Stephen Morris ranks it as his least favorite New Order album: "My least favorite, I suppose, is Republic probably because it was just a very, very unpleasant record to make. And we shouldn’t have made it, really." More from the band about the album here. Since I wasn't involved in the making of the album, I don't share Stephen's views. While it isn't my favorite New Order album, I wouldn't rate it as their worst, mainly on the strength of the opening two tracks. And I don't think I'm alone in that opinion - the album is the group's biggest US release and the aforementioned two tracks had some US chart success:
It's a little too slick, nondescript, and Peter Hook's bass is pushed far too low in the mix but even this arthritic guy can't help but dance to it.
Press of the time:
- Rolling Stone (★★★★): "Chemistry is what the group is about and what it demonstrates by inventing lively sonic textures throughout a piece"
- Stereo Review: "more about hooks-per-minute than beats-per-minute"
- Robert Christgau: ***
Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #11
Tracks: There's Regret and World at the top, then most of the remainder of the disc is nondescript but enjoyable dance filler highlighted by Everyone Everywhere and Chemical. And then there's Times Change and Avalanche, which are best avoided.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Seems ludicrous now, but when this album was released in the spring of 1993 I was feeling every bit of my 27 years of age and then some. Teaching teenagers for four years had helped in that regard - teenagers only know three ages: babies, teenagers, elderly (being over 20, they put me firmly in the latter category and treated me as such). In addition, my wife and I were expecting our first child and I was about to undergo a career change that ultimately wouldn't work out. In any case, a weary me found myself in the electronics section of the local Walmart and I had my eye on this CD, having heard Regret on heavy rotation on the Houston radio station I frequented. One of my high school students (complete with Andre Agassi bleached mullet) saddled up next to me in the aisle so I quickly bailed on the CD section because, as most teachers know, we really don't want to see our students out in the wild and I just didn't have the strength to deal with it. I picked up a NO greatest hits compilation a couple of years later, but didn't buy this album until the past year or so.
Previously revisited for the blog:
Waiting For The Sirens' Call (2005)
Get Ready (2001)
(the best of) New Order (1995)
(the rest of) New Order (1995)
Brotherhood (1986)
Bizarre Love Triangle (1986)
No comments:
Post a Comment