Low-Life

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

Underwhelming. I can appreciate the music and the synth pop feel but I'm not a huge fan.

Completely fine. Could tell it was NO right away. No surprises really. Liked one song I had never heard before. Made me want to listen to their hits.

The guitar tone clashes too much with the other instruments for me to enjoy. Vocalist seems to constantly be dancing around the correct pitch. Almost sounds like someone singing karaoke. Overall a pretty unenjoyable experience.

New wave sounding… listen again!

For all of the brit-pop cluttering this list, some actual good british albums can get lost in the crowd, but this one stands out to me as one of the true gems. Still, 80s brit-pop as a genre was never my favorite, but I gotta hand it to them, they made an original album album that was, not only bearable, but downright enjoyable at parts. Not too many complaints, vocals aren’t very strong and almost got repetitive, but it hung in there. 3/5

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.

Not my favorite New Order work. Still a good album that I enjoyed. Just nothing too special for me.

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.

Leuk

Pop tranquilo y sosegado con algún toque electrónico. Sin grandes estridencias, buena voz.

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.

Amazing album! For me, it's nearly flawless. I love the dark/techno synths, the danceable beats, the thoughtful lyrics, that instrumental, everything. I only did not care much for the first song (it's a great, catchy beat/tune and everything, I just don't care about the subject matter. I also don't like much country, and that's what it sounded like to me) but even that one was still pretty good and the last one, too, which still was not bad. I knew I liked New Order before listening to this album, but I never knew how much. Now THIS is a must-hear-before-you-die album. Definite 5 star from me. <3

Last 2 tracks stop this from being perfect.

Am I the 1000th person to say STRANGER THINGS tv series opening title track owes everything to ELEGIA by New Order? To New Order. Their genius. They are the music of my 90s. 7 am drive to uni, grad a free parking spot and wait for the library to open. It's never enough until you're stops beating. The perfect kiss. Dancing under strobes , carefree to Bizaar Love Triangle at the From Nightclub. the rapture and energy of youth. Yes you had to be there. And I was. But I listened to their compilation SUBSTANCE v1&2. (Mostly 2) Not actual albums. So the masterpiece ELEGIA is a revelation to me. Also remembering a perfect kiss.

Pleasant 80's sound

Just for love vigilantes vibes

Nice to listen to this on vinyl! Although this album doesn't include really any of their major hits, I do appreciate the 80s vibes and boppy beats, it's a good time and is apparently considered their best work by many. Especially love the full 80s synth on Sub-culture. There is something very trashy about the low-effort vocals haha but I kind of don't mind it and it does give the music something unique and interesting about it. I did get kind of bored and lose interest in this album and had to listen twice to check. Glad I did because on second listen I loved half the tracks and found half of them were boring.

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

New Order aren't really my kind of thing apart from the hits which are banging. I didn't mind this but it's just not something I fancy listening to much

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

Didn't hate it but nothing really stood out for me. One and done.

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

Shite. He can’t sing

Bright spots

Not the best but good

Less pop-y than a lot of the other 80's stuff on the list, and that uniqueness is what makes it less forgettable. Good effort from the lads.

kewl

Erstatta albumversjonen av Elegia med fullversjonen, siden eg har ein svakhet for 17 min lange sanga. Og lure på om detta e første gang eg hørre heile?? Siden iTunes-versjonen eg har alltid skippe ette ca 9 min av ein eller anna grunn. The Perfect Kiss minne meg om han tiktok-fyren eg fulgte før som laga ein dans til den lol. Nostalgisk album med masse bra synth

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?

More upbeat than the New Order I’ve listened to recently but love love loved this album. Some of the coolest stuff coming out in that period imo

Terrible

LOOOOVE

The music is not bad but fuck those 80’s synths.

Doesn't really grip me

It's not their best (Technique) but is still not bad. (But still not something that's worthy for the 1001) One of those albums I don't listen too regularly but when I do I end up thinking I should listen to it more often. Happy memories of being in band and sitting around teaching ourselves how to play Love Vigilantes.

