Vinyl Icons

ORIGINAL VINYL (1985)
The first incarnation of the album [Fact 100] came in a transparent 'onion skin' tracing-paper sleeve, and the fact you had to tear it to access the LP inside meant many hardcore fans bought two copies, one to leave sealed and another to open up and play – how very 21st century of them...

FIRST CD (1985)
With Low-life arriving just as the shiny, silver, and allegedly indestructible new digital format was coming of age, it would have been remiss of Factory not to take the opportunity to release the album on compact disc – although given the many commercially self-sabotaging moves the group and their record label made at other times, it wouldn't have been particularly surprising if they had not. As it was, the first CD version [Facd 100] hit stores in October 1985, with an inlay staying loyal to the tracing-paper style. Some contained an inner cardboard sleeve marked 'car carry case' in common with other early Factory CD releases.

EXPANDED SET (2008)
Given the acclaimed remixes and other music that emerged in New Order's name around the same time as Low-life, it made sense for it to be hoovered up and thrown into a bundle along with a punchy remastering. This being 2008, before the vinyl revival went properly overground, it was only released on a pair of CDs [London 2564693700], but the digipak stays satisfyingly faithful to the original, along with added sleeve notes telling the story of the album's evolution.

AUDIOPHILE VINYL (2015)
There isn't much competition in terms of heavyweight vinyl reissues or remasters of the album, but the 2015 re-press [London 2564-68879-8] offered in London Records' Vinyl Collector series on 180g disc does a fine job of addressing any dynamic shortcomings – the same LP is included in a new box set (see below).

BOX SET (2023)
Naturally, London Records Collector's Edition couldn't possibly be the end of the story when it came to reissuing New Order's classic third album. And nor, probably, will the 'Definitive Edition' prove to be any such thing, given the thirst of the music industry for new ways of selling the same, but ostensibly slightly different, products right back to us.

Nonetheless, the box set [Warner Music 0825646253012] released on January the 27th this year (2023) combines a 180g LP pressing with two CDs and two DVDs, plus a hardback book, and includes previously unreleased audio takes and rare live performances. If you're intrigued enough to own instrumental versions and early demos, and the cost-of-living-crisis isn't biting too hard (the set sells for £144), then by all means get stuck in.