub-Culture.

Very good album. I was pleasantly surprised. I did not know much about this band, and there were no songs on this album that I didn’t like. Top 3 songs off the album for me are The Perfect Kiss, Elegia, and Sub-culture.

Бодро, синтово, стильно

Почему так хорошо... прям очень... Короче ожидалось сначала логическое продолжение Joy Division. Что-то такое же мрачное и угрюмое. Конечно, это и здесь было местами, но всё-таки здесь светлая меланхолия доминирует над думерскими вайбами. Вот этот бесконечный Perfect Kiss, который прям вообще уже диско отдаёт - гипнотизирует своей ударкой. А Sunrise наоборот - уже что-то гружёное, готическое. И всё блин нравится! А, ну и чётко слышно, что слушал Виктор Цой.

Sounds good

Really enjoyed this one, and it was flirting with a 5 until the final track. It's difficult to make dance rock also sound objectively good musically, but they nailed it. New Order's ability to pivot to this type of music after Joy Division is also very impressive. Favorite track: Elegia

Fun

Another natural inclusion into the Joy Division/ New Order Discography

This is a great start to the album, will update once it's done Update: really great album from start to finish, really enjoy it

Hmm. I feel like the vocals let this down in many of the songs. But I really love the layered instrumentals and depth of sound.

Great stuff! No major hits on this album but its still consistently good. Favorite track: Sunrise. A strong 4.

hmm. well, there are a handful of songs that I really enjoy - elegia, the perfect kiss, love vigilantes, a couple more - but the other songs were fairly unremarkable. as always, i love the sound of new order. elegia was incredible.

Track 1 - Love Vigilantes Simple harmonica line to open, atmospheric bass pads, ambient bouncy guitar lead, classic plucky hooky bass, drums are incomparable to Steve in joy division, innocent, hopeful lyrics, thin chorusy percussive guitar in the background, not the strongest of openings 7/10 Track 2 - The Perfect Kiss Light djembe, synth stabs panning left and right, sounds like new order, groovy pulsing synth rhythm, thick heavy chords, drum machines galore, odd shiny plucked guitar here and there, cowbell?, simple guitar solo into fade out 8.5/10 Track 3 - This Time of Night Funky bass lines, pulsing deep synth leads, simple sad piano lead ended by one deep resonant note, hand claps as per usual, coercive vocals, looped synth pattern, backing vocals come in at the backend of the song 7/10 Track 4 - Sunrise Deep drawn out isolated synth lead, chorusy flimsy guitar line, classic new order drum machines, echo and the bunnymen type vocals, gloomy thin guitar lead, big soaring crescendo of drums pads and guitar, hybrid between the gloominess of joy division and the uplifting synth pop of new order 8.7/10 Track 5 - Elegia Ominous keys intro, simple chorusy guitar melody, poor sounding choir like leads, pretty prissy synth melodies, heartbeat like pulsing percussion, light acoustic in the background, gothic sounding keys, thundering twangy driven guitar, atmospheric instrumental that gets a bit boring after a while 7.5/10 Track 6 - Sooner Than You Think Tapping drum melody, arpeggiated guitar chords, echoey keys, wavy synth stabs, doubled up vocals, melodic guitar solo kind of, weak thin chorus tinged guitar solo that turns into a synthy sound? 7.8/10 Track 7 - Sub-Culture Proddy synth lead, groovy drum beat, up down bass rhythm, soft half spoken word vocals, pulsing melody, interesting drum pads sounds like tapping glass bottles, gloopy chorus guitar 8.2/10 Track 8 - Face Up Rumbling bass, dotted synth lead, deep pounding kick, layered hand clap, metallic slap bassline, joyous synth lines, mood changes very abruptly, trotting drums, vocals struggle to stay in key at times, ploddy, shiny guitar lines, slow fade out 7.8/10 Final Thoughts: This album marks the change in the band and their transformation from gloomy post punks into synth pop icons. The album has a lot of material to impress the fans of the bands later discography, like the dance orientated grooves of The Perfect Kiss and the funky rhythms of Face Up, whilst appealing the post punk diehards, with the gloomy lingering effect of joy division on their shoulder shown in Sunrise. All in all, this album is full of infectious grooves and hypnotising synth leads and is a must listen for fans of 80s synth pop and new wave. Best Song: Sunrise or The Perfect Kiss Worst Song: Love Vigilantes Most Underrated song: Face Up Final Rating: 8/10

First impression was nearly horrible, especially the voice. After few times I understood that I like these songs. But how I should dance with this music? Oh, you know what I mean, yes you do.