Nah.

"The Perfect Kiss" was the best song. The rest was pretty formulaic new wave stuff. Nothing spectacular, but it didn't grate on me.

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.

Not a fan

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

Mmmmheeeee? Some good hits but some reaaallly speciale singing in some of theem

This was such a good album. It was right up my alley, my kind of music. The opening and ending (loved face up) were great songs and this time of night.

Sunrise👍 Elegia, sounds like a movie soundtrack.

the beginnings of a great band, but not a great album

A few classics - not the greatest voice

Great early alternative rock

3.5 A few really good songs, more if you include the extended 2CD version. Love the additional songs and instrumentals. Standouts: "Love Vigilantes", "The Perfect Kiss", "Shellshock", "Sub-culture" The rest is really great. Enjoyable.

Un album au cours duquel New order passera son temps à essayer de nous convaincre qu'un nouvel ordre mondial est en marche. L'artiste passera en revue toutes ses théories complotistes de la plus vraisemblable à la plus absurde et finit contre toute attente par nous convaincre. Une belle découverte.

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

it's okay, but I want to listen again with more attention

This album started out very boring but picked up greatly around the halfway mark. Sadly the closing track was not great either. The first 3 tracks were what I can only describe as background music. Tracks 4-7 were quite good, and track 8 was just ok. The albums middling quality is emphasized by the fact that I chose to describe it by which songs were good and which were bad. Not an album I think I’d come back to. 3.5/10

Blew a line of coke off a cassette tape for this one!

- Love Vigilantes is a banger but that’s the only track I’ll revisit

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.

I fully understand, why someone would fall completely in love with New Order. Their sound is haunting, desperate and still quite danceable at times - a feat. This is the album, where New Order emerges as a complete band after Joy Division. I find myself fully emerged in the sound and I’m almost lulled into a trance. Then it’s all over. And I have a hard time pinpointing standout tracks. It’s all just kind of there. When I’m in the mood this is easily a 4. But in general I think this grading is more true to my gut feeling.

strong start! Love the strummed guitar and drum tambre. Starting to be over this raw vocals trend. I could use some polish. After listening to the whole album, the voice really turns me off. The first and last songs save it from a two star rating

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

This list leans pretty hard on this post-punk to new wave transitional era in British rock, though so guess I can see the argument for its importance on the non-hip hop side of pop music. Though by 1985 I’m not sure this is bringing all that much new to the table. Some interesting things going on lyrically here, at least at times, but the vocals are very much the weakest link.

Awesome album. Full of high notes and high energy songs, as well as contains one of my favourite New Order tracks - Elegia. It is also short and sweet, not too long, not too short. While I think their previous album is a classic (Power, Corruption and Lies), this still comes through as a very string album. I would give it 4.5 out of 5, but there is no such rating, so I will round it up - 5 it is.

Meh it was ok for what it was

6/10 catchy but the lyrics made it quite hard to listen to

7/10. This was pretty cool

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

Nearly unlistenable boring garbage

Favourite song: The Perfect Kiss

I give this one a 3, balancing action-packed and diverse tracks against a bit of all-over-the-placeness. Nice listening.

Not as brilliant as their other lps, but still decent

Low-Life is the third album by English rock band New Order, and it's considered their best work. This synth-pop album was well-received by critics, and its release was propped up by the single "The Perfect Kiss". I enjoyed this album more than I thought I would going into it. It's a wonderful 80's dance-pop album.

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

Vocals are bad but still work for the most part, beats are fun and high energy

7/10 parte muy bien las primeras canciones pero dsp se ponia medio monotono. igual mgto caleta

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.

I'll reiterate, 80s stuff generally isn't for me

Lyden av melankolsk 80 tall er litt sær. Må si jeg er litt skuffa av de tidvis uinspirerte vokalene. Tekstens mening faller også litt flatt når låtene ellers er så repetetive

Fikk bare tid til å høre én sang. Den var litt rar.

