The Singles [Best of]

It's obvious just how influential, and just how cutting edge New Order have always been. They are one of the very few who deserve their legendary status. What many people seem to forget is how many of their singles ( compiled herein ) are pure pop celebrations, probably because for years NO singles were kept strictly seperate from their albums. Often shy, ethereal, and indeed mopey on many of their album cuts, NO singles are more often than not cause for dancing, decadence and drugs. So why buy SINGLES and not SUBSTANCE, or THE BEST OF, or INTERNATIONAL?
For a few simple, but very important reasons. Obviously, every single NO 7" is represented here ( the original Blue Monday was only ever a 12" , but that is the sole exception ). The early tracks have been given a sonic upgrade that is frankly astonishing. Listen to the first minute or so of Ceremony and you'll see. The difference between this and the version on SUBSTANCE is like the proverbial night and day. The clarity and seperation of sound is amazing, and the bass drum kicks like never before. Also, SINGLES marks the US cd debut of the 7" single versions of Temptation and Confusion, two tracks that were re-recorded for the SUBSTANCE compilation. These two tracks are pure electro bliss, and are as forward thinking now as they were in the very early Eighties. Even when NO could be seen as treading water,when they settled into comfortable middle age ( anything after the singles from TECHNIQUE ) a second ( or third, or fourth ) listen will bring out musical and lyrical nuances that make these songs all stand out in their own way. This is a sterling collection, now my favourite NO compilation. I couldn't do without it.

This is, bar NONE, a must-buy...a must must MUST buy...one of the greatest hits/singles collections ever, by anybody, period!!!!

This set expands on 1987's "Substance", blows away "International" and "(The Best Of) New Order" by a mile...the only other collection you need besides this is the "Retro" boxset, preferably the 5-disc version...the thing is, you kinda need to burn/copy various tracks from each, in order to not need them...the 1994 import remix collection "(The Rest Of) New Order", I find for completists only, although I don't have a copy.

The difference between "Singles" and "Substance", besides it being up-to-date with all 31 singles, is that "Substance" has mainly 12" versions and 2 rerecordings (1987) of the first 12 singles, plus B-sides on disc 2, while here, "Singles" has mainly shorter 7" radio versions...but 2 tracks are kept intact from "Substance": "True Faith" and the original "Blue Monday" in it's full 7 minute glory...I like these versions just as much, except on 1 song, 1984's "Thieves Like Us"...the whole second verse is cut on this version, the one regarding pills, kinda ruins the song for me...plus, the 1st disc is only 69 minutes, there was ample room for the full-lengther, or at least left that verse in on this version...oh well, I'll live.

Back to the positive...this new US version sounds even better than the earlier UK one...the remastering is BEYOND BELIEF, woah!!!! Makes someone like me hope for the whole frikking catalogue to be done!!!! The packaging and liner notes are identical, but slightly refined on the US version...it looks a drop better for some reason...I know, I used to have the import but sold it...oh also, this US version has a cool new bonus track, a fresh remix of "Temptation" by Dallas-cum-Brooklyn experimental rockers The Secret Machines...I dig it, plus there was room for it, as the UK CD2 has only 63 minutes, now it's about 70...

Every song here is great (barring my issue with "Thieves Like Us"), from their new version of "Ceremony" from when they were Joy Division, through the 4 singles off "Waiting For The Sirens' Call", their new masterful 2005 album, including "Jetstream", their cool duet with Ana Matronic from Scissor Sisters...

Their unique brand of unpretentious, soulful dance/punk/rock/pop/electronic hybrid is as groundbreaking as ever, as timeless as ever, and is an immediate choice for desert-island discs...

New Order's music will never get old...and will always be cool...

Now, the songs you still need are 11 tracks on "Substance", which are..."Temptation" (1987 version), "Confusion" (1987 version)...yeah, this "Singles" set has the ORIGINAL versions of those 2 songs..."Thieves Like Us" (12" version), "The Perfect Kiss" (12" version), "State Of The Nation" (12" version), and the B-sides: "Hurt", "Confusion" (instrumental), "Murder", "Thieves Like Us" (instrumental), "Kiss Of Death" and "Shame Of The Nation"...if you still want them, that is...the other 12 inches and B-sides are on the box set "Retro". From "International", you need (if you want) the 12" version of "Touched By The Hand Of God"...the only place to find that on CD. And from "(The Best Of) New Order", you need "Age Of Consent", "Love Vigilantes", "Vanishing Point", "True Faith (1994)" and "Round & Round (1994)", if you want them...

Otherwise, if not, and you don't want the catalogue or the box, this 2CD jackpot will be all you need by the masters Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, Gillian Gilbert and Stephen Morris...aka New Order!!!!

Buy this pronto...you may need it more than you realize...

2010 Update: The songs missing that are on "Substance", 12-inchers and B-sides, as well as exclusives from "International" and "(The Best Of) New Order", are now (mostly) on the recent 2CD remasters/reissues of their Factory-era catalogue, so those now render that 1987 collection utterly obsolete. For instance: there are only 3 tracks on "Substance" not carried over...the cool-but-not-essential 1987 versions of "Temptation" and "Confusion" and the instrumental B-side version of "The Perfect Kiss" called "The Kiss Of Death", that's it, same with the 1994 versions of "True Faith" and "Round & Round" from "(The Best Of) New Order"...

Here's where the rest of it is:
The "Thieves Like Us" 12" is on the deluxe "Power, Corruption & Lies"...
"The Perfect Kiss" 12" is on the deluxe "Low Life"...
The "State Of The Nation" 12" is on the deluxe "Brotherhood", slapped on the end of the album Disc 1, after "Every Little Counts"...
The B-side "Shame Of The Nation" is now on the deluxe "Low Life"...
The "Touched By The Hand Of God" 12" is now on the deluxe "Brotherhood"...
The B-side "Hurt" is on the deluxe "Movement"...
The B-side "Murder" is on the deluxe "Power, Corruption & Lies"...
The "Confusion" instrumental B-side is on the deluxe "Power, Corruption & Lies"...
The "Thieves Like Us" instrumental B-side is also on the deluxe "Power, Corruption & Lies"...
And lastly, album tracks/fan faves, now remastered:
"Age Of Consent" is on the deluxe "Power, Corruption & Lies"...
"Love Vigilantes" is on the deluxe "Low-Life"...
and "Vanishing Point" is on the deluxe "Technique"...

There ya go...and with those tracks not carried over, burn em and include the disc with the "Retro" boxset as Disc 6...those being:
"Temptation 1987"
"Confusion 1987"
"Kiss Of Death"
"True Faith '94"
"Round & Round '94"

Obviously if you didn't own any New Order, this would be an incredible purchase - 31 of the best tracks of all time in one package. However, it is probably safe to assume that most people who will buy this already own versions of all of these tracks (except the cool bonus remix) or at least the ones that are on previous collections (Substance, Best Of, International). But most reviews I have read of this collection totally miss this main point - this is the first time ever you can get the original 7" versions of all of these tracks on cd (except for the original Blue Monday, which is the 12" version). This is awesome! Complaining this is yet another New Order collection and why do we need another... totally misses the point. Complaining that you prefer some aspect of some other 12" version of a track totally misses the point - if you want the 12" versions, that is not the point of this collection. It is just so cool to be able to have the 7" version of Temptation, which is totally different then the 12" version. Though perhaps this is the most obvious example, almost all of the tracks here differ from the versions on albums and previous collections. Well worth the purchase price (which ironically, is higher than the import version if you order direct from the UK, but you do get the extra remix of Temptation by Secret Machines, which is actually pretty cool).