There's just something about that plunky reverbed guitar. I dig these guys. Not every song is a 10/10 in composition, but the execution is tremendous.

reminded me of depeche mode- a duo i adore so enjoyed this album a lot, interesting futuristic sounds throughout, iconic for this era of music

Joy Division walked (and lan Curtis swung) so New Order could run (and ultimately dance).

Wiki says this is when they go more to dance music, and they aren't wrong. Classic 80s synth and drum machine vibes. Very cool

Surprised by how much I enjoyed this

There are some great tunes on here, and in some ways this is the quintessential New Order album. It just SOUNDS like New Order. Some of the production here sounded a little dated (Face Up). Elegia stops the flow of the album here. Probably an intentional mood change, but it sounded a bit of a filler track, to me. A good album, but not as great as Power, Corruption and Lies, as the song quality is more variable here.

De la musique avec des synthétiseurs c’est toujours bons!

Just a great new wave album

The first three songs were good enough, but I really liked Sunrise and Elegia. My mom loves this group 3.5

Didn’t listen to much, but I like what I heard. Similar to the smiths

It's New Order, so there's no doubt I'm going to like it. I was cool hearing many of these older tracks for the first time.

New Order brought a certain special style of electronic-aided rock music into the world. This album showcases their talent best.

Catchy electro beats. It's good but nothing too standout

A great album, many tracks have melancholic lyrics combined with happy beats. Based on the lyrics alone, at first I thought the band was American, not British. Like a typical 80's album, many tracks are heavy on the synth (not a bad thing). I also thought the vocalist had a fitting, "broken" voice for this kind of rock. Best tracks in my opinion are Elegia, Sub-Culture and This Time of Night.

It was pretty good

This is a good album. Solid theme, catchy tracks, does exactly what you think its going to do and does it well. 4/5

This has some really amazing songs here (elegia is so so good) completely surrounded by meh

enjoyed it, was nearly a 3 though

More fun that joy division

Good album - no hits though.

Love Vigilantes,

No esperaba nada, pero qué grata sorpresa me llevé. El álbum está muy bien, lo único que me parece algo flojo son las partes vocales, con esto no me refiero a que cante mal o a que tenga mala letra, sino más bien a la melodía que hace con esta en general. Sin embargo, no es algo grave y, por otra parte, la instrumental es algo hermoso que lo compensa completamente, y estoy seguro de esto porque resulta que, casualmente, la que creo que es la mejor canción es justo en la que no hay letra. Definitivamente es un álbum que seguiré escuchando y espero encontrar más como él, pues, lamentablemente, nunca había escuchado un trabajo tan bueno con los sintetizadores en algún otro álbum y, los más modernos, tienden a ser bastante genéricos. En conclusión, me encantó y creo que está muy bien logrado, resaltando el apartado instrumental, que pienso es un punto muy fuerte en él.

I didn't read the Wikipedia article until after I'd listened to the album but I was going to say... I feel like this is New Order finding their sound. There are moments that could be on albums they made 20-30 years later. This album is also full of a lot of the songs I love to hear when I'm at a pub.

Highlights: Love Vigilantes, The Perfect Kiss, Elegia

Álbum interessante, gostei bastante das musicas mais instrumentais.

It's a good album. It's just that I switched to another album right after

This is great, New order could right a banger

Not an album I knew much about, but I found my new favourite New Order track on it - Elegia is an absolute masterpiece, which is far more moving than an instrumental has any right to be. The other songs are all pretty good too, but not as magical as Elegia. Overall, better than a 3, not quite good enough for a 5.

Very strong songs, revealing themselves after a few spins.

I was surprised by a few bangers.

It lacks the emotional depth of Joy Division but still a vg album. Gritty, dark yet dancy. V enjoyable! Particularly liked Sunrise and Elegia.

All the elements that made New Order stood up are already here: the gothic melodies, the energetic pace, the oblique atmosphere. Personally, I love Power, Corruption, and Lies, but this album has great songs too.

