New Order’s 30 greatest tracks – ranked!

With the 40th anniversary of their debut single approaching, we rate the band who blend dance and rock like no other

(by Alexis Petridis)

Link

Alex and I run in similar Facebook circles, and these lists are always subjective...

That said, swap Thieves Like Us for Age of Consent and 1963 for Ceremony, then reshuffle the top ten. No quibbles from me.

I personally would have Sunrise and This Time of Night in there and probably leave out Weirdo and Fine Time but yes, it’s all subjective.

is it bro wrote: ...and This Time of Night in there

I've been working on a cover of This Time Of Night for a while. I took that brilliant middle 8 with the piano and strings and built a new intro, the way the band themselves reworked Subculture for the MIF and current gigs.

I even got an English friend who lives here in SF to record Jeffrey Bernard's excised vocal sample "I'm one of the few people who live what's called a low life."

This is an interesting list and a good read. Makes me want to come up with my own. A really good mix of new order styles. I also love the brotherhood tracks As it is when it was, weirdo, I’d probably also add broken promise. Glad to see Restless in there. Shocked no leave me alone but as everyone says it’s subjective.

I know it’s one person’s point of view but...

Ceremony only at number 13?

Piffle.

As I commented in the spotting thread, these Guardian things seem to be getting a bit repetitive. I thought they did one of these top 30 New Order in recent years but upon googling it was the “where to start with New Order” article which was in the Guardian in April 2020. Also there was a top 10 New Order songs in the Guardian a few years before that as well which is probably why it seemed like these songs ranked pieces had been done more than once or twice in The Guardian in recent years.

Anyway, of this latest one , I particularly liked Alex’s description of Gillian having “insouciant cool” when she played guitar with her back to the audience the whole of As It Is When It Was on the Pumped Full Of Drugs video. Will have to look up that clip again, been a long time.

In the words of Confucious, fuck that.

Fotz wrote: Gillian having “insouciant cool” when she played guitar with her back to the audience the whole of As It Is When It Was on the Pumped Full Of Drugs video. Will have to look up that clip again, been a long time.

I love the way NO nuts insist on finding levels that probably aren't there. I reckon it's just stage fright.

Michael Monkhouse wrote:

Fotz wrote: Gillian having “insouciant cool” when she played guitar with her back to the audience the whole of As It Is When It Was on the Pumped Full Of Drugs video. Will have to look up that clip again, been a long time.

I love the way NO nuts insist on finding levels that probably aren't there. I reckon it's just stage fright.

Possibly. Still cool though. She makes stage fright look cool.

50poundnote wrote:

is it bro wrote: ...and This Time of Night in there

I've been working on a cover of This Time Of Night for a while. I took that brilliant middle 8 with the piano and strings and built a new intro, the way the band themselves reworked Subculture for the MIF and current gigs.

I even got an English friend who lives here in SF to record Jeffrey Bernard's excised vocal sample "I'm one of the few people who live what's called a low life."

This sounds very interesting. 👍

I read the Guardian list earlier and, whilst these things are always subjective and can never be "correct" there's a lot more to this list and its comments than the majority I've ever read. Clearly knows his Neworder and an interesting read.

50poundnote wrote: Jeffrey Bernard's excised vocal sample "I'm one of the few people who live what's called a low life."

Just as an aside, does anyone know exactly where the band got the sample of this from? I've always wanted to hear it in context. I've tried to find it on several occasions, but with no luck.

Hmm, just had the idea to search the BBC Genome site and see if there were any programmes about Mr Bernard around the time of 'Low Life' being recorded. I found this, broadcast on 21/03/85, which seems a possible match:

https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/cd06f8bc09bb4719948c5cadc7116e43

Now to try and find a copy.

15 NEW ORDER SONGS that have shaped modern music Blue Monday Blue Monday 88 Blue Monday 95 Blue Monday dub Blue Monday 88 12" Blue Monday 88 dub Blue Monday 88 12" dub Blue Monday 95 edit Blue Monday 95 12" dub edit 7" alternate dub featuring Blue Monday 88 Blue Monday 95 Hardfloor Mix Blue Monday 95 Hardfloor Dub 12" remix limited edition Blue vinyl mix featuring Blue Monday TOTP live overdubbed rereremix Esclusive Blue Monday Perfecto Jam n Spoon Andrea Andy Weatherall Manuela Hacienda Peter Hook's Revenge mix featuring Grim Up North baking vocals and Factory's Factory Floor Other Two meet Pet Shop Boys Johnny Mare Ultimate Ultimatum Ultimatum Rerererereremix Blue Monday 95 Hawtwin mix Blue Monday Hawtwin Junior Giasfuck Dry Bar extragroove Afterhours Electronic NME Mongoose Mix without backing vocals by P J Proby Blue Monday Elements Sherlock Holmes J D Salinger Scary Spice Buddha Lederhosen Helen Lederer Kenneth Williams Turin Grail Monty Python Rik Mayall Windfall Cheddar McDonald Ultimix How do they do it? What's their secret? I guess we'll never know.

