When was New Order's peak?

...1985 - from cock to kiss - there were the most memorable moments !...

1984 March thru August.

It was January, 1963.....

1986, gig-wise anyway, they were trying different shit, even though Brotherhood was crapily produced i still think twas a good vintage year for the Order

I've come around to the technique era, 1989. Nothing can beat that album I've decided, too interesting an album. the passion, the energy, etc. What about the live shows? How good were they? I wouldn't know, but I'd like to know.

1987 - Substance (True Faith & co)

i'd Say after 1989 they werent as great, maybee its just me but life in general seemed a lot different After 1989

1989 was the big, wet, heaving climax, then began the Falling Action.

2001 onwards is the sequel that sacrifices some spontaneity for the warm glow of familiarity.

Hannett of the Apes wrote: 1989 was the big, wet, heaving climax, then began the Falling Action.

2001 onwards is the sequel that sacrifices some spontaneity for the warm glow of familiarity.

That is the perfect way to phrase it.

1989 for me as well.

Beach Boy wrote: What about the live shows? How good were they? I wouldn't know, but I'd like to know.

Live shows: between December 1988 and the end of 1989 the UK had 4 shows GMex, SECC, NEC and Reading festival(plus 4 tracks recorded for Big World Cafe), poor old neglected North America had 35+ so its probably a question to ask your side of the pond.

For me, the gigs were excellent (superb lighting) but didn't match up to 1986 or 1987. Good as Technique is, it isn't my favourite album and I prefer to hear other tracks live. 1987 got my vote because they were at their best live.

Spotnick wrote: What amazes me when people say it started to go downhill in 1989, well, they have reached their only #1 in career in 1990 ;)

...nah ! - it's not because of WIM, it's because of the rapping Gascoigne dude - it had to be the No.1...

1987--they'd released three very good LPs (after movement, that is) and a number of excellent EPs and singles over the last few years, they released substance that year, and came out with true faith to top it off. a fine vintage.

It's basically been downhill since 83.

It hasn't happened yet. The 2006 album is going blow the shit out of everything you've ever heard them do. Their world tour will take about a year, which will entail 20 songs a night - 5 of which will come off the new album - and Otto Q. will be left in a warehouse in Manchester this time around. It will be the ultimate swan song and will go down as one of the greatest culminations of a band's career.

LE Roberts wrote: It hasn't happened yet. The 2006 album is going blow the shit out of everything you've ever heard them do. Their world tour will take about a year, which will entail 20 songs a night - 5 of which will come off the new album - and Otto Q. will be left in a warehouse in Manchester this time around. It will be the ultimate swan song and will go down as one of the greatest culminations of a band's career.

You have been DRINKING again!Get yourself a KFC mate.

It's 5 o'clock somewhere. Acutally, it's 5 o'clock here! :D

voted 1989 - but i'm not entirely comfortable with naming the year they peaked; for one reason, i have the sneaking suspicion it coincides with the year i peaked and have also been going downhill ever since. ;) besides, who knows what they'll turn out in 2006? could be brilliant

it coincides with the year i peaked

Uh, who wants to take this one?

They may peek to high heights again! Bands have pulled it off!

Actually, they have an interesting position right now. One hit would/could jetison them further than ever. Ya never know.

LE Roberts wrote: It hasn't happened yet. The 2006 album is going blow the shit out of everything you've ever heard them do. Their world tour will take about a year, which will entail 20 songs a night - 5 of which will come off the new album - and Otto Q. will be left in a warehouse in Manchester this time around. It will be the ultimate swan song and will go down as one of the greatest culminations of a band's career.

1989 - Dance music cements it's place on the music scene and the never to be topped Technique is released.

As a rock band - 1981

As a pop band - 1989

To those of us who have been with the band since the beginning, it meant so much to hear them comeback in early 1981 with the Ceremony/IALP single, to pay tribute to Ian and give them time to write and record new material.

