Brotherhood (New Order album)

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Brotherhood is the fourth studio album by the English band New Order, released on 29 September 1986 by Factory Records. It blends post-punk and electronic/synth-pop, with the track sequence split into two sides that were meant to be “disco and rock” in concept. The band mixed more synthesizers on one side and guitars on the other, a divide Stephen Morris later said didn’t quite work. The album was recorded in 1986 at Studio Jam in London, Windmill Lane in Dublin, and Amazon in Liverpool. The cover art, by Peter Saville, shows a sheet of titanium–zinc alloy, and some early editions came in a metallic sleeve. Brotherhood includes “Bizarre Love Triangle,” the group’s breakthrough single in the United States and Australia, which was the only track released as a single and a video (though “State of the Nation” appeared on most CD editions). The album runs 37:07 and all tracks are credited to Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris, and Gillian Gilbert. Notable moments include the Wagnerian influence heard in “All Day Long,” and Morris has commented on the curious ending of “Every Little Counts.” Critics praised the album for its atmospheric grooves and its blend of rock and electronic styles, though some later reviews describe it as often overlooked and more for longtime fans. Brotherhood sits in New Order’s discography between Low-Life (1985) and Substance (1987).