I was pretty surprised reading a few threads on here and seeing my fave NO album getting some grief. My gast was flabbered. So is that how the majority feel? I always find Republic to be the album I can listen to from start to finish most (the second being Brotherhood).
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Is 'Republic' crap?
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This is an archived legacy thread. Replies are closed, but the discussion is preserved.
From what I've read over the years some fans dislike it for two main reasons: lack of Hooky bass and "sheeny" production values. Actually three reasons if you include the song "Liar" itself 
Personally, I don't mind it. The first five tracks are really good but the quality takes a bit of a nosedive in the middle. Thankfully it ends on a high with Special and Avalanche (essentially an Other Two song). Songs like Everyone Everywhere and Ruined In A Day are really underrated.
Due to the strained circumstances surrounding the recording it sounds like a sub-par Electronic album at times but that it got released at all what with all the shenanigans of that 92 Factory-collapse saga going on is impressive.
I quite like it, but in a different way to other New Order albums. It's more like something pleasant to have on in the background while you're doing something else.
I would have preferred more bass on it, but there are other interesting elements.
I'd agree that "Ruined In A Day" is very underrated, but any album that starts off with a track like "Regret" should never be described as crap 
I like the album overall, so I wouldn't think it's crap. But maybe those who don't like the album much might think so.
Big fan. Love its 'glossiness' but do understand why many might not. Special is up there with the best NO tracks ever.
I think it is crap, mostly because it sounds like the band was beginning to be less experimental - you can tell in the production. The album sounds so flat, not just because of lack of Hook's bass. The piano house sound was getting old in 1993, and thus World, Chemical, Times Change, Spooky already sounded dated when they came out, ultimately forgettable. Even Special's opening is a rip of Massive Attack. It often surprises me that there are people who got into New Order because of this album, when all the material before it was a lot more experimental.
It's crap. But not so much due to a lack of 'Hook' as a lack of 'hooks' (see what I did etc etc). The songs are just below par, simple as that. Nowt to do with production. The production is no more shiny and polished than on Technique or Electronic from the same era which are both head and shoulders above Republic.
Of course being New Order they have to hit you with the curveball of 'Regret', the last truly great New Order single written. So it's not completely without it's moment (singular).
Not the absolute strongest, but Ruined In A Day and Regret are obviously fantastic. I usually play the single version more than the entire album. Rainy days are a good time...
I love it, but it holds a lot of memories for me, so I might be more accepting of a sub-par album because of it. It was the album of summer vacation between my junior - senior year in high school, a time when I had the most freedom and least responsibilities. So its a seasonal album for me, I tend to only play it during the summer.
I still remember finding it. I was working at this "member" store, and putting returned items back on the shelf. I saw the album cover and thought "hey that looks cool". Upon closer inspection, I was excited by the words "New Order" on it, but I was not sure if it was a NO album since it said "A New Order Release" (I thought it could be some compilation, plus I didn't hear that they got back together). So I took the chance, and loved it from first listen.
I was hooked on Republic for about 18 months after I bought it, I think its quite a good album to be honest, I love the production following in the vein of Technique and Electronic, Barneys vocal delivery is among his best ever in my opinion
Highlights:
Regret Ruined In A Day World [Price Of Love] Everyone Everywhere Special Avalanche
There are some weak ones on there though, Spooky, Young Offender, Liar... which probably make it so unpopular.
Before I even got into New Order properly, the Republic era is what represented them to me. I always pictured the band during this time in my mind, with that sort of style.
Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote:
Due to the strained circumstances surrounding the recording it sounds like a sub-par Electronic album at times but that it got released at all what with all the shenanigans of that 92 Factory-collapse saga going on is impressive.
I think it was a great way sign-off from the Fac era. For me, everything came together properly for one last time; the songs, Peter Savilles artwork (perfection), not appearing much in the videos, monks and David Hasslehoff.
And, like someone mentioned earlier, that period of time for me was fantastic and Republic was my soundrack to 1993. Perhaps it isnt just about the songs...
The answer 2 the question is no.republic def not crap.highlights 4 me are regret,world, runied in a day & avalanche.love gillians voice on that track.its really beautiful.would've liked to have heard her sing on more. Not that i'm trying 2 do bernard out of a job.to hear both their voices 2gether would've been fantastic! :-)
Joanne Bailey wrote: .to hear both their voices 2gether would've been fantastic! :-)
rumour has it that's what you get at the end of waiting for the sirens call (the track that is not the album) but no definate answer, maybe Jack could ask?
I loved it at the time, despite the lack of hooky bass, but it just seems too mellow now, other than regret of course which is always in the top 5.