Procession/Everything's Gone Green indicated the two completely different sounds the band could master, and the extended 12" version of EGG is just sensational and pointed them in the direction of Temptation.

Although Movement has its critics, the guitar and bass on Dreams Never End are amongst the finest things the band has ever done - even if the vocals let the song down a lot. Chosen Time is IMHO fantastic.

Finally came Cries & Whispers and Mesh which are also quality songs.

Seing them live was also more of an experience - no "Come Ons" or "Whoops" or whistles. The Taras Schevchenko video represents what the band were then.

As for 1989 and Technique - superb, most consistent album and a wholly new sound. Not surpassed since, and I don't expect it ever will now.

Gave 81 the overall nod because it was just so brilliant to have them back creating music that meant so much and sounded different to every other band.

AgentWood wrote: 1987--they'd released three very good LPs (after movement, that is) and a number of excellent EPs and singles over the last few years, they released substance that year, and came out with true faith to top it off. a fine vintage.

Couldn't agree more. Although the GMEX 88 gig was one of the best IMHO the 89 shows were I felt a bit flat regardless of the excellent album released that January.

It depends on the context. From a live show perspective, I would argue that the end of 1985 was about as good as it ever got, a huge back catalogue of songs still in the rotation, new songs being added, plus a smattering of JD songs to really keep us on our toes. From a recorded output perspective, 1987 saw Substance to back up the already solid four albums, and brought us two excellent singles. Technique may have been their most accomplished production job, but some of the songs on Technique are not up to scratch to these ears. Since 1989 they have been patchy in all honesty, some wonderful songs that have ended up on albums containing several tunes that would previously have been binned.

Let's face it though, their inconsistency is one of the most endearing features!

Let's face it though, their inconsistency is one of the most endearing features!

Incredibly true. A band that spits out songs "Rock the Shack" and "Slow Jam" returns 3 1/2 years later with "Turn" and "WFTSC". It's almost ludicrous how much talent is there when they feel like putting the effort forth to showcase it.

henke 7 wrote: As a rock band - 1981

As a pop band - 1989

To those of us who have been with the band since the beginning, it meant so much to hear them comeback in early 1981 with the Ceremony/IALP single, to pay tribute to Ian and give them time to write and record new material.

Procession/Everything's Gone Green indicated the two completely different sounds the band could master, and the extended 12" version of EGG is just sensational and pointed them in the direction of Temptation.

Although Movement has its critics, the guitar and bass on Dreams Never End are amongst the finest things the band has ever done - even if the vocals let the song down a lot. Chosen Time is IMHO fantastic.

Finally came Cries & Whispers and Mesh which are also quality songs.

Seing them live was also more of an experience - no "Come Ons" or "Whoops" or whistles. The Taras Schevchenko video represents what the band were then.

As for 1989 and Technique - superb, most consistent album and a wholly new sound. Not surpassed since, and I don't expect it ever will now.

Gave 81 the overall nod because it was just so brilliant to have them back creating music that meant so much and sounded different to every other band.

Although I only got into New Order in 1987 I like your "balanced" views. And agree with you on the 89 pop era (even though I voted for 87 with substance, new workings on temptation and confusion, plus true faith and TBTHOG).

There are too many people (out there) that have their heads too far up New Orders arse to actually step back and make an honest assessment of the band (IMO).

I went for 1987. But believe the peak lasted from 87 to about 90. Since 87 everything was turned up a gear, I stil think Low-Life and Brotherhood are fantastic albums though, and Regret is also the band at it's peak, but many will not agree that the Republic era was the band at their peak. Their best stuff for me was mid 80's till 1990. But thinking about it, all their stuff is great. And of course, how can I forget Technique, amazing.

i picked 1990: #1 single (silly, but quite genius), just coming off technique, writing republic, writing electronic, letting go of being in charge of their own 12 inch records (a bad move, but then again, that would be the end of their peak...) they would never be as high as they were in 1990 ever again, as far as talent, writing, or sound.