Low-Life

I think most of us agree that Low-Life is one of the classic New Order albums, but who else feels that the album would benefit from a different track listing. The CD has always also been hindered by the uninclusion of the full length version of The Perfect Kiss (FAC 123) which was on the cassette and I believe still is. Here is my favoured track listing for Low-Life, which I have now burned onto CD for my listening pleasure!

1. Elegia
2. Sooner Than You Think
3. Sub-Culture
4. Love Vigilantes
5. The Perfect Kiss
6. This Time Of Night
7. Sunrise
8. Face Up
9. The Perfect Kiss (FAC 123)

Try it out and see what you think.

The decision to include 2 versions of 'The Perfect Kissing Unit' on a custom-built 'Master Lowest-Life' compilation CDR is a tad curious. I have drawn the conclusion, based on this evidence, that certain areas of your frontal lobe cannot have been fully operational during selection (a bit like when they never finished the death star in Jedi).

Elegia to open the album?... sir, you must be joking... why a mouse could have selected a more suitable running order under duress.

I suggest that you re-burn your token Low-Life hit and miss effort and return to the board when you have analysed your fundamental mistakes.

I thought perhaps you'd taken the day off, Huntsy.

I'm never more than a whisper away my friend.

That's reassuring to know.

That`s Fac.321 dearie... Take it from someone who knows.

FAC 321 was the video chum! Check your facts.

Huntsman, me old fruit, a scathing attack and no mistake! Elegia just has to open the album, where else does it go, it does'nt 'fit' anywhere else. Your point about The Perfect Kiss has merit but the shorter, radio friendly version could be seen as a taster, foreplay almost, before the massive tumult that is FAC 123, in my humble opinion New Order's finest hour.

Perhaps, if you could only leave the Pringles and the fat man juice to one side for a few minutes you could come up with a better running order and then we could maybe put it onto Le Forum for a vote. But then............mmmmm, that would risk losing face, would you risk that Huntsman? Would ya?

Face Up has to be the last song! HAS TO BE! "I feel so {LOW} I feel so humble, sometimes in {LIFE} we take a tumble..." A perfect end to a perfect LP!

Elegia should end your Low-Life re-order. The perfect come down. Right after Face-up like it should have been. If you must have 2 perfect kiss tracks why not include the mix from Substance Abuse that combines the kissofdeath and perfectkiss? best of both worlds. would you include Let's Go? Is that track from the Low-Life sessions?

why fix something that isn't broken?

I like Elegia as the opener as the momentum of the album builds from there and climaxes with The Perfect Kiss. I think I would be more inclined to drop the short version altogether rather than put in the mix you mention as i'm not really a fan of these over indulgent remixes, call me old fashioned if you will but I tend to prefer the originals as they were intended, though some of the remixes through the years have been shit hot. The demo version of Lets Go available on the audio pages here was from the Low-Life sessions but was never progressed for the album as it was felt it didnt 'fit' in with the mood of the other tracks, the instrumental version from Salvation was where it ended up but that version does'nt fit with the Low-Life sound either. It was re-recorded some years later as the version on the American best of, bait to help the album sell over there, though it was available here on one of the 1963 remixes. The way I listen to Low-Life the album builds in momentum and with The Perfect Kiss after Face Up which is the obvious closer its almost like an encore. Its a great album, and no mistake.

As with the "JD vs. NO", for some reason the comp messed up. However, here's how I would format Low Life

Elegia PK (Full Length) Love Vigilantes Sunrise Sooner than You think Subculture This Time Of Night Face Up