Reviews (page 6 of 10)
I feel like I've known this music my whole life. The synth and the vocals are a bit dated sounding at times. There are definite elements that remind me of the The Cure, in the best possible way. Pretty good; far from perfect.
Stuck in the 80's
Increíble. Banger tras banger.
I fell madly in love with INXS around the same time this album came out and probably would have been equally wild about New Order had I been exposed. Such a fantastic album start to finish. There’s a light airiness to their darkness.
Not bad at all. I am generally pretty resistant to this 80s, dance-y, synthy stuff, but there is enough dark goth vibe to this to keep it interesting.
I like a bit of New Order, Blue Monday is a great song but unfortunately it’s not on this album. Elegia is though and it’s great. Overall it’s a pretty unique album and quite a lovely listen.
This album would’ve been ten times better if they AI’d his vocals because the beats are out of this world.
Not the best New Order, but any New Order is better than most. 4.5/5
I enjoyed this greatly.
Decent album
Songs such as Perfect Kiss are pretty good, but they're not Blue Monday
I thought I might have recognised some songs on here but I didn't. Instrumentals are obviously great, however I think some definitely work more than others, I like the synth stabs and bassline, and chorus guitars. Singing is really good in some places, but quite bad in others, but I think thats the main drawback with their music generally, as clearly he does know how to use his voice, but doesn't always do it. Favourite songs: This time of night, Elegia, sooner than you think. Overall around 6/10
Yeah wasn’t the the worst the instrumental bits weren’t bad
Eh, decent 80s vibes but none of the songs had substance. Just 80s sounds
1 half decent song in a slop of 80’s noise won’t get you far in my books
Non coinvolge, non fa per me
I'd never heard any of the tracks off this album before, and I'm sure I won't be the first to say it... but man, does it sound like The Cure! Sumner's vocals, which I usually don't rate, even evoke Robert Smith on Sunrise, and they nick the bassline from 'A Forest' on This Time of Night. Of course, sounding like The Cure is no bad thing, and the songs that do feature the synth-driven beats I expected from a New Order album, like Sub-Culture, also hit the spot. All in all, I'm impressed. I've been a bit indifferent to NO previously, but this album might start to change that.
First of all I am a huge New Order fan, I often view this album as a sum up of what New Order is trying to get musically, that upbeat but somehow groomy syth-dance-new-wave kind of thing. I get it, I really do, however, I won't say I really favor this album in particular, to me it seems they are in a weird and awkward position here, the syth arrangement are a little bit sour and immature, for a type of music that heavily depends on production, yet they are.trying to get rid of their Joy Division/post punk root, so as for a even bigger Joy Division fan myself, it sounds a bit off...but you can ignore what I've just said because clearly I'm highly biased. The music is outstanding. I'd give it a 4-4.5/5. "The Perfect Kiss" is perfect.
A very 80s album, even from these guys. I like New Order and everything they stood for, but I can’t help but feel I’d rather be listening to Joy Division whenever I hear them, no matter how good their stuff is.
Don't know why everyone thinks this is their best album. Power Corruption and lies is much better....its still pretty good though.
Have come to appreciate New order in later years. At the time of recording I generally felt they were a bit too synth pop for my liking. Having listened to this a few times, I am starting to appreciate New Order a lot more. I particular like the synth/heavy guitar fusion of eligia. I find this more in tune with the original Joy Division incarnation of the band. Would give this 5 but for the weak vocal delivery, it's just not to my taste.
Part of the absolutely incredible run of albums that are all favourites of mine.
Pretty standard 80's synthpop / rock. This has some alright moments in the middle (sunrise/elegia) but overall the vocals and lyricism leave a lot to be desired so this falls into the 'forgettable' category. The last two songs almost made me want to drop my rating to one star but I guess the first half is decent enough.
I found this generally uninteresting, but the ambient tracks 'Sunrise' and 'Elegia' were so good that I might return to New Order in the future to see if they've made more of that stuff Standouts Sunrise Elegia 4/5
Enjoyed this. I tended to like the rock aspects rather than the synth, which, sometimes veers into the corny. Liked the vibe. Sunrise is awesome. Vocals sometimes seem a little uneven, which could take me out of the song, but enjoyed the passionate delivery. Will listen to this again. Has potential to be something that grows on me.
Sometimes hits, mostly misses. Smack dab in the middle of the scale. Got to This Time of Night and was like, "hey man I guess it's New Order." Then I get to Elegia and I'm like, "oh damn, maybe this is enough to take it up a notch!" but then it goes back to standard New Order, which I like but don't love. An unfair 3 that maybe should be a 4.
I liked it, but don’t remember much about it
It's fine but not very exciting.
80s pop rock without too much cheese
Only Elegia was really cool and maybe its really because I don't like the vocals on this band?
Voelt soms een beetje alsof hij U2 na doet, daarna weer compleet anders
Tih prvih pet New order su klasici. Power curruption and lies mi je najbolji ali i ovo i brotherhood su super
Gear: ZMF Bokeh Artwork: 📸🔳🙁 Production: 😐🙂👌 Music: 🥁🎹📉🎤🧼 Rating: 🎢(🎢)/5
This album is amazing, it’s the best so far. I added “Love Vigilante” to my favorites the second time listening to it. I also added like half the album to my playlists.
I used to think this NO album dated badly (with the rest of the 80s) bit I think I'm wrong. I doesn't have tbe majestic quality of Powee C and L but it's still damn good.
Opening two sounds were awesome. Weird songs that are certainly unique with a good 80s vibe. solid 4
This was OK. They did a decent job of making synth pop sound more like rock here. I didn't mind this album but I probably wouldn't go back to it. I think I prefer Joy Division to New Order.
