The Best of New Order

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(the best of) New Order
File:New Order - (The Best of) New Order album cover.jpg
Greatest hits album by New Order
Released 21 November 1994 (1994-11-21)
Recorded 1981–92
Length 70:08
Label London
Producer New Order, Stephen Hague, Arthur Baker, John Robie, Martin Hannett
New Order chronology
Republic
(1993)Republic1993		 (the best of) New Order
(1994)		 (the rest of) New Order
(1995)(the rest of) New Order1995
Singles from (the best of) New Order
  1. "True Faith-94"
    Released: 7 November 1994
  2. "1963–95"
    Released: 9 January 1995

(the best of) NewOrder (or The Best of New Order) is a compilation album by English band New Order. It was released in the United Kingdom in November 1994 by London Records and, with a different track listing, in the United States on 14 March 1995 by Qwest Records and Warner Bros. Records.[1] The cover and liner notes stylize the group's name as one word (NewOrder) instead of the usual New Order.

Background

(the best of) New Order is the second compilation album released by the group and follows their first, the hugely successful Substance album by seven years. The group had taken a hiatus due to tensions and disputes during the recording and touring of their 1993 album, Republic. Republic had been the first album that the group had released on London Records, and with the group announcing little intention of working together in the near future, the label went ahead compiling (the best of) New Order.

The compilation primarily consists of seven-inch mixes of the group's singles from 1985 onwards. New versions of "True Faith", "Bizarre Love Triangle", "1963" and "Round & Round" appear in alternative mixes. The collection also includes one non-single track, "Vanishing Point" (from the LP Technique), though the song was already popularised as the theme tune to the BBC series Making Out. Only "Thieves Like Us" (the oldest track included, from 1984) appears in the same form as on the earlier compilation, Substance. The liner notes (first on a New Order album) were provided by journalist Paul Morley.[2]

The US version of the album omits three tracks ("The Perfect Kiss", "Shellshock" and "Thieves Like Us"). This was purportedly due to the band's American label, Qwest, not wishing for some of the singles already included on Substance to be duplicated on this compilation.[3] Instead, one album track from each of New Order's first three albums is included ("Dreams Never End" from Movement, "Age of Consent" from Power, Corruption & Lies, and "Love Vigilantes" from Low-Life), as well as a previously unreleased vocal version of the track "Let's Go (Nothing for Me)" from the 1987 film soundtrack Salvation!.

The following year, a companion remix album titled The Rest of New Order was released, with similar cover art.

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic 5/5 stars[4]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music 5/5 stars[5]
Entertainment Weekly B+[6]
The Village Voice A[7]

(the best of) New Order was released on CD, cassette, double LP, VHS and Laserdisc. Limited editions bundled together the cassette and CD in a box set. Video and Laserdisc versions included singles that do not appear on other versions, namely "Confusion", "State of the Nation" and "Spooky".[citation needed]

Critical reception was generally positive. Although AllMusic's William Ruhlmann felt it was not as good a compilation as Substance (1987), he viewed the album as an exceptional overview of New Order's 1980s and early 1990s music.[4] In his review for The Village Voice of the US edition, Robert Christgau said that the album shows why he prefers Bernard Sumner's impassive quality over the despairing Ian Curtis:

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Where 1987's Substance showcased [their] music's remixed, interwoven glory, this pushes [Sumner's] mild-mannered vocals as far front as they'll go. Turns out he has normal feelings about love and rejection and such, dislikes war and guns without getting preachy—just super-unassumingly super-catchy, as befits Britannia's ranking pop group. I mean, could Blur or Oasis write a World Cup anthem so rousing, danceable, and informative?[7]

The album sold well in the Christmas market and reached number 4 on the UK Albums Chart,[8] and was certificated Platinum by the BPI. The compilation did well internationally, charting at #30[9] in Australia, #23 in Canada, and #78[10] in the US.

"True Faith-94" and "1963" were released as singles to promote the compilation. "True Faith-94" was released in November 1994, and reached #9[8] in the UK and #11[11] in Ireland. "1963" (dubbed "1963–95") was remixed by Arthur Baker in a guitar-driven arrangement and released the following January; it reached #21[8] in the UK and #29[11] in Ireland.

