New Order – Low-life

New Order's third album, released in May 1985.

The title is inconsistently written as Low-life, Low-Life, or Low Life, sometimes in single quotes. It's unclear if the quotation marks are meant to be part of the title; it's either a reference to British journalist Jeffrey Bernard's weekly "Low Life" column in The Spectator magazine or a quotation of Jeffrey's voice saying "I'm one of the few people who live what's called 'the low life'", which is on this album at the beginning of "This Time of Night".

This is the only New Order album with the band on the cover, which was again designed by Peter Saville (2). They were photographed individually by using a Polaroid film (the band never really believed those photos would end up on the cover). The sleeve itself contained an onion skin obi.

The album was self-produced and recorded at Jam Studios and Britannia Row Studios in London. Notable cuts are Love Vigilantes, a solid, purely guitar-driven narrative about a soldier presumed dead coming home; Elegia, featured in the John Hughes movie "Pretty In Pink" (but only Shell-Shock, rumored to be an homage to Sub-Culture.

Some cassette issues include the The Perfect Kiss 12" version.

Peaked at #7 in the UK album charts.
Also ranked:
#50 in NME's list of the "Greatest Albums Of All Time" and #346 in "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" (2013)
#10 in Spin's list of the "25 Greatest Albums Of All Time" (April 1989)
#10 among The NME's "50 Greatest Albums Of The '80s": "The perfect rock album you could also dance to..." (1993)

In 2008 the album was re-released as 2×CD Collector's Edition set, with the bonus disc containing non-album singles, 12" mixes and b-sides.

Factory Australia's initial CD release was based on imported UK copies with "Factory Records Australasia IMPORT" stickers on front of the jewel case.

UK re-releases and re-pressings:
September 1985: Cassettes (cat# FACT 100c) - boxed and plastic cases.
October 1985: CD (cat# FACD 100), initially with car carry case; repressings in 1986.
July 1993: LP, MC, CD (cat# 520 020-1 / 2 / 4), with repressings in 1994, 1996 and 1998.
January 2000: CD (cat# 8573 81313-2), with repressings in 2005 and 2017.
October 2008: CD (cat# 2564 69370 0) - Collector's Edition, with remastered reissue in 2009
July 2009: LP (cat# 2564-68879-8) - 180 gram remaster in original artwork, with repressings in 2015.

US releases:
May 1985: LP, MC (cat# 9 25289-1 / 4)
c. March 1988: CD (cat# 9 25289-2), with repressings in 1998, 2001, 2005.
November 2008: CD (cat# R2 516184) - Collector's Edition, with remastered repress in 2009.
October 2009: LP (cat# R1 25289) - 180 gram remaster.

Japanese releases:
May 1985: LP (cat# YX-7352-AX), CD (cat# 33C38-7413).
February 1989: CD (cat# 25CY-3110).
November 1993: CD (cat# POCD-1885).
March 2000: CD (cat# AMCE-6102).
June 2005: CD (cat# WPCR-75043).
March 2008: CD (cat# WR-13170/1) - Collector's Edition.
January 2010: CD (cat# WPCR-13585~6) - Collector's Edition - remastered.
July 2013: CD (WPCR-78096).