Link: New Order Online
The Inside Pulse:
Ever want to completely immerse yourself in a giant bucket of depressing electro-pop music? The two discs included with Item are a compendium of the band’s music videos (and some live footage) and New Order Story, the 1992 documentary starting with their birth as Joy Division and ending in a cloud of mystery. Truly, this is a band that deserves such a treatment; their videos are notoriously artsy and worthy of preservation, while their history is turbulent and fascinating to include death, enigma, and complete financial meltdown including some vicious, vitriol-fueled bickering with the head of their former label. Yes, it’s interesting enough to entertain even those who could care less about the music, and the same can be said of many of their their aesthetically captivating videos.
Positives:
It’s pretty, oh so pretty. That’s a New Order trademark. The videos cover all of the singles plus releases from their latest disc, Waiting For the Sirens’ Call. It’s so complete that it’s almost crazy. And the documentary? It’s older, but worth repeat viewings and hopelessly interesting.
Negatives:
LONG LONG LONG. Is that really a negative though? Oh my goodness, the documentary alone is nearly two and a half hours. Also, the documentary has a plethora of partial and full videos found on the other disc. Watching both discs in one sitting would take half a day and include a lot of repeats — kids, don’t try this at home.
Cross-breed:
Take super-happy jangle new-wave pop and add some of the most emotionally upsetting and sardonic lyrics in existence. Slap it together with high art. That’s New Order, always has been New Order.
Reason to buy:
If you’re a fan of the band, it’s a must-have; if you only casually enjoy New Order’s music every now and again, it’s still a must-have simply due to all the other factors involved. Like pretty, artsy things, but could care less about the music? Must-have. Only like Chingy? Okay, maybe it’s not for you.