It really was acceptable in the 80s

take the Kraftwerk foundation and add enough poppiness to make every track a banger. this scratches multiple itches in my brain: like emotional Stranger Things montage music + bittersweet Cyberpunk denoument music. floored I enjoyed the album this much. 5/5

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...

Some very new-wavey new-wave

meh ok

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

3/5

'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.

Jesus christ this album is fucking fantastic

3.5/5

Low-Life is better than Technique but New Order were crap, and this proves it. Another 1.

Much better than our previous New Order album, but still doesn't massively grab me. Didn't know any of the songs, but the hook on Love Vigilantes is somehow familiar. It's a nice listen, but there's not a lot there that I'll remember. 3/5.

This is okay. I really like the song Love Vigilantes, but I really dislike the bouncy, synth-based rhythms that underlie most of the other songs. That prototypical 80's new wave synth rhythms - not sure how else to describe it. It just sounds so inorganic and tiresome after the 100th time hearing that sound. Overall the songs are decent, just not a fan of that sound. 3 stars.

Love Vigilantes and Face-Up are the gems here. Can’t give half stars but this is a solid 3.5

7/10

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

Assets: "The Perfect Kiss" is a very nice eighties dance track, even though its 12'' extended mix is a far superior version of it--mostly because of the added guitars in its finale, drawing the whole thing to post-punk at the last minute or so. In this "album version", we fortunately still have that crazy bridge with... frogs. Yes, *frogs*. But frogs can't beat a proper post-punk finale. At least in my book. Speaking of post-punk, that other cut "Sunrise" has everything in it that can make you fall in love with New Order (Peter Hook's incredible basslines being 50% of it, as usual). It's, simply put, one of the best "rock" tracks, Sumner and company have ever written and performed. As for "Elegia", it is very touching and evocative. This delicate and melancholic instrumental almost sounds like a post-rock composition, even though proper post-rock would only be invented 5 years later... Flaws: As good as they are, "Sunrise" and "Elegia" actually stick out like sore thumbs compared to everything else. Which brings me to the problem of this record, which is actually not merely about cohesiveness. No, the problem is that, sonically speaking, everything else is just so damn CHEESY (apart from "The Perfect Kiss", maybe...). *Low-Life* is indeed filled with the worst clichés ever associated to the eighties--you know the ones, those that didn't age well at all: gated drums, overmixed tom parts, hackneyed and/or dated club beats, fake horns on synths, lame fake-funky parts on guitars, and overly predictable chord progressions played on grating keyboards... Shall I continue the list? Such a record suggests that New Order went from sounding like goth freaks to playing stuff that would fit in supermarkets and malls a little too fast. And Sumner is not a good enough vocalist (and lyricist) to make up for the overall bad taste that sometimes lingers on your mouth here. His voice is especially tentative and weak on this particular LP. If the music is good, Sumner doesn't need to be particularly impressive as a singer, as *Power, Corruption & Lies* or the "Blue Monday" single can prove. Whereas in here, he just can't *sell* the whole thing for me. New Order would later find a *better* balance between post-punk tracks and dance cuts on the sadly underrated *Brotherhood*. Then, very unfortunately, they would hit an all-time low on the OVERrated *Technique* (where BOTH sorts of tracks actually sound weak or even awful today). But that's a story for another time, kiddies, probably when I give a 5/5 grade to *Power, Corruption & Lies*. In the meantime... Number of albums left to review: 731 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 132 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 65 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 73 (including this one)

This synth-pop is punctured with punchy, punky guitar, loosely strewn. I like it well enough, but the songs don't really stick.

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

Generally good

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

Enjoyed it, but probably wouldn't listen to it again. I liked most songs but felt that the singing was kind of weak at times.

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

Meh, not my bag. Singer is pretty awful, tone wise. Never been much of a new wave fan. Didn't hate it though.