I don't mind Hague's production, but he just didn't know what to do with Hooky, and I think that also increased Bernards thoughts of new order without all that bass (i.e. bad loo)
Thought it was total crap as a whole (minus Regret) until I started listening to it for the 1st time since I bought it in 93'. I went with a friend and bought it at midnight the day it was released at the Tower Records in Las Vegas. Got the one with the limited orange "inner tube" like cover. I listened to Regret a million times but couldn't get into the rest of the album after many attempts. I was hoping it was going to be more like Technique which I loved or more like the single Regret which I'm pretty sure I'd had a month or so before the album's release. Eventually I gave up and now 17 years later I'm listening to that original cd again, giving the "whole" album another chance. Actually listening to Republic now is like listening to a brand new New Order album for me because I hadn't heard it all the way through since it came out. I'd heard Regret and all the singles off the album but the other tracks were a complete mystery to me. I can now say in all honesty, that Republic is actually decent, way better than I thought it was back in 93' after I pretty much abandoned it. Vocals are good, lyrics are decent(most of them anyway, I like em) and the music(which I probably didn't care for originally) isn't really that bad. Besides Regret the music on Republic sounds more like a dancier version of Electronic's music. I thought it was said that Barney wanted to make a "dance album", which I think he did. If the whole album would have sounded more along the lines or in the style of Regret I would have been in heaven back in the day and Republic would probably be my favorite NO album of all time.
Joanne Bailey wrote: .highlights 4 me are regret,world, runied in a day & avalanche.love gillians voice on that track.its really beautiful
Superhighways also proved the lass could knock out a tune, Gillians singing on that one was even better thanon TO2&Y
I think performing songs from Republic such as World can't have been much fun for Hooky,in my opinion the songs on that album with his bass guitar on are the best ones.Overall it sounds dated and I hate the rapping on Times Change,the backing singers on World,the video for Ruined In A Day,the video for Spooky,but I love Regret,Special and Avalanche.
I would say that Crystal is the last truly great New Order single written.
The 6:50 version is the dog's bollocks
No it is not crap at all.
I have fond memories when the album came out. After 3 year hiatus, finally a new album which I thought was far better than I expected.
The production and lack of Hooky was like having a bit different New Order. - A fresh approach is better than replicating your former albums.
Regret, World, Everyone Everywhere were the highlights but most of the songs are good expect for the rap one. Some half baked efforts like Young offender which was not bad but could have been better.
Better that Get Ready and WFTSC.
everyoneverywhere wrote: Crystal is the last truly great New Order single
Krafty & WFTSC are better IMO.
Republic is a weak album for a New Order album. It is the one I play least of all.
If I remember correctly. Didn't New Order have a whole day dedicated to them on BBC Radio One for the release of it?
I like Republic so much but I don't listen to it frequently 
World, Spooky, Regret and Special are masterpieces 
Regret is great, the next two songs are good. The middle sounds more like a polished but somewhat uninpired Bernard Sumner & Stephen Hague record, with session players.
Don't really like the production all that much, thou Regret is beautiful. The dance songs sound neutered, a lot of the record sounds more middle of the road than edgy... while everyone else was embracing or imitating house/techno, Republic actually pulls back to MOR.
Really, I never made it thru the entire album. Tracks 4 thru 9 make me want to listen to something else. Many of the songs are simply below average and boring. At the time I was happy to have a new New Order album, but the album didn't grow on me.
Republic was released when I was traveling alot. We used to take loads of road trips, and my dad would play Republic and Duran Duran's "wedding album" along with Depeche Modes Songs of faith and devotion. I truly love the album, even its flaws, because as a whole it was a nice sendoff to an era of decadence and unrelenting genius. For me, this album had the best artwork, and the best videos, something about the Regret video still brings tears to my eyes, a perfect companion disc is Reading 93.
Ger Boy wrote:
If I remember correctly. Didn't New Order have a whole day dedicated to them on BBC Radio One for the release of it?
They did. They called it New Order:To Order.
Other than it was a great day.
I also liked all of the mixes that were with the Single Releases...they kept you going until Monaco surfaced in '97!
Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: I would say that Crystal is the last truly great New Order single written.
The 6:50 version is the dog's bollocks
Crystal wouldn't even make my top 5 off Get Ready. Dreadful dirge. The only song that might have pushed Regret close for the title of 'last great single' is Here to Stay but I'd have to rule that out on account of it being more of a collaboration with the Chems than a straight up New Order production.
If New Order's production values could've sounded as relevant and edgy on Get Ready and WFTSC as they did on Here To Stay they'd have sold a tonne more records and would've exposed themselves to a much broader (and younger) fanbase a la, dare I say it, Depeche Mode.
I thought Here To Stay was a bit New Order-by-numbers, it was as if they knew they'd neglected the electronic "style" on Get Ready and were trying to make up for it. HTS while not a fundamentally "bad" track just sounded a bit forced/tired to me. Do agree if the Chemicals had been allowed to stamp more of their style on it, it could have been really good and a proper collaboration.
I didn't rate Crystal much when the first demos surfaced (and said so) but as time went on I grew to love it. The album version is strangely brilliant with the vocal/ambient keyboard intro before descending into guitars, drums and "a small army of Peter Hooks" as a review put it at the time. Didn't think much of the follow up 60 MPH though, now that really is dreadful dirge.
