Track Listing

1. Regret
2. World
3. Ruined In A Day
4. Spooky
5. Everyone Everywhere
6. Young Offender
7. Liar
8. Chemical
9. Times Change
10. Special
11. Avalanche

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10275 in Music
• Released on: 2000-04-10
• Number of discs: 1

CD Description
Their cult years behind them, 1993 saw New Order put their best commercial foot forward with this, their major label debut. By this time they were an act geared to mainstream appetites, and the lighter tone and preponderance of upbeat synthesizer hooks on REPUBLIC suggested a group who had identified their strengths and weaknesses in the four-year interval since their last album. The vibrant tunesmithery that has always been the group's trademark was augmented by a typicallypolished Stephen Hague production. "Regret" duly became their first major US radio hit. Other effective tracks include set-closer "Avalanche", and "World", the record's most feisty interlude.

Customer Reviews

Underrated
This LP comes in for a bit of undeserved flak from NO fans- mainly because it has very slick, commercial production, and because Hooky's bass is uncharacteristically absent throughout much of the set.

I personally don't think either of these factors are a problem- in fact, this is one of NO's best sounding albums- New Order's music has always needed good sound quality to do it justice (poor production let down both "Movement" and "Brotherhood"). Hague does a great production job for the most part, and the polished sound is perfectly complemented by Peter Saville's glossy sleeve artwork.

The opening side, kicking off with the superb "Regret" and closing with the sparkling "Everyone Everywhere," is as good as anything in the band's back catalogue. If the album deserves criticism, its because of the second side, which is a little underwhelming- "Chemical" in particular, is best forgotten- but it's by no means unenjoyable. "Special" stands out as a perfect example of NO's melodic melancholia, and the instrumental "Avalanche" is an understated (and underrated) closer.

Although it's often written off as sub-standard, it's a much better album than NO are given credit for. It would be easy to be seduced by its slick, commercial allure and pass it off as a superficial pop album, but no amount of sonic tweaking can disguise NO's brand of sombre, bittersweet melody, which is evident throughout, and this is what gives the record its punch. Instead of whingeing about how NO don't sound like Joy Division anymore, the listener ought to take the album on its own terms. (And anyway, at least its better than "Get Ready.")

Moody excellence
Whereas Technique was the sound of a summer holiday, this is more like a rainy night back home. It's not without its more upbeat moments, though, like Regret and Young Offender. The real highlight, though, is the appropriately titled Special, which bears a resemblance to Massive Attack's Unfinished Sympathy. A slightly strange moment appears at the very end in the form of Avalanche, which is strange in that it doesn't have any vocals. All in all, though, superb stuff.

Delivers a couple of great tracks
Well it doesn't deliver what fans were waiting for but it still manages to keep hope and interest alive with a couple of brilliant tracks.

'Regret' is simply superb, a great pop song. 'World' isn't spectacular but it does have its own charm and grows on you with every listen. While 'Special' is a hidden masterpiece. What a track, for only the second time on this album (Regret being the other one) Barney sings as if he really means it. All the traditional New Order elements are present in this song which automatically makes it great in my book!

Worth buying, even though not their best it's head and shoulders above the Brit Rock crap that was starting to flood the market at that time.