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 generally like New Order. Don't get this album

Yes NEW ORDER !! TOTALLY INTO THIS !! SEEN THEM 1X AND LISTENED 20X

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

Cannot separate the nostalgia from the music. This is ❤️

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.

Had never heard this but pretty good mix of electrico beats. Quite a few songs a bit generic-The Cure" like. Vocals avg at best but overall ok

Goated

Прослушано! Отличный альбом, слушать обязательно.

This album is a 2.5. Why are you listening to this New Order album? Love songs! Yay! They went from being a weird, off key depressed band to this strange abomination. The previous album is the only New Order worth listening to. If you too long songs about love that go synth in the dark, then, I guess this is your album.

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

Too much Brit pop recently, hard to let them stand alone. I guess it is their fault they sound so similar?

Arguably the best New Order album with start to finish mix of guitars, drums, synths and that bass. Oh how I CAN bear the thought of you!

Tycker ju om synth....

It was okay

Not the best vocals, but still manages to be pretty good.

Excellent. Liked the synth sound. Closer to 4 than 2.

Klassischer 80s Sound. Stellenweise sehr gut, größten Teils aber mittelmäßig.

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.

It was OK. His voice was a lot worse than I remember

Music is excellent but can’t get past the vocals. This would be so much better if he could actually sing.

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.

O pós punk mais interessante que escutei.

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.

Rating: 3.2 Best Track: Elegia

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.

This could have been a phenomenal album, but the vocals are laughably bad. The singer sounded like a drunkard trying to keep up with the music based on lyrics he scribbled down on a napkin at the bar. He was off-beat and off-key and it just made it overall unpleasant. I get singers have "unique" voices (i.e. Thom Yorke) but this was just bad. Pity because I really dug the sound of the band.

New order definitely make music but they are also completely uninteresting.

Good 80s dance-synth-pop. The benefit to New Order with Low-Life is this is their album that turned them into the New Order they are known as. This is their inspirational album that leads off a new genre. 3.5/5.

A little too much New order at once, got a little samesie

Didn’t really like them….guess that’s why I never heard of this 80’s band. 🤷🏼‍♀️

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

A very hit and miss album. A couple of songs in the middle, particularly Sunrise and Elegia, were great. The opening song had such an awful mix though, each part was so weirdly independent it just sounded like it was recorded over Skype, and the vocals were awful on the last two songs

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)

This does little for me. Probably an important step between… boring 80s postpunk and boring 80s dance but that doesn’t interest me much. Is he out of tune half the time?

Some pretty abysmal singing and writing, one extra star for the instrumental track which was actually pretty good.

Yeah...nah. I might have liked this much more in 1985.

I was never a fan of New Order. I always found it difficult to get past Bernard Sumner’s weak vocals. His best vocal on this is on Sunrise, where he sounds like he’s channelling Robert Smith. No surprise, therefore, that the track I enjoyed most was the instrumental, Elegia. A lot of British bands either sounded like New Order, or were desperately trying to at the time. But this sound never grabbed me.

Scattered in New Order's lengthy career are a handful of banging singles; Bizarre Love Triangle, Blue Monday, True Faith. But none of those songs appear on this album. I always felt that New Order were the emperor's new clothes.There's really not much there, covered over with a veneer of shiny dance production. The playing's not great, the songs are forgettable, the singing is average at best, the lyrics are banal... there is an occasional flash of energy (Sunrise or Face Up) or faux moodiness (Elegia), but not enough to lift this above a 'meh' rating for me. Bernard Sumner's guitar playing, in particularly, is irritating. Both singles from the album were remixed and edited for single release, and in the case of Sub-Culture, heavily over-dubbed. These re-worked versions are much imp[roved (esp Sub-culture, which is almost a different song) more listenable, making the album version seem like a rough demo by way of comparison. This album is completely inessential in my opinion.