Ja dit is vet, Joy Division was echt nog een rock band, hier hoor je al veel duidelijker de synths in en het elektronische neemt steeds meer de overhand. Perfect Kiss is voor mij een erg sterk intro op deze plaat, met een langer intro en een lekkere dikke synth solo als outro, inclusief kwakende kikkers op de achtergrond!! Kijk, dan heb je me gewoon hoor. Pfoee, de zanger is wel echt matig. Er worden hier best wat hogere tonen enzo gevraagd, valt me vooral op in Sunrise, en hoewel het instrumentaal best wel vet is haalt de zang het gewoon echt niet. Het klinkt alsof hij niet de vaste zanger is en gewoon een karaoke bar is binnengelopen. Gewoon dat pure, "Oei, hij haalt deze tonen echt niet" Dat genante moment, daar doet de zang me sterk aan denken. Hierdoor merk ik ook dat mn favoriete nummers de instrumentale nummers zijn, die zijn duister, langgerekt en moody. Dát is wat ik hiervan verwacht en wat ik wil. Mijn god, het word ook met het nummer slechter zeg, jezus... Kan iemand deze zanger uit zn lijden verlossen?? Face up is het absolute dieptepunt, dit is gewoon ernstig. Zonde van de muziek die verder best prima is, maar dit is echt niet te luisteren, jezus christus... Ik heb jankende honden gehoord die beter klonken. FAVO: Perfect Kiss, Elegia
A bit repetitive
Wenn der Sänger nicht so schlecht wäre, würde ich gerne 4* vergeben. Aber es bluten mir bei einigen Titeln die Ohren wenn er den Mund aufmacht. Grandios ist übrigens das Video zu The Perfect Kiss. Live aufgenommen, und man hört wie sich alle Zutaten (inkl. Froschgequake, Kuhglocke, Nichtsingen können, Bassist der seinen Job verwechselt) zu einem genialen Ganzen verbinden. Das wären 5* wert.
Really good
New Wave sounds like a really cool genre and maybe it will grow on me but for now its an alright album.
fun album. listened to twice. Good stuff
Definitely very 80s feeling but I'm a fan regardless. They did a good job integrating synths while still feeling like a rock band here.
Good for what it is.
Old Order was better.
Sorry, I've never been able to listen to New Order without wishing Ian Curtis was singing instead of Bernard Sumner. I recognize that's impossible, but the heart wants what it wants. Sumner has always sounded to me like a poor man's Robert Smith, lacking the qualities that make Smith's voice worth hearing over and over. Add to that the fact that synthpop rarely does anything for me, and you've got an album I can't really get behind. I guess the first song was okay aside from the vocals, and the lack of vocals on "Elegia" made it easier to sit through, but the rest of it failed to win me over.
I honestly forgot I was listening to this while I was listening to it. Not awful but completely forgettable. 2.5/5
I enjoyed it, but it's pretty forgettable
'The Perfect Kiss' is the perfect song, quite honestly, and 'Elegia' is so mystifying it's brilliant. Apart from another song I mildly enjoyed, lots of it was cheesy, I'll admit. But the sheer talent that went into those few songs is praiseworthy.
I enjoyed this more than I thought, despite the length of most songs they were very listenable to and they went quickly. They were all pretty enjoyable and the signature bass was as good as always.
Kind of felt like a really fun marriage of Billy Idol and The Cure. A fun listen.
#489. Seems like something that would be used for the soundtrack of a modern 80s period piece, but probably wouldn't have been good enough to be in actual movies from the time. 3/5: fine Song added to playlist: Sub-Culture I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
Oh no it deleted everything I wrote while listening. I enjoyed this even though it’s not my vibe necessarily. Since I love a lot of more indie music, New Order is one of those bands that were proto to a lot of the stuff I grew up listening to. I expected it to be more depressing than it was, and part of me felt like I would have loved to be in a dance club in the 80s jamming hard.
I dug it. Neat melodies and a fantastic guitar sound. The gated drums -- well, it was the 80's. But just knowing the hits from Substance and such, this was a nice intro to them. Unexpected bangers: Sunrise, Sub-Culture.
Synth pop goodness shame about the pretty tragic vocals. Can't say I enjoyed as much as Substance
I love everything about this. Sonically it's perfect, there isn't a bad song on it, and it makes me imagine my parents, aunts and uncles dancing in 80s nightclubs
The first song was promising but it went quickly downhill from there. Unfortunately the 80s sound just sounds so dated, more so than older music which can sound timeless. I think because of that music like this is does not have the staying power of music without such a distinctive era based sound. It also means that if you are like me and do not enjoy thie sounds of this time period all the music sounds so similar and unenjoyable.
New Order is a band I really tried to like over the years. Unfortunately I never took to them, finding them distinctly ordinary. Lyrics are clunky, boringly delivered, and (mostly) the music lacks engagement.
You know, it's always interesting to see what a band does when they lose their lead vocalist. Obviously, it's very sad whenever a band's lead vocalist dies (especially for a case like this), but it serves as a pretty good way to gauge how the other members view things like life, fame, and music. This brings me to the band of focus for this review, New Order, which was formed from the living members of Joy Division after Ian Curtis's untimely passing. This, I think, is one of the better ways to handle unfortunate circumstances. They didn't quit making music, but they also didn't want to continue performing as Joy Division, which I can absolutely respect. Of course, the two bands are kind of inseparable as far as the general discussions surrounding their impacts go, but I'd say that Low-Life is a pretty different album from the Joy Division album that I've heard, Unknown Pleasures. Speaking of which, Low-Life is pretty good! It's not Unknown Pleasures levels of good, but it's still a strong album. The vibe here is definitely a bit different, with New Order taking things in a more synth-pop-oriented direction rather than the straight post-punk of Joy Division. Synth-pop as a genre is one with some hits and misses as far as albums I've listened to go. Fortunately, Low-Life is a hit. The style here is very good. There's enough energy to make the album an entertaining listen for songs like "The Perfect Kiss," but the band is still able to create emotion for songs like the instrumental "Elegia," which serves as a nice tribute to Ian Curtis. Bernard Sumner's vocals are solid. The writing is good. The pacing works well. Overall, this is a great way for me to experience New Order for the first time. I like what I've heard quite a bit. Strong 4/5.
Прикольный альбомчик такой, там альбом ещё на селе одном смешном основан, который алкаш ещё, так что 9/10, не фан просто
Not my jam. Love Vigilantes is the standout and that’s just a marginal 80’s pop song. I admit I’m not a synth fan but it did hit me with some 80’s nostalgia. I wish we could do 1/2 stars because then I’d give this 21/2.