Pretty good album. Reminded me of The Cure in places, but overall I wasn't super taken with this. I could tell it'd grow on me a bit though. 3.5/5

I love New Order, but I don’t really listen to their albums. Substance 1987 is all the NO I need, so this was new for me. Pretty good, but the 12” “Perfect Kiss” is the way to go. Still, as someone who prefers new wave acts as singles artists, this is well crafted and has solid variety. B

Never been huge into new order, but really love Joy Divison. This is a great album where new order sound like new order. The song Elegia is a real stand out for me. Made me look out the full 17 minute version. Gets this album 4 stars rather than 3.

Listen and listen often, it's great. What's troubling me right now is that my wife has decided to watch an episode of Magnum PI. And not the Tom Selleck original run. The reboot that apparently wasn't even good enough for CBS and now airs on NBC. I'm beginning to think I'm going to have to leave her for this reason alone. I'm not even close to kidding. Tell the world my story.

Great album. Not many of their big hits on this one but just really solid and also a little different. More instrumental and darker. Definitely want to listen again. Love Vigilantes and Face Up were my faves. A high 4.

Last 2 tracks stop this from being perfect.

Just for love vigilantes vibes

Well I'd certainly be disowned by Luke and his fam if I rated this down. Fortunately, I did enjoy it! I enjoyed the slightly made songs about ghost soldiers and from Luke playing this album to me the song that samples frogs. The last song was my fave, Face up. That's the style of new order I think I really liked. Did also appreciate the pretty instrumental interlude

Great album, I knew almost no song and enjoyed them all. New order through and through, their tone and timbre, their electronic and acoustic instruments, everything comes together nicely here

This is New Order at their finest. With the exception of The Perfect Kiss, every single song deserves several listens to show you their treasure. amazing

As a young man named Calvin Harris once said "It was acceptable in the 80s" Lucky, this fine album by New Order continues to be acceptable today. So acceptable in fact that I rather enjoyed it. Brilliant blend of catchy synth-pop tunes, with a surprise symphonic banger in the middle. Please sir, can I have some more?

An album of lesser known songs, which I really enjoyed - Classic New Order sound but really interestingly layered and on the edge of losing control, but just keeping the wheels on the road all the way through.

Elegia was really nice

It sounds like the lead singer is on the verge of crying while trying to stay upbeat so that he doesn't ruin the rest or the band's mood. It feels like a bit of a mixture between David Bowie and Blink182? I imagine this is what teen angst sounded like in the 80's. I mean I would bop to this so it so I give it a toot.

Dieser album hast, “Mitnicken-bility.” 7/10

A few classics - not the greatest voice

ça c'est ma synthpop, le meilleur genre musical du générateur. Chaque album de synthpop me rapelle avec tristesse qu'alors que je vivais une enfance épanouie bercée par ce genre musical, mon camarade d'écoute robpullover se voyait imposer une multitude d'albums de pédales de la rnb. La vie est décidement bien injuste, mais cela n'enlève en rien le fait que rob est une belle raclure de bidet.

It's lovely, of an era, but so single tone

I completely understand why someone would not be into New Order, but I am utterly in love with their sound. I mean, just listen to 'Face Up'. Danceable desperation is my favourite thing. That being said, I always have a hard time finding outstanding tracks on a New Order record. It is the entire atmosphere that gets me, but it also means that I am never quite ready to claim that any of their records are masterpieces.

Love New Order. Low Life bridges the Punk to Synth/techno sides of Post Curtis Joy Division brilliantly. Musically hypnotic, layered and multi faceted. An excellent album

7/10. This was pretty cool

Very solid emo/new wave music, vocals and lyrics were pretty weak. 7/10

Not as brilliant as their other lps, but still decent

4.25 Album hits a sweet spot between that 80s rock, techno synth, and the Phil collins drum sound. If the songs were a little more diverse and more lyric forward it would be a 5/5. First and last songs are perfect

I can hear why this is on the list, it is well produced, well writen and diferent to most things that came before it. However it is not for me.

synth popitus ei haittaa... hold up... laiska paska ääni, hyvä... huonosti miksattu... audiofiili huomaa heti... meikäläinen.... alkubiisi vähän flopahti mutta sen jälkeen vaan hyvää settiä, voisi olla vähän progressiivisempi kokeilevampi tuntuu että ne haluaa mutta ei, ei uskalla..... vöhön geneerinen mahtava albumi silti elegia paras mietin miksi mainstream vittu se oli stranger things tv ohjelmassa,,,, albumissa raiskattu 4jlään minuuttiin lähti full versio 17minuuttin&aika kova biisinrupakka+loiri elegia....langat jo harmaat...