Classic brit pop, really good stuff from them

It’s surprising that most of these band members were from joy division. I think that shows how much one person can impact a band. New Order’s music is much different and not nearly as good. They are heavy on the synth pop sound which was big in the 80s but doesn’t hold well over time. This album wasn’t bad but it felt dated. 5.6/10

Some really good songs but also some not. The singer’s voice isn’t always up to the task.

Quand meme bon meme si c'est saturé de drum machine. Ca va avec l'epoque j'imagine. 3.15

2.5/5 Bester Song: Face up Aber seltsame Musik

3/5 80er Pop Mid Sehr Leicht experimentell Kate bush vibes Letzter Song the Cure vibes

OK. Unmemorable, but unoffensive.

Magnificent.

не моё

one of the best sounding album

Only good tracks were track 1 and the instrumentals. Didn't hurt my ears!

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.

First time listening. Had it on loop flying back from Malaga at 3am after a long weekend on the piss. Slept most of the flight but whenever I'd wake up, every track was sensational 🤌🏻

Some fun guitar stuff but overall a generic sounding 80s album

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

I love love an album with none of the filler dance tracks

I really dig the 80's sound. Makes me think of Depeche Mode work. That being said, I'm not really fan of the vocals. Don't really know why but it feels like a good match with the music. It's good that there are a couple of instrumental song kmon tbebalbhn

Vond het wat traag, saaitjes. Soms wel wat stranger things vibes wat nice was.

Hard to believe the same band that wrote the absolute anthem that is ‘Age of Consent’ can churn out an album full of listless pop-rock. The instrumentals and melodies are serviceable at best, and the vocals (both songwriting and delivery) are godawful

It’s fine. Nothing grabs me on this one.

It’s tragic I didn’t really care for this, because theoretically I should love it. I love 80s new wave synth music and yet I never engaged meaningfully with this album. I’m open to giving it another chance but I found it boring on the first listen.

2, was expecting more

Not really my style of music

17/08/2022 New Order – Low Life 2.5/5 80’s sound, good instrumentation, and punk and rock inspiration. New Order uses the synths well, with interesting and danceable tunes. Not something I will listen to constantly, but I’m happy of having discovered the band beyond Blue Monday and Elegia. The worst, vocal performance. How the vocalist sings is one of the most important things I value in a song, and Bernard Summer doesn’t have the best voice in the word. Their punk background is also stands out and is not a style I like. These two things make it something I would probalby not listen in the future. Love Vigilantes – 3/5 Doesn’t sound bad at all, could be in the soundtrack of any movie of the time (or some nostalgic current movie). But you could tell me that the song is played by any other 80’s band and I would not differ. The Perfect Kiss – 2.5/5 Similar to Love Vigilantes, but something is missing. Worse vocal arrangement (or production/editing). It has an interesting solo (a frog interlude), so not that bad. This Time of Night – 1.5/5 Awful vocals. The instrumentation becomes kind of linear and repetitive in this song too. Sunrise – 3.5/5 This song is a context where Bernard Summer vocals fit better, a “rockier” song. It is actually a highlight in the album. Elegia – 5/5 The only song I knew before listening to the whole album. A great instrumental song mixing guitar and synths masterfully creating a very magical atmosphere. And in memory of the singer of Joy Division, their previous band. Sooner Than You Think – 2.5/5 Other song I would probably like more if it weren’t because of the vocals. Sub-culture – 1.5/5 Worst vocal performance, and worst song of the album, in my opinion. Face Up – 3.5/5 Really like the sound of this song: its first minute, and the great little bass riff. Then Bernard start singing. Its quite original anyway.

Poo Order

Dis order

Want to love it but it’s meh.

2 Order

The debate will always rage about New Order's 80s albums vs the singles, possibly the last group where this a genuine discussion. The Perfect Kiss 12" is better than the album version, they recorded a 17 minute version of Elegia and put out another 12" version of Sub-culture. But it's a pretty perfect album nevertheless.

I'm becoming a fan of more 80's music, but this is the crappy side.

