History Music / Brotherhood

* UnexpectedlyDarkEpisode: New Order were never exactly sunshine and rainbows, but "All Day Long" is decidedly more dour than the rest of the album given its frank discussion of child abuse and downtempo, minor-key composition.

''Brotherhood'' is the fourth studio album by English AlternativeDance group Music/NewOrder, released in 1986. Compared to its predecessors, which were straight PostPunk (in the case of ''Music/{{Movement}}'') and straight AlternativeDance (in the case of ''Music/PowerCorruptionAndLies'' and ''[[Music/LowLife Low-Life]]''), ''Brotherhood'' takes a more unconventional approach to the band's sound. Specifically, it is a [[DistinctDoubleAlbum Distinct Single Album]], with side one consisting entirely of straight post-punk songs and side two consisting entirely of straight SynthPop. While it wasn't made explicit at the time, the decision to do this stemmed from CreativeDifferences between vocalist Bernard Sumner, who preferred the band's electronic sound, and bassist Peter Hook, who was adamant about the group remaining a rock band. These differences would grow in magnitude for the remainder of the decade, ultimately spilling over during the production of ''Music/{{Republic}}'', prolonging it to the point where it released the year after Creator/FactoryRecords went bankrupt.

* VariantCover:
** The original Factory Records CD and London Records CD both feature a close-up shot of the metal sheet, focusing specifically on the "TITAANZINK 0.50" text. Qwest Records' CD release, meanwhile, features the entire sheet, but with the artist name and album title added to the top in white text.
** Factory, Qwest, and London's cassette releases of the album also zoom in on the serial text, but depict it as a slant rather than at a straight vertical angle reading up. Cassette releases in other regions simply feature a scan of the LP art against a white backdrop.
** The 2008 Collector's Edition features a shot of the full metal sheet like the LP release, but has it heavily warped. This is also carried over to the 2015 remaster included solely on streaming services (which also feature the Qwest CD master).

* {{Corpsing}}: Bernard Sumner does this at various points in "Every Little Counts", most prominently during the line "I think you are a pig/you should be in a zoo," the end result of the improvisational nature of the lyrics.

** The cacophonous crescendo that ends "Every Little Counts" pays homage to [[Music/SgtPeppersLonelyHeartsClubBand "A Day in the Life"]] by Music/TheBeatles.

Conversely, the 12" version of "State of the Nation"-- initially a non-album single-- was added on Factory Records' CD release of ''Brotherhood''. Most later CD reissues would retain this amendment to the tracklist, with the sole exception of Qwest Records' American CD release of the album in 1988, likely due to not wanting to cannibalize sales of ''Music/{{Substance|NewOrderAlbum}}'', as the track had already appeared there and the compilation was on its way to being certified platinum.

* PackagedAsOtherMedium: The album sleeve is designed to resemble sheet metal, a motif also carried over to the single releases of "Bizarre Love Triangle" and "State of the Nation".

** The 2008 Collector's Edition features a shot of the full metal sheet like the LP release, but has it heavily warped. This is also carried over to the 2015 remaster included solely on streaming services (which also feature the Qwest CD master).

Stephen Morris went on to consider the resultant experiment on ''Brotherhood'' a failed one, feeling that attempting to divide the record between rock and synth sides "didn't quite work;" the rest of the band seemed to agree, leading later albums to return to leaning predominantly in one direction or the other. Despite this, the album was still positively received by fans and critics alike, with the ''LA Times'' considering it a sign of New Order standing above the rest of the "computer rocker" crowd and famed ''Village Voice'' critic Robert Christgau ranking it as a "Pick Hit", describing the music as a "pure, physically exalting sensation." As of 2020, it currently sits at No. 2276 on ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums compendium]] of the most critically praised albums of all time. While in retrospect many came to agree that it wasn't a particularly big step forward from ''Low-Life'', most will vouch for it as a worthy entry in New Order's back-catalog.

In addition to its critical success, ''Brotherhood'' was also another considerable commercial success for New Order in the UK, topping the Independent Albums chart and peaking at No. 9 on the broader albums chart. In the US, meanwhile, it performed much more modestly, peaking at just No. 117 on the Billboard 200. Despite this, the album's sole single "Bizarre Love Triangle" (released a month after ''Brotherhood'') peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's Top Dance Club Songs chart and at No. 8 on the same outlet's Dance Singles Sales charts (despite not making the Hot 100), serving as New Order's BreakthroughHit in the United States and acting as a prelude to their greater mainstream American breakthrough with ''Music/{{Substance|NewOrderAlbum}}'' the following year. The track would also gain a ''huge'' PeripheryDemographic among the Asian American community, complimenting the band's earlier popularity among the black urban crowd. New Order's American label, Qwest, later reissued the single in 1994 to promote its version of the band's ''(the best of) [=NewOrder=]'' compilation the following year, with the reissue peaking at No. 98 on the Billboard Hot 100.