I liked a lot of the vibes going with this album

another 80's album I just enjoyed having in the background

Pretty dope

Solid

'80s synth-pop really makes my day. Sonically, it's just so appealing to my ears. Gorgeous, emotive, and hella catchy. I REALLY want to give this a 5 but it's not quite there yet. 4.5 though for sure.

This is a great listen that I’ll definitely play more. Love Vigilantes reminds me a much the Replacements; but maybe it’s the other way around. Sunrise was an ecstatic surprise. Loved the entire album.

First half of the record didn’t grab me but side 2 is straight fire. Really dug it

Jess! Timangilla viiko käyntiin. Tää on must tosi vahva levy siinä miten tanssimusaa yhdistetään onnistuneesti rockiin. Ehdottomasti vahvat 4 tähtee. 4/5

Upea, todennäköisesti mun suosikkilevy näiltä. Tää kulkee vitosen ja nelosen rajamailla ja ehkä lopun pari keskiverrompaa biisiä sitten kääntää neloseen.

Synapoppis-suunta jatkuu, edelleen vahvana! 4/5

This album sounds like the culmination of every 80’s cliches mixed up into something listenable. Pretty good up until Elegia and then i got bored, it started sounding repetitive. But i didnt know ive heard the first song before

Really really cool album! It’s like an upbeat/energetic The Cure. I love the heavy synths and spacey atmosphere of it all. The only drawback it sometimes the vocals are rough. 8/10

The somatic prompt to dance perfectly follows the emotional manipulation of guitar strings. For a record with a low number of compositions, there's a little drag in the middle; I prefer this style overstuffed. But it's important to be reminded that, important as certain bands are to one's taste, there is always an older group (New Order here) who can one-up their off-peak output.

I've literally never heard of a New Order song other than Blue Monday. Like this a lot, though...

I remember first listening to this about 15 years ago and enjoying it. Sumner's not the best lyricist or vocalist, but his boyish charm makes up for it. It sounds great as well.

A great album which is criminally underrated and arguably the definitive statement from this amazing band. Equal parts infused with the brooding nihilism of Joy Division’s sound as it is with the burgeoning edm scene in the U.K., this record pushes the boundaries of what a post-punk album can sound like. The opening flurry of tracks are absolutely exhilarating - the tender acrimony of “Love Vigilantes” leads into the album’s flagship single “The Perfect Kiss” before closing off side one with the breathless rush of “Sunrise”. Bernard Sumner’s bizarre lyrical head-scratchers are present here - “Don’t let anybody tell you that you’re no good, because you know they would” is a particular gaffe on “Face-Up” - but while his singing style is often derided, there is a heartfelt honesty to his messages which is extremely endearing. This ain’t a group of virtuoso musicians but they deliver some outstanding pop songs. Side two leans into the brooding gothic territory of Joy Division on tracks like the icy “Elegia” or “Subculture”, but the shadow of their defunct former group does not hold this album back. Indeed, New Order’s experimentation with flourishes of pounding synths ripped straight from the dance floors of the Hacienda sets them apart as trailblazers for a formula of dance influenced rock music which became commonplace in the 90s. The production ensures that this sound hasn’t dated as badly as many of their contemporaries. Much praise should go the way of Gillian Smith in this regard. But the standout performer on this record is Peter Hook. His playing style is oft imitated (though seldom replicated) and it is this sound which propels the majority of these songs, and serves as the creative melodic foil for much of this record. At times it sounds like he’s strumming a set of warped copper pipes on the other end of a metro tunnel. But his choice of notes, frequently simplistic in their composition, is perfect - whether his pulsating bass merely simmers in the bottom of the mix or thrusts forward on songs like the standout “Sunrise”, it is a focal point. On the whole, while the slightly uneven track sequencing holds this record back from a perfect five stars, it is well worth a listen. It may lack the killer single like Brotherhood’s “Bizarre Love Triangle” or an indie floor-filler like “Blue Monday”, it is debatably the most essential New Order album you can listen to and the most fully realised representation of their artistic vision. A truly great record. 4.5/5.

Goated

I feel like before the big daft punk return this would have sounded dated, but I think it sounds great.

Tycker ju om synth....

