If there was one good thing to come out of the tough sessions for REPUBLIC (which wound up being the highest charting album of their career), it was the song that would become New Order's second top 40 hit (after "True Faith"): "Regret". Of course, one could never fault the band for being original in their songwriting, but maybe that's because they're specializing in a genre that tends to downplay lyrical importance in favor of a good beat. However, with "Regret", New Order manages to create poetry out of simplicity, and while it is another entry in the "woe-is-me" category of music, Bernard Sumner just might be hinting at some sense of hope in his usual deadpan vocal delivery. The prominent use of electric guitar (not often appreciated in a genre like techno or dance) helps foreshadow the more full-blown use of it on 2001's GET READY.

Speaking of good beats, REPUBLIC certainly has its share of body-slamming rhythms that are placed smack dab in the middle of the song (maybe this was co-producer Stephen Hague's idea), often obscuring the words which sometimes manage to rise above New Order's typical underachiever approach to them. The hip-hop-influenced second single "World [The Price Of Love]", similarly-inspired fourth single "Spooky", "Everyone Everywhere", "Young Offender", "Liar" (can be considered just as much funk as dance), "Chemical" (particularly whiplash-inducing) & "Times Change" have dance floor written all over them & I'm sure all of these managed to get remixed in some form another to create even more energetic rhythms to dance the night away.

To match their sometimes-soul-searching lyrical ideas, New Order can also create much smoother songs with fewer beats per minute, yet still invite the occasional sway. The third single "Ruined In A Day", "Special" (the closest thing to an upbeat love song New Order has ever done) & the closing instrumental "Avalanche" have the band favoring a quieter approach that nearly borders on trip-hop, which was still a few years away from entering the mainstream. Sumner particularly shines on these slower numbers, making the sense of melancholy in his singing even more apparent.

Perhaps New Order would not consider REPUBLIC high up on their list of favorite albums because of the apparent infighting going on at the time of its recording. But to their credit, they managed to create music that belies any sort of trouble in the camp & can be enjoyed when forgetting about that fact. The only negative thing about it is that for the time New Order was gone, they never officially stated if they were on hiatus or disbanding, leaving their fans hanging for 8 long years. But the positive thing is that they left us with a good-enough album like REPUBLIC & would only go up a notch higher once they eventually came back.


(four and half stars) the begining of the "new" New Order   May 14, 2006
trainreader (Montclair, N.J.)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

I can tell what type of New Order fan you are by how you answer a single simple question: Do you think "Regret" is one of the band's finest songs? If not, you almost certainly like the band's 1980's albums better (probably much better) than three post-80's releases. As to the other type of fan, which definitely includes yours truly, "Regret" weighs in easily as one of New Order's best, and "Republic," "Get Ready," and "Waiting for the Sirens' Call," are their three best albums.

In my opinion, Bernard Sumner's voice matured after "Technique," as did the sound of the synthesizers, and the layered sounds, that the band often relies upon. "Republic" in particular has a number of terrific songs besides the wistful "Regret," which may be one of Sumner's best lyrical efforts. "Spooky" and "Young Offender," are almost as danceable and catchy as "Blue Monday," or any of their other earlier dance classics. But I strongly think there's something very special about the trilogy of songs "Chemical," "Times Change" and another of my very favorite New Order tracks, the meticulously crafted "Special." I really started to hear the layered complexity of this latter track when a friend of mine, who is a huge N.O. fan, told me this was probably her favorite N.O. song.

I just like "Republic" very much and, for me, it just misses a five star rating. Sometimes change is a good thing.




some perspective   June 20, 2005
cherubino (Houston, Texas United States)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

This album is now 12 years old- a scary thought for those of us who were around for the original release! So disorienting to think that much time has passed...

Anyhow, I rate myself as "moderate" New Order fan. I am familiar with more than just the singles they played on the radio, but don't own everything they ever released. So please qualify my review under this premise.

This album continues to get slagged by the hardcore fans, as you will read. But, I'd like to remind everyone how much music changed from the late eighties to the early nineties. Some of New Order's peers in the New Wave/Postmodern movement were The Cure, Depeche Mode, and Erasure. Consider, then, how each of these groups' early-nineties releases differed from the preceding album(s). The Cure's quintessential album, 1989's Distintegration, was followed by Wish, an album that signaled a break with the past sound. Erasure released their Wild! album also in 1989, which was their most brilliant use of synthesizers, and a fan favorite. Then, they released Chorus in 1991, another cult favorite. But, in 1994, I Say, I Say, I Say came out, a dreamy album that was gorgeous, but not as anthemic as Wild! or Chorus. Finally, after the zenith of the 101 live album, Depeche Mode had chart-topping hits with Violator from 1990, another benchmark album. But, a couple of years later, they decided to go grunge with Songs of Faith and Devotion.