Awesome first listen. Big fan of the guitar sounds on this album
A BANGERRRRE! Love New Order. Elegia best track on this one 👌👌👌
This was a lovely surprise, I throughly enjoyed this album, and it’s probably one of the few to benefit from playing out loud on my way to work. Sunrise in particular made my balls tingle (in a good way, not dissimilar from how some people describe the feeling of Orignal Source Mint and Tea Tree showergel). It was all Joy, and no division (or any other mathematical operations)* *Maybe integration too, why not
Something really cool about this. Very far from anything I’d ever put on. The music is just really well put together. Elegia a stand out for me. But because its just music that I like, I struggle to know when I’d listen to it, I’ve saved a few but I dont know when or what situation would lead to me revisiting it…
I like some New Order stuff, but I didn’t dig this album. The cover is rubbish. Looks like a Gabrielle cover. What’s the relevance of it being Stephen Morris on the front? The music was ok at times. The songwriting is pretty poor, I found this most evident on Sub-culture and Face Up. Extremely primitive and not in a way that might be construed as charming, just lacking depth or character. Bernard Sumner is a bit of a tit. He always sounds out of tune or pitchy. This album, to me, sounded like a tone deaf teenager singing Cure songs.
New Order has always been one of my favorite bands for lifting my spirits. They’ve done an amazing job blending synthpop with post punk and alternative rock while staying at the forefront of electronic music. What I appreciate most is how their music stands the test of time. This album feels like the point where their sound became more refined, marking a new phase in their evolution.
Pop sellout garbage. I was in a wannabe-joy-division punk band in college. I was excited for this one, really! Someone needs to bonk this guy on the head and remind him he's a terrible singer, and that was OK in previous albums. This is a must-listen as far as it is a warning for any artist getting too big for their britches and think they're hot stuff.
I think I need to get drunk and take a long walk to really understand this album
I understand why Joy Division itself could no longer continue but I can’t believe they gave up Punk Rock for this crap.
Irritating synthesizers, clapping machines, cow bells.....tedious listen.
Es bien 80s con mucha electrónica y bases potentes, onda Pet Shop Boys o Depeche Mide. Realmente es del rock que menos me gusta, muy superficial y demasiado pop. No pareciera que son los locos de Joy Division.
This started... interestingly. The singing is really bad. Like really bad. The music is really hit or miss. When it hits, it's really vibey and enjoyable. Plus, it covers the bad singing. When it misses, though, the album becomes a really tough listen. Everything does magically come together on "Sunrise". It ends up easily being the best song on the album and is actually a really good song. "Face Up", on the other hand, ends up being so incredibly bad, that I think it's on a short list of worst songs I've ever heard in my life, and undoes any goodwill the album earned through those good moments. I'd rather go deaf than listen to that song again, unless I'm doing it as a joke. Favorite Song(s): Sunrise
Loved the last two songs, liked how raw this album was. I could have used less guitar and more synth but seems like this was a transitional record
High-life for your musical ears.
Eingängige Melodien, tanzbar, ich weiß gar nicht, wieso es mir so gefiel.
It was okay. Not really my type of music. Very '80s feel.
Lead singer has a bad voice but I liked the vibe
This album has a lot of the classic sounds of New Order but ultimately is a bit disappointing. Guess I'm more into the singles.
Nostalgic
Very cool usage of synthesizers. I enjoyed this.
Не мое
Boring
New Order at the peak of their powers. Synth-pop perfection from front to back.
Muy bueno
Bueno para echarse una caminada con punch y buen ritmo.
Bob Dylan-esque, jangly bar music. Super retro. New Order's lyrics are quite silly and their general song structure is predictable, but their sound is simple and satisfying. Vocals a little rough at times.
New order stays winning, especially like the opener
Decent, liked it.
02/01/25 I had no issues with the album, don't think I've listened to them before.
Good new wave dance from way back in the day
Ugh. Didn't finish.
Certainly an important record for them....
‘Low-Life’ is good but patchy. Opening songs ‘Love Vigilantes’ and The Perfect Kiss’, are the big singles and the well-known hits. ‘Sunrise’ is the surprise throwback to their previous life as Joy Division, with a bit of early Cure thrown in and It’s my favourite song on the record. The second half isn’t as compelling. ‘Elegia’ is an atmospheric and nice enough instrumental tribute to Ian Curtis but on an album with only 8 songs on it, I kind of want more. And album closers ‘Sub-culture’ and ‘Face Up’, just sound like generic Euro Pop Trash and frankly aren’t all that memorable.
I liked this more than I expected to. It still wasn’t super attention grabbing, but the instrumentals were on point in quite a few songs and the instrumental track was probably my favorite on the album.
bleh
Excellent stuff. Really enjoyed this.
Pretty good synth pop but nothing blew me away.
Clásico new order. Nada fuera de lo comun
❤️
Not a bad album, but largely forgettable. Pretty standard 80s pop fare. Elegia is the most well-known track, and it's good. But honestly, it could cease to exist and I'm fairly certain that zero people would actually care. It's fine. It's not a poor listen, but it's not particularly enjoyable either. It's fine and safe.
Interesting lyrics (the parts where I focused on listening) but the overall sound is not to my taste 2/3, probably 2
Ive been enjoying alotta stuff of this style lately.
Meh. Kinda lame and not overly catchy.
For me, synth pop as a whole gets annoying after a while and this wasn't really different. I don't think this was bad by any means, just forgettable. I didn't like the vocals either. It had some cool parts, like Elegia. Not likely to revisit this however
Goed album, echt een paar nummers die eruit knallen, maar ook een paar matige
Pretty good, not what I was expecting.
I could take more instrumental synth tracks like Elegia. There's some good groovy synth work across, but the vocals are rough for most of the project.
Synths coming out of every hole
Pretty good! Enjoyed the second half when it got a bit weirder and more instrumental. Favourite: Elegia
Have always liked New Order - and they have some absolute classics. Not that familiar with Low-Life but really enjoyed - not quite a 5 but solid 4. Followed up with the extended version of Elegia which really enjoyed.
Felt on-brand for them, but not my fave.