Some great tracks (Sunrise) but overall not my kind of music. It's very good at what it is though, so if 80s electronic dance music with dodgy vocals is your thing, you'll absolutely love this!

New Order says goodbye to the last remnants of Joy Division and fully embraces a more danceable style. Spacey, dreamy, vaguely threatening.

Mid-80's synthpop by the masters of it - still makes me end up missing Ian Curtis though. Best Tracks: Love Vigilantes; The Perfect Kiss; Elegia

This album is kinda neutral, it has a good style, but only the first songs were that significant, reading a little bit more about this band this seems to be more commercial and it feels like it. However it's good enough to listen sometimes.

7th October 2022 Listened in the day while working from home. Went out with Cox and Dan in Cheltenham Friday night. I loved this, it sounds like the soundtrack to a cold 80s morning.

listen

Par certains aspects plus ambiants, me rappelle l'album Heroes de David Bowie. Fort et léger à la fois. Ma préférence va à Elegia.

I need to check out more new order- liked this a lot

HL: Love Vigilantes, Sunrise, Elegia Two nice 80’s synth albums back to back (along with Cyndi Lauper), though I probably wouldn’t study with Cyndi in the background. Low-Life has no real low-points for me, and it was a pleasure to ride the highs and lows (I’ll stop now), from the melancholy “Elegia” to the bright n’ bitter “Face Up”.

Top 3 Songs: 1 - Love Vigilantes (1) 2 - Sunrise (4) 3 - The Perfect Kiss (2)

one of the best sounding album

no tätäpä on tullut toki jo kuunneltua ja tykättyä! etenkin Perfect Kissiä. tykkään aina vaan. tulee nyt vähän Dingo-vibat mut onhan tää parempi.

Olin ulkomuistista vakuuttunut, että tämä olisi kolmen tähden levy. Pari hittiä, enemmän täytettä ja "hyvää soundia", joka ei täysin vastaa kitarapohjaisen indoktrinoinnin luomaa henk. koht. makuani. Olin erityisen varautunut tähän aloituskaksikon (Love Vigilantes/The Perfect Kiss) jälkeen. Todellisuudessa kertosäkeetön Sunrise veikin minut mukanaan, ja koin voimakasta nautinnon tunnetta myös Elegia-instrumentaalin aikana. Jopa Sub-culturen melodian pieni ärsyttävyys/iskelmäisyys muuttui vahvuudeksi laulun epävireisyyden ja soiton tunteettomuuden ansiosta. Lopetusbiisin aikana mietin, olisiko taso kuitenkin heikentynyt B-puolen loppua kohti. Ehkä vähän, mutta en voi väittää, etteikö Face Upin "Oh how I cannot bear the thought of you" -huuto olisi yhä toiminut hyvänä koukkuna.

Perhaps the disc when New Order became New Order for a full album. The previous releases showed the real time transition from Joy Division's post-punk, dark and cold esthetic to New Order's electronic dance music. There are people that fall into one camp or the other (post-punk vs. EDM). For me, it is mood dependent, as I like both. Not perfect, but very, very good.

A much better than average post-punk, new wave, synth/club/techno album. The range of songs is mostly upbeat, rather than introspective and dark. Some pop elements make this more accessible to a wider range of listeners. I'd give it 3.5 if possible.

I’d never actually heard this in full before and it was very impressive. I enjoyed it more the second time I listened once I better understood the story which was devastating. I do think it’s funny that a lot of the songs were basically disco or musical theater but were probably beloved by those who “hated” those genres. Another Brick Part 1 was my favorite . Would give a 4.5 if possible.

Awesome album! This will be replayed multiple times. Excited to listen to more by New Order

New Order fait partie des groupes que je ne m'explique pas encore pourquoi, en cette ère de streaming où tous les albums sont accessibles, je ne suis pas encore allé explorer leurs albums. Je connaissais seulement la chanson Blue Monday. Et bien disons qu'après I'm Your Man de Leonard Cohen, on a le contrepoids des années 80 qui fonctionnent ici. Plus l'album avançait et plus j'aimais ce que j'entendais. Une bonne dose de bons synthétiseurs, mais avec des guitares tout de même assez présentes et bien traitées. C'est un peu comme si The Cure voulait faire de la musique pour danser. Elegia m'a rappelé l'ambiance que les musiciens Kyle Dixon et Michael Stein ont voulu recréer pour la musique de la série Stranger Things. La génération synth-pop du début des années 2000 a certainement carburée à cet album. Je vais assurément y revenir.

