Indie/Alternative charts

Review: The remastered reissues of New Order classics continues with this 1984 gem 'Thieves Like Us' (the title is taken from the Robert Altman movie). It originally landed, of course, on Factory and like all that label's releases, comes with a Peter Saville designed cover, based on a painting by Giorgio de Chirico. It's the band's seventh single and the remastering job has been done from the original master tapes at Abbey Road Studios. The title track is a typically forlorn affair to start, but it erupts into a more joyous and life-affirming sing along. 'Lonesome Tonight' is as low key and wallowsome as the name suggests.

Review: You might think that you could cop a copy of New Order's seminal hit 'Blue Monday' fairly easily and cheaply given its ubiquity over the years. But no, copies in good condition still fetch around 50 quid, so this remastered reissue is well worth a cop. The single's iconic bassline and twitchy synth modulations very much soundtrack a generation, if not an entire youth revolution, but still enliven any dance floor many years later. What's more, the de-humanised vocals will always provide real singalong joy. On the flip is a 'The Beach', which is drenched in echo and reverb and general sonic filth.

Review: Although the single that followed it, 'Blue Monday', remains New Order's most significant and influential club cut, 'Confusion' is every bit as impactful. It was recorded with Arthur Baker and John Robie, and mixed by John 'Jellybean' Benitez, and saw the Manchester band turn their hand to the then brand-new sound of New York electro. As this re-mastered reissue proves, the track still sounds superb, offering a unique mix of the band's usual hazy, post Joy Division guitars, evocative Bernard Summer vocals and ultra-tough beats from Baker and Robie. As it did first time around, the full-length mix (A1) comes backed by two dub-style club revisions ('Confusion (Instrumental)' and the sparse, effects-laden B-boy classic 'Confused Beats'), as well as the demo version (the 'Rough Mix').

Review: Warner Music's ongoing New Order remastering and reissue project continues apace with 'Murder', featuring a quite opposite pair of singles form the cult Manchester band. Again both have been remastered from original master tapes at Abbey Road Studios. 'Murder' was released in 1984, but was recorded in winter, two years earlier, for the Power, Corruption & Lies album. It captures the darkness and unrest of the times with hellish vocal screams and huge, pounding military drums all building to a thunderous peak with a nagging lead guitar eventually making its way out of the mire like a beacon of hope. 'Thieves Like Us' (instrumental) is a more archetypal New Order track with those happy-sad guitar licks and resigned drums.

Review: You know a band has iconic status when not only their LPs but all their singles get a fresh repress. If there's one group who warrant such indulgence, it's New Order, and amidst the many classics being spruced up for a new audience here is the evergreen The Perfect Kiss, originally released in 1985 and interestingly the first New Order single to have also been included on an album, Low-life. As well as the title track, there are some essential B-sides in the form of 'The Kiss Of Death' and 'Perfect Pit', but really it's about the special extended version of 'The Perfect Kiss' - a shining emblem of everything great about the 12" single.

Review: As part of the Low-Life 'Definitive Edition' release campaign, New Order reissue the 12" singles from the album, first released in May 1985 at the height of their controversial exploitation by Factory Records. 'Sub-Culture' is one of its lead singles: originally released on white label (infamously, graphic designer Peter Saville allegedly deemed the song unworthy of his talents), this functional synthpop banger reeks with and oozes of FM-farty glitz, and lyrically concerns a nocturnal protagonist, disaffected with the modern, measured day-night cycle. The B 'Dub-vulture' pulls a similar instrumental trick with a varied melody.

Review: As part of the Low Life 'Definitive Edition' release campaign, New Order reissue the 12" singles from and around the album, first released in May 1985. 'Shellshock' the perfect name for the thousand-yard-stare of satiation we experience on relistening to this glitzy and glamorous electro tune, packed with 16th note rimshots, not a buzzing master bus that few synthpop acts could rival back then. The B-side 'Shellcock' snips the hidden jockstrap on, meanwhile, on an instrumental dub of the tune, much in the fashion of what Depeche Mode were doing contemporaneously.