This was good but there was no hook for me.

Most of it was a bad Depeche Mode impression, but there was also one instrumental that was rich and lush and amazing, which was really confusing. I thought Spotify had messed up and started playing a different album. Best track: Elegia

Wauw. Dit is wel lekkere 80s popmuziek. Ik houd wel van die typische synthesizer popmuziek. ***

Literally none of these tracks are the stand-out New Order tracks. It's a decent enough listen, but New Order did so much betterer.

J’imagine qu’il y a aussi Movement dans la liste. Celui-ci est un peu tard et sans grand intérêt.

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.

Don’t know these songs, but I always like their sound.

This surprised me, very much a headphones album with layers and layers. No massive stand out tune and not blown away by vocals but an album to get lost in. 4.5

Hatte ich New Order nicht mal gelobt vor einiger Zeit? Ich kann diese Platte nicht hören. Belangloser Achtziger-Pop.

It's a great album and a great way to be introduced to New Order. For someone who had not heard of them.

some good, some outdated

Very smiths but really good, more diverse

This should be nobody's favorite album. The best song by far is "Elegia" and no other track sounds similar to it. It's possible this album was once innovative, but it is boring today.

Mid 80s new wave, post punk, synthesizers, and drum machines.

on the one hand I want to give a low rating, but on the other hand, this is a good album at first I didn’t like anything, but a couple of songs make me think a little about my words, scans above, well done, old fonk? it reminded me a little of the cure and devid bowie

Lyrics like "I have always thought about / Staying here and going out / Tonight I should have stayed at home / Playing with my pleasure zone" make me wonder how Low-Life made it onto the 1001 Albums list... What shines beyond the nonsense lyrics, however, is New Order's mastery of synth pop. While no Depeche Mode, Tears for Fears, Duran Duran or Kraftwerk, Bernard Sumner certainly sits comfortably amongst his peers on this record. Still, not worthy of 3- or even 4-star praise...

Although this album is a bit more synth-heavy and techno than most of the music I enjoyed in the 80s, I do remember liking their work very much and listening to it fairly often. They add a bit more texture and drive to their songs than music I typically associate with techno and synthesizer-focused, and I like a lot of their composition and performance. It caught be by surprise back then because I usually had a strong negative response to anything I might have characterized as "dance music" (silly, I know -- so many things I closed off in my vain attempts to be cool). Listening to this album again for the first time in a few decades, I find it holds up nicely and although I doubt I'll make a regular habit of listening to this album or other New Order music, I think it's fun.

Not offensive, not great.

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.

It feels wrong to get this album before Power, Corruption & Lies, but my thoughts on that album will be saved for another day. New Order's contributions to synthpop cannot be understated. Taking the styles and compositions of Joy Division and expanding on them through the synths and dance rhythms established by Kraftwerk in the prior decade. Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of New Order. This comes from carryover grievances with Joy Division in which I find them the overall product to be somewhat lackluster, but still worth talking about. I like New Order more as a concept in music history than the actual songs, but that doesn't extinguish their recognized quality on this album.

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

One of my favourite New Order albums - love Subculture and Elegia and Face Up

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

à la recherche des tubes de new order dans le top 1000 albums ↻↻↻

Yes I like New Order

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

Like my Joy Division reviews, I found this also to be quite mediocre. Very bland, middle of the road and safe. It's not terrible music but it never goes beyond a certain point when it could.

Love this about the cover art from Wikipedia "The album's artwork is the only New Order release to feature photographs of the band members on its cover. The CD comes packaged with drummer/keyboardist Stephen Morris on the front cover, while inside the case are four photographs and a semi-transparent piece of paper with the band's name, allowing the owners to choose which band member is seen through the sleeve." I like New Order well enough, but have never listened to Low-Life straight through. Starts bare and sparse with Love Vigilantes. The reviewer that said the song could be The Alarm or Big Country was onto something with that observation. Then we move into the sound I'm expecting with The Perfect Kiss, a fantastic track. Most of these tracks are all quite good. Easier to pick out my least favorite, This Time of Night. That said, even though the songs are all individually good and the album hangs together well, it is just missing some magic ingredient to make me love it. Happy to listen if it is on, probably won't seek it out for repeated listening.