Honestly, I liked Low-Life way more than i thought i would have. This album is of course, horribly dated, and you can easily tell it's an album from the 80s considering it has all the usual elements you would expect from an 80s new wave album. The vocals were also strange in some areas like sometimes they weren't well produced and could get drowned out by the music and there was that one bit of bad grammar in Face Up. However, I still really enjoyed this album, The guitars and synths were really well done, and songs were also super catchy at points. On top of that this album went for the perfect length. This was quite the pleasant surprise. Best Song: Face Up Worst Song: Love Vigilantes
One of my all time favorites from the 1980s. Peter Hook’s bass as lead is great. They added a lot more synth on this album. Love Vigilantes is great. Elegia reminds me of old Joy Division. 4.5
Started off strong (love vigilantes etc) but then petered out in the middle (Elegia) and then finished strong (Face up) Favourite songs: Face up Felt repetitive and not much stood out Still a decent album but wouldn't choose to listen to it with headphones, only in background I really enjoyed face up though Didn't compare to some of their other works that are more brave such as age of consent
perfectly unremarkable for me. this is the standard of synthpop in its time, but new order trade a certain angst & emotional depth for danceability. with credit, i think they've done so successfully. but it makes me feel as if i wish i hadn't heard joy division before. i can't see past it. sonically low-life is intricate but the vocals could be more polished. the lyrical performances & content have nowhere near enough weight to me. as a standout, sunset is inherently the cure-esque but perfectly unique & unalike at the same time.
I own some of these tracks on New Order Singles, I haven't heard these: This Time of Night Sunrise Sooner Than You Think Face-up I own Singles, Substance and Get Ready on CD so I'm a New Order fan. I learned a little bit about Joy Division looking this album up too, so I think I'll explore their work more since New Order was founded from the remaining members. I love this sound and the vocalist, and this is definitely a 5 star for me.
Competent, but doesn't do anything for me. 2 stars.
fine but not for me; too electronic
Eh, just can't get into the mood to enjoy it.
5 Stars (14/15)
Never heard this one. Didn’t know any songs going into it but really liked the vibe throughout. Reminded me of Seventeen Seconds by The Cure but more upbeat. Enjoyed it more than Power, Corruption & Lies.
ok
How many more Duran Duran knockoffs do we need?
Starts very strong, but the last third is underwhelming and doesn’t have the same urgency of the first third.
I grew up in the 80s and this is exactly the stuff I hated. I don’t mind it nearly as much anymore, relative to the pop stuff out now, but I still don’t like it.
Awesome! So many Bowie Berlin-era-esque tracks.
在85年的专里找到一堆20年国摇的影子
Boring.
Vocals sounded like nails on a chalkboard to me
Love love vigilantes but the iron and wine cover is more my taste
Anotger generic post punk/dance album from 80s. Absolutely unlistenable, I made it three songs in, just on pure hatred. I guess the record is not so bad in broader terms, but definitely I didn't enjoy even a second. Generous two, because it's Friday, I guess.
I liked this album. Not many of these songs made it onto my playlist of songs that I loved, but the vibe of the album was very good and I thoroughly enjoyed the album. It felt VERY 80s to me. More of a 3.5 Liked Songs: "Love Vigilantes" , "Sunrise" , "Sooner Than You Think", "Face Up"
liked songs: The Perfect Kiss (frogs!), Sunrise, Sub-Culture Very good 3.75
yeah! rockige gitarren und voller sound mit melodie, ein wenig wie die späten The Cure.
Naja, nicht richtig reingekommen
classic 80s, messy, synthy, and twirly.
Nothing special.
Really cool album. definitely gonna revisit this one.
Not my favorite NO album but ‘The Perfect Kiss’ is 🤌🏻 muah!
It's good. I like the sound even though I may have drifted off from focusing on it. New Order is definitely a hole in my musical history that I would like to fill more.
Surprised at how much I like this album.
New Order has always been one of my favorite bands for lifting my spirits. They’ve done an amazing job blending synthpop with post-punk and alternative rock while staying at the forefront of electronic music. What I appreciate most is how their music stands the test of time. This album feels like the point where their sound became more refined, marking a new phase in their evolution.
I really enjoyed the music but the singing was actually not as as good. Especially „Sub-Culture“ was really bad. But it’s a great album nevertheless.
It was aight
Brilliant
Good but they have done better.
When this came up was extremely excited because Joy Division/New Order are two bands I love (and I consider them One and the same). This album opens amazing with “Love Vigilantes” which is such a great opener and super catchy. The follow up “The Perfect Kiss” is my favourite song by this group (though will say I prefer the Longer single version) After this the album never reaches the HIGHS again with those two songs. It’s still extremely enjoyable but nothing AMAZING, besides maybe the instrumental “Elegia” which almost screams Joy Division in its dark tone. As much as I love New Order and this is still one of their better albums I think I’m gonna go with a High 3.5/5 (wish it could be a 4) However those 3 songs I’ve mentioned are WORTH price of Admission and don’t skip on them
Incredible for a band to come back from losing their lead singer.
Good grief, why does it sound like he's in pain when he sings. Elegia, on the other hand, slaps HARD as a backdrop to a Metroid game. Their true calling, it seems, was to make music for Nintendo games.
Tedious
Low-life I’ve got this on vinyl funnily enough. I had a bit of a New Order obsession about 15 years ago and I bought some cheap copies of some of their albums. This might not be as well known as Power, Corruption & Lies or Technique, but it’s definitely one of their best, most consistent albums and is probably right at their peak of their mix of post-punk, dance, rock and synth pop. Some songs more straightforwardly pop and some more straightforwardly dance, but all with the distinctive New Order combination of detached, mauldin sincerity. I’ve always loved Love Vigilantes, with its obvious lift from Love Me Do and it’s story about a ghost/non ghost returning from war. And Perfect Kiss is a superb song, a great NO single. This Time of Night is another excellent bit of dance rhythm driven pop, with some great little hooks and a sinister air. Sunrise is one of those NO tracks that starts out unpromisingly, but its prosaic intro turns into something really hypnotic and immersive, a trick they manage to successfully pull over and over - Bernard’s ‘simple’ guitar patterns, Peter Hook’s twangy bass melodies, Stephen’s dancey rhythms and Gillian’s keyboards/synths really are a great combination and elevate what may seem like a basic structure into something really interesting. Sooner Than You Think is probably the only real dip in quality, but it’s still a more than decent NO album track. Elegia is a great bit of cinematic synth pop atmosphere, a little like a John Carpenter soundtrack, brilliantly cool, austere but moving tribute to Ian Curtis. It definitely feels very Low era Bowie, which I guess is nodded to by the album title. Sub-culture, has a very similar sequencing and rhythmic structure to Blue Monday, but is an excellent dance pop song in it’s own right. Face Up has that great NO drum sound, similar to the Temptation re-mix, and has a simultaneously jaunty riff and wistful melody and lyric, a great closing track I hadn’t listened to this in a while and was thinking it was probably a solid 4, but re-visiting it over the weekend it’s become a 5 - it’s an excellent album of great New Order tracks with 4 absolute belters in Love Vigilantes, Perfect Kiss, Elegia and Sub Culture. 🪫🪫🪫🪫🪫 Playlist submission: Elegia
Nice because I like New Order, but I feel like these aren't that special and get a bit boring. Bernard's voice is really clear, which I'm not sure is the best idea. I would say a 3.5, as I like it, but I think New Order has done better.
