New Order: Be A Rebel (2020)

Toronto is blessed with many record stores, most good, some not. I try my best to shop locally, but sometimes, I see things online that I cannot find here, and, sometimes, I see things for some unbeatable prices. Take this record for example. It's the latest New Order single and something I probably would not have purchased. It has four mixes of Be A Rebel and is pressed on limited edition grey (dove) vinyl. The current price is $21.08 on Amazon, though it seems to fluctuate. One day, this was on sale for $6.93. I could not turn in down. 

New Order: NOMC15 (2017)

I wrote a whole damn post on this record, and Blogger lost it. It should have saved as draft, but it did not. I can't be bothered to rewrite it, or even dig up the music from YouTube.

New Order: Music Complete (2015)

The artwork for Music Complete was created by New Order's long-time art director and collaborator Peter Saville. The artwork features a montage of lines with the colours red, yellow, green and blue. Depending on the type of format, the colour schemes vary. For the CD, the pattern clockwise from top right is yellow, red, blue, green. The LPs are red, yellow, green, and blue. Digital downloads are the regular format; blue, green, red, and yellow. The deluxe edition's artwork is the same as the album, but all six coloured vinyl sleeves are different styles, and have no colour. The six coloured vinyl range from red to purple. [source]

I like this record better that the last two, for sure. It might be the best NO release since Technique.I ended up with a clear vinyl version.

New Order: Lost Sirens (2013)

When Sunrise temporarily went out of business, I picked up a few records there on the cheap. This was one of them. (By the way, speaking of Sunrise, I used to frequent the two locations on Yonge Street in downtown Toronto. When the chain was resurrected, they failed to establish any stores in central Toronto. Now, there is a Sunrise location in Dufferin Mall. I went, but was not impressed. The store had what I would describe as a mainstream collection of records at very high prices. I will be surprised if management is able to keep this location open for long. Another aside: one thing I liked about the old Sunrise locations on Yonge was the selection of used records at fairly good prices. So far, the location in the Duff has no used bins. Maybe that has to do with the fact that there are a lot of record stores in Toronto looking for used merchandise).

When I played this record for the first and only time, I was not really impressed. Since then, it has been sitting on a shelf. Out of curiosity, I checked Allmusic for a review and was stunned to read this:

Trumpeted in some circles as a New Order rarities collection, Lost Sirens doesn't really fit the bill as such, but it does offer a wealth of bonus tracks from circa 2005 -- call it the second disc of the deluxe edition that was never released for Waiting for the Sirens' Call. [...] Compared to that album's half-hearted songwriting and rote sound, Lost Sirens positively shines -- leading to the customary questions of why this material didn't replace several, if not many, songs on the original Sirens' Call. [source]

I'll have to listen to it again. On a sad note, this was the last New Order record to feature Peter Hook. The band is not the same without him.

New Order: Waiting for the Sirens’ Call (2005)

This is LP number eight, from New Order, credited here correctly as New Order, despite the front cover of the LP, which lists the band as NEW order. Discogs has always been inconsistent. I bought a copy of this album on CD at the now-defunct HMV for a couple of dollars. It was languishing in a delete bin. I played it once and determined that I did not like it. I found this 2015 vinyl reissue for an amazing price, so I decided to give it another listen. It's much better than my first impression of the CD, which I had already sold by then.

New Order: Crystal (Lee Coombs Remixes) (2001)

The orange striped cover has the Lee Coombs Remixes:

Crystal (Lee Coombs Remix)
Crystal (Lee Coombs Dub)

New Order: Crystal (John Creamer & Stephane K Remixes) (2001)

The cover of the John Creamer & Stephane K Remixes has the green stripe. 

The tracks are:

Crystal (John Creamer & Stephane K Intro Remix)
Crystal (John Creamer & Stephane K Main Remix)

New Order: Crystal (Bedrock Remixes) (2001)

A bunch of different versions of this single were released. This one contain the Bedrock Remixes, with the red strip on the jacket. The tracks are:

Crystal (Digweed & Muir 'Bedrock' Mix)
Crystal (Digweed & Muir 'Bedrock' Dub)

It's pretty good, but I think I prefer earlier New Order. 

New Order: Get Ready (2001)

Get Ready was the seventh record from New Order. Note that Discogs got the band's name correct. That's a small miracle. Because I wasn't buying records in 2001, I don't have an original pressing, the cost of which now is really not that bad. I picked up the 180g American pressing from 2015.

Billy Corgan handles lead vocals on Turn My Way.

New Order: TrueFaith-94 (1994)

NewOrder, again! Holy hell. This is the lineup for this 12" single, copied from Discogs:

TrueFaith (Perfecto Mix)
TrueFaith (Sexy Disco Dub)
TrueFaith (TWA Grim Up North Mix)
TrueFaith (The 94 Remix)

You read that right: whoever entered this data ran True Faith together as one word, obviously missing the fact that Perfecto Mix, judging by the tracks listing on the record, should be Perfecto mix. Moreover, Sexy Disco Dub should be Sexy Disco dub, TWA Grim Up North Mix should be TWA Grim Up North mix, and, finally, that The 94 Remix should be the 94 remix. I say, if you are going to be pedantic, go all in.

New Order: Regret (1993)

This European pressing has four mixes of Regret. It's almost 15 minutes of Regret. I think this is a top-ten or top-twenty New Order track for me. The image used on the jacket has always mystified me. It does really match the lyrics at all.

Once again, Discogs refers to the band on this release as NewOrder. Jesus, here we go again.  Whoever entered this information ignored the front cover and the labels (which use all caps with uniform spacing between the letters, meaning that, in Discogs' view at least, the band probably should have been called: N E W O R D E R

Instead, someone looked at the back cover and saw NewOrder, and used that. OK then. Even the official music video uses New Order as the band's name.