Wow, I really hated this guy's voice. It just sounded nasally and whiny. The instrumentals and synth were okay, I guess, but they didn't do much of anything to redeem the album. I listened to the whole thing and I hate myself for it.

Very nice

New old-sound for this age.

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.

Not my favourite NO album. Vocals are thin. Missing Curtis more than ever.

As good as this type of dance-plus music can be. It's a little angsty, as if we're dancing to forget and be free of the pain. The bass lines and epic and most of the synth hooks hold up. It gets a bit same-y toward the back.

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

Thought this was brilliant. High energy and intense. "Elegia" was absolutely standout for me, will be listening to it fairly regularly from now on.

Love Vigilantes is an amazing album opener. It sets the tone for New Order to take the wheel and drive you straight to the crescendo of their post-Joy Division glory. Solid album.

Not as dark and gloomy as other New Order

Some good poppy stuff on here, offsets the proto-electronic stuff that I'm not a big fan of.

Hot take: New Order > Joy Division. Y'all just are horny for a tragedy.

Somewhat forgettable, but enjoyable in the moment. Like the 80s.

i wasn't into this album until i heard "elegia." that's the standout of this album. deep, beautiful, eerie. a nice tribute in their friend's memory. i like this album, and it's very of the time! synth eighties. it's a good listen, but i don't think it stands as i thought it would. it can be a little forgettable, but some of the instrumentation is top notch. "sunrise" and of course "elegia" stand out in that regard.

This album didn't really strike anything with or in me. It was okay, but I was ultimately pretty underwhelmed. The one track that piqued my interest was the instrumental track, Elegia. It was such an odd but great inclusion that really highlighted and brought to light the dark wave qualities on this album.

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.

There was a long time that New Order was a secret guilty pleasure band for me, and this record in particular because electronic/dance was most definitely not my scene. Love Vigilantes has always been a favorite, but damn, I like the dancy bits. Maybe me, but I hear a fair amount of “The Cure” sound in here too with the guitars.

I was more familiar with Power, Corruption & Lies. This is a great followup. Moody synths, sort of dancey, not quite as hooky as Blue Monday. Just a great Friday listen.

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

My 17 year old is into New Order and has recently breathed new life into this band for me. Elegia has long been a favourite song of mine but I have not listened to this album for a long time. So it was a pleasure rediscovering it. Faves: Love Vigilantes - is he a ghost? The Perfect Kiss - slightly creepy, Elegia, just beautiful.

The first track is really good, then it devolves into 80's synth cheese.

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! 🙏

The synth / high male vocal combo that typifies a lot of 80’s pop is here in spades, with relatively little to differentiate itself from the pack.

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.

Je suis très ambivalent sur ce groupe! Boîte à rythmes énergiques, riffs accrocheurs, bonnes tounes... mais un chanteur qui cherche sa note, quelques facilités...

The "singer" can't sing shit. They act like they don't care about it but sometimes it sounds like the only purpose of the music is to cover up those enerving squeaking and out of tune half-screams with some terrible results.

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

It's new wave. I've heard worse, and I've heard better. I liked that doing from Stanger Things tho, Elegia.

interesting but not enough to rush out and buy it

geðveikt

Pretty unremarkable but not bad. Know some other New Order stuff but this was all new to me I think. 3.5

Loved this, top notch

Really Good. 4/5

No ty

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

it's ok, 3/5

This got better as it went on, standout track was Elegia for me, possibly due to a lack of awful vocals.

