Music Complete | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 25 September 2015 | |||
Recorded | 2014–2015 | |||
Studio | 80 Hertz, Manchester | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 64:26 | |||
Label | Mute | |||
Producer |
| |||
New Order chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Music Complete | ||||
|
Music Complete is the tenth studio album by English rock band New Order. It was released on 25 September 2015 by Mute Records, their debut on the label. [4] The album features guest vocals from Elly Jackson of La Roux, Iggy Pop, and Brandon Flowers of The Killers.
During summer 2015, New Order promoted the album through online media, at Lollapalooza Chile with "Singularity" and "Plastic", and half-minute snippets directly on their YouTube account. Founding member Gillian Gilbert returned to the band after a decade's hiatus, and Phil Cunningham who initially replaced Gilbert, remained in the band, however, bassist Tom Chapman replaced founding member Peter Hook who quit over creative and personal differences, which made this the first New Order album to be recorded as a five-piece band, instead of a quartet.
Musically, the album is more electronic-focused than its two predecessors, and New Order's first of new material for ten years; the previous original album, 2013's Lost Sirens , consisted solely of unreleased archival recordings from 2003–04, which was recorded at the same time as 2005's Waiting for the Sirens' Call , but was never released as the original bassist Peter Hook left the band in 2007. The cover art was designed by long-time collaborator Peter Saville and comprises a montage of lines with four colour schemes: red, yellow, green, and blue. The placement of the colours varies depending on the format of release.
Music Complete was released on CD, LP (on both clear vinyl and standard black), and digital download on 25 September 2015, with an 8-record deluxe box set released on 20 November. It received generally positive reviews from critics. A tour in support of the album ran from 4 November 2015 through 20 December 2015.
Music Complete marks a return to a more electronic direction compared to New Order's previous two albums, which had been more guitar-based. [5] This is the first album without former bassist Peter Hook, as well as the recorded debut of Tom Chapman and the return of Gillian Gilbert, who had taken leave from the band in 2001, but toured with them from 2011 onwards. Guest backing vocals are provided by Denise Johnson and Dawn Zee, who have performed with the band on their last three albums.
In March and July 2014, the band revealed their first new songs on tour at Lollapalooza Chile and in the United States: "Plastic" and "Singularity". [6] [7]
On 2 and 4 September 2014, Billboard , along with Stereogum and Consequence of Sound reported that New Order had signed on to Mute Records and that future releases were expected, at the time planned to be EPs which would then be "probably put together as an album." Billboard also announced Bernard Sumner's autobiography, Chapter and Verse, which was released on 24 September of the same year. [8] [9] [10]
On 22 June, the official New Order site announced the release date and title of the album, Music Complete. The website also provided terms of distribution: CD, digital download, and limited edition clear vinyl, along with an exclusive 8-piece deluxe vinyl collection that includes the album plus extended versions of all 11 tracks on coloured vinyl. [11]
On 22 June, 30 June, and 7 July, the official New Order YouTube channel uploaded three separate teasers that included snippets of music from the album. [12] [13] [14]
On 29 July, "Restless" was released as the first single for the album. [15] On 19 October, "Tutti Frutti" was released as the album's second single. A third single, "Singularity", was released 18 March 2016. [16] "People on the High Line" was released as the fourth single on 29 July 2016, announced with a fan music video competition. [17]
The artwork for Music Complete was created by New Order's long-time art director and collaborator Peter Saville. The artwork features a montage of lines with the colours red, yellow, green and blue. Depending on the type of format, the colour schemes vary. For the CD, the pattern clockwise from top right is yellow, red, blue and green. The LPs are red, yellow, green and blue. Digital downloads are the regular format; blue, green, red and yellow. The deluxe edition's artwork is the same as the album, but all six coloured vinyl sleeves are different styles, and have no colour. The six coloured vinyl range from red to purple. [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23]
Music Complete was released on 25 September in five different formats: CD, regular and limited-edition double-clear LP, digital download, and an 8-piece deluxe vinyl box set. All CD and LP orders come with MP3 and audio downloads of the album. The deluxe box set includes the clear double LP, along with extended versions of all 11 tracks on six different coloured vinyl. The box set was released on 6 November 2015. A limited edition re-release was issued for Love Record Stores day, 20 June 2020. The double vinyl LP was pressed in orange vinyl and issued in a gatefold sleeve. The release included a 12 page booklet.