New Order: World (The Price of Love) (1993)

This track is from Republic or Republic©. You choose. My copy is the double 12" promotional version, which contains eight edits of this track. They are:

World (The Price Of Love) (Perfecto Mix)
World (The Price Of Love) (Brothers Dubstrumental)
World (The Price Of Love) (Pharmacy Dub)
World (The Price Of Love) (Album Version)
World (The Price Of Love) (Brothers In Rhythm Mix)
World (The Price Of Love) (Sexy Disco Dub Mix)
World (The Price Of Love) (World In Action Mix)
World (The Price Of Love) (Radio Edit)

It's a lot to listen to in one go. Do I have to mention that the band is, once again, referred to as NewOrder on Discogs? 

New Order: Spooky (1993)

Here we have six mixes of Spooky, spread over two discs. They are: Stadium Mix, Night Tripper Mix, New Order In Heaven Mix, Magimix, Moulimix, Boo! Dub Mix. The track originally appeared on Republic. Yup, once again, the band is known here, and no where else, as Neworder.

I have a US pressing from 1993. The UK pressing has only three mixes, one of which is the album version. It sounds like New Order with a techno jam.

New Order: Republic (1993)

I was buying very small amounts of vinyl in 1993, so I didn't buy this when it was released. An original pressing of this one is a bit pricey, so I eventually bought the180g remastered LP in 2015, for a good price.

Discogs:

New Order's sixth studio album, appearing four years after Technique.
And the first one after the demise of their former label Factory, with traces about the partnership gone bitter found on tracks like Ruined In A Day and Liar.

The album is often considered being an economic necessity as New Order have lost large amounts of money because of the deal with Factory Records and their involvement with the Hacienda.

Additionally, the tensions within the band made this “a very, very unpleasant record to make" (according to drummer Stephen Morris), and subsequently the band went into a hiatus for eight years soon after the release.

Discogs insists that the band's name is still NewOrder, and yet they fail to take into consideration the full name of the record. It is referred to as Republic, rather than Republic©. If you look at the jacket, it's clear, so take that, Discogs. The best track on this record is Regret. This isn't a bad record.

New Order: World in Motion (1990)

How is it that this somewhat ridiculous tune is New Order's only UK #1 hit? Of course, Discogs  calls the band Englandneworder. If that site is so interested in precision, the name should be ENGLANDneworder. 

The song was produced for England's 1990 FIFA World Cup campaign, and features several members of the English squad (i.e. shouting "Express Yourself") and John Barnes doing the rap. Comedian Keith Allen co-wrote the lyrics and is also featured. The single was issued on two separate 12" singles, where the second contains remixes by Graeme Park, Mike Pickering, Andrew Weatherall and Terry Farley.

This is not a terrible tune. It's OK and I'd give it a seven out of ten. It is way down the list of best New Order songs, however.  I don't know much about football songs, but this is probably one of the better ones. It didn't help the British lads, though.

New Order: Round and Round (1989)

Man, I'm really beginning to hate Discogs for the asinine way it refers to New Order as Neworder. It's insane and way too anal retentive, even for a librarian, like me. I mean, look at this note, which refers to the band by its legitimate name as New Order! Why the idiotic Neworder in the entry for this record? Jerks.

New Order's 18th single, released on Factory in February 1989 and the second single pulled from the album "Technique". The remixes on Round&Remix are from Detroit Techno pioneer Kevin Saunderson.

The B-side contains the instrumental "Best & Marsh", originally composed as theme for the Granada TV series, featuring footballers George Best and Rodney Marsh.

 My Canadian pressing has four mixes of Round & Round, plus Best and Marsh. 

New Order; Technique (1989)

To tell the truth, I wasn't really listening to New Order very much by the time this record came out. I didn't buy this record at the time, but I picked up a copy later. Did I mention that I own only two New Order CDs? Those are Movement and Substance. Once again, Discogs fails by crediting this record to Neworder, even though, if they really wanted to be precise they should have called the band Neworder. Ugh. It's New Order!! The band did not change its name! Have these people never heard of stylized letters or names or logos?

New Order: Blue Monday-95 (1995)

Once again, Discogs insists that the band's name is NewOrder, rather than New Order. Oddly, they credit the song as Blue Monday-95, rather than BlueMonday-95, even though that latter is on the cover. I'd really like some consistency. I'm not a huge fan of this mix.

New Order: Blue Monday 88 (1988)

In 1988, "Blue Monday" was officially remixed by Quincy Jones and John Potoker under the title "Blue Monday 88."

It's OK and indeed, very similar to the original, but I wonder why they did it. Having said that, it is much better than the ridiculous 95 version.

There are two other versions of this track on my Canadian 12", plus Touched by the Hand of God (Single Version). Once again, Discogs screws up and credits this record to NewOrder. Sigh. Judging by the cover, using Discogs logic, the band should be NewOrder. Even the label credits the record to New Order. That site needs to hire a librarian.

New Order: Fine Time (1988)

Discogs says:

"New Order's 17th single, released November 1988. In addition to the regular 7", 12", and CD-Single, a second 12" was released with Steve "Silk" Hurley remixes.

Recorded in the Mediterranean Studios, Ibiza.
First single pulled from their 1989 album "Technique""

There are four tracks on my Canadian pressing:

Fine Time
Don't Do It
Fine Time (Silk Mix)
Fine Line

The last track is an instrumental version of Fine Time.

On the rear cover and labels, the band's name is written as Neworder. So, naturally, Discogs lists the band name for this release as Neworder! Insert sad face here. That's simply nuts, but at least no one added a second entry for Neworder. This was obviously a stylistic decision and it doesn't mean that the band changed the spelling or its name.