Substance
Compilation album by
New Order
Released17 August 1987
Recorded1981–1987
Genre
Length74:44 (LP)
146:46 (CD and DAT)
183:45 (cassette)
LabelFactory
Producer
New Order chronology
Brotherhood
(1986)		 Substance
(1987)		 Technique
(1989)
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" and new versions of "Temptation" and "Confusion".

Substance was released as a double LP (12 tracks), a double CD (24 tracks), a double cassette (24 or 28 tracks), a single cassette (12 tracks) in the U.S. and a digital audio tape (24 tracks). 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.

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 appears.
  • "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 and DAT versions only), "Sub-culture", "Shellshock" and "Hurt" are all edited down from their original 12" recordings, the 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 (in particular, CDs in 1987 were only able to store up to 74 minutes of audio prior to unofficial revisions the following year).
  • "Cries and Whispers" and "Mesh" are incorrectly labelled as one another, 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 "Cries and Whispers" as "Mesh (Cries and Whispers)". This error was corrected for the digital release of the album on streaming services.
  • "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", "Shellcock", 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. This second tape, with a total play time of over 100 minutes, was exceptionally long for a commercial audio tape release at the time, which were generally no more than 80 minutes due to the increasing fragility of very thin magnetic 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[2]
Blender[3]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
Los Angeles Times[5]
Q[6]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[7]
Select5/5[8]
Spin Alternative Record Guide10/10[9]
Sputnikmusic5/5[10]
The Village VoiceA[11]

Substance was released in August 1987 by Factory Records.[12] 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".[10] 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."[11] Additionally, he called Substance "sublime" and "a revelation" in his column for Playboy.[13] Christgau named it the seventh best album of 1987 in his list for the annual Pazz & Jop critics poll.[14]

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.[15] Rolling Stone ranked the album at the same position in the list's 2012 edition.[16] 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."[2] 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 The Immaculate Collection (1990).[7] Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani was less enthusiastic and said that the album is "undeniably a product of its time".[17] In 2005, Will Hermes included Substance in his "definitive guide" to dance-rock for Spin magazine.[18] In 2022, Classic Pop's Barry Page ranked it the fifth greatest compilation album of all time.[19]

In November 2023, New Order re-released Substance in "digitally remastered" versions. In addition to double vinyl, double cd and double cassette formats, an expanded four CD version was also released, where CD three has alternate versions and extra b-sides, and CD four features an unreleased concert from 1987, where the band played the entire album in sequence.[20]

Track listings

LP version

All tracks are 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 (New Version)" 6:59
Total length:16:52
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
4."Blue Monday" 7:29
5."Confusion (New Version)"New Order, Arthur Baker4:43
6."Thieves Like Us"New Order, Arthur Baker6:36
Total length:18:48 (35:40)
Side three
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."The Perfect Kiss" 8:46
8."Sub-culture" 4:48
9."Shellshock"New Order, John Robie6:28
Total length:20:02
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
Total length:19:02 (39:04) (74:44)

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.[21]

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

Disc 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."The Perfect Kiss" 8:02
8."Sub-culture" 4:48
9."Shellshock"New Order, John Robie6:28
10."State of the Nation" 6:32
11."Bizarre Love Triangle" 6:44
12."True Faith"New Order, Stephen Hague5:55
Total length:74:09
Disc two
No.TitleWriter(s)B-side toLength
1."In a Lonely Place"Joy Division"Ceremony"6:16
2."Procession" [upper-alpha 1]4:27
3."Cries and Whispers" (incorrectly labeled as "Mesh") "Everything's Gone Green"3:25
4."Hurt" "Temptation"6:58
5."The Beach" "Blue Monday"7:19
6."Confusion Instrumental"New Order, Arthur Baker"Confusion"7:38
7."Lonesome Tonight" "Thieves Like Us"5:11
8."Murder" [upper-alpha 2]3:55
9."Thieves Like Us" (instrumental)New Order, Arthur Baker"Murder"6:57
10."The Kiss of Death" "The Perfect Kiss"7:02
11."Shame of the Nation"New Order, John Robie"State of the Nation"7:54
12."1963"New Order, Stephen Hague"True Faith"5:35
Total length:72:37 (146:46)
  1. ↑ "Procession" is included on the B-sides portion despite having originally been released as A-side. "Procession" is also unusual in the sense that it is the only song included on Substance to have never been released as part of a 12" single.
  2. ↑ "Murder" is included on the B-sides portion despite having originally been released as A-side.