* DigitalDestruction: The 1988 CD release on Qwest Records omits the original back cover, which features an alternate shot of the metal sheet used for the front, in place of a standard tracklist on a black backdrop; the original back cover isn't even featured on the liner notes. Additionally, due to limitations with CD manufacturing technology at the time, the front cover doesn't feature the same metallic effect as on the initial Factory LP. Incidentally, this and ''Music/PowerCorruptionAndLies'' are the only two instances of this type of album art alteration (coincidentally, both also add text to the typically TextlessAlbumCover); Qwest's other releases of the band's back-catalog (and the Music/JoyDivision back-catalog) are much more faithful to the original LP packaging. The ''Brotherhood'' example is also slightly more faithful than ''Power, Corruption & Lies'' in that it does feature the original liner notes from the LP release's inner sleeve, just resized and repositioned to account for the smaller size of a CD booklet.

** "Angel Dust" opens with a sample Arabic chant sweeping from the right channel to the left, with other sampled chants playing in the right channel throughout the rest of the intro. After the first pre-chorus, another synthesized violin part can be heard solely in the left channel. During the outro, the guitar part is also panned to the left at first before centering itself while the melodica part comes in slightly to the right.

* BookEnds: A ''very'' brief part excerpt from "Paradise", the first track on the album, can be heard after the RecordNeedleScratch that closes out "Every Little Counts", the last track on the album. Unlike most examples, this isn't meant to provide a thematic connection between the start and end of the album, but rather is meant to trick the listener into thinking that their turntable broke and threw the needle across the record.

Stephen Morris went on to consider the resultant experiment on ''Brotherhood'' a failed one, feeling that attempting to divide the record between rock and synth sides "didn't quite work;" the rest of the band seemed to agree, leading later albums to return to leaning predominantly in one direction or the other. Despite this, the album was still positively received by fans and critics alike, with the ''LA Times'' considering it a sign of New Order standing above the rest of the "computer rocker" crowd and famed ''Village Voice'' critic Robert Christgau ranking it as a "Pick Hit", describing the music as a "pure, physically exalting sensation." While in retrospect many came to agree that it wasn't a particularly big step forward from ''Low-Life'', most will vouch for it as a worthy entry in New Order's back-catalog.

* [[Music/JoyDivision Peter Hook]] – bass guitar, electronic percussion, backing vocals

* Gillian Gilbert – synthesizers, programming, guitars, backing vocals

** The composition of "All Day Long" was directly inspired by the prelude to ''[[Theatre/TheRingOfTheNibelung Das Rheingold]]'' by Music/RichardWagner; New Order would go on to use the Wagner piece as a concert opener.

In addition to its critical success, ''Brotherhood'' was also another considerable commercial success for New Order in the UK, topping the Independent Albums chart and peaking at No. 9 on the broader albums chart. In the US, meanwhile, it performed much more modestly, peaking at just No. 117 on the Billboard 200. Despite this, the album's sole single "Bizarre Love Triangle" (released a month after ''Brotherhood'') peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's Top Dance Club Songs chart and at No. 8 on the same outlet's Dance Singles Sales charts (despite not making the Hot 100), serving as New Order's BreakthroughHit in the United State and acting as a prelude to their greater mainstream American breakthrough with ''Music/{{Substance|NewOrderAlbum}}'' the following year. The track would also gain a ''huge'' PeripheryDemographic among the Asian American community, complimenting the band's earlier popularity among the black urban crowd. New Order's American label, Qwest, later reissued the single in 1994 to promote its version of the band's ''(the best of) [=NewOrder=]'' compilation the following year, with the reissue peaking at No. 98 on the Billboard Hot 100.

** ''Clash Music'' [[https://www.clashmusic.com/features/beyond-the-hits-new-order posited]] that "Every Little Counts" is a parody of Music/PhilSpector-esque ChamberPop, with its ballad-like melody, use of synthesized strings that build up in intensity, and the "do-do-do-do-do" passages midway through the song.
* LineOfSightName: "Bizarre Dub Triangle" (the instrumental version of Bizarre Love Triangle) was retitled "I Don't Care" in the US.

In addition to its critical success, ''Brotherhood'' was also another considerable commercial success for New Order in the UK, topping the Independent Albums chart and peaking at No. 9 on the broader albums chart. In the US, meanwhile, it performed much more modestly, peaking at just No. 117 on the Billboard 200. Despite this, the album's sole single "Bizarre Love Triangle" (released a month after ''Brotherhood'') peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's Top Dance Club Songs chart and at No. 8 on the same outlet's Dance Singles Sales charts (despite not making the Hot 100), acting as a prelude to New Order's mainstream American breakthrough with ''Music/{{Substance|NewOrderAlbum}}'' the following year. The track would also gain a ''huge'' PeripheryDemographic among the Asian American community, complimenting the band's earlier popularity among the black urban crowd. New Order's American label, Qwest, later reissued the single in 1994 to promote its version of the band's ''(the best of) [=NewOrder=]'' compilation the following year, with the reissue peaking at No. 98 on the Billboard Hot 100.

* BrokenRecord: Applied literally with the ending of "Every Little Counts", which mimics the sound of a record skipping. Stephen Morris retrospectively stated in an interview that he thought it would've been a good idea if the CD and cassette releases featured different versions of the song that mimicked the ways in which their own respective formats locked up.