Another artist on my waiting list. Coming from the ashes of Joy Division, I had long been curious to know what the remaining members of that legendary band became. And I tell you: another really cool band! This album has some low points but is very comfortable to listen to. I loved! I'm going to leave 4 stars today!
A solid 80s synth-pop record with dance, upbeat, and occasionally moody tracks. Though admittedly, the vocal mix on this is a little rough and doesn’t match the sound quality of that of the instrumentation; But the lyrics are pretty interesting. This work shows itself to be a coherent and cohesive record overall. No track feels too weird or out of place compared to others. Good stuff. Favorite track: Love Vigilantes. Though, Elegia is a really good instrumental synth/dream wave track that comes in at a close 2nd
I thought that this was Okay. I really don't know anything about this band. It sounds a bit like the Smiths. I don't love the vocals but I could get into the tracks. I spent some time listening just wondering what the listening experience for this was meant to be? Was it for dancing, smoking, a cafe? Punk adjacent music can be difficult to pin down in that way. It's not meant to be played softly but when you soften up punk music that's kind of what happens. Elegia is my favorite track. It sounds like they made a song so good that they couldn't find words to do it justice so they left it. I think that's a smart choice.
Liked this more than I thought I would.
There’s one thing that really lets this album down, and it’s the vocals. The dude just can’t sing and stay in tune. It’s the one time I’ve thought “auto tune would improve this a lot”. It works on some of the more energetic tracks like “sunshine” but otherwise it’s almost annoying enough to make me stop listening. Thankfully there are plenty of long instrumental breaks to keep it from being a disaster. And those instrumental breaks, they’re really great. The programmed or effects covered drums and the guitar tones are my favorite bits of this. The instrument production is super high level and creates a really enjoyable 80s rock sound tinged with synths and electronic music. I would easily listen to an album of their instrumentals. The singing lets this album down and I’m annoyed by that because it could be really good.
I'm really digging these moody 80's bands. I knew I liked The Cure and Joy Division but I'm finding more and more that are making me appreciate the whole scene of that time. The pop rock feel of it is very approachable if not memorable. Kinda blends into the sound of the time, but I'll be back for more.
I can see why you would absolutely love Low-Life if this kind of music is your bag. It's not really for me, but I can appreciate it. A high three. I feel almost churlish not giving it a four, but it just lacked the enjoyment factor for me. This was like visiting a ceramics museum in a small Dutch town for an afternoon, y'know?
Nunca los había escuchado. De la misma forma me voy enterando qué antes eran de Joy Division. De los que más me ha sorprendido escuchar.
This I like! I love the guitar work on here, you can hear how much this band influenced future indie rock. The songs were also great. I will definitely be returning to this one.
Expected to hate but pretty good ya know
chin
I'm a huge fan of Joy Division however that appreciation never translated to New Order. There are songs that are the exception, Ceremony and Temptation and to a lesser extent, Love Vigilantes from this album. I've had this album in my collection for many years but have listened to it maybe 3 or 4 times previously. I enjoyed it this time more than I thought I would, maybe because I gave it more time, listening in my car as well as a couple undistracted listens. I still resist the overtly electronic overall sound but I do have a greater appreciation of the songcraft on display. 3.5 stars
Enjoyed dancing along to this while making dinner, but I expected to like it more, given how much I enjoy a lot of New Order singles. The singing and vocals really let them down, and some of the songs were a bit forgettable. The Perfect Kiss and Sub-Culture are real standout tracks. This is about a 3.5 for me I think, rounding up to 4 because of cultural impact.
I'm not usually into the 80's synth rock sound, but this kind of caught my attention. Not great but not bad either.
really liked this one, even if it was mildly disappointing that it wasn't the album with blue monday. you can really see how synth pop developed from here.
interesting choice of album. this didn't have any massive singles on it as far as I'm aware, but i was familiar with love vigilantes, which is a great song. otherwise, the darker 80s synthpop sound is alive and well here, with new order fully in their element. i definitely prefer this version of the band to their work as joy division, as these tracks all feel a bit more interesting and punchy to me. favorites: love vigilantes, the perfect kiss, elegia
Whenever I hear these guys I think about their incredibly unlikely and greatly inspiring journey from the tragic suicide of their singer and creative visionary when they were the super dark proto goth band Joy Division to the absolutely massive club hit "Blue Monday" - still the biggest selling 12" single of all time - only 2 years later. Even just that part of their 40 year story would make for a great biopic; until then, we can get glimpses of it through a handful of scenes in "24 Hour Party People." Very 80's sound, but they kinda originated it so perhaps that's why it sounds better than most. I couldn't explain why I like this but dislike Depeche Mode. Maybe the Joy Division connection confers a certain credibility? Ultimately, this YouTube's user comment on the (awesome, J Demme directed, 10 minute long) "Perfect Kiss" video says it all: Its impressive that New Order has a singer that don't sing, a bassist that thinks he is the guitarist, a drummer that don't know more than one way to play and a synth player that plays a frog solo mid song and still is one of the most amazing bands of all time. Finally, if you were a teenage musician in the 1980s and weren't in a punk or metal band, it's highly likely that your band aspired to sound like a cross between New Order and The Cure (whether you knew it or not, as in the case with the our band that was exactly as good as you might imagine when I tell you our name was "Lesbian Sinecure"). For the fifteen year old rocker, the main difference between the two bands is whether the guitar player uses chorus and flange pedals (The Cure) or the bass player does (New Order).
