Substance 1987

Substance
Compilation album by New Order
Released 17 August 1987
Recorded 1981–87
Genre
Length 146:48
Label Factory
Producer New Order
New Order chronology
Brotherhood
(1986)Brotherhood1986
Substance
(1987)
Technique
(1989)Technique1989
Singles from Substance
  1. "True Faith"
    Released: 20 July 1987

Substance (also known as Substance 1987) is a compilation album by English alternative dance band New Order. It was released in August 1987 by Factory Records. The album compiles all of the band's singles at that point in their 12-inch versions, along with their respective B-side tracks. The then-newly released non-album single "True Faith" is also featured, along with its B-side "1963".

Substance was released on vinyl, double CD, double cassette and Digital Audio Tape. It sold over one million copies and became New Order's most popular and critically acclaimed album.

It is the companion to a similar singles compilation by New Order's predecessor band Joy Division, also entitled Substance (Joy Division album).

Songs

While Substance presents a sizeable collection of singles, there are many omissions and differences to be found from the original single releases:

  • "Temptation" and "Confusion" were re-recorded in 1987 specifically for Substance and neither of the original versions appear.
  • "Ceremony" is the version recorded after Gillian Gilbert joined the band. The original trio version – the first New Order recording following the dissolution of Joy Division — was only released as a 7" single and would not be re-released until the Singles collection in 2005 and the re-release of Movement in 2008.
  • "The Perfect Kiss" (CD version only), "Sub-culture", "Shellshock" and "Hurt" are all edited down from their original 12" recordings, the end result of storage limitations of the CD, LP, and cassette formats. These edits are present on all copies of the album, despite the increased storage capacity provided by newer manufacturing methods (with some CDs in particular being able to store up to 99 minutes of Redbook audio).
  • "Cries and Whispers" is incorrectly labelled as "Mesh" on all versions, as was the case on the original sleeve for "Everything's Gone Green"; to add to the confusion, the iTunes Store release, based on the CD version, labels the "Cries and Whispers" as "Mesh (Cries and Whispers)".
  • "Sub-culture" is labelled as "Subculture", and "The Perfect Kiss" is labelled as "Perfect Kiss".

The standard tape version, due to the extra space befitting the format, also contains extra tracks in the form of "Dub-vulture", "Shellshock", and "Bizarre Dub Triangle", as well as the actual "Mesh" (mislabeled "Cries and Whispers", again identically to the "Everything's Gone Green" sleeve). Only on the limited edition cassette version does "True Dub" appear, as the last track on the second tape. On all cassette versions, "Murder" is after "Thieves Like Us" on the first cassette, whereas on the CD/DAT versions it appears on the second half of the album.

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Blender[2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[3]
Los Angeles Times[4]
Q[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[6]
Select5/5[7]
Spin Alternative Record Guide10/10[8]
Sputnikmusic5/5[9]
The Village VoiceA[10]

Substance was released in August 1987 by Factory Records.[11] According to Sputnikmusic, it showcased New Order's mix of post-punk and dance styles with 12-inch singles remixed for club play and became the band's "most popular, well known, highly rated [record] and arguably their most influential".[9] In a contemporary review for The Village Voice, music critic Robert Christgau said that the album's vinyl edition showcases New Order's discipline and chemistry as a band whose musical style is improved upon by the 12-inch mixes: "Pure rhythm machine with an ironically mysterious overlay of schlocky melody to help it go down, this album is a case study in sensationalist art, and I say the world is better for it."[10] Additionally, he called Substance "sublime" and "a revelation" in his column for Playboy.[12] Christgau named it the seventh best album of 1987 in his list for the annual Pazz & Jop critics poll.[13]

In 2003, Substance was ranked number 363 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. According to the magazine, it had sold over one million copies by that time.[14] In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that the album revealed the band's strength as songwriters with a few of the best pop songs from the 1980s represented by "Blue Monday", "Bizarre Love Triangle", "Temptation", and "True Faith". According to Erlewine, it has been argued that the 12-inch mixes on Substance "represent New Order's most groundbreaking and successful work, since they expanded the notion of what a rock & roll band, particularly an indie rock band, could do."[1] Joe Gross wrote in The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004) that the album is "pure pleasure" and serves as "a guidebook to 1980s pop", along with Prince's Purple Rain (1984) and Madonna's 1990 compilation The Immaculate Collection.[6] Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani was less enthusiastic and said that the album is "undeniably a product of its time".[15] In 2005, Will Hermes included Substance in his "definitive guide" to dance-rock for Spin magazine.[16]

