New Order Substance Cassette

Singles is a greatest hits album by English rock band New Order. It was released on 3 October 2005 by London Records. The two-disc compilation includes the band's singles released between 1981 and 2005. Unlike the CD version of earlier singles compilation Substance 1987, the B-sides are not included. While Substance 1987 aimed to showcase New Order's 12-inch singles, Singles instead features mostly seven-inch versions, some of which are rare and differ from the album versions…

Rising from the ashes of the legendary British post-punk unit Joy Division, New Order triumphed over tragedy to emerge as one of the most acclaimed bands of the 1980s; embracing the electronic textures and disco rhythms of the underground club culture many years in advance of its contemporaries, the group's pioneering fusion of new wave aesthetics and dance music successfully bridged the gap between the two worlds, creating a distinctively thoughtful and oblique brand of synth pop appealing equally to the mind, body, and soul.

Rising from the ashes of the legendary British post-punk unit Joy Division, New Order triumphed over tragedy to emerge as one of the most acclaimed bands of the 1980s; embracing the electronic textures and disco rhythms of the underground club culture many years in advance of its contemporaries, the group's pioneering fusion of new wave aesthetics and dance music successfully bridged the gap between the two worlds, creating a distinctively thoughtful and oblique brand of synth pop appealing equally to the mind, body, and soul.

Yet another New Order compilation? Add Retro to the dizzying stack of New Order compilations and best-ofs. Actually, it was the second comp to come out in the last half of 2002 (International was released in October and contains nearly every song that is on Retro). With that said, Retro is probably the most expansive and interesting New Order compilation since 1987's Substance. Keeping an eye and ear on the amazing Joy Division set Heart and Soul, Rhino stepped in to publish this box as well (that alone will give Retro a bit more credibility). The packaging is more or less identical to Heart and Soul's four-CD orientation and comes complete with its own Peter Saville-directed artwork and 70-plus-page booklet. Unlike the Joy Division set, Retro makes no attempt to create a comprehensive or complete look at New Order's expansive catalog…

Yet another New Order compilation? Add Retro to the dizzying stack of New Order compilations and best-ofs. Actually, it was the second comp to come out in the last half of 2002 (International was released in October and contains nearly every song that is on Retro). With that said, Retro is probably the most expansive and interesting New Order compilation since 1987's Substance. Keeping an eye and ear on the amazing Joy Division set Heart and Soul, Rhino stepped in to publish this box as well (that alone will give Retro a bit more credibility). The packaging is more or less identical to Heart and Soul's four-CD orientation and comes complete with its own Peter Saville-directed artwork and 70-plus-page booklet. Unlike the Joy Division set, Retro makes no attempt to create a comprehensive or complete look at New Order's expansive catalog…

New Order scored a hit all over again in the spring of 1988 with a remix of its 1983 song "Blue Monday," which became a U.K. Top Ten hit for the second time and made the U.S. singles chart, helping sales of the compilation Substance, which went on to become New Order's first gold and platinum success in America. "Production supervisor on remix" was Quincy Jones, the head of New Order's U.S. label, Qwest. This maxi-single contained both the remix and a dub version, along witb remix and dub versions of New Order's 1987 U.K. single "Touched by the Hand of God," for a running time of nearly 28 minutes.

Any band that's released nearly as many compilations as studio albums in the past 15 years certainly doesn't need another one, but International appeared anyway, and though it's slightly better than The Best of New Order, it's not nearly as solid as Substance. Beginning with New Order's recorded debut, 1981's "Ceremony," the collection proceeds immediately to the group's worldwide breakout with 1983's "Blue Monday," then slots mid-'80s classics "Confusion," "The Perfect Kiss," and "Bizarre Love Triangle." It certainly didn't need three tracks from 2001's Get Ready. Most of the tracks are album versions, though the compilers made wise choices on remixes of "Bizarre Love Triangle" and "Touched by the Hand of God." As befits a middling compilation from an excellent band, International is a take-it-or-leave-it proposition.

Any band that's released nearly as many compilations as studio albums in the past 15 years certainly doesn't need another one, but International appeared anyway, and though it's slightly better than The Best of New Order, it's not nearly as solid as Substance. Beginning with New Order's recorded debut, 1981's "Ceremony," the collection proceeds immediately to the group's worldwide breakout with 1983's "Blue Monday," then slots mid-'80s classics "Confusion," "The Perfect Kiss," and "Bizarre Love Triangle." It certainly didn't need three tracks from 2001's Get Ready. Most of the tracks are album versions, though the compilers made wise choices on remixes of "Bizarre Love Triangle" and "Touched by the Hand of God." As befits a middling compilation from an excellent band, International is a take-it-or-leave-it proposition.

A particular fan favorite, "1963" first surfaced as the B-side to "True Faith" and then on the extended CD release of Substance, though its common appearance in concert sets and compelling contrast between lighter verses and dramatic choruses probably helped in its becoming a single years later. The seemingly winsome portrait sketched by Bernard Sumner at the start about a lover surprised by one Johnny with a gift rapidly turns dark with the unstated realization that he's actually doing something far more desperate. To Sumner's credit it's never fully spelled out, but as a line goes, "There are too many ways you could kill someone." The music on the chorus matches the plea in the lyrics, while Gillian Gilbert adds both soft synth twinkle and darker, mournful backing keyboards, the Peter Hook/Stephen Morris rhythm section's energy becoming more a propulsive feeling of doom…

New Order are delighted to announce the definitive collection of their 1983 studio album Power, Corruption & Lies. The collection which includes an LP, two CDs, two DVDs and a book, features the album remastered for the first time from the original analogue tape masters on LP and CD. The Extras CD contains previously unreleased writing sessions from New Order’s Manchester rehearsal rooms and the 1982 John Peel Session for the BBC. The DVDs capture New Order live during 1982 & 83 at The Hacienda and Kilkenny, the 1984Play at Home Channel 4 TV documentary and other rare live & TV performances.