It's funny how the opening chords to the lead track "Love vigilantes" sounds *so* much like The Smiths/Cure/Morrissey; I had to double-check I'd opened the right album for the selection of the day. Thankfully, Sumner's voice isn't quite like those bands, and the rest of the album is much more New-Order-y (for good and bad), although I was totally reminded of Yaz and then Dead or Alive ("You spin me round") in the opening chords of the last song on the album ("Face up"). Even though I feel like I've heard New Order a lot on the radio back in the 80s, I'm not actually sure I've ever heard any of the songs on this album. Their sound is somewhat distinctive (at least dating from their transition to the synth-heavy dance-pop that's on this album), but they've never been a favorite of mine, so this is only passably interesting as a blast from the past. (Personally, I'd likely (slightly) prefer Depeche Mode or OMD to these guys, but at least it's not Pet Shop Boys or Duran Duran, I suppose. And kudos to them for having real bass and guitar playing, at least.) Curious that the video and single versions of both "The perfect kiss" and "Sub-culture" are quite different sounding than the album version. I had high hopes for the video for the former, as it was directed by Jonathan Demme, but it's remarkably bland and uninteresting, sadly. I'm not entirely sure why we have two New Order albums in this collection, as it seems like they're kind of a one-trick pony, but trying to figure out the selection method is an exercise in futility.
There's a certain type of 80s music that I've blended into one big swirl d/b/a as Joy Division / New Order / Depeche Mode / Cure / maybe Duran Duran? Pet Shop Boys? Don't know, basically kind of lumped them altogether with the Cure being the only standout and Disintegration being the only album I actually listened to. So when this album started, I really liked the Cure elements in Love Vigilantes (or is it New Order elements in Fascination Street?) and then stopped distinguishing and began enjoying the music. Unfortunately, it all crashed with the next song, Perfect Kiss, which is a big yawn and feels like it could be in a movie starring Hugh Grant. Sunrise which has a sort of attractive desperation, and Elegia is a nice mellow soar. After that, the remaining songs bounced by by innocuously enough.
Loved this on a crisp fall morning walk.
I know NO but never listened to this album and I don't know any of the tracks from the radio. From the looks of it "Love Vigilantes", "The Perfect Kiss" and "Elegia" were all popular songs. None ring a bell and I was fully immersed in pop and dance music back in 1985. I don't know if this is ground breaking or influential but all of it is enjoyable, it sounds very mid-80's and a sound they would grow into the 90's. I hear snippets of The Cure in instrumentals like Elegia, similar guitar work. The other track I really enjoyed was "Sooner Than You Think" which was a tablesetter for the hits they would release a year or two later. Better than average but not Top 1001 unless you can explain its significance in the world of music recordings!
New Order leave some of their post-punkiness behind in favor of danciness (a bit brighter, more synth) but their unique sound is still there. That applies in particular to Hook’s basslines, which are a highlight melodically and rhymically, often driving the song (as per usual). The album is fine and pretty fun, some good songs but not hugely memorable to me.
Nod bad sounds similar to stuff of that era
Love the synth and the vocals! 4.3 stars
I love New Order!!
Ok.
It’s not the vibe.
Best wel vibes
I enjoyed this. It’s just high-quality new wave. Yeah I don’t have any ideas for this review honestly
Chaotic and noisy, but the sounds work well together. I think new order is especially good at doing this. Solid album
Damn, this is full of bangers! I thought I only knew Blue Monday, but Love Vigilantes sounds familiar
I see the argument that this album can feel a bit rough around the edges, but in my opinion that actually works to the album's strengths, having it not feel overproduced, or "glossy". The mix of guitars and synths is almost unmatched by how well New Order manage it, and the wide range of influences that they take really makes this my favourite album of theirs.
New Order are better than Joy Division. There, I said it. It’s out there now. 3.6
As good as the music is, I've just never been able to get past Sumner's vocals. The comparisons to Joy Division are unfair but inevitable, and they don't do this album any favors.
Demasiado baile. No son Joy divison
Not crazy about dancy stuff. Perfect Kiss is pretty good.
I liked this :) 4/5
Yo this album actually slaps. I would have loved to have been around when this originally released. I feel like I would have been a huge New Order fanboy. The vocals are a little weak but the genre is associated with sad boys who can't sing so it kinda gets a pass. The synth lines are awesome. The album flows great but I think the front half is stronger and it sorta peters out over time. Fav Track: Sunset
Idk, I never quite like New Order quite as much as I'd expect myself to. Shellshock is great though.
Enjoyed more than expected, figured it’d be more British trash especially with no Curtis but it’s actually pretty gooood
Very nice, but not the best songs of New Order (it's Blue Monday, yk).
It was okay, but never understood the hype about this band. okay, but not for me.
As good as new wave gets! Dancy, but also intelligent, thoughtful, and meaningful.
Really good background music, really enjoyed listening to it.
Fun 80s English rock - nothing super memorable but I enjoyed all of it
What a solid album. Brief and to the point. I haven’t heard Elegia in years.
Pretty cool album Standout songs: Sunrise Sooner than you think
I've been a huge Joy Division fan for a while, but never really checked out New Order. I am glad to say I enjoyed this. It reminds me a lot of the early Cure works. The singing isn't the best but I think it fits the music well. My favorite thing about this album is the production and the way all of the instruments and synths sounds together. Low 5.
Poor
"displaying the moment they completed their transformation from post-punk hold-overs to dance-rockers" -- all genres I dislike
I just really struggle to get on with New Wave. We discovered keyboards and drum machines and for some reason decided to replace everything that was good about rock music with these thin, synthetic, monotonous tunes. For all their plaudits, this New Order LP delivers them in spades. I understand and respect the impact this had on dance music and some of the sub genres that emerged in the later 80s-00s, but twice through was more than enough for me. I just didn’t enjoy it.
It's not horrible, but it's not great, and the vocals are pretty terrible. If I'm going to listen to New Order it's going to be Blue Monday or True Faith, not anything from this album.
No strong opinions :)
Quite Cure-ish, but that's OK. Enjoyable album, albeit fairly melancholy and moody Best: Sunrise, This Time of Night
Great guitar sounds and when some of the beats are left to play out I genuinely felt I was listening to the progression of musical ideas. That said, on a first listen, not much has left a lasting impression.
Incredibly fun and catchy synth and dance and post punk record. A lot of great songs and a great sound and energy all around.