The unusual shape on the album cover is a stylised question mark; as such, in chart books the album is sometimes listed as ? (The Best of) New Order.

Track listing

All songs written by New Order, except where noted.

General Release
No. Title Writer(s) Album Length
1. "True Faith-94"   New Order, Stephen Hague Previously unreleased 5:34
2. "Bizarre Love Triangle-94"   New Order Previously unreleased 3:54
3. "1963–94"   New Order, Stephen Hague Previously unreleased 3:46
4. "Regret"   New Order, Stephen Hague Republic 4:08
5. "Fine Time"   New Order Technique 3:08
6. "The Perfect Kiss"   New Order Low-Life 4:49
7. "Shellshock"   New Order, John Robie Pretty in Pink 4:23
8. "Thieves Like Us"   New Order, Arthur Baker Single release only 6:36
9. "Vanishing Point"   New Order Technique 5:14
10. "Run" (Incorrectly credited on UK editions as "Run 2") New Order, John Denver Technique 4:29
11. "Round & Round-94"   New Order Previously unreleased 4:00
12. "World (The Price of Love)"   New Order, Stephen Hague Republic 3:38
13. "Ruined in a Day"   New Order, Stephen Hague Republic 3:57
14. "Touched by the Hand of God"   New Order Salvation! 3:42
15. "Blue Monday-88"   New Order Single release only 4:07
16. "World in Motion"   New Order, Keith Allen Single release only 4:30
US version
No. Title Writer(s) Album Length
1. "Let's Go (Nothing for Me)"   New Order, Arthur Baker Salvation! 4:02
2. "Dreams Never End"   New Order Movement 3:11
3. "Age of Consent"   New Order Power, Corruption & Lies 5:13
4. "Love Vigilantes"   New Order Low-Life 4:18
5. "True Faith-94"   New Order, Stephen Hague Previously unreleased 4:27
6. "Bizarre Love Triangle-94"   New Order Previously unreleased 3:54
7. "1963–95" (Actually the Arthur Baker Radio Remix) New Order, Stephen Hague Previously unreleased 4:02
8. "Fine Time"   New Order Technique 3:08
9. "Vanishing Point"   New Order Technique 5:14
10. "Run"   New Order, John Denver Technique 4:28
11. "Round & Round-94"   New Order Technique 4:00
12. "Regret"   New Order, Stephen Hague Republic 4:08
13. "World (The Price of Love)"   New Order Republic 3:38
14. "Ruined in a Day"   New Order Republic 4:22
15. "Touched by the Hand of God"   New Order Salvation! 3:41
16. "Blue Monday-88"   New Order Single release only 4:07
17. "World in Motion"   New Order, Keith Allen Single release only 4:29

Video release

  1. "True Faith-94"
  2. "Regret"
  3. "Run"
  4. "Bizarre Love Triangle"
  5. "Fine Time"
  6. "The Perfect Kiss"
  7. "Shellshock"
  8. "Confusion"
  9. "Blue Monday-88"
  10. "Round & Round-94"
  11. "World"
  12. "Ruined in a Day"
  13. "State of the Nation"
  14. "Touched by the Hand of God"
  15. "World in Motion"
  16. "Spooky"
  17. "True Faith"
  18. "Round & Round" ("Patti" version)

Personnel

  • New Order – Production (All tracks except "Dreams Never End")
  • Stephen Hague – Production ("True Faith-94", "1963", "Regret", "Ruined in a Day", "World (Price of Love)", and "World in Motion")
  • Martin Hannett – Production ("Dreams Never End")
  • Arthur Baker – Production ("Let's Go (Nothing for Me)")
  • Mike "Spike" Drake – Production ("True Faith-94", "Bizarre Love Triangle-94", "1963–94" and "Round & Round-94")
  • John Robie – Production ("Shellshock")
  • Peter Saville – Design Consultant
  • Howard Wakefield – Design
  • Thomas Manss & Company – Design
  • Martin Orpen and Idea – Digital Imaging

Chart positions

Chart (1994/5) Peak
position
Australian ARIA Albums Chart[9] 30
Canadian RPM Albums Chart 23
New Zealand RIANZ Album Chart[12] 27
UK Albums Chart[8] 4
US Billboard 200 Albums Chart[10] 78

References

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  2. ↑ ARTISTdirect
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ EW review
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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