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.6/10 [24] |
Metacritic | 76/100 [25] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [26] |
The A.V. Club | B [27] |
The Guardian | [28] |
Mixmag | 8/10 [1] |
Mojo | [29] |
The Observer | [30] |
Pitchfork | 7.2/10 [31] |
Q | [32] |
Rolling Stone | [33] |
Uncut | 7/10 [34] |
Music Complete received generally positive reviews from critics. On Metacritic, the album has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 based on 21 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". [25] Mixmag 's S. Worthy described the record as "an album of outstanding pop, shuddering dance-rock and intricate electronic moods. [1] Barry Walters of Rolling Stone wrote: "Just as Curtis' suicide inspired his bandmates to reinvent themselves as New Order in 1980, Hook's departure frees them to create their most varied and substantial work in decades." [33] Michael Roffman of Consequence of Sound called Music Complete "the rare late era LP that blossoms with life, while also echoing the past", [35] while Tim Jonze of The Guardian wrote that the album "feels like the freshest thing they've done in ages." [28]
Pitchfork critic T. Cole Rachel called it their most refined album since Technique, and remarked that Music Complete sounds like "classic New Order" and that the album "certainly doesn’t do anything to diminish New Order’s formidable legacy, but it doesn’t necessarily expand upon it either." [31] Stephen Dalton of Uncut felt that it "drags and trundles in places", but is "easily New Order's best album since Technique , and probably their most musically diverse ever." [34] In a less favourable review, Tim Sendra of AllMusic called it "a watered-down and uninspired album by a band that lost the plot long ago and can now only capture an occasional glimmer of what made it so great in the first place." [26] Concluding a less favourable 1 of 5 star review, Truck & Driver wrote: "...full of soggy, uninspired self-indulgent material that sounds like a mish-mash of 80s B-sides. Save your money." [36]
Publication | Accolade | Year | Rank |
---|---|---|---|
The Guardian | The Best Albums of 2015 | 2015 | 22 [37] |
NME | NME's Albums of the Year 2015 | 2015 | 48 [38] |
All tracks are written by New Order, except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Restless" | 5:28 | |
2. | "Singularity" | New Order, Tom Rowlands | 5:37 |
3. | "Plastic" | 6:55 | |
4. | "Tutti Frutti" (featuring Elly Jackson) | 6:22 | |
5. | "People on the High Line" (featuring Elly Jackson) | 5:41 | |
6. | "Stray Dog" (featuring Iggy Pop) | 6:17 | |
7. | "Academic" | 5:54 | |
8. | "Nothing but a Fool" | 7:43 | |
9. | "Unlearn This Hatred" | New Order, Rowlands | 4:19 |
10. | "The Game" | 5:06 | |
11. | "Superheated" (featuring Brandon Flowers) | New Order, Brandon Flowers | 5:04 |
Total length: | 64:26 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Restless" (extended mix) | 9:30 | |
2. | "Singularity" (extended mix) | New Order, Rowlands | 7:34 |
3. | "Plastic" (extended mix) | 9:07 | |
4. | "Tutti Frutti" (extended mix; featuring Elly Jackson) | 8:05 | |
5. | "People on the High Line" (extended mix; featuring Elly Jackson) | 7:52 | |
6. | "Stray Dog" (extended mix; featuring Iggy Pop) | 6:31 | |
7. | "Academic" (extended mix) | 8:57 | |
8. | "Nothing but a Fool" (extended mix) | 9:32 | |
9. | "Unlearn This Hatred" (extended mix) | New Order, Rowlands | 5:26 |
10. | "The Game" (extended mix) | 7:25 | |
11. | "Superheated" (extended mix; featuring Brandon Flowers) | New Order, Flowers | 7:39 |
Total length: | 87:38 |
The band embarked on an initial tour in support of Music Complete from 4 November 2015 to 20 December 2015, with tour dates held across Europe and the UK plus stops at the Clockenflap festival in Hong Kong and the Day for Night Festival in the United States. [39] Future tour plans include the 2016 Sónar Festival in Barcelona. [40]
Musician credits for New Order are not listed in the liner notes of the album's personnel. Below are the instruments that the group typically plays.
ProductionThe liner notes list the album's personnel as follows:
| Strings
Technical
|
Chart (2015) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [41] | 20 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [42] | 26 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [43] | 22 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [44] | 11 |
Croatian Albums (HDU) [45] | 36 |
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI) [46] | 23 |
Danish Albums (Hitlisten) [47] | 26 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [48] | 10 |
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [49] | 39 |
French Albums (SNEP) [50] | 17 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [51] | 14 |
Irish Albums (IRMA) [52] | 6 |
Irish Independent Albums (IRMA) [53] | 2 |
Italian Albums (FIMI) [54] | 58 |
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [55] | 10 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [56] | 37 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [57] | 24 |
Portuguese Albums (AFP) [58] | 30 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [59] | 2 |
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [60] | 17 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [61] | 14 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [62] | 19 |
UK Albums (OCC) [63] | 2 |
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [64] | 1 |
US Billboard 200 [65] | 34 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [66] | 5 |
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) [67] | 7 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [68] | 8 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [69] | Silver | 76,708 [70] |
The Song Remains the Same is the live soundtrack album of the concert film of the same name by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. The soundtrack was recorded 27–29 July 1973 and released on 22 October 1976 on Swan Song Records.
Tour de France Soundtracks is the eleventh and final studio album by German electronic music band Kraftwerk. It was first released on 4 August 2003, through Kling Klang and EMI in Europe and Astralwerks in North America. The album was recorded for the 100th anniversary of the first Tour de France bicycle race, although it missed its intended release date for the actual tour. It includes a new recording of their 1983 song of the same name, the cover artwork of both releases being nearly identical. The announcement of the release caused much anticipation, as it had been 17 years since the group had put out a full album of new studio material. It is also the last studio album to feature Florian Schneider before his departure from the band in 2008 and his death on 21 April 2020.