New Order is a band to rise up from tragedy and I respect that. Their music has left a mark in history. Although this album wasn't perfect, it had many good songs, like my personal favorite, The Perfect Kiss.
Love those synths
Definitely not New Order’s best album but still awesome
Mid
Elegia and 7 bonus tracks. 4.5 stars
Enjoyed this album, I’ve always liked this style of alternative music.
I know some don’t like the background music but it’s decent and somewhat enjoyable
meh. It was better than I expected I guess, the instruments sounded pretty nice but didn't really like the dude's voice and couldn't understand much of the lyrics at times. Also when I could they did not resonate withe me so I didn't really care. Very mid didn't need to hear this before I died.
it's just not my thing. was background music. all sounds same & don't care for vocals
198/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
I enjoyed this album. Brought back some memories. I was nice listening to their evolution.
Listened 6th October, owned on vinyl but probably the New Order album I've listened to least. Feels like it marks the mid point of the transition to New Order from Joy Division, finding the balance between electronic experiment and post punk industrial.
Peak 80s, but actually sounds good? Sick
80s dance pop that, while it sounds pretty cool and the production is well done, doesn't have any sounds that pulled my attention. I like the riffing in Face Up in its opening moments, though I think Sunrise is my favorite here.
Another great album
Another surprise. I liked this. It wasn't was dancy as some of their music I've heard.
It was background music
Actually really liked elegía and sunrise, could actually hear some of joy division in those songs which was cool because I never liked the poppy sound of new order. Would give it a 3.5 but that’s not an option and it’s definitely not a 4
Enjoyable but not remarkable. Obviously very 80s
A really great bridge from new wave/post punkish Joy Division to what really became New Order and the use of sequencing/loops and techniques from the dance world to develop a different strand of indie music in the UK. The two down sides are the lyrics and Barney's dreadful voice. Which is a shame because this is a really good album otherwise.
3.75
Great album
4.5
I love Elegia and have been listening to it since the first time I heard it. I'm kinda disappointed that it is the odd one out of the album
Love it
This was actually pretty enjoyable. I'd give it a 3.5/5, but I think it could go up on additional listens.
Solid but very unremarkable. Most songs sounded the same
I didn't use a private Spotify session. More of a Joy Division fan, mainly because New Order is to synth. Too many keyboards. Morris's steady drum work sounds programmed. I can hear how it influenced a fair number of 80's bands, mostly bands a didn't care for.
nao
Indefinito, ha un non so che di pop anni '80, ma non si fa contaminare troppo. 3/4
Wouldn’t have picked this one up otherwise and found a new favourite I think! Album Generator doing its job for sure
This 80's style dance music is not really my cup of tea, but being honest the music itself is above average. The singer however isn't up to the task.
Pretty good, but largely not unique vs other bands in this time period
Listened to this twenty minutes ago, and I can't remember a thing about it.
kinda jammy and got better near the end, like Sunrise and Sooner than you think
Taking the suicidal depressing aspects out of Joy Division kind of takes the joy out of it for me. Not a bad record by any means I just don't like it too much personally. Same guitar tones as Joy Division but sounds more commercial and poppy.
I initially thought the vocals weren't the greatest but I had heard worse. Elegia was quite enjoyable. Then the final track played and I couldn't believe how far the quality of everything just dropped. What a horrible way to end an album
Love Vigilantes,
It's New Order. it gets 5 stars.
I've always felt a little mixed on the synth-y sounds that the group took on in the transition from Joy Division to New Order. Low-Life hits the right balance for me. The textures on this album are clean and creative. I love how the guitars sound when they come in. I especially love the back to back combo of Sunrise to Elegia. Bernard Summers vocals are "bad", but they work in a charming way. Would have been interesting to hear what this group would have sounded like had they not lost Ian Curtis.
While I don't love this genre, I did think there were more hits than misses on this record. This album has the quintessential 80s instrumental as well.
I liked it. I probably need to give it another listen or two, but I could see myself getting into this. Of note, I liked the sound of the opening track and Elegia the best.
All of their songs had a lot of deeper thoughts and feelings, that have a dark edge to them. I really liked Love Vigilantes, on the surface such an 80's rock/pop song but listening to the lyrics it was far deeper. One could argue that their musical genre doesn't lend itself well to all of the deeper meanings, and could make light of some of those topics. Overall I enjoyed this album and would listen again.
I like New Order. Great melodies. I like that the guitar work is simple and not overly complicated. My only criticism is that it's sometimes a bit formulaic because I swear a couple of these songs sound like other New Order songs. I'm about a 3.5 with this but that instrumental (Eligia) pushes this up to a 4 for me.
I like New Order’s vibe. Nothing super duper grabbed me on this particular album, but it was a fun and groovin’ listen.
Really enjoyed this album. Was going to list my favorite songs but I loved all of them right up until the last 3. I didn't DISLIKE those 3, but they were my least favorite of the bunch (Sooner Than you Think, Sub-Culture and Face Up).
Questionable vocals and simple lyrics, often mundane subject matter, great production.
I have never found an appreciation for New Order anywhere near what I have for Joy Division, but this album really surprised me. Think I need to give it a few more listens.
not my favourite new order album
***An ok album
# 309 : Fairly generic 80s synth music for the most part, great in places and might even listen to it again.
Not their finest, but there is some excellent music here.
I love an album that starts with heavy hitters and builds, it feels like any of the first four tracks could be the strongest one yet. Tons of energy, amazing bass sound and keyboards. The instruments are clear and distinct in the mix. After Sunrise it's the perfect time to slow things down with the instrumental Elegia. The rest of the second half is upbeat again, with Sub-culture being my favorite on the side and maybe the record. Very nostalgic synth sound for me. 8 songs, 40 minutes, perfect length. Everything's good so I can't help but give this top marks.
Those vocals are not good at all. The instrumental is not bad but not incredible either. Didn't like it that much.
I'd consider this pretty generic 80s "dark disco," though with how influential this album was, perhaps quintessential is a more appropriate word. There are some unique moments, like the outro in The Perfect Kiss. Vocals aren't great and lyrics are often difficult to discern. Listened to: at 5MW. Favorite tracks: This Time of Night
This was just alright. I wasn't a fan of the vocalist but everything else was nice.
Expected Blue Monday, got Black Friday
New order is one of the best group of all time but they have albums better. That’s only 4
Quintessential 80s sound. Not as terrible as I thought, but still not my thing.
