Peter Saville's New Order

In the little time that I have been around this forum, I have already seen a lot of discussions and polls about when New Order will end. But the band New Order will never end. That's because there will always be a benefit, festival, wedding, bar mitzvah, whatever, where the three original members will play together, remember they liked each other, and the "new" material album will ensue.

But I do think the life New Order will end when collaboration with Peter Saville ends. Think about it, the first time you have to buy a New Order album and the art direction is not by Peter Saville, won't that be the end of the New Order you love? It's not about pre or post Blue Monday, pre or post Republic, pre or post Factory, or pre or post Hacienda. It is about when there was Peter Saville and when there will not be. One of the unique strengths of New Order is they they are a total package of Music+Art. Wilson knew that. Like the art or not, and take the recent "No" cover of WFTSC as an example, old JD + Peter Saville + (insert extra member) = New Order.

So disregarding the death of either Sumner or Hook (sorry Steve), New Order is here to stay (that would make a good song). But the first "official" album of New Order's that does not have it's art directed by Saville will be the end of New Order and the start of the memories.

Bullshit. For all the Saville leg-humping that goes on around here, the band's image isn't what attracts me to the group--but the music is. When New Order stop making great music that makes me want to fucking move and feel great, then THAT will be the end. After all, Saville himself has had fuck all to do with the last few releases anyway--and it shows! Music matters, not fashion.

Music, then art.

Saville has done some class stuff over the years, but since Republic (with the exception of Retro IMHO) there has been a serious slide in art quality.

Bits of NO may change or fall off over the years (Factory, Hacienda, Wilson, Gretton, Ian, Gillian), but they will always be NO; with or without Saville.

Hooky and Barney are the engine of NO and they won't truly end until either Hooky or Barney start pushing up the daisies (sorry Steve; no offence meant).

I think Saville lost his touch for NewOrder sleeves after Republic. Ok,the album itself wasnt great-nor was it as bad as people make out-but the artwork for the album and singles was top notch. Anything hes done since has been shite-gone are the incredible fonts he used,everything is white and they just dont have that special something about them-Get Ready and WFTSC are both just dire. So he had a fairly reasonable excuse for the last one-but he had 8 fucking years to put Get Ready out with a sleeve that not only looked the part,but re-invent record sleeves in general. Sorry,but i think his time has passed.

And really-New Order nicked him from OMD anyway. Plus he ran out of ideas once before-in 1986 he did a sleeve for Peter Gabriel-which was 99% identical to the cover of Low-Life.

I would love or better i wish to see any kind of art or new ideas on album covers for New Order from the following people: Central Station Design Mark Farrow Johnson / Panas Ben Kelly David Knopov Ed Templeton and thats all only for art. The most important thing is what the cover contains (INSIDE) after all SO WHO CARES ABOUT PETE AND THE REST OF DESIGNERS

georgo konstantinidis wrote: I would love or better i wish to see any kind of art or new ideas on album covers for New Order from the following people: Central Station Design Mark Farrow Johnson / Panas Ben Kelly David Knopov Ed Templeton and thats all only for art. The most important thing is what the cover contains (INSIDE) after all SO WHO CARES ABOUT PETE AND THE REST OF DESIGNERS

All the above are New Order/Factory related in some way. Presumably,thats why you`ve chosen them. There must be loads of designers out there that have never worked with or been associated with New Order.

Who does the Coldplay sleeves. The sleeve for A Rush Of Blood To The Head album and its singles was,if there is such a thing,very New Order-ish.

TBH i think NO can easily live without saville these days.

his pre-republic contributions were great, but i reckon they could (and should) now find a really interesting new young designer.

Saville has clearly run out of ideas with New Order. His last half decent artwork comissioned for them was the True Faith 94 single sleeve. It's since been crappily updated for the Singles compilation. It looks shite.

None of what he has done for the band since that point is of any artistic merit whatsoever. He - or his designers - have just become lazy.

**[black]STEVE[/black]**one wrote:

Who does the Coldplay sleeves. The sleeve for A Rush Of Blood To The Head album and its singles was,if there is such a thing,very New Order-ish.

Of course, the irony that New Order's "Singles" sleeve features a similar treatment of the leaf to that aforementioned Coldplay album wasn't lost on ME.

I really like savilles stuff but have to agree that since republic he just hasn't cut it, I think he can't be arsed anymore, he has said almost those words himself.

It would not be the end of NO, but yet another sad ending to a chapter in NO history, the art doesn't make the product, but it certainly doesn't harm it.

and it's not fashion, it's art, which isn't in or out of fassion, you don't get the pope saying, it's about time to whitewash the Sistine Chapel, it's out of fashion.

**[black]STEVE[/black]**one wrote: And really-New Order nicked him from OMD anyway. Plus he ran out of ideas once before-in 1986 he did a sleeve for Peter Gabriel-which was 99% identical to the cover of Low-Life.

How can New Order nick him? he was doing joy division before OMD and he was one of the founders of Factory.

I like Saville's work, even the more recent stuff, but when I got into New Order, about '83 it was for the music. The fact that the artwork was eyecathing was a bonus. Remember the music is never influenced by the designs.

the cover for the best of/rest of was nice. the design for the entire package was great. i like the get ready era stuff. the newest stuff i am not so sure about, although i love the pictures in the insert for wftsc...

jesse steichen wrote: although i love the pictures in the insert for wftsc...

Well, yes, who wouldn't? There wasn't much else on the rest of that damn crappy album cover to get excited about was there?

The question is this: does Peter Saville actually pen the design nowadays? Or does he delegate the assignment to one of his interns?

The way I look at Saville's artwork is by the worthiness of framing it up on the living room's walls. By that, I have to agree with most of you, none from Republic and on.

I still have a 20X30 True Faith 87 poster in the living room. That's a classic.

His Holiness, The Pope wrote: Bullshit. For all the Saville leg-humping that goes on around here, the band's image isn't what attracts me to the group--but the music is. When New Order stop making great music that makes me want to fucking move and feel great, then THAT will be the end. After all, Saville himself has had fuck all to do with the last few releases anyway--and it shows! Music matters, not fashion.

I largely share this view...Saville never mattered a jot to me when considering what makes New Order so brilliant

I like Saville's work, but I can't say that he's essential to New Order. Just a frequent collaborator that has a particularly arty/abstract flavour, that lends New Order the same kind of sophisticated and distant image. I've always thought that it was much the same as some of barney's lyrics - they're bullshit, but on a strictly shallow/aesthetic level they're kind of beautiful, you know? It isn't very hard to imitate, sure, but I think it does the job.

(what the bloody hell's with the "everything before and including republic was great"? The flowers on PCL, or the titanium cover to Brotherhood are just as mindlessly abstract and somewhat unoriginal as everything post-republic.. bah.)

ive said it before and ill say it again p saville has given nu ordr an image sleeve wise and we know what we are getting before it happens. no pictures of the band exept for low life and no sleeve lyrics. strict and precise. you could walk into a record shop in the 70's and 80's and find all the j div / nu ordr sleeves without trying. now everone has copied his style and thats why your all pissed off with that. he hasnt lost his touch hes just as inventive. the cover for the new singles is really well done as is wftsc brilliant work could you do better?

bondy 05

i need another night.

Personally, I've never bought NO albums just because the cover art was cool. That was just a nice bonus. I would hope that NO isn't just about the packaging.