Education Entertainment Recreation ［3LP+2CD+Blu-ray Disc］

New Orders third consecutive live album since the release of their 2015 studio album Music Complete, Education Entertainment Recreation was recorded at their only U.K. concert in 2018, which took place at Londons Alexandra Palace. While their previous release, 2019s ∑(No,12k,Lg,17Mif) New Order + Liam Gillick: So it goes.., was an unconventional set of mostly deep cuts that featured a 12-piece synth ensemble, this one is a lot closer to the more straightforward NOMC15. The main difference is that Education Entertainment Recreation only has a pair of songs from Music Complete (plus Tutti Frutti on the Blu-ray edition), and two more tracks overall, which means theres more room for hits and Joy Division tunes. Disorder and Sub-culture have fortunately remained in the repertoire since the last release, Love Vigilantes makes a welcome appearance, and its hard to go wrong with standbys like Your Silent Face, a gleefully audience-assisted Bizarre Love Triangle, Crystal, and the Street Hassle-referencing arrangement of Temptation. The trio of Joy Division songs concluding the set, naturally finishing with Love Will Tear Us Apart, feels like a goodwill gesture to the audience, but the band generally seem more committed to the New Order material. Essentially, this is all well-trodden territory for New Order and their fans, but for anyone who has an emotional connection to their music, its still a potent reminder of how vital and life-affirming their best songs are. ~ Paul Simpson