‘Temptation’: The song that “showcases every element” of New Order
Many people would make a convincing case that ‘Blue Monday’ is New Order’s signature track. Pulsing percussion, sublime synths and haunting choirs combined to create not only one of the band’s most iconic hits, but one of the most iconic hits of all time. ‘Age of Consent’ is another contender, a track that shows off the Mancunians’ mastery of jangly guitars as well as alternative dance.
Or perhaps ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’ should be considered their greatest offering, a mix of the two that pairs strange synths with new wave stylings. ‘True Faith’, ‘Regret’, ‘Ceremony’, the band have delivered both alternative dance and post-punk spheres with countless classics, and it’s difficult to choose just one song that defines and displays their evolving sound.
It’s a task that even bassist Peter Hook struggled with, noting those two sonic sides to the band. “This is very tough!” he declared when asked to pick out their best work during a conversation with Songfacts, “There really are two sides to New Order: the rock tracks and the dance tracks, so it’s hard to pick one”.
Despite his hesitation, the song Hook landed on was the band’s 1982 single ‘Temptation’. “If I had to though, I would probably say ‘Temptation’ is a song that showcases every element of New Order as a band,” he explained, “and that’s another one that always goes down a storm when played live.”
It certainly is a song that showcases the band at their best, particularly the lengthy 12” version of the track. In a runtime just shy of nine minutes, the song shows off their post-punk stylings in Bernard Sumner’s declarative vocals and the guitar twangs that surround them, but it’s never afraid to delve further into danceable synth territory either.
It’s easy to see why the song is guaranteed to get a crowd moving when it’s played on stage, a reaction that’s apparent in any and all live footage of ‘Temptation’. From the moment those twangs and “oohs” kick in, fans can’t help but go wild with applause, hands in the air, feet off the ground.
It sits somewhere in between the iconic status of ‘Blue Monday’, the jangly new wave of ‘Age of Consent’, and the sparkling ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’, an encapsulation of everything that makes New Order such a special band. As Hook rightly asserted, it really does showcase every element of their sound in its full glory.
Revisit ‘Temptation’ by New Order below.