SO GOOD
3.5
Is the '80s a huge try-not-to-use-synths-challenge- impossible era in pop music??
Yet another melancholic post-punk album with whiny British boys. This one was more up beat than the others so I'll give it half a star for that. Just boring and formulaic justi like the others of this genre. 2.5.
Perfect mix between synths and guitars in the evolution of New Order. You can hear where so many later bands were inspired by New Order’s use of synthesizers and drum machines in dance music, and putting the vocals low in the mix. I like it, but can’t help comparing it to later New Order that is more well known, and I think, better. 3-ish⭐️ (4 for the pioneering instrumental parts, and 2 for the vocals and lyrics)
One of my favourite New Order albums. The opening three tracks are sublime. If ever there was a band where the sum is greater than the parts, then it's New Order.
Meh. The only song that stood out for me, Elegia, is coincidentally also the only song without vocals and the basic 80s synth pop beat.
That's not my taste in musik. Boring.
Not the first album that comes to mind when I think of New Order, but a fun one nonetheless. There's no real stand out track here, like a Blue Monday or Temptation, but it's all good quality and it's definitely worth another listen.
I think that I've played the record about 5 times in the last 2 days, and that is normally the sign of a 5***** album, but that's not how it ends. Call me crazy, but several times I was expecting The Cure to start belting out the tunes... so, nice album, but 4****
BL: I’ve only listened to the hits from new order. I have fond memories of my dad introducing me to blue Monday. But despite the fact that it holds such a strong place in pop culture, I find myself not ever having properly dug into it, so I’m happy to be making this first step today. AL: I loved this album. Existing in a groovy cavern between dance, disco, and ambient electronica. New Order have carved out a very specific niche that not many have broken into, and those that have still pail in comparison. I will be putting this on frequently now, and digging into different new order albums for more listening FT: “Love Vigilante”, “This Time of The Night”, “Sunrise”, “Elegia”, “Face Up” 5/5
3/5
Yuck.
Most of this is pretty good. My god "Sub-Culture" is awful tho.
It's ok, some of it sounds a little jarring. High 2.
If I’m gonna have a synth pop 80s record on my top page I think it’s gonna be this one. Loved this one so much. Maybe even better than PC&L?
Makes me wanna move. Voice occasionally whiney? But a great sound overall. Energetic sadboiz? I like it. Opener is a banger. Wow, I love elegia. He really can't sing sometimes, but it works so well as a whole. yeah, this is a 3.7
Started the album and it felt like expected. While never being mainstream in North America it is taking me back to middle school and the fav band of the cool kids with painted fingernails whose older siblings in Uni got them cassettes scared from nicotine fingers. Simple songs, sometimes simpler lyrics. Doesn’t inspire much. But then again… like a late night box of chicken nuggets, maybe the simplest is the best. Who came first New Order or The Cure? Moody, Haunting, Progressing Melodies, and dare I say Gripping? I’d always left New Order to the eye-rolling club but while lacking any real complexity these are catchy tunes. I cannot deny it any longer. It’s a 3.75 but I’ll round up...
I'll say this: I've disliked other 80's music more. 2.2
It is like a visit from an old friend.
Elegia is really good! The rest is standard New Order though, jingle bass and off key singing.
OK its a great album. The elegia son I hate cause it interrupts the flow of the album. Thats a producer error. I would have done a intrumental side and a vocals side as its a dance album it would have worked. Best 3/4 are intstumental songs which Im not really into for listening at home but work as a dance club music it kills. Too many bands were playing too much alike when this movement exploded in the scene and they all sound similar. Cure and New Order were the best for sure commercially and as musicians as well.
Meh
Very British, which is par for the course on this list, but this is the good kind of very British (3.5/5)
i have to admit i slightly wrote off new order when i first tried to listen several years ago, thinking that the difference in style wasnt enough to overcome my fundamental disconnect that i also have with joy division. idk whats happened in the years since but this is one of the most Completely and Instantly good times ive had with these so far....maybe its just getting a Little More Morbid (these are still Goth Classics), maybe its the group having drifted further away at this point from the joy division routes, maybe its acknowledging that i basically want all music ever to have big synthesizers, maybe its just an undeniably tight and hard hitting tracklist idk FHJFS all i know is this is the coolest warehouse trip ever and i wish i could dance
Love me the new order. 8/10
Pretty good but sounded SO MUCH like the Cure to me in spots..
I never really managed to get into New Order in the same way I did Joy Division. I tried listening to Power, Corruption & Lies and, although I love Age Of Consent, couldn’t get past how different We All Stand sounded. I should have started with Low-Life, because this is exactly how I want my New Order to sound, still with the Gothic edge and darkness that comes from their Post-Punk roots, but with the sparkle of electronica. There’s a sort of typical 80’s-ness about this, because it sounds like the best of the Alternative, left of the dial stuff, mixed with the best of the Electronica stuff that was really starting to make it’s mark. A Platonic ideal of 80’s music would possibly sound like Low-Life. I’ve talked about Platonic Idealism, or I suppose Transcendental Idealism, before, during my review of Tubular Bells. The difference in my attitude here is that Tubular Bells feels like a particular case of an artists actively seeking to create a Platonic Ideal of music as complex sound. What Low-Life is doing is accidentally creating an amalgamation of notable trends in music of their era, and therefore creating an almost perfect storm of styles. It’s not accidentally genius, it’s genius is clear to see, is tangible. But it’s genius as representation of an Ideal of music styles in the mid 80’s by definition cannot have been planned. And yet it is still there, this is what comes to mind when someone says ‘80’s Music’ to me. And I love it. Well, time to give Power, Corruption & Lies another go then
Good interesting sound. Enjoyable.
This is another one where my expectations were low and then absolutely obliterated. This album slaps. I'd never listened to New Order but was dimly aware of them as "what was left of Joy Division" and thus overlooked them. What a mistake, and a disrespectful one too. These songs are well-crafted and catchy, and the production is way more dynamic than many of this album's peers. Highlights: Love Vigilantes, The Perfect Kiss, Sub-culture, Face Up
I love New Order. I am especially fascinated by the story of how Joy Division became New Order. It’s such a strange transition. Still, both bands are great. This album shows off the band’s talent and distinct sound. Loved it.