Are you covided?

perspexorange wrote:

50poundnote wrote: Jeffrey Bernard's excised vocal sample "I'm one of the few people who live what's called a low life."

Just as an aside, does anyone know exactly where the band got the sample of this from? I've always wanted to hear it in context. I've tried to find it on several occasions, but with no luck.

Hmm, just had the idea to search the BBC Genome site and see if there were any programmes about Mr Bernard around the time of 'Low Life' being recorded. I found this, broadcast on 21/03/85, which seems a possible match:

https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/cd06f8bc09bb4719948c5cadc7116e43

Now to try and find a copy.

You might find this of interest, it's pretty cheap on kindle.

Low Life

I would like to apologise for yesterday's post, in which I insinuated New Order milked Blue Monday. Let us not forget that the follow-up was Confusion, Confusion Rough Mix, Confusion Instumental, Confusion Beats, Confusion 7" edit, Confusion video edit, Confusion 87 Substance rerecording, Confusion 87 CD dub, Confusion (Alternative Mix), Confusion (Essential Mix), Confusion (Trip 1-Ambient Confusion), Confusion (Accapella), Confusion (Con-om-fus-ars-ion Mix), Confusion (Confused Ooh-Wee Dub), Confusion Larry Tee's Electroclash Mix (New & Old Vocals), Larry Tee's Electroclash Mix Edit (New Vocals), Koma & Bones Vocal Version (Old Vocals), Koma & Bones Version (New Vocals), Koma & Bones Remix (New Vocals), Koma & Bones Vocal Mix, Koma & Bones Dub (07:54), Outputs Nu-Rocktro Version (Old Vocals), Outputs Nu-Rocktro Version (New Vocals), Outputs Nu-Rocktro Version Edit (New Vocals), Arthur Baker 2002 Version (Old Vocals), Arthur Baker 2002 Version Edit (Old Vocals), Arthur Baker 2002 Version Edit (New Vocals), Arthur Baker 2002 Instrumental, Asto Dazed Mix (Old Vocals), Asto Dazed Mix Edit (Old Vocals), Acapella & Parts (Old Vocals), Acapella (Old Vocals) (01:47). How could I have been so cynical? The Beatles of electro.

You should have seen it coming. The follow-up to their debut single Ceremony was a re-recorded Ceremony.

Michael Monkhouse wrote: I would like to apologise for yesterday's post, in which I insinuated New Order milked Blue Monday. Let us not forget that the follow-up was Confusion, Confusion Rough Mix, Confusion Instumental, Confusion Beats, Confusion 7" edit, Confusion video edit, Confusion 87 Substance rerecording, Confusion 87 CD dub, Confusion (Alternative Mix), Confusion (Essential Mix), Confusion (Trip 1-Ambient Confusion), Confusion (Accapella), Confusion (Con-om-fus-ars-ion Mix), Confusion (Confused Ooh-Wee Dub), Confusion Larry Tee's Electroclash Mix (New & Old Vocals), Larry Tee's Electroclash Mix Edit (New Vocals), Koma & Bones Vocal Version (Old Vocals), Koma & Bones Version (New Vocals), Koma & Bones Remix (New Vocals), Koma & Bones Vocal Mix, Koma & Bones Dub (07:54), Outputs Nu-Rocktro Version (Old Vocals), Outputs Nu-Rocktro Version (New Vocals), Outputs Nu-Rocktro Version Edit (New Vocals), Arthur Baker 2002 Version (Old Vocals), Arthur Baker 2002 Version Edit (Old Vocals), Arthur Baker 2002 Version Edit (New Vocals), Arthur Baker 2002 Instrumental, Asto Dazed Mix (Old Vocals), Asto Dazed Mix Edit (Old Vocals), Acapella & Parts (Old Vocals), Acapella (Old Vocals) (01:47). How could I have been so cynical? The Beatles of electro.

It's a fair point, so much so that it was worth making it twice, making a third time would be pushing it though.