Very smiths but really good, more diverse

Hadn't listened to this particular New Order album before, but was pleasantly surprised. Holds up against the rest of their catalogue and a very solid listen.

forget Guns n’ Roses and Cyndi Lauper, THIS is real 80s music

Je pense que si j'étais né en 1960 j'aurais été fan

This was the least known of New Order‘s work for me. Excellent album with very few weak songs.

Awesome. A mix of the gothic Joy Division sound and something poppier. I really like Joy Division so I don't know why I never bothered listening to this band before. He's doing the Megamind "No bitches?" angle on the cover by the way.

The epic electronica album by New Order. Ends come together here

One of the bands I secretly liked in High school since it wasn't cool for a Metal head to listen to them. They migrated from the darker sounds of Joy Division to a more blend of guitar oriented rock with synthesizers, which I like as well. The song Sunrise is suck a killer tune and one of my favorites.

Another album that was new to me. I knew of New Order but not familiar with this album at all. It's very good, the synths work, the moody atmosphere is good. Not an absolute favorite though.

Oye, este disco es entero bueno

Of all the 80s New Wave thats come up on this list, this is the first album I've enjoyed. It starts strong with a very upbeat tune and keeps the energy going for most of the album. A couple of songs didn't catch my interest as well as the first ones, and there's some moments in the album where the singers voice just gives out, but overall this was a fun album that I'd definitely listen to again. Also after it finished Spotify played the love triangle song and it all clicked.

Wikipedia tells me this was New Order's transitional album, and that makes sense - some tracks they sound like The Cure, others they sound like the electronic New Order I'm more familiar with. The vocals are distinctly ropey in places, and I was leaning towards a 3 star review, but damn "Elegia" is a great track (I'm talking about the 17.5 minute version on the bonus disc - cracking stuff!) and after a second listen, everything grew on me. Fave track - "Elegia" as mentioned. The loooooooong version please! 🙏

This is the sort of thing I liked to dance to in the mid-eighties. Catchy and accessible, a bit dark with some slower moody pieces. The “hits” (Love Vigilantes, Perfect Kiss, Sub-Culture) tend to have a similar sound, but that’s okay. They’re not Joy Division, but that’s okay.

This album, along with Power Corruption and Lies is peak New Order. By their third album they've made a complete and smooth transition from dark, post-punk to producing perhaps the best dance music ever released in the mid-eighties. There are some real classics here and that despite having some dated 80's hooks and motifs, it still holds up remarkably well. In particular The Perfect Kiss is indeed a perfect dance song for a nice summer day. Love Vigilantes and Sooner than you think are also very strong tracks.

New wave 80s. Kind of cool. Sort of like the cure. Good stuff.

geðveikt

Loved this, top notch

Really Good. 4/5

Never listened to a new order album before. This was great.

As much as there is to like, New Order records never quite live up to the promise offered by the many, many great hooks. Relatedly, their completely distinct sound is a plus, but too many songs sound like nothing so much as – wait for it – other New Order songs. Self-referential or just same-y? There are other issues, too – e.g., the jarring shift in tone after the great opener. “Love Vigilantes” feels like it belongs to a different record. A few too many light and synthetic-sounding synths, quite a few that haven’t survived too well across the decades. Peter Hook’s epic bass-ing only redeems some the tracks and Sumner’s earnest-plaintive vocals fully hit on just more than half of the songs. When it all works, it works very well, but that’s not often enough to sustain the occasional and fleeing transcendence. 3.7.

Great 80's sound with catchy melodies

New order é brabo

I have an appreciation for this music. Love Vigilantes is like new wave Springsteen. The drum drives it - the simple instrumentation and clear vocals command your attention and it articulates a slice of tragedy for the common man. I just hope the rest of the album can maintain the greatness of that first track. So far so good...Perfect Kiss is an excellent more upbeat follow up for track 2! This Time of Night is pretty solid as well - Drugs? Love? Who knows. Three songs, three different subject matters, and three different tones, which is not a bad thing. Sunrise kicks into gear and is all kinds of The Cure. It's a heavy one - about loss, or doubt or something. Even though Love Vigilantes is 1000 times more tragic or sad than this song should be, there's something more personal here. This song then leads into the lyric-less Elegia, which feels like part 2 of the previous song - I see now that New Order formed out of Joy Division after the lead singer died, so this must be for him? This song kind of brings down the listenability though - it stops the flow in terms of a full-album re-listenable experience. Subculture and Sooner than you Think are a little sub par and while Face Up is decent, the album starts with a roar and goes out with a whimper. Still I'm a fan overall!

