It's Not Blue Monday - Some Favourite New Order Songs

Introduction.

New Order rose from the ashes of Joy Division and Ian Curtis’ suicide, and Joy Division were previously incarnated as Warsaw. New Order and Joy Division had Nazi origins and many punk bands donned Nazi regalia before it was seen, rightfully as an endorsement of Fascism, which ironically most of the punk movement was against.

Although I was tempted to fuse the two bands together for this playlist, because barring the vocals the sound is very similar, for obvious reasons. I decided against it because New Order do have a superb back catalogue and my Vocal playlist articles tend to veer between six and twelve songs, much like your average vinyl album.

There, I am showing my age, aren't I?

Any best of New Order will include “Blue Monday” as it is a great song and probably their most famous number. The rhythm came about because of a drum machine error and we all know that rhythm by heart.

It was the biggest-selling 12” single ever, but because the floppy disc cover design was so expensive to produce it actually made a loss. Factory records were a home for amazingly stylish financial failures. You have to see the film “24 Hour Party People” to get some idea of how stylishly mad they actually were.

So on to my playlist.

1: Temptation

This is my absolute New Order favourite, a stunning verse and “to die for” chorus and it was featured in the film “Trainspotting”. I have it on 12” vinyl as well and it does get played a lot.

It was a stand-alone single released on Factory Records. The single reached #29 on the UK Singles Chart upon its release in 1982.

2: Love Vigilantes

I first heard this covered by the Oysterband and was shocked to find out it was a New Order song. I am not sure which version is my favourite but I do love both of them.

It is an absolutely beautiful, almost tear-jerking anti-war song from the album “Low Life”.

This is the Oysterband take on the song.

3: Your Silent Face

This is electronic but absolutely gorgeous and the main backing theme reminds me of the feeling of “Sunchyme” by Dario G.

This is from “Power, Corruption and Lies” and when it is on I just never want it to stop, absolute perfection for me.

3: Everything’s Gone Green

From their first album “Movement” I love the insistent three-chord motif that drives this before the singing breaks it to this sparse masterpiece.

4: Krafty

This was the first single from the band's 2005 album, “Waiting for the Sirens' Call” and like many of their songs has a wonderful dynamic, and Bernard Sumner’s voice takes you on a gorgeous journey.

This was released nearly twenty-five years on from the first New Order album, and today we are nearly twenty years on from the release of this, and they are still coming up with great music

5: Waiting For The Siren’s Call

The title track from their 2005 album, and like “Krafty” takes you on a gorgeous dynamic European journey.

6: Ceremony

Going back to “Movement” their first album after the death of Ian Curtis and it still sounds like he is with the band.

Conclusion

These are just a few of my favourites from a band that came from thirty miles south of my original home in Preston. While their music can be doom-laden it can also be very uplifting too. Check out some more of their music, you never know what you might find.