Waiting for the Sirens' Call is the eighth studio album by English rock band New Order. The album was released on 28 March 2005 in the United Kingdom and 26 April 2005 in the United States, and was preceded by the single "Krafty" in February. Two additional singles from the album were released: "Jetstream", which features vocals by Ana Matronic from Scissor Sisters, and the title track of the album. The album was released at a time when the band were experiencing unprecedented recognition in the media.
English electronic music duo Goldfrapp have released seven studio albums, two live albums, two compilation albums, four extended plays, 25 singles, eight promotional singles, one video album and 29 music videos. The band was formed in 1999 in London, and consists of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory (synthesiser).
Money for Nothing is a greatest hits album by British rock band Dire Straits released on 17 October 1988, featuring highlights from the band's first five albums. The vinyl edition omits the song "Telegraph Road" and has a different running order.
Invaders Must Die is the fifth studio album by English electronic dance music group The Prodigy. The album was released on 23 February 2009 on the band's new record label Take Me to the Hospital, and was distributed by Cooking Vinyl. Although Liam Howlett, Maxim and Keith Flint all contributed material for The Fat of the Land, Invaders Must Die is the first Prodigy record where, given the departure of Leeroy Thornhill, all band members took part in the creative process. It is their first and currently only album to not contain any explicit songs.
Wait for Me is the ninth studio album by American electronica musician Moby. It was released on June 29, 2009 by Little Idiot and Mute.
Telephantasm is a compilation album by the American rock band Soundgarden. Featuring songs that span 23 years of the band's career, it was released on September 28, 2010, through A&M Records. The album was certified platinum by RIAA after its first day of retail availability based on the one million discs that were included in packages for the video game Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock.
Remixes 2: 81–11 is a remix compilation album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 6 June 2011 by Mute Records. The album is the band's second remix collection, following Remixes 81–04 (2004). It spans the band's entire career up that point and includes new arrangements by former Depeche Mode members Vince Clarke and Alan Wilder. The compilation concludes the band's recording contract with EMI.
Where You Stand is the seventh studio album by the Scottish rock band Travis, released on 19 August 2013, on their own record label, Red Telephone Box via Kobalt Label Services. The album was produced by Michael Ilbert, and promoted by three singles: "Where You Stand", "Moving" and "Mother". It is the first album released by the band after a five-year break.
Tales of Us is the sixth studio album by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp, released on 6 September 2013 by Mute Records. In June 2013, the duo embarked on the Tales of Us Tour to promote the album.
If You Wait is the debut studio album by English indie pop band London Grammar, released on 6 September 2013 by Metal & Dust Recordings and Ministry of Sound. Seven singles were released from the album: "Metal & Dust", "Wasting My Young Years", "Strong", "Nightcall", "Hey Now", "Sights" and "If You Wait". The album debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 33,130 copies.
Going to Hell is the second studio album by American rock band the Pretty Reckless. It was released on March 12, 2014, by Razor & Tie. The album debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 with 35,000 copies sold in its first week, becoming the band's first top-10 album on the chart. Going to Hell spawned five singles, including "Heaven Knows", "Messed Up World ", and "Follow Me Down", all three of which reached number one on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs chart.
Indie Cindy is the fifth studio album by the American alternative rock band the Pixies. Released in April 2014, it was the band's first album since 1991's Trompe le Monde, and the first Pixies album not to feature bass guitar player Kim Deal. Instead, bass guitar duties on the album are handled by Simon "Ding" Archer, a former member of the British post-punk band The Fall.
The Endless River is the fifteenth and final studio album by English rock band Pink Floyd, released in November 2014 by Parlophone Records in Europe and Columbia Records in the rest of the world. It was the third Pink Floyd album recorded under the leadership of guitarist David Gilmour after the departure of bassist Roger Waters in 1985, and the first following the death of keyboardist Richard Wright in 2008, who appears posthumously.
The Violet Flame is the sixteenth studio album by English synth-pop duo Erasure, released by Mute Records on 22 September 2014 in the United Kingdom and on 23 September 2014 in North America.
Four is the fourth studio album by English-Irish boy band One Direction, released on 17 November 2014 by Columbia Records and Syco Music. The album was preceded by two singles, "Steal My Girl" and "Night Changes", both achieving platinum status in the US, and scoring the band their tenth and eleventh UK top-ten hits. The album was also One Direction's last with member Zayn Malik, who announced he was leaving the band on 25 March 2015.
Sounds Good Feels Good is the second studio album by Australian pop rock band 5 Seconds of Summer. It was released on 23 October 2015 through the labels Hi or Hey and Capitol Records. In support of the album, the band embarked on the Sounds Live Feels Live World Tour.
Psychic Warfare is the eleventh studio album by the band Clutch, It was released on October 2, 2015, through the band's own label Weathermaker Music.
Silver Eye is the seventh studio album by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp, released on 31 March 2017 by Mute Records. The album's first single, "Anymore", was released to digital music retailers on 23 January 2017 after its premiere on Lauren Laverne's BBC Radio 6 show.