Low-Life

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Low-Life
Studio album by New Order
Released	13 May 1985
Recorded	Jam and Britannia Row Studios, London (1984)
Genre	Alternative dance Alternative rock Techno Electro Synthpop Electronica
Length	40:05
Label	Factory - FACT 100
Producer	New Order
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Rolling Stone (favorable) link Robert Christgau (B+) link
New Order chronology
Power, Corruption & Lies (1983) Low-Life (1985) Brotherhood (1986)

Low-Life is the third studio album of the English rock band New Order. Released in May 1985, Low-Life is considered to be amongst New Order's strongest work, displaying the moment in which the band completed its transformation from post-punk hold overs to dance rock pioneers. The album shows New Order's increased incorporation of synthesizers and samplers, while still preserving the rock aspects of their earlier work.

The album's artwork is the only New Order release to feature photographs of the band members on its sleeve. On most issues, drummer/keyboardist Stephen Morris is on the front cover. Some re-releases, including the 1993 London Records CD, feature four photographs inside the case and a semi-transparent piece of paper with the band's name on. Owners can choose which band member is seen through the sleeve.

The album was preceded by the release of the full-length version of "The Perfect Kiss" as a single (only an edited version appears on the album). A John Robie remix of "Sub-culture" was also released as a 12" single. Both of these extended versions eventually were included on 1987's Substance.

The songs on this album formed the basis of New Order's live concert video, Pumped Full of Drugs, filmed in Tokyo shortly before the album's release.

The music video for "The Perfect Kiss" was directed by Jonathan Demme. The song "Elegia" was featured in the Academy Award-nominated short film More by Mark Osborne.

In 2000 Q magazine placed Low-Life at number 97 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever.

[edit] Track listing

(all songs written by New Order)

1. "Love Vigilantes" – 4:16
2. "The Perfect Kiss" – 4:51
3. "This Time of Night" – 4:45
4. "Sunrise" – 6:01
5. "Elegia" – 4:56
6. "Sooner Than You Think" – 5:12
7. "Sub-culture" – 4:58
8. "Face Up" – 5:02

• "Elegia" is in fact an edit; the original 17-minute version eventually surfaced on the bonus fifth disc of 2002's Retro box set. Stephen Morris mentioned in an interview in Select (September 1993) that ".. the album version [of "Elegia"] are the highlights of the 20-minute song." ^[1]
• "The Perfect Kiss" is an edit of the full 8 minute single version. The edit's intro is also lifted from "Kiss of Death", a remix of the song on the 12" single.

[edit] Personnel

• Bernard Sumner; Vocals, guitars, melodica, synthesizers & programming, percussion
• Peter Hook; 4 & 6 stringed bass, electronic percussion, backing vocals on "This Time of Night"
• Stephen Morris; Drums, synthesizers & programming
• Gillian Gilbert; Synthesizers & programming, guitars
• New Order; Production
• Michael Johnson – Engineering
• Mark, Penny and Tim – Tape operators

[edit] Release details

• UK 12" – Factory Records (FACT 100)
• UK cassette – Factory Records (FACT 100C)
• US 12" – Qwest (25289-1)
• US cassette – Qwest (9 25289-4)
• UK CD (1993 re-release) – London Records (520 020-2)

[edit] Chart positions

• UK – #7
• US – #94
• AUS – #70

[edit] See also

• New Order discography

[edit] External links

• Low-Life on New Order Online
• Low-Life on World in Motion

[edit] References