* {{Corpsing}}: Bernard Sumner does this at various points in "Every Little Counts", the end result of the improvisational nature of the lyrics.

* InTheStyleOf: "As It Is When It Was" features New Order providing their own take on fellow Manchester alternative band Music/TheSmiths' brand of JanglePop.

* RearrangeTheSong: As with the singles for ''Music/LowLife'' before it, "Bizarre Love Triangle" features a remix by Shep Pettibone on its single release rather than the album version.

** The ending of "Every Little Counts" pays homage to that of [[Music/SgtPeppersLonelyHeartsClubBand "A Day in the Life"]] by Music/TheBeatles.

# "As It Was When It Was" (3:46)

* InTheStyleOf: "As It Was When It Was" features New Order providing their own take on fellow Manchester alternative band Music/TheSmiths' brand of JanglePop.

* [[DistinctDoubleAlbum Distinct Single Album]]: As stated in the main description, side one consists of pure PostPunk songs, while side two is dance-oriented SynthPop. Side two is so devoted to an electronic sound, in fact, that Bernard Sumner's vocals and Peter Hook's bass are the only elements on those tracks played live-- everything else is sequenced with the aid of a Fairlight CMI. Of course, electronics aren't completely absent on side one-- "Paradise" for instance opens with a pulsing synth riff-- the synthesizers simply take a backseat to the guitars and bass.

* NonAppearingTitle: As per the norm with New Order. {{Averted|Trope}}, however, on "State of the Nation", in which the title not only appears in the lyrics, but is also part of the chorus.

* [[DistinctDoubleAlbum Distinct Single Album]]: As stated in the main description, side one consists of pure PostPunk songs, while side two is dance-oriented SynthPop. Side two is so devoted to an electronic sound, in fact, that Bernard Sumner's vocals and Peter Hook's bass are the only elements on those tracks played live-- everything else is sequenced with the aid of a Fairlight CMI.

* NewSoundAlbum: Putting aside the [[DistinctDoubleAlbum Distinct Single Album]] nature of the record, noticeable changes are made to both the guitar-driven and synth-driven styles of New Order's material on ''Brotherhood''. The rock songs are far slicker, featuring a more unified, polished sound from track to track, while the synth songs make considerably heavier use of digital FM synths, with tracks like "Bizarre Love Triangle" and "Angel Dust" prominently featuring the Yamaha [=DX7's=] distinct presets (with the former using the "BASS 1" preset for its driving riff).
* NonAppearingTitle: As per the norm with New Order. [[AvertedTrope Averted,]] however, on "State of the Nation", in which the title not only appears in the lyrics, but is also part of the chorus.

** "Paradise" retells Music/DollyParton's "Jolene" from the husband's perspective, repeatedly namedropping the title character of the Parton song during the pre-choruses.

* NewSoundAlbum: Putting aside the [[DistinctDoubleAlbum Distinct Single Album]] nature of the record, noticeable changes are made to both the guitar-driven and synth-driven styles of New Order's material on ''Brotherhood''. The rock songs are far slicker, featuring a more unified, polished sound from track to track, while the synth songs make considerably heavier use of digital FM synths, with tracks like "Bizarre Love Triangle" and "Angel Dust" prominently featuring the Yamaha DX7's distinct presets (with the former using the "BASS 1" preset for its driving riff).

* OneWordTitle: "Paradise" and "Weirdo".

** Factory, Qwest, and London's cassette releases of the album also zoom in on the serial text, but depict it as a slant rather than at a straight vertical angle reading up.

In addition to its critical success, ''Brotherhood'' was also another considerable commercial success for New Order in the UK, topping the Independent Albums chart and peaking at No. 9 on the broader albums chart. In the US, meanwhile, it performed much more modestly, peaking at just No. 117 on the Billboard 200. Despite this, the album's sole single "Bizarre Love Triangle" peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's Top Dance Club Songs chart and at No. 8 on the same outlet's Dance Singles Sales charts (despite not making the Hot 100), acting as a prelude to New Order's mainstream American breakthrough with ''Music/{{Substance|NewOrderAlbum}}'' the following year. The track would also gain a ''huge'' PeripheryDemographic among the Asian American community, complimenting the band's earlier popularity among the black urban crowd.

"Bizarre Love Triangle" was released as a single a month after ''Brotherhood''[='s=] release. New Order's American label, Qwest, reissued it to promote its version of the band's ''(the best of) [=NewOrder=]'' compilation in 1995, with the reissue peaking at No. 98 on the Billboard Hot 100. Conversely, the 12" version of "State of the Nation"-- initially a non-album single-- was added on Factory Records' CD release of ''Brotherhood''. Most later CD reissues would retain this amendment to the tracklist, with the sole exception of Qwest Records' American CD release of the album in 1988, likely due to not wanting to cannibalize sales of ''Music/{{Substance|NewOrderAlbum}}'', as the track had already appeared there and the compilation was on its way to being certified platinum.

* [[DistinctDoubleAlbum Distinct Single Album]]: As stated in the main description, side one consists of pure PostPunk songs, while side two is dance-oriented SynthPop.