A Decade of New Order

Rhino recently reissued the first five New Order albums under the subtitle “The Factory Years,” and more than anything else, they confirm the suspicion that this was first and foremost a singles band. 1981’s Movement shows the band trying to figure out what to do without Ian Curtis, and for the most part, they made a Joy Division album without him. The results suggest Curtis’ role as a song editor because little sticks. On the other hand, the singles collected on the bonus disc are all winners: “Everything’s Gone Green,” “Temptation,” “Procession” and “Ceremony.”

Power, Corruption and Lies and Low-Life feature the band at its peak, creating memorable pop out of dance music and memorable dance music out of pop. Almost every song is tinged with melancholy, but no track succumbs to it. Both the albums and the accompanying bonus discs contain indispensible songs and versions, and the 12-inch remixes feel just as organic and musically considered as the shorter album versions.

Brotherhood’s album tracks are overshadowed by the Shep Pettibone remixes of “Bizarre Love Triangle” and “True Faith,” but the band sounds a bit short on song ideas after a year of touring Low-Life. Much better is Technique, which is as poppy and immediate as Low-Life once you get past the shaky opening track, “Fine Time.” Technique has the weakest bonus disc, with the British World Cup anthem “World in Motion” the only essential track.

Unless you’re an obsessive or completist, 1990’s Substance still represents the band best – a best-of that collects the highlights through Brotherhood. After that, download what you need and don’t miss the first three tracks from Republic, a reunion record of sorts recorded after the formal framework of this series.