In Praise of...Brotherhood by New Order

Brotherhood would have a better reputation if its production values were as pristine as Technique's.

"Technique" is fine but too in thrall to house music and Ecstasy. Not a bad album but also not entirely the New Order I knew and loved up til then.

thanks Geirbot

how can the album be in thrall to house music and Ecstasy when five tracks are rock songs? Unless you meant house and Ecstasy brought them to their songwriting peak.

All Day Long is probably the best NO track in my dumb opinion. I haven't heard anything that sounds quite like that one.

"Your Silent Face" does something similar imo

very true

"All the Way" too.

"Technique" is fine but too in thrall to house music and Ecstasy. Not a bad album but also not entirely the New Order I knew and loved up til then.

thanks Geirbot

― The Very Fugly Caterpillar (sic), Tuesday, February 5, 2019 2:00 PM (three hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Nice try but ... nah.

Alfred - I feel those influences blanded out their sound somehow. All the interviews I remember from that time talked of endless partying in Ibiza and the influence of the cool new stuff they'd been hearing when they went out to the island's clubs. I just heard - and hear - a glossy record missing the roughness and fire of the releases that led up to it. Sorry folks, I don't really like my New Order slick.

so you don't like slick and glossy?

Not with New Order, no.

the New Order albums i'm not down w/as much are Get Ready and WFTSC. Music Complete brought me back, moreso after seeing the songs performed live.

and they still are! Lots of them!

I have a strange relationship with this album. I think back when I got it I was aware that it was the highest Xgau rated New Order album besides "Substance" (maybe he gave it an A?), but it's probably the one I went back to the least when I had them all. Not bad, definitely a good record, sounds a bit like a computer built out of cardboard.

nah I love it and I love its rough sound; it wasn't deliberate, but it reassured the rockists worried that after PCL and LL they'd moved too close to the dance floor. It was the last classic-era album I bought in 1992, and it shocked me with its guitar-bass-drums base.

According to Wikipedia, Bizarre Love Triangle didn't chart in either the UK or the US - although my memory was that it was everywhere at the time!

In Miami the Shep Pettibone remix was a part of life from 1987-1993. Then after the Frente! revival I heard a different remix. But, yes, it was not an official single.

"all day long" >>>>>>

i think i really love this record now, it's great, singles band my ass

it's very closely their second best behind technique imo, so good

"All Day Long" was my favourite when it was new(-ish -- bought it shortly before "True Faith" arrived). The variations on the basic theme in the coda just sounded luvly to 12-y/o ears.

That was my first NO purchase and I was confused. Not much of it sounded like "Bizarre Love Triangle" and the lyrics seemed kinda half-baked, even to a Duran Duran fan. LOL. Took me a little while to realise that that was part of the charm and that most of their albums are a loveable mess. I have no idea how to rank them these days, though I guess I must have for that poll a few years ago.

"way of life"/"bizarre love triangle"/"all day long" is such a great sequence

I loved All Day Long. To me PCL, Low Life and Brotherhood were three perfect albums. I know Technique was also great but I think I had moved on by the time it was released

According to Wikipedia, Bizarre Love Triangle didn't chart in either the UK or the US - although my memory was that it was everywhere at the time!

It was definitely, quantifiably everywhere in Aus. Top 5 apparently, from the same source, and #1 here in Victoria. Certainly felt like everyone dug it that (southern) summer. My neighbour had the 12" with "Bizarre Dub Triangle" on the flipside and quite a few people enjoyed/endured my tape dub with several versions back to back.