New Order – Substance

"Substance" collects the majority of New Order's single-only releases and any that were did appear on albums are alternative versions or mixes. Consisting entirely of protracted mixes designed for club play and serious indie collectors, the compilation is not, however, overly demanding on the casual fan, and is perhaps the best overview of New Order's successful venture into the dance rock revolution of the late 1980s, and effectively showcases twenty four individual sublime reasons as to why they were held in such high esteem by pretentious music critics. "Substance" also demonstrates the band's songwriting ability, adept musicality and flair for innovation, as evidenced by the glorious "Blue Monday", an eight-minute near instrumental that would become the best-selling 12'' single of all-time and remains widely acclaimed to this day. At their musical and creative peak, with each exceptional track seguing into the next and yet still managing to hold its own, New Order released "Substance" at exactly the most opportune time, and is now rightly regarded an invaluable part of the band's extensive discography.

Rating: 5/5

This is a timeless release. Substance captures the 12" mixes of the classic New Order singles (mostly off-album), scattered around the band's discog like bolts from above. Great moments - fast synth line on "Everything...", beats and bass on "Blue Monday", refrain on re-recorded "Temptation", and the smashing peak of "The Perfect Kiss". I also recommend visiting again the "Lonely Place", dating back to the Joy Division days, especially now in the eve of Control. The set is obviously dated, but the songs have not grown colder a bit. Enjoy it.