I really enjoyed this album, it is really engaging and I especially liked 'Elegia'. Will definitly listen again.

Love Hookys bass.

Solid 80s

Listen to this a lot when it was released. Some brilliant tracks but one or two that stop it being a full 5.

After reading the description on Wikipedia I really didn't expect to like this, but I ended up enjoying it and it didn't even feel as long as it is. 3.5/5

Good stuff

Obligatory Metal Gear Solid V "Why are we still here? Just to suffer?" reference.

It just doesn’t get more 80s!

Very solid album.

This album is fantastic, it is catchy, danceable, fun, but also kinda melancholic, wich creates a bittersweet vibe that I deeply love. New Order was formed by the remaining members of Joy Division and I think it really shows because, to me, they sound like a happier version of Joy Divison.

An unrelenting bop fest from start to finish (apart from Elegia, a tribute to the late Ian Curtis). To those who say that this was the first proper New Order album whereas the first two were a collection of singles: I have to agree. The tracklist makes for a cohesive experience and everything clicks in the long run. Great album.

Good! Reminds me of tears for fears.

álbum dançante. duas misturas: rock e dançante, preferi a metade dançante. queria ir na balada nos EUA nos anos 80 para ouvir isso.

great

Quality new-wave album, 4/5 stars

Maybe not their best, but still good enough for a 4

Good album.

Nästan en femma fr… jag bara fanar så hårt med syntpop….

Užasan cover odmah da budemo jasni, dosta mi to ipak znači hoću neki album poslušat prije nekog albuma u dotičnoj diskografiji. Drago mi je da je album bolji od covera koji ga predstavlja, ritmičan je kao i većina njihovih stvari, nekako možda pozitivnije zvuče na ovom albumu, ali uvijek će imati taj mali dio, taj ritam koji će me uvijek podsjećati na Joy Divison (nije to nimalo loše, zašto i ne bi podsjećali?). Također i na The Cure. The Perfect Kiss je najbolja na albumu, a općenito mi se dvije pjesme nisu baš dojmile, ovo ostalo sve dobro. Nije čvrsta četvorka, ali ne mogu dati trojku ovom.

אלבום ממש טוב אבל הסולן ממש מזייף אז זה קצת הרבה מוריד

Yeah, I like New Order, but I didn’t know this album. It was good, but maybe a little less dancy than I expected. Apparently this was the first album with the identity as “dance”. I didn’t know any of the tracks, but could hear hints of some of the tracks I do know. There are some catchy musical moments in these early works.

pretty good 4

Norm sündikas

So many great re-listens this week.

An almost great album by New Order here. Was only faniliar with their singles and Joy Division so there was plenty of unheard material for me. Perfect Kiss (the 12 inch version) is my favourite song by them and though the album edit isn't as great, still fantastic. The album cuts were mostly great, with Sunrise and Sooner Than You Think being the highlights. The bass in this is phenomenal throughout. The synths and percussion are fantastic. The only thing not perfect in terms of the music is Bernard Sumner's vocals as it tends to be flat here and there. Also the closer Face Up can get pretty annoying.

Not listened to a lot of Joy Division other than the hits, so wasn't sure what to think going into this. But really vibed with this album, absolutely would listen to it again, Elegia was a standout for me, change of pace and just up my alley completely. Nice short burst of 80's style music. 4/5.

Given my musical tastes, it's no surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed this album. The strange thing about the rating I'm giving it is that I can't really think of a standout track, I just enjoyed the interesting synth work, breathy vocals, and absolute shredding by whoever is playing bass. I know that even for its time none of this was particularly new, but I do think this might be one of the earliest dance rock albums that actually holds together as a single record - hopefully we'll get dealt up some earlier ones so I can make a proper comparison :)

Virkelig god blanding punk + rock med et snært af vanilje (techno) indover. Især sidste halvdel er god!

Synth pop just works...

