New Order: Power Corruption & Lies

The second and for many the best New Order album is next up for review. Released in 1983, Power Corruption & Lies saw New Order move further and further away from the Joy Division sound. After the release of singles ‘Temptation’ and ‘Blue Monday’ the band were experimenting more with synthesisers and sequencers and these can be heard throughout the record.

‘Age of Consent’ opens Side A, a real strong start to any album. This was still firmly a New Order song they hadn’t become a dance band just yet and the post punk element can definitely be heard on this track. With moody atmospheric drums and some of the best guitar work on any New Order song. Yet synths and sequencers give listeners a look to where things could possibly be heading. It’s atmospheric, moody, dark. The weight of expectation had been lifted, this wasn’t Joy Division trying to soldier on, this is the sound of New Order forging there own path. ‘We All Stand’ follows ‘Age of Consent’ which contains some of the bands darkest lyrics ‘At the end of the road, a soldier is waiting for me’ built on clattering drum beats and a Hook Bassline, it’s almost reggae like in places, the band are moving away from a punk outlook and are not afraid to experiment with sounds and genres. ‘The Village’ is one of New Order’s first looks to the world of dance, and disco and is also one of the bands first love songs. A tale of teenage love written around a synth line and a bed rock of sequencers. This is when New Order began to write songs you could dance to. ‘Blue Monday’ had opened a lot of doors. ‘586’ builds on this move towards an electronic sound, originally written to celebrate the opening of the Hacienda nightclub in 1982, the version on Power Corruption & Lies is much more accomplished. Containing elements from ‘Blue Monday’ and some vocals. The song that brings Side A to an close. 

Side B opens with one of the albums strongest and most well known songs ‘Your Silent Face’ the most dance orientated and synth heavy song on the album. Inspired by the bands love of ‘Kraftwerk’ the songs initial title was ‘KW1’ as a tribute to the German band. Whilst the song is an electro pop ballad, the elements of New Order being one of Britains best guitar bands are still present Hooks bassline is one of the stand out moments of the song. It also has some of the funniest New Order lyrics to end the song. “You’ve caught me at a bad time, so why don’t you piss off.” Following this song was always going to be a difficult feat, and that job is given to ‘Ultraviolence’. The songs title is taken from ‘A Clockwork Orange’ and its tempo gives the song a menacing feel. Which sees the song blend electronic sequencers with post punk angular guitars and busy drums, that are constantly setting the pace. ‘Ecstasy’ is the album’s penultimate song. With the songs title it can be argued that New Order predicted the Acid House revolution that would take place in their nightclub 4 years later, but at the time they were not to know what was to come. This song certainly has a danceable beat though. Complete with distorted robotic vocals. That add some sort of voice to this predominantly instrumental track. Ending the record is the guitar driven classic and Peter Hooks favourite New Order song ‘Leave Me Alone.’ It’s arguably the song that sounds most like Joy Division, ending a record that sees the band try to escape their previous outing. That being said it’s one of New Orders very best guitar efforts. The instrumentation from Sumner, Hook, Morris and Gilbert make for a satisfying end to an album that looks to the future, but also reminds us of where we have come from.

Thank you for reading x