Cassette version

All tracks are 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
Total length:39:35
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
Total length:39:13 (78:48)
Cassette two – Side three
No.TitleWriter(s)B-side toLength
1."In a Lonely Place"Joy Division"Ceremony"6:16
2."Procession"  4:27
3."Mesh" "Everything's Gone Green"3:02
4."Cries and Whispers" "Everything's Gone Green"3:25
5."Hurt" "Temptation"6:58
6."The Beach" "Blue Monday"7:19
7."Confusion" (instrumental)New Order, Arthur Baker"Confusion"7:38
8."Lonesome Tonight" "Thieves Like Us"5:11
9."Thieves Like Us" (instrumental)New Order, Arthur Baker"Murder"6:57
Total length:51:13
Cassette two – Side four
No.TitleWriter(s)B-side toLength
10."The Kiss of Death" "The Perfect Kiss"7:02
11."Dub-vulture" "Sub-culture"7:57
12."Shellcock"New Order, John Robie"Shellshock"7:35
13."Shame of the Nation"New Order, Robie"State of the Nation"7:54
14."Bizarre Dub Triangle" "Bizarre Love Triangle"7:00
15."1963"New Order, Stephen Hague"True Faith"5:35
16."True Dub"New Order, Hague"True Faith"10:41
Total length:53:44 (104:57) (183:45)
  • New Order Substance 1987 Fact 200c Side One Inlay and Cassette
    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 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.

2023 Expanded Reissue

The first two CDs are the same as the 1987 CDs, but remastered, except that "The Perfect Kiss" is now the unabridged 12-inch version (whereas "Sub-culture" and "Shellshock" remain the abridged 12-inch versions). Accordingly, on music site Deezer "Sub-culture", "Shellshock" and "Hurt" are labeled as "Substance Edit"; "Sub-culture" also labeled as "John Robie Remix", "Ceremony" as "Version 2" and "Bizarre Love Triangle" as "Shep Pettibone Remix".[22] Below track titles also taken from Deezer.

Disc three
No.TitleWriter(s)taken fromLength
1."Ceremony (Version 1)"Joy Division"Ceremony"4:38
2."Mesh" "Everything's Gone Green"3:02
3."Temptation" "Temptation"8:51
4."Confusion"New Order, Baker"Confusion"8:14
5."Perfect Pit" "The Perfect Kiss"1:24
6."Dub Vulture (John Robie Remix)" "Sub-culture"7:57
7."Shellcock"New Order, Robie"Shellshock"7:35
8."Bizarre Dub Triangle (Shep Pettibone Remix)" "Bizarre Love Triangle"7:05
9."True Dub (Shep Pettibone Remix)"New Order, Hague"True Faith"10:44
10."Confusion Dub '87"New Order, Baker"Touched by the Hand of God"5:25
11."True Faith (Shep Pettibone Remix)"New Order, Hague"True Faith"9:03
Total length:73:58
Disc four: Live at Irvine Meadows California, September 12th, 1987
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Ceremony"Joy Division5:19
2."Everything's Gone Green" 3:49
3."Temptation" 7:34
4."Blue Monday" 7:55
5."Confusion"New Order, Baker5:20
6."Thieves Like Us" 3:48
7."The Perfect Kiss" 8:35
8."Subculture" 5:03
9."Shellshock"New Order, Robie6:13
10."State of the Nation" 6:53
11."Bizarre Love Triangle" 4:34
12."True Faith"New Order, Hague5:13
Total length:70:15