Nice album

Completely epitomizes 80's weird Brit rock (The Smiths, The Cure, Joy Division, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, etc.). That's not an insult, there's some good stuff in there. This album captures it perfectly. Despite the heavy synth in many songs, there's still some good musicianship (guitar better than you think on first listen). The songwriting is also sharp, from lyrics to arrangements. Love Vigilantes is my favorite and Sunrise is another song that nicely blends real and fake instruments. The Perfect Kiss (decent lyrics) and Sub-culture are decent but a bit synth-heavy (sounds hokey). Elegia (instrumental) is quite beautiful. Face Up was a fun end to the album (probably my second favorite track). I spent the day listening to New Order and this is definitely their best album. Not lower than 3.5 and I'll round up for their pioneering work.

This took a few listens to sink in. There's a lot going on here that's subtle and easy to miss at at first. Had a rated it on my first impression it might have gotten 2 or 3 stars but this album grows on you. Take the simplicity of Elegia, for example. There's a Philip Glass vibe to the track and I can hear how it might even have influenced the Hogarth era Marillion sound. Side one is the stronger side though with the final track on the side, Sunrise being the high point with ag good mix of new-wave and post-punk infused in one track.

Really enjoyed this album. Favorite tracks: Love Vigilantes (I think I've heard another version of this song, but not sure who it was) and Elegia (very nice, simple instrumental). The album doesn't blow me away (so not a 5), but I definitely liked it a lot.

Not my favorite, stylistically mostly, but there are some bangers on here, can hear the influence on a ton of bands to come

You know how I feel about synths

Saw these guys at my first Big Day Out in 2002. Joy Division lost their lead, but still flowered. Lower in a few new band mates, and keep going. Very easy to listen to

Near perfect album by New Order. Peter Hook's bass is the star of this album and a very bright one at that

Pretty cool, not every song blew me away but there’s tons of pretty unique concepts and sounds that fill a void in my 80s rock exposure that I didn’t know existed

Fuck yeah, New Order.

I like it. More dissonant than I recall

Really good

I thought this was good. Vocals are a bit annoying. Sounded a bit the cure but otherwise good

The last great New Order album.

Much more moody than I expected, enjoyed it, good movie music!

Great. Very synth heavy with some great tracks. Recognized "Elegia" from movies/tv

Yass. Not my favourite New Order album but a goodie, to be sure.

The first half of this album is ok. The second half starts off with a beautiful composition followed by somewhat better songs. 4/5

its good. poppy and fun and way les overplayed

Fun new wave album with some killer synth lines on it

Great listening.

Some classics on here. Would be great for an 80s party.

As usual this new order album sounds excellent, great songs, kind of lulls a bit in the middle, not their absolute best but it's better than most bands can do

First song in and I'm really enjoying this sound so far. Kind of reminds me of an 80s Arcade Fire in a weird way. Yeah this is pretty lush for an 80s album. I think this is one of my favorite albums I've listened to on this list so far.

I was happy to see this album come up. I haven't listened to this album before, but I do like New Order. The first two tracks are the most familiar to me, and are tracks that I would listen to again. The album worked as a whole for me. I would give this album somewhere between 3.7 and 4.0 stars.

New Order couldn’t do much wrong around this time, High Life is surrounded by other class albums and there isn’t much wrong here. Driving beats, lush synths & hooky’s basslines, so so good!

Fast besser al Joy Division

Oké album. Elegia is mijn favoriete nummer op dit album

"My friend took his final breath Now I know the perfect kiss is the kiss of death" (The perfect kiss) "(Whatever you may think of me whatever you may say I've lived my whole life in danger, You've lived your life in hate)" (Sunrise)

Cure-ish

I always liked Joy Division and I had something "against" New Order, but this album changed my mind. I need to go back and listen to them again. I know that this phase is not absolutely "synth" as the next albums, but it was a so good experience and I think that I'm able to give them another chance.

I think I've heard a lot of songs from the album but have never listened to the album. A lot of the songs sound the same to me after a while but I like them.

Beautiful album from a band I'd never heard of before. Absolutely get the connection to Joy Division. Elegia and Sub-Culture were particular favorites

Amazing album. 2nd best NO album. 8/10

Great 80s alt pop. Has love vigilantes

enjoyed!

Great for the 80s

Do like their combination of synths and guitars. Not my favorite album by them but their sound in general definitely works for me.

A really fun and poppy (and 80s) album! This Aussie gives it four tins of Milo out of five.