Love Vigilantes sounds like a cover that I'm more familiar with. Maybe they did a harder version of this(?) I listened to the remastered version, so I suppose there's some alt versions out there. I'm not a fan of the electric piano and synthesizer doinks on songs like The Perfect Kiss and Face Up, but I really love the low flung guitar that eases in on Sunrise. Elegia is really Cure-ish instrumental, it's ethereal yet impending that builds over time. New Order fits into the category of Pet Shop Boys (not a fan), Depeche Mode (really not a fan) and the Cure (sometimes a fan). To describe the genre in 90's terms, this would be indy college rock. Definitely not mainstream but really cool and new music if you appreciated an alternative scene. In today's standards, it's decent, not Depeche Mode and not The Cure.

New Order’s “Low Life” started with “Love Vigilantes,” which momentarily gave me hope. It was /that/ 80s post-punk/new-wave British vocal that I’m so sick of, but the exaggeration and accent was muted a bit. Plus, the concept of love vigilantes sounded intriguing, perhaps making me more receptive? But then it turns out it’s not about love vigilantes at all. It’s about a soldier returning from Vietnam to find his wife thought he was dead and committed suicide. Well that’s depressing. Interesting, and playing on several story archetypes, but depressing. I’d be more interested in love vigilantes who went out and violently defended people’s right to love. But these Brits “decided to write a redneck song” (their words), so they wrote a sad story about a Vietnam vet. After the aurally tolerable “Love Vigilantes,” everything else went downhill along with the mood the lyrics left me in. The rest of “Low Life” is exactly the kind of British 80s post-punk/new-wave that is a big turn-off for me. It wasn’t all bad though - I liked the guitars in “Sunrise” and the instrumental “Elegia” was good on its own and spared Bernard Sumner’s voice.

This is 4 star music paired with a 2 star voice. The lead singer’s voice sounds very thin. Love Vigilantes and Sunrise are my favorite songs.

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.

This would be an easy 3/5, the tunes are kinda easily-digestible 80s new wave/synthpop and some of the melodies are pleasant... but the singer is terrible. wtf? he's completely out of key and then makes it worse by being whiny as well. It's actually pretty baffling just how bad the singing is. How on earth did this band ever see success with a singer THIS AWFUL? I thought I'd just get over it for the space of this album, but after about 3 songs I started to struggle. It's a shame, because in theory I should like this a lot more. 2/5.

It's so much better than any Joy Division album. Been using "The Perfect Kiss" to test headphones for years now hahah And "Sunrise" was an unexpected banger. Minds of 99 has no doubt taken inspiration from these guys. Oh My God. "Elegia" is amazing. Holy shit I love this. 5

Great 80's sound with catchy melodies

Wack

Love vigilantees

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.

Decent but far from their best

Decent enough life

I couldn't pick a song I liked. Not for me.

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

Their very best. 8 perfect tracks on long play format, enjoy this from start to finish.

Pretty neat little indie music from a forgotten era (the fucking 80s).

Elegia was so good it forced a second listen

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

It just doesn’t get more 80s!

New Order are great. Their use of synth combined with great bass playing defined an era. Sadly, they aren't great songwriters or singers. This album has some real highlights, but let down by some drab songwriting

Very solid album.

Was okay

Thankfully this was a short album. I enjoyed the audio only track the most. The rest was just not interesting at all.

moody, synthy, like a disco but drugs

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.

mu weeeno full 80tero

This is bland english dance pop right in the front. Face Up was probably the only track that I found interesting.

Good! Reminds me of tears for fears.

Lots of 80’s mood. Didn’t do a ton for me but I wasn’t bummed by it.

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

great

This is not my kind of favorite music, but this album is excellent! The lyrics are very interesting !

Quality new-wave album, 4/5 stars

Nothing really great here. First two songs are very good the rest did little to make me want to hear this album again. It's a good album but doesn't have anything to make irise to greatness. 3.5 🌟

Jammer dat ze in de jaren 80 nog niet over de technologie beschikte om deze zanger goed te laten zingen. Dan was het nog wat toffer geweest.

Dit vond ik best wel aardig, op de zang na.