Video release

Substance 1989
Video by
New Order
Released1989
Recorded1983–1989
Length40 minutes
LabelVirgin Music Video, Factory
New Order chronology
Academy
(1989)		 Substance 1989
(1989)		 New Order Story
(1993)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[23]

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

Substance 1989 track listing
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

Certifications

Certifications for Substance 1987
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[43] Gold 100,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[44] Platinum 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[45] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[46] Platinum 1,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ "Alternative Dance". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  2. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Substance – New Order". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  3. ↑ Wolk, Douglas (19 April 2005). "New Order: Substance". Blender. New York. Archived from the original on 4 May 2006. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  4. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). "New Order". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 10 (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 170. ISBN 0-19-531373-9.
  5. ↑ Hilburn, Robert (24 November 1987). "'Substance 1987.' New Order. Qwest". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  6. ↑ "New Order: Substance". Q. London (84): 97. September 1993.
  7. 1 2 Gross, Joe (2004). "New Order". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 582–83. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  8. ↑ Harrison, Andrew (August 1993). "Republish". Select. London (38).
  9. ↑ Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). "New Order". Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  10. 1 2 H., Andrew (19 June 2006). "New Order – Substance". Sputnikmusic. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  11. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (1 December 1987). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  12. ↑ Strong, Martin C. (1998). The Great Rock Discography. Crown Publishing Group. p. 692. ISBN 0-8129-3111-4.
  13. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1988). "Madonna, Billy Idol, New Order, Earth Wind & Fire". Playboy (March). Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  14. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1988). "Pazz & Jop 1987: Dean's List". The Village Voice. No. 1 March. New York. Archived from the original on 26 January 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  15. ↑ Anon. (2003). "363) Substance". Rolling Stone. New York (1 November). Archived from the original on 24 April 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2014.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  16. ↑ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  17. ↑ Cinquemani, Sal (2 November 2002). "New Order: Substance". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  18. ↑ Hermes, Will (2005). "The Definitive Guide to: Dance Rock". Spin. New York (October). Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  19. ↑ Page, Barry (1 September 2022). "Top 20 compilation albums". Classic Pop. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  20. ↑ "Substance Reissue". New Order. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  21. ↑ "New Order – Substance CD Album". CD Universe. Muze. Archived from the original on 19 October 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  22. ↑ "Substance (2023 Expanded Reissue)". Deezer. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  23. ↑ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r86937
  24. ↑ Kent 1993, p. 215
  25. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0898". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  26. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – New Order – Substance" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  27. ↑ "European Hot 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 40. 10 October 1987. p. 24. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  28. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – New Order – Substance" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  29. ↑ "Charts.nz – New Order – Substance". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  30. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – New Order – Substance". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  31. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – New Order – Substance". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  32. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  33. ↑ Lazell, Barry (1997). "New Order". Indie Hits 1980–1989: The Complete U.K. Independent Charts (Singles & Albums). Cherry Red Books. ISBN 0-95172-069-4. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  34. ↑ "New Order Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  35. ↑ "Hitparade der KW 46-2023". Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  36. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – New Order – Substance 1987" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  37. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2023. 46. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  38. ↑ "100 Albums weekly". PROMUSICAE. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  39. ↑ Kent 1993, p. 439
  40. ↑ "Top 100 Albums of '87". RPM. Vol. 47, no. 12. 26 December 1987. p. 9. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  41. ↑ "Gallup Year End Charts 1987 – Albums" (PDF). Record Mirror. 23 January 1988. p. 37. ISSN 0144-5804. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2021 – via World Radio History.
  42. ↑ "Top 100 Albums of '88" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 10. 24 December 1988. p. 13. ISSN 0033-7064 – via World Radio History.
  43. ↑ "Brazilian album certifications – New Order – Substance" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  44. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – New Order – Substance". Music Canada. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  45. ↑ "British album certifications – New Order – Substance". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 17 November 2018. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Substance in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  46. ↑ "American album certifications – New Order – Substance". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 17 November 2018.

Bibliography

  • Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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