Andy wrote: You should have seen it coming. The follow-up to their debut single Ceremony was a re-recorded Ceremony.

I got a genuine laugh out of this, as it's never occurred to me before! 😂

50poundnote wrote:

Andy wrote: You should have seen it coming. The follow-up to their debut single Ceremony was a re-recorded Ceremony.

I got a genuine laugh out of this, as it's never occurred to me before! 😂

I'm genuinely surprised Monkhouse hasn't responded. I used the word "coming" and everything!

I shall not rise to that. There were three Ceremonies - 7", 12", rerecorded 12" I always assumed they used the last one on Substance cos it was cleaner and featured the full line up.

I think the original 7” and 12” were the same.

It was only the re-recorded 12” which was different.

So, two versions, not including things like the Western Works demo.

Yeah, the Bside was the one they changed. Love the first Ceremony - so raw and powerful, unlike the cleaner Gillian take.

Never been that mad about the re-recorded version of Ceremony, the one with Gillian that ended up on Substance. Always thought the first version that was on the 7 inch and 12 inch was/is magnificent.Really majestic and powerful. The second version, the re-recorded one for me was always a bit weak and lifeless. Could never understand why people prefer the re-recorded version but each to their own eh

I’ve even read some people saying they can’t tell the difference between the first version and the second version. WTF? Baffling how anybody couldn’t tell the difference.

Couldn’t believe my ears when I first bought Substance in 1987 and upon the needle hitting the vinyl the re-recorded version kicked in.Was pretty disappointed they’d put that version on Substance but yeah maybe it was the thing about it including Gillian so that’s why they did put it on .Has to be the only reason.

I’m probably in the minority by I far prefer the re-recorded Ceremony version (same for 87 versions of Temptation and Confusion).

I can see why they were all re-recorded as the originals (while I’m not denying might have more rawness and energy) are poorly recorded, with wrong guitar chords played, singing with a cold, varying volumes of snare drum and all sound a bit tinny.

But if people prefer the originals then I won’t argue. They’ve probably been fans of the band much longer than me and probably all have cocks the size of the M1.

I prefer the re-recorded version because it's the first one I heard, and Gillian is my favorite member of the band, and she's on it.

I like the cleaner production, which takes them further away from the Joy Division sound. I didn't hear New Order until 1983, didn't buy anything until 1985, and didn't know about the Joy Division connection until Substance came out in 1989. The curse of growing up in middle America.

Anyway, the original version is available on Singles.

Fotz wrote:

I’ve even read some people saying they can’t tell the difference between the first version and the second version. WTF? Baffling how anybody couldn’t tell the difference.

I'm the first to admit that I'm probably one of those people... occasionally. Play me the two songs back to back and I can tell them apart immediately. Play me the opening few seconds of just one of them, and I can probably get it 4 times out of 5.

But, on occasion, I'll tune in to the radio, part way through the song, and I just can't tell which version it is. It's probably my 'old ears'.

I think I probably prefer the original version, as it sounds more dynamic to me, but it's a close thing.

Incidentally, Steve provided an easy way to distinguish the two versions in his latest book:

"Here's a tip for the confused: the New York version starts with just bass and hi-hat, the second Gillian (sic) begins with bass, hi-hat and bass drum. Trust me, it's simple really. I can usually tell the difference. Well three times out of five."

See, Fotz, it ain't just us amateurs who have trouble. Even the maestro himself!

is it bro wrote: They’ve probably been fans of the band much longer than me and probably all have cocks the size of the M1.

Mine's not just the size it. It looks like it. It's long and thin. It's got a white line down it. It curls about, it curls about. There's crashes on it and service stations too.

PS in the extremely unlikely event that anyone is confused by this:

50poundnote wrote: I prefer the re-recorded version because it's the first one I heard,

Maybe that’s why I like the first version better, because it was the first version that I heard and lived with a couple of years before I heard the re-recorded version.

Personally I prefer everything on the first version of Ceremony, except the guitars which sound weirdly strangled. The ideal would be if someone could do a mashup with the guitars from the second version mixed into the first version.

I like them both. Would be tough to choose between them (lame, I know).

The original version to me is the definitive one. For all of the importance rightly placed on Hannett's touch, I love how this version hews close to that solitary live performance at Joy Divisions final gig.

But I also appreciate that the re-recorded version has a more palatable sound and slightly shortened arrangement that makes it a better fit for single release. The fact that Gillian is included is a nice bonus.