Track listings

LP version

All tracks written by New Order (Peter Hook, Gillian Gilbert, Stephen Morris and Bernard Sumner), except where indicated.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Ceremony"Joy Division4:23
2."Everything's Gone Green" 5:30
3."Temptation" 6:59
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
4."Blue Monday" 7:29
5."Confusion"New Order, Arthur Baker4:43
6."Thieves Like Us"New Order, Arthur Baker6:36
Side three
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."The Perfect Kiss" 8:46
8."Sub-culture" 4:48
9."Shellshock"New Order, John Robie6:28
Side four
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
10."State of the Nation" 6:32
11."Bizarre Love Triangle" 6:44
12."True Faith"New Order, Stephen Hague5:55

CD/DAT version

  • Along with the vinyl edition's 12-inch singles compiled on disc one, the CD version included a second disc that collects the B-sides of those singles.[17]
Disc two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."In a Lonely Place"Joy Division6:16
2."Procession" 4:27
3."Cries and Whispers" (incorrectly labeled as "Mesh") 3:25
4."Hurt" 6:58
5."The Beach" 7:19
6."Confused Instrumental"New Order, Arthur Baker7:38
7."Lonesome Tonight" 5:11
8."Murder" 3:55
9."Thieves Like Us" (instrumental)New Order, Arthur Baker6:57
10."Kiss of Death" 7:02
11."Shame of the Nation"New Order, John Robie7:54
12."1963"New Order, Stephen Hague5:35

Cassette version

  • Some releases only contain the first cassette, which compiles the single A-sides. These versions (including the USA Qwest Records release) do not include the song "Murder".
  • Some releases
    New Order Substance 1987 Fact 200c Side One Inlay and Cassette
    New Order Substance 1987 Fact 200c Side Three Inlay and Cassette
    do contain the track "Murder" as Track 7 on the (red) tape (Fact 200c Side One / Side Two) but it is listed incorrectly on the inlay as Track 9 (between "Lonesome Tonight" and "Thieves Like Us Instrumental" on the B-sides tape, although it is not actually on the (blue) tape (Fact 200c Side Three / Side Four) . "Cries and Whispers" is also written as "Cries an Whispers" on the inside of the inlay, but spelled correctly on the panel visible when the Cassette is closed. This version concludes with the track "1963", not "True Dub".
  • "Cries and Whispers" and "Mesh" are listed in the wrong order on the insert.

All tracks written by New Order (Peter Hook, Gillian Gilbert, Stephen Morris and Bernard Sumner), except where indicated.

Cassette one – Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Ceremony"Joy Division4:23
2."Everything's Gone Green" 5:30
3."Temptation" 6:59
4."Blue Monday" 7:29
5."Confusion"New Order, Arthur Baker4:43
6."Thieves Like Us"New Order, Arthur Baker6:36
7."Murder" 3:55
Cassette one – Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
8."The Perfect Kiss" 8:46
9."Sub-culture" 4:48
10."Shellshock"New Order, John Robie6:28
11."State of the Nation" 6:32
12."Bizarre Love Triangle" 6:44
13."True Faith"New Order, Stephen Hague5:55
Cassette two – Side three
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."In a Lonely Place"Joy Division6:16
2."Procession" 4:27
3."Mesh" 3:02
4."Cries and Whispers" 3:25
5."Hurt" 6:58
6."The Beach" 7:19
7."Confusion" (instrumental)New Order, Arthur Baker7:38
8."Lonesome Tonight" 5:11
9."Thieves Like Us" (instrumental)New Order, Arthur Baker6:57
Cassette two – Side four
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
10."Kiss of Death" 7:02
11."Dub-vulture" 7:57
12."Shellcock"New Order, John Robie7:35
13."Shame of the Nation"New Order, John Robie7:54
14."Bizarre Dub Triangle" 7:00
15."1963"New Order, Stephen Hague5:35
16."True Dub"New Order, Stephen Hague10:41