Maybe we were entering a new cosmic age, but the sonic landscape shifted, and we lost that classic vinyl sound from our favorite New Wave groups.

After buying the new album, Waiting for the Sirens' Call, I want to buy Technique again, which I only owned on cassette. Regret was, and is, a wonderful song, a real standout on the radio at the time of the album's release. It was something positive and uplifting, which we could really use right now. World (Price of Love) gave them another modern-rock radio hit, but it always struck me as a bit generic, though still very tuneful. The opening of Spooky floored me the first time I heard it- that electronic voice saying "bass volcanica" (or whatever). I drove my sister nuts one day by rewinding the cassette over and over to play that part. Ruined in a Day is pensive and melodic, that blessedly features an orchestral sound. And Everyone, Everywhere is anthemic, with that guitar hook that won't let you go.

The rest of the album has its moments, but there is a vague sense of dissatisfaction after the end of it all. Still, for those of us who can't relate to the pre-manufactured manure filling the radio waves these days, Technique worthy at least of an occasional spin. Remember, New Order's second-best is far superior to anything we hear today!


Well, I like it!   July 15, 2002
alexliamw (London United Kingdom)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

This is the first New Order album I have bought. Knowing a good deal of New Order's singles, I thought it was about time I purchased one of their albums. I bought this particular one for the fantastic single and opener `Regret', which ranks up there with Blue Monday and World In Motion as one of the best New Order singles ever and because I had heard it mentioned as one of the better New Order albums. Having explored the subject a little further since buying it, I have seen that it is not generally regarded as the best, but I love it.

`Regret' in fact turns out to be a bit of a red herring for the album, as it hints that this album would tend towards indie as opposed to dance, the two genres they balance so immaculately in their music. Instead, while not being quite as dancey as much of what I've heard of it's predecessor `Technique', it does feature synthy hooks and bass lines in many of the tracks. Some of New Order's dancey stuff can threaten to turn into cheesy dance, but Bernard's distinctive vocals always save the day, and on Republic they don't need to save the day as the backing too is good. Second track `World' is catchy and infused with a good beat.

Part of the attraction of this album is its ability to lay down dance-infused drums and bass before adding strings, vocals and guitars that give it a different feel. This is particularly evident on `Spooky'. It almost seems sometimes like the album is alternating between the more indie tracks on odd numbers and the more dance track on evens. It is the drums particularly that give this effect, with more raw, real drumbeats on odd tracks and faster, more synthy beats on even tracks. I wonder if these two sides to the album are deliberately reflected in the cover artwork, with the burning house and people playing on the beach. Anyway, I love both styles. Bernard's lyrics can sometime contain lazy rhymes in New Order songs, but on Republic they are striking and excellent.

Originally my favourite track here was `Regret', but `Times Change' is my new favourite. This is New Order at their best, with ominous minor keyboard chords, a very sad-sounding riff played on some keyboard-synthed instrument and Bernard doing a sort of downbeat, lazy-sounding white-man rap in the same style as fellow 80s indie-dance crossover band Pet Shop Boys' West End Girls. It sounds tired and in its own way is quite heartbreaking, as is the sung chorus. Add synthy bass, occasional orchestral hits, and a fantastic tune which combines with the riff seamlessly, and you have one of the best New Order tracks ever.

Finally another standout is the ambient, magical-sounding closer `Avalanche'. This album gets 4 stars from me, though I have set the rating to 4 as this is not possible. The album is excellent but not quite good enough to get that elusive 5 star rating. Regret and Times Change certainly gain 5 stars though, and the rest of the album is at least 4 stars, with no duds: despite a number of dance tracks, there is not a single slice of cheese. If this isn't New Order's best, as I am told, then I can't wait to hear what is! 4 stars.


One of the best   April 27, 2003
Xavier (Washington)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

New Order fans tend to hate this album. Well I am a HUGE fan, and I believe this is one of their best. "Regret" is one of their best song ever. True, some tracks completely outshine the others, like "ruined in a day". I can of feel like this is the last New Order album..."Get Ready" is a fine record though, but it feels a little out of the pack to me.