Republic

I have just recently re-discovered this after many years, and it is now my favourite New Order album. When it first came out in '93 (I think) I probably dismissed it as being too 'lightweight'. It's true that it's not as sublime as some of their earlier work, but I now think this is a great New Order album. It holds together as a whole album, with no dud tracks. The weakest track for me is the opener, the single 'Regret', with those awful lines 'I would like a place I could call my own, have a conversation on the telephone'. All in all a good example of NO's work (and also a bit like early Electronic). Great electro-pop, a good blend of the melancholic and the uplifting, and really well-produced with a well-balanced lush, sound. Also Barney's singing is better on this album than on any other New Order album. The cover is a bit naff, although more interesting inside, and suggestive to me of a sort of Koyanasquatsi theme (!) If you like New Order then 'Republic' is essential for your collection.

very nice thanks

I have pretty general music tastes I believe. but for some reason which I do not really understand of all my music collection. this album in particular is just brilliant just buy it you will not be disappointed

great music

A nice album. It was well packaged and seller extremely helpful

Fantastic album

Classic new order

The vinyl version is not great. Very flat sounding and with a little 'echo' at the end of fade outs.Stick to the cd in this case if you want the best audio quality....

El disco en sí por su contenido es bueno, lo único deficiente fue la edición, el sonido es malo, y el disco llegó dañado de la carcasa. Pongan más cuidado a los envíos Tío Amazon.

Sound piacevole, ma niente di eccezionale. Complessivamente vale la pena.

X

Solo por contener un temazo como Regret merece la pena. Portada de Saville y una vez pasado el aluvión acid/Ibiza/dance, New Order sacan un disco muy "neworderiano" pero menos fiestero que su predecesor .

I think the secret of New Order's appeal, and of their longevity, is that they have always experimented and evolved creatively, with very little in-your-face promo. This tells me that their success is due to the music they make, rather than image. In the past year I have explored nearly every album they recorded, and I find that each one has a personality. And the personality of this 1993 recording is "SMOOTH". The tracks have quiet energy with relaxed forward motion. Most of them feature arrangements that have a club-jazz influence. Most tracks feature "club" piano, and most have percussion that percolates quietly in the background. As on other New Order albums, most are hybrids of two genres: a pop-rock guitar band sound and electronic music. That is another thing at which New Order excels. There are upbeat tracks, speedy ones, mid-tempos and a couple that are more serious in mood, but none are extreme in any way. Even Bernard Sumner's vocals are smooth, with a tendency toward style rather than only function.Two tracks stand out from the rest, by virtue of being different. "Times Change" is one of the more serious tracks. It opens with a 90's hip-hop beat and features synths that make random stabs, in addition to those that "flow". This song also includes rap by Bernard. The first rap verse I take to be in praise of music: "Feel the rhythm, sweetest sound/Making, breaking sacred ground." Then there is a sung verse about the 1993 earthquake in Jamaica: "In Port-Royal town, I hear it coming/The shaking of the ground." And the final rap verse is concerned with our strange and painful lives: "What is wrong? This pain won't peel/The fibres of my life won't heal." ("Young Offender" includes spoken comments but not really a rap.) The other standout is the last track, "Avalanche". It is an instrumental dominated by a gently galloping beat and an atmospheric synth arrangement. To me, New Order is the world's most successful underappreciated band. I rarely hear people talking about them. Their ace in the hole is their musical talent. Their albums are excellent. They are good musicians that make good music. What's not to like?