Video release

Substance 1989
Video by New Order
Released 1989
Recorded 1983–1989
Length 40 minutes
Label Virgin Music Video, Factory
New Order chronology
Academy
(1989)Academy1989
Substance 1989
(1989)
New Order Story
(1993)New Order Story1993
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[18]

Substance 1989 is the video version of Substance that first appeared in 1989 on VHS; it was released on LaserDisc in Japan in 1991.

The cover is similar to the LP, except "1987" is replaced by "1989" (though the on-screen title is Substance 1983–88) and different background colours are used; the Factory/Qwest release has a grey background, the Japanese VHS release, blue and the LaserDisc, turquoise. The video includes linking sequences which are animated to the accompaniment of instrumental sections from "The Happy One", an otherwise unreleased track from the Technique sessions.

Video song listing

All tracks written by New Order (Peter Hook, Gillian Gilbert, Stephen Morris and Bernard Sumner), except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)DirectorLength
1."Confusion"New Order, Arthur BakerCharles Sturridge3:57
2."The Perfect Kiss" Jonathan Demme9:29
3."Shellshock"New Order, John RobieRick Elgood3:15
4."Bizarre Love Triangle" Robert Longo3:54
5."True Faith"New Order, Stephen HaguePhilippe Decouflé4:24
6."Touched by the Hand of God" Kathryn Bigelow4:19
7."Blue Monday 1988" Robert Breer and William Wegman4:07

Charts

Chart (1987) Peak
position
Australian ARIA Albums Chart[19] 12
Canadian RPM Albums Chart 15
New Zealand RIANZ Album Chart[20] 4
Swedish Sverigetopplistan[21] 49
Swiss Music Charts[22] 10
UK Albums Chart[23] 3
UK Independent Albums Chart[24] 1
US Billboard 200 Albums Chart[25] 36

References

  1. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Substance – New Order". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  2. Wolk, Douglas (19 April 2005). "New Order: Substance". Blender. New York. Archived from the original on 4 May 2006. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  3. Larkin, Colin (2006). "New Order". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. 10 (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 170. ISBN 0-19-531373-9.
  4. Hilburn, Robert (24 November 1987). "'Substance 1987.' New Order. Qwest". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  5. "New Order: Substance". Q. London (84): 97. September 1993.
  6. 1 2 Gross, Joe (2004). "New Order". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian. The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 582–83. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  7. Harrison, Andrew (August 1993). "Republish". Select. London (38).
  8. Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). "New Order". Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  9. 1 2 H., Andrew (19 June 2006). "New Order – Substance". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  10. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (1 December 1987). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  11. Strong, Martin C. (1998). The Great Rock Discography. Crown Publishing Group. p. 692. ISBN 0-8129-3111-4.
  12. Christgau, Robert (1988). "Madonna, Billy Idol, New Order, Earth Wind & Fire". Playboy (March). Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  13. Christgau, Robert (1988). "Pazz & Jop 1987: Dean's List". The Village Voice (1 March). New York. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  14. Anon. (2003). "363) Substance". Rolling Stone. New York (1 November). Archived from the original on 24 April 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  15. Cinquemani, Sal (2 November 2002). "New Order: Substance". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  16. Hermes, Will (2005). "The Definitive Guide to: Dance Rock". Spin. New York (October). Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  17. "New Order - Substance CD Album". CD Universe. Muze. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  18. https://www.allmusic.com/album/r86937
  19. "Discography New Order". Australian-Charts.com. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
  20. "Discography New Order". Charts.ord.nz. Retrieved 2011-02-23.
  21. "Discography New Order". SwedishCharts.com. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
  22. "Discography New Order". SwissCharts.com. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
  23. "Chart Stats: New Order". ChartStats.com. Archived from the original on 25 May 2012. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
  24. "Indie Hits "N"". Cherry Red Records. Archived from the original on 26 September 2009. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  25. "New Order > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
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