The New Order re- issue machine is in full flow, the third of a series of album boxed sets having just been released, this one tackling 1985's masterpiece Lowlife. I haven't bought any of them, the cost of living crisis, my recent reduction in income and what looks a little like poor value for money coming together to put me off. The three boxes- so far 1981's Movement, 1983's Power, Corruption And Lies and now Lowlife- cost over £100 each and come with what does indeed look like a beautiful hardback book, a remastered album, some extra tracks/ demos and some DVDs of live performances (of which more later). The 12" singles associated with the time period of each album are being re- issued separately, at £20 each. The extras/ demos confirm my belief that New Order don't have a great deal of unreleased material sitting in the vaults. It seems that what they wrote they worked up in full and released and many of the extras such as the full seventeen minute version of Elegia saw the light of day previously in the 2002 Retro boxed set. Other non- Factory songs like Skullcrusher and Let's Go (from soundtracks) have been fairly widely available too. Some people I know have bought the album boxed sets, and fair enough, but not for me at the price they're offered at right now.
Grumble over. In 1985 New Order were doing something no one else was, their marriage of unreliable synths and drum machines with live guitars and drums, marrying dance and rock, was/ is unique. The Cure went on to borrow their bass lines and shiny c1987 sound, but largely they really were out on their own, making pop music/ art for a record label who allowed them the freedom to do what they liked, when they liked, with a groundbreaking visual designer. Bernard's vocals, untutored and unbothered, with Hooky's frequently soaring, gorgeous basslines and the rhythmic punch Stephen brought, the choppy, distorted guitars, Gillian's one fingered keyboard playing, the frog chorus and synth drums- all of this made them outstanding in a field of one. Their live performances were notoriously shonky, drunken and short affairs, with equipment breaking down and Mancunian truculence as standard. These for me are the draws of the boxed sets, mid 80s gigs in full on an archaic and outdated format, Ye Olde Digital Versatile Disc.
In December 1985 New Order played Rotterdam, an eventful couple of days away I would imagine with Rotterdam's reputation for edginess and New Order's for partying. There was a gig in Belgium and they'd been in Japan earlier that year (a gig released on video as Pumped Full of Drugs, catalogue number FAC 177- medical ones funnily enough, they all had flu) and played the Hacienda too, promoting Lowlife in all it's shiny, state of the art glory. Lowlife, catalogue number FAC 100, is perfect mid- 80s New Order, from the opening crash of the snare and country and western / Vietnam lyrics of Love Vigilantes to the gargantuan dance- pop of The Perfect Kiss (in edited form), Sunrise and Elegia's glorious synthscapes, Sub- cultures towering dance music with masturbation lyrics and the thumping ending of Face Up, with its corny lyrics, yelps and everything. Even the two songs that are most clearly the 'album tracks', Sooner Than You Think and This Time Of Night, are miles ahead of their contemporaries. If New Order had contemporaries in 1985. The footage of the Rotterdam gig is superb, and some of it is on Youtube thankfully, though not the whole gig as one document- hopefully sooner or later someone will upload this. As it is here are a few highlights of Bernard, Peter, Stephen and Gillian in 1985.
As It Is When It Was at The Hacienda, filmed for the Whistle Test, Hooky's Love Will Tear Us Apart teasing bassline at the fore and Barney crooning, 'well I always thought we'd get along like a house on fire' and Velvet Underground chicken scratch guitars. The shot from the balcony at three minutes, the crowd tightly packed and swaying like the Stretford End behind Ron Atkinson's mid 80s team.
Sunrise, also from the Hacienda, with a birthday shout out for Gary, nineteen today.
Over at the Rotterdam Arena now, The Perfect Kiss introduced by Hooky, nine minutes of widescreen, dance- pop brilliance, under bright white lights with Morris and Gilbert prodding synths while Barney and Peter bring the guitars. Bernard's guitar solo as Hooky bashes the synth drums and then the drop out at around five minutes is a blast. Cue the frogs.
Opinion I'd like to present as fact- Bernard was a better vocalist when he wasn't able to sing and play at the same time.
To Japan now and the Koseinenkin Hall, and Sub- culture. There are times when I think Sub- culture may be their best song, their finest moment. 'In the end you will submit/ It's got to hurt you a little bit'.
Love Vigilantes in Tokyo, Barney's melodica making its wheezy appearance. Not a euphemism.
Back to Rotterdam now. The setlist for Rotterdam is stunning- As It Was When It Was/ Everything's Gone Green/ Sub- culture/ Ceremony/ Let's Go/ This Time Of Night/ The Village/ The Perfect Kiss/ Age Of Consent/ Sunrise. Amazingly they played an encore too, not something they were much up for at the time and not something they tended to do without leaving the machines playing Blue Monday. At Rotterdam Arena the encore was Temptation and Face Up.
Face Up is absurdly good and so typically New Order, everything great about them piled into six minutes of exhilaration. Here Barney fumbles the words occasionally, the sound is distorted, the bass pulverising, the synths overloaded, the drums crashing and crunchy, a white knuckle ride a week before Christmas 1985. 'Oh how I cannot bear the thought of you/ We were young and we were pure/ And life was just an open door' Bernard sings, lines I assume that must be about Ian and Joy Division, as the song tears towards its conclusion leaving Hooky, shirtless, not wanting to leave the stage.
